Hey Everyone -
Please help us help some less fortunate families this year. We started out just trying to help out two families but God has placed four more on our hearts to help out. We have been in need to the point where we literally didn't know where the next meal was coming from, except that God would provide it... So PLEASE help us help these families!!
Please go to: http://whenbadthingshappen2goodpeople.blogspot.com and donate to help us help these families. Money will go towards Christmas gifts, clothes, grocery store gift cards and paying bills for these families. PLEASE help us help others this Christmas season and year round.
Merry Christmas!!!
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Please help out a family in need this season... Only 8 days till Christmas!!
Hey Guys!!
I have posted something about this once already, and I'm going to do it again because it's something that I really feel strongly about and because I have been there, as a mom and as a kid. And so far we have only had $5.00 donated to help these families. Please spread the word and help make Christmas happen for someone else!!
We have 3 families that we are trying to help out this year. Please go check out http://whenbadthingshappen2goodpeople.blogspot.com and donate to help us help these families. You can donate monetarily by clicking on the donate button on the right hand side of the screen or you can leave a comment with your email address for any other donations you may want to make.
Thank you!!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
I have posted something about this once already, and I'm going to do it again because it's something that I really feel strongly about and because I have been there, as a mom and as a kid. And so far we have only had $5.00 donated to help these families. Please spread the word and help make Christmas happen for someone else!!
We have 3 families that we are trying to help out this year. Please go check out http://whenbadthingshappen2goodpeople.blogspot.com and donate to help us help these families. You can donate monetarily by clicking on the donate button on the right hand side of the screen or you can leave a comment with your email address for any other donations you may want to make.
Thank you!!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
music
I. LOVE. MUSIC.
And... If you know anything about me, at all, you know this to be true. I sing in the car. In the shower. While I'm cleaning. With my children. At church. At the grocery store. At the gym. In restaurants. And I LOVE all types of music, I can't really think of any type that I hate. There is some music I don't particularly care for but I appreciate the creative process that goes into creating music, from the lyrics to the sounds.
My husband runs www.rockthecross.net which is a music news and reviews website. We review music. All of our reviewers have different taste in music, which in my opinion, gives us the most honest input on our reviews that are posted to the site. Not everyone likes everything and quite honestly, there are people that only like one type of music and never broaden their "musical vocabulary."
That being said, there are a few things that I don't get when it comes to music reviewers and musicians that are being reviewed. We'll call the musicians "m" and the music reviewers "ma" :)
1: ma: make sure you review & address EVERY aspect of the album, ie. the lyrics, the message, the sound, the effects, the story behind the music. don't just say, "meh, I don't like this band, never have, never will, they suck." actually take time for the review and make it at least sound like you did your homework and researched the band, the album, the songs, the sounds, etc.
2: m: don't take it personal, not everyone is going to love you. there is a reason that we are all different and talented in different ways. some will LOVE hard rock and some will love classic jazz sounds, it's okay.
3: ma: if you work for a Christian music site, try to judge your reviews biblically. part of a music reviewers job is to be a critic, but more importantly, as Christians we need to run things through what the Word of God says. Ephesians 4:29 says 'Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.' In laymen terms: if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. We need to review the music, objectively, but we also need to be mindful that we are the body of Christ and we need to uplift each other and encourage each other, especially those that are in front of hundreds of thousands of people trying to reach them for Christ.
4: m: please, if you say you are a Christian artist and you are out there wanting to reach other, please maintain that no matter what... stick to your guns, there are a lot of people out there that look up to you and not to sound mean or rude but, whether you like it or not, you are leading by example. we've met bands that the only reason they are in the Christian genre is because it was "easier" to get in to, this is saddening to me and it makes it hard to encourage people to listen to your music.
I'm leaving at only those points because I feel like those are a few of the major things that review sites run in to. Like I said, I love music and I love meeting artists and listening to new music. I just feel like there are a few things that everyone should know about some of it.
And now...........
For my shameless plug of my husbands website :)
Check out:
WWW.ROCKTHECROSS.NET for all your music news, reviews, concerts, concert photography, and the BEST contests and prizes around!!!
And... If you know anything about me, at all, you know this to be true. I sing in the car. In the shower. While I'm cleaning. With my children. At church. At the grocery store. At the gym. In restaurants. And I LOVE all types of music, I can't really think of any type that I hate. There is some music I don't particularly care for but I appreciate the creative process that goes into creating music, from the lyrics to the sounds.
My husband runs www.rockthecross.net which is a music news and reviews website. We review music. All of our reviewers have different taste in music, which in my opinion, gives us the most honest input on our reviews that are posted to the site. Not everyone likes everything and quite honestly, there are people that only like one type of music and never broaden their "musical vocabulary."
That being said, there are a few things that I don't get when it comes to music reviewers and musicians that are being reviewed. We'll call the musicians "m" and the music reviewers "ma" :)
1: ma: make sure you review & address EVERY aspect of the album, ie. the lyrics, the message, the sound, the effects, the story behind the music. don't just say, "meh, I don't like this band, never have, never will, they suck." actually take time for the review and make it at least sound like you did your homework and researched the band, the album, the songs, the sounds, etc.
2: m: don't take it personal, not everyone is going to love you. there is a reason that we are all different and talented in different ways. some will LOVE hard rock and some will love classic jazz sounds, it's okay.
3: ma: if you work for a Christian music site, try to judge your reviews biblically. part of a music reviewers job is to be a critic, but more importantly, as Christians we need to run things through what the Word of God says. Ephesians 4:29 says 'Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.' In laymen terms: if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. We need to review the music, objectively, but we also need to be mindful that we are the body of Christ and we need to uplift each other and encourage each other, especially those that are in front of hundreds of thousands of people trying to reach them for Christ.
4: m: please, if you say you are a Christian artist and you are out there wanting to reach other, please maintain that no matter what... stick to your guns, there are a lot of people out there that look up to you and not to sound mean or rude but, whether you like it or not, you are leading by example. we've met bands that the only reason they are in the Christian genre is because it was "easier" to get in to, this is saddening to me and it makes it hard to encourage people to listen to your music.
I'm leaving at only those points because I feel like those are a few of the major things that review sites run in to. Like I said, I love music and I love meeting artists and listening to new music. I just feel like there are a few things that everyone should know about some of it.
And now...........
For my shameless plug of my husbands website :)
Check out:
WWW.ROCKTHECROSS.NET for all your music news, reviews, concerts, concert photography, and the BEST contests and prizes around!!!
Monday, December 14, 2009
the church
If you follow me on twitter you probably saw me twitter that the reason most people don't want to step into the church, is because of the church... and I really, very strongly feel this way.
I got the chance to talk to someone today and it was pretty neat. The reason she hasn't been in church a lot recently is because of the church and her experience with the church... Which is VERY sad. If we would just love on people the way Jesus did we couldn't keep people away from "the church", meaning the body of Christ.
I got the chance to talk to someone today and it was pretty neat. The reason she hasn't been in church a lot recently is because of the church and her experience with the church... Which is VERY sad. If we would just love on people the way Jesus did we couldn't keep people away from "the church", meaning the body of Christ.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
my bucket list
So i've been thinking a lot about things I want to do, see and places I want to go... Kind of my "bucket list" so to speak. And I figured better than just talking about would be to write(type) it out and do it! So - here is my list of things I've always wanted/wanted to do, and in no particular order(italicized means I've done it!!):
1. Paris & the Eiffel Tower
2. Las Vegas
3. New York, New York
4. Disney World
5. Universal Studios
6. The Keys
7. Bahamas
8. Jamaica
9. Italy
10. Greece
11. Honduras
12. San Francisco
13. Los Angeles
14. Washington, DC
15. Seattle, Washington
16. Savannah, GA
17. Tybee Island
18. New Orleans
19. Miami, FL
20. Cabo
21. Cancun
22. Alaska
23. Skydive
24. Parasail
25. Parachute
26. Disneyland
27. Hollywood
28. Take a cruise
29. Go on a cross country road trip
30. Get a tattoo with my husband's & my kids' names/initials
31. Get my nose pierced
32. Tattoo on my foot
33. Take a couples dance class with my hubby
34. go Skiing in Colorado
35. ice skate on a frozen lake in a northern state
36. jump off a waterfall
37. visit Hawaii with my husband & daughters
38. learn how to drive a stick shift
39. go to Hilton Head Island w/my family
40. hop a plane for an impromptu/spontaneous day and/or weekend trip
41. fly in a private plane somewhere for a day
42. rock climb (and not on a rock wall... REAL rock climbing)
43. I want to go hunting
44. deep sea fishing with my girls
45. a girls only beach trip with my sisters, sister in law and daughters
46. drive up the california coast
47. venice
48. prague
49. the grand canyon
50. the cayman islands
51. thailand
52. africa
53. drive a corvette, a ferrari, a delorean
54. horseback riding down the beach
55. watch a westcoast sunset
56. drive on the autobon
57. a "surprise date"
58. a night at the Fox
59. to see something on broadway
60. dinner and dancing all gussied up
there's more, i'm sure, scratch that, I KNOW! And I'll add them as I think of them :)
What are some of your recommendations? or somethings on your "bucket list"?
1. Paris & the Eiffel Tower
2. Las Vegas
3. New York, New York
4. Disney World
5. Universal Studios
6. The Keys
7. Bahamas
8. Jamaica
9. Italy
10. Greece
11. Honduras
12. San Francisco
13. Los Angeles
14. Washington, DC
15. Seattle, Washington
16. Savannah, GA
17. Tybee Island
18. New Orleans
19. Miami, FL
20. Cabo
21. Cancun
22. Alaska
23. Skydive
24. Parasail
25. Parachute
26. Disneyland
27. Hollywood
28. Take a cruise
29. Go on a cross country road trip
30. Get a tattoo with my husband's & my kids' names/initials
31. Get my nose pierced
32. Tattoo on my foot
33. Take a couples dance class with my hubby
34. go Skiing in Colorado
35. ice skate on a frozen lake in a northern state
36. jump off a waterfall
37. visit Hawaii with my husband & daughters
38. learn how to drive a stick shift
39. go to Hilton Head Island w/my family
40. hop a plane for an impromptu/spontaneous day and/or weekend trip
41. fly in a private plane somewhere for a day
42. rock climb (and not on a rock wall... REAL rock climbing)
43. I want to go hunting
44. deep sea fishing with my girls
45. a girls only beach trip with my sisters, sister in law and daughters
46. drive up the california coast
47. venice
48. prague
49. the grand canyon
50. the cayman islands
51. thailand
52. africa
53. drive a corvette, a ferrari, a delorean
54. horseback riding down the beach
55. watch a westcoast sunset
56. drive on the autobon
57. a "surprise date"
58. a night at the Fox
59. to see something on broadway
60. dinner and dancing all gussied up
there's more, i'm sure, scratch that, I KNOW! And I'll add them as I think of them :)
What are some of your recommendations? or somethings on your "bucket list"?
words.
Psalm 57:4
My soul is among lions; I lie among them that are set on fire, Even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, And their tongue a sharp sword.
Psalm 64:3
Who have whet their tongue like a sword, And have aimed their arrows, even bitter words,
Proverbs 12:18
There is that speaketh rashly like the piercings of a sword; But the tongue of the wise is health.
Hosea 7:16
They return, but not to him that is on high; they are like a deceitful bow; their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.
Words are very powerful. Especially when used the wrong way. I don't know what your spiritual beliefs are, but scripture even warns us of the danger of using our words to cut others. And today I did just that. I was hurt and fired back... It's amazing the things that come out of your mouth before you even realize what you are saying. And we always know just what to say to hurt the ones that we love... And we can always hurt the ones we love the most. And I am guilty of that today.
Instead of using my husbands weak points to build him up as I should have, I threw them at him and used them against him. I basically poured salt in an open wound. And I didn't even realize I had done it until after it had happened and I couldn't take my words back.
As his wife I have a responsibility, not to feed his ego but to protect his identity as a man, my husband and the father of my children. As a Christian I am supposed to not try to "get back at someone" for how they hurt me. And I failed.
Our words are so powerful and we have the power to make or break someone by our tongue. And we need to be so very careful what we say to people and how we say it. Once something is said you cant take it back, you can apologize but you can't replace the piece of that person that has been damaged once your words have been spoken.
My soul is among lions; I lie among them that are set on fire, Even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, And their tongue a sharp sword.
Psalm 64:3
Who have whet their tongue like a sword, And have aimed their arrows, even bitter words,
Proverbs 12:18
There is that speaketh rashly like the piercings of a sword; But the tongue of the wise is health.
Hosea 7:16
They return, but not to him that is on high; they are like a deceitful bow; their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.
Words are very powerful. Especially when used the wrong way. I don't know what your spiritual beliefs are, but scripture even warns us of the danger of using our words to cut others. And today I did just that. I was hurt and fired back... It's amazing the things that come out of your mouth before you even realize what you are saying. And we always know just what to say to hurt the ones that we love... And we can always hurt the ones we love the most. And I am guilty of that today.
Instead of using my husbands weak points to build him up as I should have, I threw them at him and used them against him. I basically poured salt in an open wound. And I didn't even realize I had done it until after it had happened and I couldn't take my words back.
As his wife I have a responsibility, not to feed his ego but to protect his identity as a man, my husband and the father of my children. As a Christian I am supposed to not try to "get back at someone" for how they hurt me. And I failed.
Our words are so powerful and we have the power to make or break someone by our tongue. And we need to be so very careful what we say to people and how we say it. Once something is said you cant take it back, you can apologize but you can't replace the piece of that person that has been damaged once your words have been spoken.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
helping out those in need
Hey everyone.
This holiday season I challenge you to help someone else out. I know, personally, of two families that could use your help this holiday season and beyond this holiday season. A friend and I have created a blog that you can log on to and read a brief summary of these two families, there is also a donate button where you can financially donate to help them out. Please check it out and help someone else out for Christmas and beyond!
Here is the link to the blog to help them out:
http://whenbadthingshappen2goodpeople.blogspot.com/
Thank you all for your generosity and giving spirit this Christmas season! God bless!!!
This holiday season I challenge you to help someone else out. I know, personally, of two families that could use your help this holiday season and beyond this holiday season. A friend and I have created a blog that you can log on to and read a brief summary of these two families, there is also a donate button where you can financially donate to help them out. Please check it out and help someone else out for Christmas and beyond!
Here is the link to the blog to help them out:
http://whenbadthingshappen2goodpeople.blogspot.com/
Thank you all for your generosity and giving spirit this Christmas season! God bless!!!
Friday, December 4, 2009
my. busy. life. & what God thinks about it
So lately I have been feeling like God has been telling me to not be so busy, and I've ignored Him(bad idea to ignore God). I've been working as much as I can, trying to keep the house up and trying to run after 3 kids and volunteering for anything I possibly can to help further the kingdom and I've gotten really frustrated. Business has slowed down, people that I normally help out with haven't asked for much help, my entire family has gotten sick and anything I have tried to do has been interrupted,I'm not exaggerating. My life has/had gotten to the point that I didn't have time to cook, didn't have time to help my daughter with her homework, didn't have time to give my husband the attention that he needs, didn't have time to read the Word. I've felt so rushed and my mind always focused on 4 or more projects at a time that I couldn't focus on whats been going on in my everyday life.
This all hit me pretty hard when our 15month old has had about 4 more teeth come in that I never even noticed. We've been forced to slow down some with kids getting sick, etc, but I've still tried to do what I felt I needed to do, we've gotten so caught up in being busy that that was who we had become - we were busy, I might as well have introduced myself to people that way. And then I read one of my husband's good friend's blog( http://bradpostonline.com/ <--you should check it out) and it hit me in the face again, bringing to mind all the things that have been currently brought to my mind and reminding me that God is NEVER too busy for me and He allowed me to come into existence. Every good and perfect gift is from Him and I haven't been making time for Him, we've even rushed through our bed time ritual with our kids prayer/devotion time, leaving out the devotion but still praying... what are we teaching them? That what we have going on is too important to take a few extra minutes to spend time with them getting them in the Word.
I made the comment to my husband that I felt like we were bad parents, and a lot of times I really feel like that. The main reason for my feelings is because we have been too busy to set the example for them that they need to take time to enjoy things and enjoy God and His Word and His presence in their life. When Mackenzie was Kaeleigh's age she had several scriptures memorized and she was so proud of it and she would talk about God and Jesus and always asked us questions, but Kaeleigh doesn't do that, and really the only thing that has changed has been how busy we are now and how much time we spend talking to them about God, Jesus and the Bible. And especially with Christmas coming up, we need to be taking the time to share with them the true meaning of the season and enjoying the season with them. Time flies by too fast and I want my children to have memories of mom and dad doing things with them and sharing with them and most importantly having time for a meaningful relationship with our Saviour and sharing that with them.
If I have rambled any, I apologize, I'm a rambler and I do it without realizing it. But hopefully something that I have said will be meaningful to someone, even if it's just me and one other person.
This all hit me pretty hard when our 15month old has had about 4 more teeth come in that I never even noticed. We've been forced to slow down some with kids getting sick, etc, but I've still tried to do what I felt I needed to do, we've gotten so caught up in being busy that that was who we had become - we were busy, I might as well have introduced myself to people that way. And then I read one of my husband's good friend's blog( http://bradpostonline.com/ <--you should check it out) and it hit me in the face again, bringing to mind all the things that have been currently brought to my mind and reminding me that God is NEVER too busy for me and He allowed me to come into existence. Every good and perfect gift is from Him and I haven't been making time for Him, we've even rushed through our bed time ritual with our kids prayer/devotion time, leaving out the devotion but still praying... what are we teaching them? That what we have going on is too important to take a few extra minutes to spend time with them getting them in the Word.
I made the comment to my husband that I felt like we were bad parents, and a lot of times I really feel like that. The main reason for my feelings is because we have been too busy to set the example for them that they need to take time to enjoy things and enjoy God and His Word and His presence in their life. When Mackenzie was Kaeleigh's age she had several scriptures memorized and she was so proud of it and she would talk about God and Jesus and always asked us questions, but Kaeleigh doesn't do that, and really the only thing that has changed has been how busy we are now and how much time we spend talking to them about God, Jesus and the Bible. And especially with Christmas coming up, we need to be taking the time to share with them the true meaning of the season and enjoying the season with them. Time flies by too fast and I want my children to have memories of mom and dad doing things with them and sharing with them and most importantly having time for a meaningful relationship with our Saviour and sharing that with them.
If I have rambled any, I apologize, I'm a rambler and I do it without realizing it. But hopefully something that I have said will be meaningful to someone, even if it's just me and one other person.
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