6 months Goes By So Quickly...

Well, its been well over a month since I've posted anything. I have officially been home full-time since mid-September and I have loved every moment! I feel complete peace with this decision and I've seen time and time again how being home has been a good thing for our family.

Rilyn is 6 months now...and I'm really noticing how much things are changing. For instance, she is starting to sit up on her own for a few minutes at a time! I know that the next few months of discovery are going to be so fun.

Here is a picture I took a few months ago when Rilyn started sitting in her play seat. Her feet didn't touch the floor and I wanted to make sure to remember that...

...well now my sweet little Rilyn is standing up in the play seat! I captured this picture this morning. Its only a matter of time before she's moving around on her own!

And yesterday, Rilyn was in the play seat in the kitchen and I walked away for a few minutes and came back to find she had moved the seat across the room into the fridge. She was so proud of herself! :)

Current Status: No Margin

Over the last four weeks, I have been processing this concept of "margin" in my life. Actually its more than just processing, God has been hammering me with it!

In July, I gave my work notice that I would be leaving. But, I agreed to stay on until they found someone to replace me (big mistake not to give a specific date...but I was trying to be nice! Trust me, I learned my lesson.) I've been working full-time for the last four weeks and it has done nothing but confirm my decision to stay home with Rilyn. Not just for Rilyn's sake, but also for my husband and for me.

Initially, I made the decision to stay home logistically for Rilyn. Aside from my struggle with leaving her all day with a babysitter, financially it just didn't make sense. Most of the money I would make would go to her sitters.

But since I've returned to work, I've gained a new and even greater perspective on why it is important for me to be home. Margin.

Margin: the amount available beyond what is necessary.

Margin in motherhood. Being at work all day, even just sitting at a desk, is exhausting. And being a mom, especially to an infant, means no rest time once I get home. I go through the motions of taking care of Rilyn and trying to be in the moment with her, but I'm not mentally there.

Margin: the amount available beyond what is necessary.

Margin in my marriage. Having my work hat on, then immediately switching to my mommy hat also places challenges on my wife hat, which in my mind should be on before the others. It is important that I am available to support my husband both at home and in ministry. In the last four weeks, I haven't had as much to give as I'd like. Yes, my marriage could survive in this atmosphere, but I want it to thrive. I want to be an active partner with my husband in life and ministry, but right now its taking a lot of work to be more than passing ships in the night. I'm a better mom to Rilyn if I'm a better wife to my husband first. If I'm being honest, in the last four weeks, I find myself being Mom first, Wife second. Rilyn's needs are screaming at me (literally screaming sometimes). Matt doesn't need me to feed, bathe, change or hold him. Being home will provide me the needed margin to set my priorities straight.

Margin: the amount available beyond what is necessary.

Margin in my faith and ministry. Sadly, what little time I was finding in the last few months with God, has become nothing. I'll be honest, yesterday was the first time in four weeks that I even opened my Bible. I'm empty. And you can't (or shouldn't) serve out of your emptiness. Romans 15:13 (The Message) says, "May the God of green hope fill you up with joy, fill you up with peace, so that your believing lives, filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit, will brim over with hope!" I can't be filled with "the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit" without spending quality time with my Savior.

Last year, I stepped down from leading a high school girls small group because I didn't have the time or energy working full time and being pregnant. I wasn't able to have the deep relationships with the girls that I used to have. And I miss that. In the last four weeks, I've had several ministry opportunities that I just haven't been able to do because I've had to make my family a priority with what little amount I had available.

Margin: the amount available beyond what is necessary.

Margin for me. Being home will also allow me to find time for me. This summer, I had a weekly play date with some other mom friends. I miss that time! I struggle adding friends into the mix when I don't even have quality time with my family. I also struggle with not feeling guilty when I go have some "me" time. I feel like I should be spending that time with Matt and Rilyn. I don't even have time to update this blog! Once I'm home full time, there will be more of a balance and more margin for personal time.

Margin: the amount available beyond what is necessary.

I understand that staying home isn't the answer for everyone. But I do believe that its not only for the sake of a child; its also for the family, marriage and personal lives of those who choose that. I don't think enough people take that into consideration. I'm not quiting my job because life is too difficult. I'm choosing to prioritize.

Yes, I could find a better paying job. But is that necessary? No, not for us. Yes, we will be giving up nice vacations and Starbucks. But finding margin for the more important things in my life is so worth it!

New Profession: Mom

I've always known that I wanted to be a mom and deep down I wanted to stay home with my children. My mom stayed home and I really appreciated having her home and available all through my childhood...especially in my teen years!

Rilyn's arrival confirmed all of my desires to raise my family at home. It was a little harder to convince Matt as he had major concerns about providing for our family, which I appreciate that he even thinks about that! So, I told him that I would continue to work if that's what he felt we needed to do. All summer, I was preparing myself to return to work. The closer and closer it came, the harder and harder it was for me to think about leaving her. I'm sure most, if not all, moms feel or have felt the same way.

The tipping point for us is when we figured up how much we would be spending in childcare. Despite the incredible deals that people were going to give us, more than half of my income would be going to having other people take care of Rilyn. That just didn't sit well with us. I couldn't see the benefit of being gone from Rilyn every single day, all day, for a few hundred dollars a month.

After much prayer and conversation, we made the decision that I would stay home to raise our family. I'm so excited!!! This is going to be a season of trusting God but I'm anxious to see where he takes our little family. I've turned in my resignation but told them I'll stay until they find my replacement and I train them.

I find it interesting that God has been preparing us for this. Our first month of marriage, we took a class called "Financial Peace". Because of that class, we have never truly lived off my income. It has mostly gone to paying off our school debt. But we still enjoyed the extra income to go on vacations and drink lots of Starbucks. :) Then, last December our church did a challenge called "750 in the black". Basically we were all challenged to either start tithing or double our tithe to the church and also invite friends to see what God was doing. Matt and I were really stretched financially during this challenge -- which was incredible for us! It was a great time of learning how to trust God with our money and changed our view of money.

Now that I'm not working, we're making much less than we did in December 2009 and yet, everything is panning out. Once again, we're having to trust God. Its an exciting adventure yet again!

Just look at that smile! She's so worth it!

Rilyn's 1st Vacation

We got home last Sunday from our vacation, but I still feel in vacation mode. I didn't have the drive to do much of anything this week :)

Rilyn did GREAT on the drive down and back. Of course, she was very tired of her car seat by the end of the week, but she was a trooper.

Here are some pictures from the week:

E-Mealz actually came in really handy for our vacation. We had a very tight budget for this trip so we couldn't spend more than what we had. Before we left, I made an envelope for every day we were gone and put a specific amount in each. We could only spend what was in the envelope. So, we ended up making alot of our meals...using our favorites from past E-Mealz weeks. Dave Ramsey is so right when he says, "The best kind of vacation is the kind that doesn't follow you home (on the credit card bill)". We paid for everything completely in cash which allowed for us to truly enjoy our vacation!

Any end-of-the-summer plans for you out there?

Making Life A Little Easier To Enjoy

I am not typically one to indulge in more expensive items that can be done the same way but cheaper. For instance, I'm perfectly fine buying the store brand items instead of paying extra for the name brand. Up until now, I've used a mop to clean my floors...when I find the time to fill a bucket and deal with all of that. Last week, my sister asked if I wanted her Swiffer Wet Jet that she left at my parents house. I said sure, but really didn't think I'd be a fan.

At the store, I cringed at the sight of the $7 refill pads. That is a lot more than I like to spend on cleaning products, but decided I'd give it a chance. SO WORTH IT!

I love my "new" Swiffer Wet Jet! Yes, it is pricier than I normally spend, but I'm cleaning my floors more often than I did before, and with a soon-to-be-crawler that is important to me.

It may be a little more expensive, but it makes my life easier and cleaner. Definitely what this new mom needs!

I'm a mom :)

Not really sure what to post today. My life really revolves around Rilyn right now. Rilyn eats, sleeps and fills her diaper and I facilitate and manage all of those things. Pretty routine.

I'm amazed at how much she has changed in four weeks. She's already holding her head up alot and she is starting to coo a little. She's looking around and will really focus on your face. LOVE IT!

Rilyn has been a wonderful baby, already sleeping through the night. After having three nights of her crying all night long and sleeping all day, we decided to start what I called "sleep training". We've tried to stick to a schedule as much as possible. Basically, she nurses, then she has awake time (I love this time because she is so alert and we have some good bonding time) and then I put her down in her crib for naptime. She cries for a few minutes but puts herself to sleep and sleeps well. I've been amazed at how her demeanor has changed. She was really fussy when she wasn't sleeping at night. She's back to the happy Rilyn!

Here are some more pictures:

Baby Girl To-Do List

We are closing into the final weeks! Tomorrow, I'll be 38 weeks. Yesterday we had a Dr appointment and I was 1 cm dilated, which she warned I could be for weeks. But she did tell me that I better get my bags packed. Which got me thinking of the list of to-dos that we have. We're almost there!

Clean out entryway
Organize entryway closets
Take Rummage Sale items to church
Move Hope Chest to living room
Move chest of drawers into our bedroom
Put together bookshelf
Window Cover for nursery
Decorate Walls in Nursery
Pick a name for Baby Girl
Choose a Baby Dr
Install Car seat (Matt just texted me that he's taking care of this. YAY!)
Pack for the hospital
Address birth announcements

I'm very excited about how easy its been to keep our house clean since my family came and helped us finalize all of the decluttering. What was taking me months, only took my family 1 1/2 days to finish up. But I'm much more inclined to keep things picked up, since everything has a home and a place. Which brings me to the shoe shelf my dad built us. Doesn't it look awesome! This area used to be cluttered with all kinds of junk that we would just pile up. I'll have to post some before pictures if I can find them.

Reminds me of the verse "For God is not a God of disorder but of peace" 1 Corinthians 14:33. I love my peaceful home!

Imagine giving birth on a dirt floor in a grass hut.

As an expectant mother, this touched my heart. Its hard to imagine being a pregnant woman in an under-developed country with such harsh conditions. To give birth to a child (that hopefully survives) in a small unsanitary hut...I couldn't fathom. Having no options other than that.

As my mom says, "When you sponsor a Compassion child or donate to Compassion, you are really partnering with another mom." I've been a long-time Compassion advocate...but this gives me a new mission! I'm going to continue partnering with moms across the world. I don't know what this is going to look like, but my heart has been stirred!

Give a Happy Birth Day

Imagine giving birth on a dirt floor in a grass hut.

No doctor, no medical equipment, no help available in case of an emergency. For mothers in developing countries, that is often the harsh reality.

1500 mothers and 10,000 newborns die every day due to complications that could have been prevented just with the presence of a skilled birth attendant.

But Compassion prepares mothers for the big day, providing a skilled birth attendant and medical supplies for birth in a clean, safe environment. For just $100, you can supply a developing world mother with a safe birth today

The Envelope System "Prettified"

My mom sent a link to this "Prettified" envelope system to me yesterday and I thought it was an awesome variation to our Envelope system, especially for scrapbookers! We follow Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace plan and I can truly say it gives you peace. Matt and I started taking the class the 2nd or 3rd week we were married and have followed it ever since. We started off with $70,000 of school debt, and we have paid off almost half of that in three years. We should be debt free in no more than 5 years from now! So exciting! Following the plan has saved us from many arguments that I'm sure would have happened had we not been on the same page.

We have cash envelopes for the following:

• Food
• Gas
• Rent
• Gym membership
• Entertainment
• Blow Money (serves no purpose other than what you want to spend it on)
• Car Repairs

The rest we put into the checking account to pay for bills. But every single dollar has a name and purpose.

Here's a portion of an article from Dave's website with some tips to get you back on track with your money:

Sit down and evaluate.
Take a few minutes to look at your bank accounts and really understand what you see. If you don't, you run the high risk of living these next few months like Gomer Pyle on Valium, with no clue about your money. You don't want that, do you?

Update your game plan or start one for the first time.
A budget is your game plan, where you tell your money what you want it to do. This isn't rocket science! Just give every dollar a name on paper before you get your paycheck so it won't all be gone in a week. Get free budgeting forms here.

Put cash in envelopes.
Since you spend 12-15% more when you use plastic than when you use cash, try the envelope system. Take some envelopes, write the budget categories on the envelopes, and use only the allotted money to purchase specific things. If an envelope is empty, don't buy anything else in that category for the month. It can wait.

Set boundaries for yourself and your family.
A lot of this centers around the ability to say the word NO and really mean it! Sometimes you're going to have to tell yourself, your spouse, and your kids "NO! It's not in the budget!" so be prepared. It's a phrase you'll be glad you know how to say.

Commit now to making your budget a priority over the next few months. Just by incorporating these seemingly small changes into your daily habits, you will reap many rewards in all areas of your life. It's time to get back on track, and we're here to help you along the way!

Newlywed Tip - Save some gifts for later!

Newlywed Tip: Save some gifts for later, especially when you are given double!

Last night, I was preparing my lunch for today and opened up our Tupperware cabinet only to find no matching sets. Everything was being used or had been broken over time or lost. So, I headed to our closet where I know I had some in storage. We had gotten a very large Tupperware set for our wedding three years ago and at the time, I started pulling out all of it. But then it hit me -- I don't need all of it out. I'll just pull out some of it and leave the rest in here. Now, I have brand new Tupperware in my cabinet ready to go.

We were also given doubles of a sheet set and a towel set. At the time, I was tempted to return them for something else but someone told me to keep it and save it for later. I'm so glad I listened to them. They are all in their original packaging so when our current towels and sheets start to age, I can go to the closet and grab brand new ones!

This could apply not only to Newlyweds but also to any gift!

Freezing Marinated Chicken Breasts

I just found this great tip for freezing chicken breasts. I already split up chicken breasts into their own bags for portion control, but this is a great tip for marinated chicken breasts.

Buy several pounds of boneless chicken breasts (preferably when on sale). Poke each chicken breast with a fork to allow marinade. Package chicken according to your family's appetite.

Combine marinade and breast halves in labeled freezer bags. Seal bags, and knead the pieces of meat to circulate the marinade. Lay bags flat with pieces of meat side by side in a flat pan with sides. Marinate meat for desired time in refrigerator. Place pan in freezer; freeze bags flat. Remove frozen bags from pan, and stack in freezer. For kabobs or stir-fry, cut breast halves into cubes or strips, and follow the same instructions.

Cool God Story - Continuation of "As Yourself"

Yesterday, I received this email from Matt. This is a continuation from our "As Yourself" night. You can read more about it here. You don't typically get to hear about the effect your blessing has on the person's life. God is so good!

I got a call today from a guy named Mike. He told me that he attends Emmanuel Church and that he volunteers his time at the Cancer Research Center. Anyway, he told me about a man from Nevada who he met years ago that comes in for treatment. He has no family, and little money but used to work and teach at a Christian school. Mike broke down on the phone telling me that he met with this man on Monday and the man told him about a group of teenagers who paid for his room and prayed for him on Sunday night as he was checking in to the hotel.

Mike told me that "You and your church needed to know what this did for this guy, and how much it impacted this mans spirit." I wanted to pass this on to you all and tell you how humbled I am to hear stories like this. I told Mike about "As Yourself" and how the kids brought in their own money and it was so cool to see them out, and to hear what God had done in them for this man. I also asked if he would come on Sunday night and tell the students what he told me on the phone. Hope this gives you a little jolt of joy today knowing what God is doing in this community through the students at North Point.

Freezer Meals and Our Little Mango!

Today I'm 19 weeks! I can't believe that I'm nearly halfway through my pregnancy! According to TheBump.com, our baby is the size of a Mango this week! Next Thursday, Matt and I have our 20 week appointment, then a few days later we'll have the sonogram to find out if its a boy or a girl!

There's a poll on the right side of the blog, feel free to share your opinion on what you think we're going to have! :)

This month Matt and I have decided not to eat out at all, unless we have a gift certificate. So, yesterday I spent the evening preparing some easy freezer meals that we can just pop in the oven. I bought 5 lbs of hamburger at Aldi. After browning up the meat, I made:

• 1 pan of lasagna
• Stuffed shells
• Spaghetti Sauce
  
• 2 lbs of taco meat

I also made some potato soup. All of this went into the freezer, ready for when we want it. We also still have a ton of BBQ Pulled Pork left over from Matt's birthday party which is in the freezer too. My mom used to always make freezer meals, and I definitely think she's a smart woman! ;)

One Important Part: Since there's only two of us, I buy the little freezer bags, then I divvy up the taco meat and BBQ Pulled Pork into meal portion sizes. That way, I'm only unfreezing exactly what I need. We're also more likely to use it then. :)

Anyone else out there make freezer meals? Any freezer meal ideas?

Gifts that Give Back

This Christmas, Matt and I are seriously reconsidering what we give our loved ones for Christmas. While physical gifts can be wonderful, we also believe that there are eternal ways we can give as well.

Especially as we start our family, we are even more in tune to the message we want to send to our children about materialistic things and what Christmas is really all about.

Our church has been doing a series call "750...in the black" and its been really challenging me (us) to completely trust God with our finances. And it all comes down to the fact that its not our money, but God's and he's made us stewards of it. So how are we probably going to spend God's money this Christmas? How about donating to charity on behalf of your loved one?

Here's some ideas...maybe you would be inspired too!

Gifts of Compassion (My Personal Favorite)
World Vision Gift Catalog
A Gift from the Heart - Habitat for Humanity
Operation Smile
Harvest of Hope
*Changing the Present
Give-A-Tree
Heifer International
*Donors Choose - Connecting You to Classrooms in Need
*The Good Card
To Write Love on Her Arms
Living Waters for the World
Operation Christmas Child
Bible League
Bibles International
Any Soldier


Maybe you'd still like to give a gift, but still want to help out. Check these out!

Toms Shoes (For every pair of shoes you buy, one is donated to a child in need)
Spend Yourself (100% of the profit goes to the cause each shirt supports)
Ten Thousand Villages (Your fair trade purchase of handmade jewelry, home decor and gifts helps improve the lives of thousands of artisans in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.)
*Better World Books
*Uncommon Goods
*Gift Back (10% of purchase goes to charity)
*CommonThreadz - For every tshirt you buy, a school uniform is donated in Africa

Anyone else have any ideas for Gifts that Give Back?

*Any link marked with a (*) I have not personally purchased or known anyone who has purchased through them. I would encourage you to do your research. :)

Do You Have Beautiful Feet?

Last night, Matt and I watched the movie "Slumdog Millionaire". I have heard some good things about it before, but had never seen it. It was a good movie, but left me with a very heavy heart. My fear is that people will watch the movie and not think about how it is real life...it is not a set that someone created based off their imagination. But people actually live their lives in poverty such as this. They are forced into life situations based on their circumstances. I've seen it with my own eyes on many mission trips.

This is one of the many reasons why I am excited that we have not cancelled our trip to Juarez, Mexico. We leave in a few short weeks. I know so many have expressed concern, but I have excitement and anticipation. Our students will be exposed, probably for the first time, to what true poverty looks like. It is real, and we are called to do something about it, swine flu or not.

Psalm 82:3-4
Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

Proverbs 3:27-28
Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act. Do not say to your neighbor, "Come back later; I'll give it tomorrow" — when you now have it with you.

Proverbs 14:31
He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.

Romans 12:13
Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

I read about situations like the cyclone in Bangladesh and my heart breaks for the children that were effected. It makes me proud to partner with organizations like Compassion International and Buckner. I am proud of our students who are meeting every week to pray for the city of Juarez, Mexico and the family we are building for. I am proud of the students we have going to Mexico and their excitement rubs off on us! I am proud of the ministries our church partners with, such as Rio Bravo.

Romans 10:15 says, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

I hope that the day I meet God he tells me I have beautiful, well-worn feet that walked wherever God wanted me to go!

So, how are you responding to the call to help others? Where are you going to "walk"?

If you would like updates on our trip to Juarez, Mexico you can check out the blog: http://juarez09.blogspot.com/.

Light Bulb

It was my birthday last week -- 24 wasn't that big of a deal. It kind of passed by...no significance. However, Matt did get me a Wii with help from my parents and his mom. My arm has been pretty sore. :)

My mom came to visit this week because she had a speaking engagement in town and she brought another gift. This is a little book she's been writing in throughout the years of fun little things that she wanted to remember about my childhood, or letters to me. Pretty cool! I thought it would be fun to share an excerpt from one of these:

March 3, 1994
Anne,
Today you pulled the "thermometer by the lightbulb" trick. The thermometer showed 106 degrees. Needless to say, you should have been on your deathbed with a temperature like that! Oh well, I asked you 2 times how the temperature got that high. Finally, you lowered your head and said "the lightbulb". I think your own embarassment was enough punishment. I don't think you'll try this again. P.S. I did it when I was about 9 years old too. :)

Love,
Mom

PPS. You said you were sick, but you really weren't. You just wanted to be home with mom and Erica.

Hahaha...reading that brought me back to that moment and I suddenly remembered it so clearly. Its so fun to read little things like that about your childhood. I'm sure some of you have tried the thermometer trick at one point or another. ;)

Do you ever have those days where you feel as if you've been hit out of left field?  Out of nowhere you get a feeling of frustration, being overwhelmed, and utter chaos?  I am dealing with those exact emotions today and for no other reason than Satan decided to have a field day with my emotions.  Something just popped in my head that my mom always says, "Worry is the worship of your circumstances".  This is my resolve to not worship my circumstances today but to continue moving forward.  

Yesterday in our staff meeting we read John 16:17-33 and it is resonating within me today.  In verse 33 Jesus says, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world."  There is another verse in Matthew, "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

Rest.  Sounds good!

10 Ways to Fail as a Leader

I received the following in an email and thought it was fun but challenging. It can be applied whether you hold a leadership position or not:

Top 10 Ways to FAIL as a Leader

Steve Macchia and Rick Anderson

Perhaps you've even personally served under a notoriously bad team leader and secretly wondered whether or not you'd have what it takes to sabotage a team of your own. Just follow these simple guidelines:

10) CONSERVE AFFIRMATION. You don't want your team members to become arrogant. Use affirming remarks sparingly.

9) HAVE A CLOSED-DOOR POLICY. Openness to feedback is a slippery slope. One day you're listening, the next day you're on the verge of a teachable spirit.

8) MAKE SURE NOBODY APPEARS SMARTER THAN YOU ARE. Nobody has more knowledge or experience than you do. That's why you're in charge, right?

7) FOSTER AN ATMOSPHERE OF PARANOIA. Nothing puts a better positive filter on incoming information than a renowned fear of your response to bad news.

6) MAKE SURE ALL IDEAS ORIGINATE WITH YOU. Good ideas come from the top, not the team. Shared credit is for couples with debt problems.

5) EXERCISE HIGH CONTROL. Remember, you're the team leader, and it's your way or the highway.

4) LOOK OUT FOR #1. When in doubt, ask yourself, What's best for me and my interests? Don't underestimate the value of manipulation.

3) DON'T TRUST ANYONE. If you refuse to trust them from the start, you don't give them the opportunity to disappoint you.

2) ASK SOMEONE TO DO A SPECIFIC JOB, AND THEN DO IT YOURSELF. Micromanagement is one of the surest ways to fail as a team leader. If you want it done right, you've got to do it yourself.

1) FILL YOUR TEAM WITH PEOPLE JUST LIKE YOU. Could there be a more ideal team than one made up of multiple versions of you?

Excerpted from an article in Church Volunteer Central's Idea Depot, where members can read the entire text of this article as well as hundreds of others.

Copyright © 2008 Group Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.

Believing God Study

Just wanted to tell you a little about what God's been doing in my life. I started a Beth Moore online Bible study called Believing God yesterday and it has already rocked my world!  The entire basis of the study is on Joshua 1:1-3; 3:1-5.  1:3 says, "I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses." then 3:5 says, "Joshua told the people 'Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.'"  

Here's an excerpt from the study: "Many Old Testament concepts with literal implications hold spiritual implications for New Testament believers in Christ.  The concept of a promised land is a primary example.  In face, God not only invites us to apply the concepts spiritually but also insists (Heb. 3)."  SO COOL!

One of my favorite lines that Beth Moore says in the study is "My 'promised land' is the place where my theology merges with my reality."  That was an 'aha' moment for me.

Anyway, this online version has been really neat to work with.  I have been eyeing this study for a few months ever since I saw it on the shelves in a book store, but just could not afford to get the videos with the booklet.  I happened to see that there was the online version where you download the book and watch the videos online.  So it is at your own pace!  I would suggest it to anyone!

I hope you'll check out the Believing God Web site (http://www.lifeway.com/believingGod).  It would be awesome to be doing this study along with you! :)

Hurricane Ike Help

For those of you in this area:

A friend of mine, Heather, is organizing a gently used toy drive for a ministry in Houston, Texas called Arrow Child and Family Services (www.arrow.org). This ministry will be able to put these toys into the hands of children who have lost everything due to Ike.

The drive will be Sept. 29th till Oct 3, here in Zion. Click on the picture below to view the detailed flyer.