Parenting

Chickens, Borneo, and How God Uses Social Media for His Glory

January 19, 2012 By stacey 20 Comments

She must have been chattering to me for 5 minutes or so. I was a bit distracted, but I could have sworn I heard her say “Borneo” and something about chickens.

“Mommy!” She exclaimed louder than before. “I want to give my birthday present for Jesus to Borneo.”

What? Did my five year old just say Borneo?

“Okay honey, let’s see what we can do.” I said while Googling where in the world Borneo was located.

{FYI. Indonesia. Borneo is located in Indonesia.}

“How perfect is that, sweetie. Mommy has a friend named Joy who lives in Indonesia. I will send her an email and ask her how close she lives to Borneo.” I informed my determined girl.

And here in this every day kitchen conversation with my 5 year old, God amazed me with how He works.

Guess where Joy lives….

Borneo. Joy lives in Borneo. My five year old was not surprised. She knew God was in this.

I was able to connect with my friend Joy – who happens to live in Borneo, Indonesia - in a matter of seconds through email. I explained our tradition of giving our girls $30 on Christmas Eve to buy a gift for Jesus. I told her my five year old would like to give a gift for Borneo. She replies with a couple of choices for my girl. We discuss. My five year old chooses. I cry. I know Jesus will love His birthday gift of chickens for Borneo.

See, I’ve said before that God is all over his Social Media thing. I met Joy through her blog and we connect every week on Twitter. We chat on Facebook and email back and forth. I met her in real life at Relevant (Isn’t she cute?) She truly is my sister in the Lord (Remember her amazing Grace Story?) And this week, God is using her to show my five year old, when you listen to God stir your heart, He will show you great and mighty things.

Do you want to know the rest of the story? Trust me, you do. It is even better than the beginning. You can read it over at Joy’s blog called The Grace Full Mama right now!

Filed Under: Connect, Encourage, Parenting, Things I Learn From Being Their Mom

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One of My Kids’ Favorite Things :: What’s In The Bible

December 8, 2011 By stacey

There are only a few things my four girls all agree on. First, pizza should be a nightly meal. Second, bedtime is a suggestion not a firmly scheduled item. Third, mommy is easier to convince than daddy. And finally, What’s In The Bible is awesome!

{To watch a video clip of one of their newest videos, you can click here.}

Recently, we were able to add to our collection **DVD #6 “A Nation Divided: Kings and Chronicles” and “Why Do We Call It Christmas?” Both videos continue the WITB tradition of presenting Biblical truth is a fun and entertaining manner that help God’s Word sink down deep into kids hearts. And since I’m around a lot of the time too, these truths find their way int0 mine as well! I mean, can you name all the kings of Israel in order? Well, neither can I YET, but my kids can. The good news is, I’m not far behind!

I don’t know what you are planning on buying for your family this Christmas, but my kids will say you can’t lose with What’s In The Bible. Why not stuff their hearts with God’s truth while you stuff their stocking?

What’s In The Bible also has a great website where you can watch clips, download curriculum, and of course shop. Please be sure friend them on Facebook and follow the on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest news! Today they are running a super special Stocking Stuffer Deal this weekend so jump over there and check it out!

But wait! There is more for you! Buck Denver and his friends want one of you to have a copy of “Why Do We Call It Christmas?” All you have to do is leave a comment and tell me why you want to win! If you like them on Facebook and Follow them on Twitter give yourself an extra comment! Ready! Set! Go! (Contest is for today only so we can get this to the winner ASAP! Winner will be notified through email!)

**What’s In The Bible provided me with DVD #6 and “Why Do We call It Christmas” for the purpose of this review. Opinions come straight from me, unless they are from my kids!

Filed Under: Parenting

Legacies, Weariness and Altars

December 3, 2011 By stacey Leave a Comment

Today @modsquadblog I am talking about a legacy of leaving, laying down weariness and the altar we all need to come to from time to time. Here is an excerpt…

I’m a weary mom, too. How do I learn from the legacy of leaving, and I fight with all I am to love deeper, longer, and harder than she could? As soon as I ask this question I clearly see the answer: Sometimes, it takes an altar…

To continue reading, click the button below:

Filed Under: Hope for the Weary Mom, MODsquad, Parenting

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Gratitude Graffiti

November 28, 2011 By stacey 17 Comments

The turkey is roasting in the oven at 325. I’ve been on my feet cooking for hours, when I think, “How did my mom make it look so easy?” I smile and think of her amazing chocolate pies and miss being home, today.

I don’t have a good plan for the Thanksgiving table setting, and so I shoot from the hip like I always do. I pull out brown craft paper and ask my 8 year old to gather everything Crayola and we put them in mason jars. I scribble the words, Give Thanks, add a simple candle and some pretty leaves.

I invite them to scribble, thanks too. And they, do…

family

ballet

God

Jesus

the cross

rainbows

and yes, unicorns….

My hand runs over each image, a thanksgiving mosaic of gratitude. Tears well, because even after my own journey of counting 1,000 gifts, I’ve never seen anything more beautiful.

Filed Under: Parenting, Thankful, Writer.Girl, Writing

17 Comments

Gathering Pearls

November 21, 2011 By stacey 22 Comments

My friend Ann says, “Life is not an emergency.” I wonder, how do I live this truth? It seems to me, life moves faster each day. I long to find the slow, to keep it manageable, but most days I just hold on for dear life.

Until…

I see her dance,

or listen as she plays Ode to Joy on the hand me down piano.

When she smiles, and her tooth wiggles,

and I snuggle with my growing toddler before she goes to bed.

These moments seem to teeter as if on the edge of something bigger. They freeze only for a split second and then they are gone. Many times, my eyes catch it and I am lost within the beauty of the second. I grab it and put it safely in my heart for keeps. Other times I’m too caught up in the busy, and it tumbles off the edge into the chaos of life.

What do we do with the moments we catch and now treasure in our hearts? We string them together like pearls as stories and we give them back to our kids.

And we tell them, you are beautiful. We thank God that we gathered enough to string our story together. And we give Him the glory for giving us even just one.

Filed Under: Encourage, Parenting, Thankful, Writer.Girl, Writing

22 Comments

Holy Moments

November 14, 2011 By stacey 17 Comments

Holy moments happen around kitchen tables when the bread is passed and the pasta is served. They weave in and out of our lives and sometimes seem very ordinary. A prayer prayed. A verse shared. A song sung. God is with us. He lives and breathes and is among us. Any simple moment can be holy – set apart to Him.

We sit talking about life over store bought spaghetti when she asks simple 5 year old questions about diamonds and heaven. He leans in close and says holy. This is a time set apart from the beginning of eternity. As I have two other times before with her sisters, I tell her good news and bad news. I speak, she listens. I ask, she answers. Then she bows her head low with understanding, she is guilty. Hope is extended, the cross proclaimed and a grace gift received for eternity. Heaven cries holy and dances with joy!

We join the great cloud of witnesses and dance around the kitchen, too. She is a vision in pink, still wearing her tutu from ballet class. I grab her up in a twirl and the baby claps. We dance holy. My sweet daughter, is now my sister in Christ.

There is no greater joy. {3 John 1:4}

Truly.