I'm part of an online Bible study where we're going through the book of 1 John verse by verse. Yesterday and today we have looked at chapter 1 verses 5-7: "God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin."
We have a Facebook group where we talk about the things we're learning in this study, and yesterday a gal posted this song. I've heard it on the radio a lot but have never really stopped to listen to the words.
Watch the video all the way to the end. It's pretty neat.
My life before You
I was a flame burning down
I was burning out
But You knew me better
For You there was never a doubt
God, since You gave me life
Something was different, I knew it the instant
You put the light in me
The spark, the shot to the heart
You are the hope that leads me out of the dark
You let Your love shine down
So that the world could see
You put the light in me
The light, you put the light in me
The light, you put the light in me
The light, you put the light in me
The light, you put the light in me
You are the Maker, you tell the sun when to rise
I'm just a house on a hill
But You make me brighter than all the stars in the sky
Keep me from growing down
Cause in Your perfection, I'm just a reflection
So pull me closer to You
I catch like a fire and I'll hold You higher
Cause You put the light in me
The spark, the shot to the heart
You are the hope that leads me out of the dark
You let Your love shine down
So that the world could see
You put the light in me
The light, you put the light in me
The light, you put the light in me
The light, you put the light in me
The light, you put the light in me
I'll raise it high, I'll let it show
From the rooftops down to the streets below
In day and night, You will be known
And all will see
You put the light in me
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God shines his light on me, so I can walk in the light instead of in the darkness. And his light is IN me, so I can shine it to others. "'Cause in your perfection, I'm just a reflection..." The moon has no light of it's own. It just reflects the light of the sun...
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Musical Mondays -- Pick a song, post the song, tell why you love the song!
So I really did start to write this post yesterday. Then life took over. Oh well. :)
I now have a 16-month old. Crazy. This week I think she said her first non-mama/dada word. It was apple. It sounds a little like papa, or papal, or appa, but it's close enough. :)
We had our first GEMS club meeting this week, and it was awesome!! We had 28 girls there, and I know of at least 5 more who had told me ahead of time that they weren't going to make it to the first one. We got them all registered, played some group games, did a skit, and had some praise & worship time. Should be a great year!
Rocky's JV tennis team is having a winning season! He says they've won more matches this year than the last 3 years combined. ;-) Way to go honey!!
I love fall. I think I said that last week. Oh well. :) I got pumpkins and decorative stuff at a farm stand today (Saturday). I'll be doing a post and showing pictures on my other blog soon...
Abby and I went to our first storytime at the library on Thursday! It was soooo fun! Wednesdays are for 0-17 months, Thursdays are for 18-36 months, and Fridays are for 3-5 years. We were told we could go to the Thursday one even though Abby is just now 16 months. There were about 7 kids there, all around her age, so on the lower end of the age group. The teacher read a bunch of books, did some finger puppet plays, and even brought out one of those little parachutes that you toss balls and stuffed animals around on. Abby was so social and even danced to the music. :)
She's not really interested in many of her toys anymore. She'll still push her car around (or ride it), and look through books and throw balls. But things like her blocks and farm animals and other things don't seem to interest her anymore. Sometimes I'm at a loss with how to play with her. :-/ I can only sing "Head shoulders knees and toes" so many times...
Sweet corn season is just about done. That makes me sad. I've got 1/2 dozen ears in the fridge to use in the next few days, but that's probably the end of it. Mmmm it was good while it lasted... looking forward to next year already! ;-)
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The Saturday 7: Post seven things that happened to you this week. Just a quick summary. Things you might not necessarily write a whole blog post about. Idea taken from Sadie's Lovin' Life with Lucy.
Congratulations! :) I'll be sending you an email shortly.
Thanks to everyone who entered! I'll hopefully be getting another book from Booksneeze.com again soon, and will have another giveaway once I've reviewed it!
There are people in this country who work hard every day.
Not for fame or fortune do they strive.
But the fruits of their labor are worth more than their pay.
And it's time a few of them were recognized.
Hello Detroit auto workers, let me thank you for your time.
You work a forty hour week for a livin', just to send it on down the line.
Hello Pittsburgh steel mill workers, let me thank you for your time.
You work a forty hour week for a livin', just to send it on down the line.
This is for the one who swings the hammer, driving home the nail.
Or the one behind the counter, ringing up the sale.
Or the one who fights the fires, the one who brings the mail.
For everyone who works behind the scenes.
You can see them every morning in the factories and the fields.
In the city streets and the quiet country towns.
Working together like spokes inside a wheel.
They keep this country turning around.
Hello Kansas wheat field farmer, let me thank you for your time.
You work a forty hour week for a livin', just to send it on down the line.
Hello West Virginia coal miner, let me thank you for your time.
You work a forty hour week for a livin', just to send it on down the line.
This one is for the one who drives the big rig, up and down the road.
Or the one out in the warehouse, bringing in the load.
Or the waitress, the mechanic, the policeman on patrol.
For everyone who works behind the scenes.
With a spirit you can't replace with no machine.
Hello America - let me thank you for your time!
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Musical Mondays -- Pick a song, post the song, tell why you love the song!
It's been a rough week for Abby. Almost every night this week she's woken up crying at some point in the early morning hours. And not just a whimpering cry, it's been a full-blown shrieking cry like she's really scared or in pain or something. I'd give it a few minutes then go in to get her, and she'd always be still laying down or sitting up, but never standing waiting for me... The only way I could get her to calm down would be to hold her tight and rock her. She'd usually relax and go right back to sleep. But last night was really rough. Rocky and I alternated for an hour going in and calming her down. We tried to let her cry it out too (it worked well when she was young), but she'd just work herself up even more. We're not sure what's going on. :(
Maybe it's her teeth? She finally popped out her 5th tooth at the beginning of the week, her other bottom right incisor.
On a happier note, I'm loving her "baby babble"! She still doesn't say many words, but she's just recently started chattering in that cute, incomprehensible language that you can tell SHE knows exactly what she's saying!
It's been a really busy week. Rocky had one tennis match, I had my last GEMS workshop, and we had 2 nights of meetings at church. I have this feeling of relief that the worst is over for this fall, but we'll see...
We finally got our babysitting/daycare figured out for the 2 days a week that I work. We will consistently have the same person to watch Abby on Wednesdays and another person on Fridays. It's such a load off my mind!
Wiffleball is fun. We played with some friends last night. It's a great sport because people who are actually good at baseball/softball can screw up, and people who aren't very good at baseball/softball can get some good hits. :)
I love fall. 'Nuff said.
GO GREEN!!!
(ok I know that was 8 things, but I have to show my support for my alma mater. :)
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The Saturday 7: Post seven things that happened to you this week. Just a quick summary. Things you might not necessarily write a whole blog post about. Idea taken from Sadie's Lovin' Life with Lucy.
*The giveaway is now closed. Thanks to everyone who participated!*
I was first drawn to Nicole Johnson's Fresh-Brewed Life simply because I love coffee. :) The subtitle states "a stirring invitation to wake up your soul." Over the summer I've felt pretty dry in my faith, just going through the motions and not taking time to dig deep into my relationship with Christ. I used this book as a morning devotional, getting up before my daughter and enjoying it with a cup of coffee.
Probably my favorite aspect of the book is the practical advice the author gives. I'm one who likes "do this" type of encouragement, and Nicole gives it! Each chapter is about different parts of a woman's life (longings, beauty, anger, sexuality, friendships, etc.) and each features a call-out box of "fresh brewed adventures" of practical things you can do to enhance those areas of your life. She is also very big on journaling (the entire second chapter is dedicated to it!), and every chapter also features directed journaling questions to help you think about and record your thoughts on those topics.
And I love coffee. Some of the descriptions about grinding the beans and the aroma of a coffee shop wake up my senses before I've even finished brewing my own cup!
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for practical advice on how to "wake up to a richer, fuller, more flavorful life." And to anyone who loves coffee. :)
*I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.*
Because I received this book for free, I'm going to give it away to one of you! My very first giveaway! One lucky reader will receive this book, Fresh-Brewed Life, AND a lovely coffee cup! (or a hot cocoa cup, or a tea cup, or whatever you'd like to use it for ;-)
"Wake up, enliven your heart in the quiet of God's Spirit"
Here's how to enter: (please leave separate comments for each!)
Follow this blog with Google Friend Connect ( <----- over in the sidebar) , then leave a comment on this post about why you'd like this book.
Follow my new blog, and leave a comment here telling me you did!
Like the Facebook page for my new blog OR follow it on Twitter, and leave a comment here telling me you did!
So you could potentially have 3 entries!
This giveaway will end at 11:59 pm EST Monday 9-19. I'll "draw" a winner from all the comments below, and post the winner on Tuesday the 20th! Good luck! :)
It's been awhile since we've sang this song in church, and I forget how much I like it. I love the words, and the tune is so catchy and powerful (and of course I love 6/8 time :) .
Maybe you missed the sunrise this morning? Maybe you're not looking forward to a new work week? Maybe you've got stresses in your life? Be blessed by this song today...
Like it? Click this link for another video of it, just a live recording of Fernando on piano.
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Musical Mondays -- Pick a song, post the song, tell why you love the song -- idea from cheap wine and cookies
We went to an outdoor wedding Friday evening the 2nd (ok, I know that should have been part of last week's Saturday 7 post, but I didn't get around to writing one last week...). It was soooo hot and humid, but sooooo beautiful! Very laid back, rustic, simple -- we sat on hay bales covered with a sheet for the ceremony. :) Congrats Ashley & Ross!!
I knew if I could make it through that Thurs-Fri-Sat stretch, the weather would finally turn for the better. And boy it sure did! While highs were in the low 90s on Friday, Labor Day Monday never touched 70! Hooray for fall!!!
Abby has had such an up-and-down week. Some days she's been super cranky and whiny and needy, and some days she's so content. It drives me nuts. Such a girl. :) I keep hoping the cranky days are because she's working on more teeth, but no.... nothing yet...
I had my 3rd GEMS Workshop on Thursday night, and it was our biggest one yet! There were about 90 women total and I had close to 40 in my session. We had some technical difficulties that started stressing me out, but we pushed through and it went great! Boy was I tired when I got home...
I'm very thankful that Rocky's school hired an assistant varsity boys tennis coach, leaving him to just focus on the JV team. Like today -- he used to have to go to all the Saturday varsity tournaments. Not this year. Saturdays are the only consistent day on the calendar that are BLANK! Woo-hoo!!
I stripped Abby's cloth diapers yesterday. I realized we've switched laundry detergent (it was buy-one-get-one-free), and there must have been a ton of build-up in them. I kept rinsing and rinsing and rinsing in hot/warm water, and kept coming out with sooooo many soap bubbles! Yuck! I'm wondering if this detergent is messing with our other laundry too!
Tomorrow is the 10th anniversary of 9/11. It was strange for me to realize at school this week that almost none of the kids in our school were even alive when it happened. Read the post I wrote earlier this week for where I was that day...
Have a great week! Remember to check out and follow my new blog too!
-------------------------------------------------------- The Saturday 7: Post seven things that happened to you this week. Just a quick summary. Things you might not necessarily write a whole blog post about. Idea taken from Sadie's Lovin' Life with Lucy.
...when the world stopped turning that September day?
I think any of us who were at least 10 years old on Tuesday September 11, 2001, can remember where we were that morning. I was a freshman in college at Michigan State University. It was the third week of class and I had IAH 201 from 8:00-9:50am. Class got out early, around 9:30, and we headed down the hall to the front door of the building. I could see a group of people standing in a half-circle near the entrance, and my first thought was "is there a fight and everyone is watching?!" But as I got closer I could see everyone was crowded around a 20-inch tv that had been wheeled into the hall. People were whispering and mumbling and I heard words like New York, hijackers, Pentagon.
I had been planning on walking back to my dorm room since it was a beautiful fall morning, but decided I needed to get back faster and took the bus instead. Sometime during that trip the first tower fell, and the fourth plane went down in Pennsylvania. I sat, alone in my dorm room, for the rest of the morning watching news coverage. I watched live as the second tower fell.
I can't even begin to describe my emotions that day. I was already stressed, being a mere 3 weeks into my college career (and going from a high school where my graduating class was 140 to a school of 45,000 didn't help). I was homesick, and had made only a couple of friends at that point. My professor cancelled our afternoon class so I had nothing to do the rest of the day.
An email went out to everyone involved in Campus Crusade that a prayer meeting was scheduled at the Rock for later that afternoon. I took my time walking across campus, looking at the trees and falling leaves and Red Cedar River. Such peaceful things, in a world of chaos.
I don't remember anything else from that day, or the days that followed. Everyone eventually moved on with their lives. My friends and I were not directly impacted by what had happened (we didn't know anyone in NYC). Every year on 9/11 I would remember where I was that day, but not until today did I really look back. I found a timeline on Wikipedia that detailed the events to the minute.
Ten years already?
They say the attacks of 9/11 were reminiscent of the surprise attacks on Pearl Harbor. Our grandparents and great-grandparents remember where they were on December 7, 1941. Now we have something similar to tell our children and grandchildren.
Where were you? Leave me a comment, or write your own blog post about that day and give me the link.
----------------------------------------------------- Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day Out in the yard with your wife and children Working on some stage in LA
Did you stand there in shock at the sight of That black smoke rising against that blue sky Did you shout out in anger In fear for your neighbor Or did you just sit down and cry
Did you weep for the children Who lost their dear loved ones And pray for the ones who don't know Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble And sob for the ones left below
Did you burst out in pride For the red white and blue The heroes who died just doing what they do Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer And look at yourself to what really matters
I'm just a singer of simple songs I'm not a real political man I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you The difference in Iraq and Iran But I know Jesus and I talk to God And I remember this from when I was young Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us And the greatest is love
Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day Teaching a class full of innocent children Driving down some cold interstate
Did you feel guilty cause you're a survivor In a crowded room did you feel alone Did you call up your mother and tell her you love her Did you dust off that Bible at home
Did you open your eyes and hope it never happened Close your eyes and not go to sleep Did you notice the sunset the first time in ages Speak with some stranger on the street
Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow Go out and buy you a gun Did you turn off that violent old movie you're watching And turn on "I Love Lucy" reruns
Did you go to a church and hold hands with some stranger Stand in line and give your own blood Did you just stay home and cling tight to your family Thank God you had somebody to love
I'm just a singer of simple songs I'm not a real political man I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you The difference in Iraq and Iran But I know Jesus and I talk to God And I remember this from when I was young Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us And the greatest is love
The greatest is love The greatest is love
Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day?
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Jackson was scheduled to perform at the Country Music Association's annual awards ceremony on November 7, 2001, to be aired on CBS. Originally, he planned to perform "Where I Come From", which at the time was the #1 hit on the Billboard country charts. But mere days before the awards show, Jackson's manager, Nancy Russell, played a recording of "Where Were You" for four of the CMA's top executives. All four were crying by the time the song ended.
The day before the show, CMT had a brief note on its web site that Jackson would be introducing the new song during the awards telecast. The next night, after an introduction from the show's host, Vince Gill, Jackson performed "Where Were You" seated on a stool, with an orchestra and backing singers behind him. At the conclusion of the five-minute-long song, the audience gave him an immediate standing ovation. This performance, along with the Vince Gill introduction, is used as the song's music video.
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Well folks, here we go! After participating in Blogelina's Profitable Blogging Class last month, I've decided to do some splitting. I started a brand-new blog (visit inthesweetsunshine.com!) that will focus on posts about the Home, Garden, and Food. That way I can advertise it a little more around the blogging world as a niche blog, and if I ever decide to get a few ads and sponsors it will be easier since it's specialized!
But never fear! This blog here will continue! Here I will continue to write posts about our family and the adventures of Abby, and continue things like Musical Mondays, book reviews, and the Saturday 7. A little more of a family-focused, mom-blog.
So if you'd still like to read my posts about home, garden, and cooking, hop on over to In the sweet sunshine and follow me there! (plus I jumped in and created a Facebook page and Twitter profile for the new blog! check those out too! :)
simply because I love coffee. :) The subtitle states "a stirring invitation to wake up your soul." Over the summer I've felt pretty dry in my faith, just going through the motions and not taking time to dig deep into my relationship with Christ. I used this book as a morning devotional, getting up before my daughter and enjoying it with a cup of coffee.
