Conversations with Children - Can We Focus Please?

Son: "Can History be a short lesson today?"

Me: "Definitely. As long as we stay focused."

Son: "Okay"

Ten minutes into Lesson on Juan Ponce De Leon:

Son: "Hey, it's always warm in Florida right?"

Me: "Most of the time."

Son: "So is it always warm everywhere in South America?"

We review the equator and how southern parts of the continent have cold seasons.

Son: "So is it always cold in Russia?"

Me: "Okay, I don't mind answering these questions, but we can't complain that history took too long. Yes, it's usually cold in Russia."

Son: "Okay."

Five Minutes Later:

Son: "How do you think I would clean these scissors?"

"Again, probably a question that would make history take longer."

"But just how would I clean them?" ....

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A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years By Donald Miller / Thomas Nelson

Only Don Miller could write a book about writing a screenplay about a book that was written and have it not only make sense, but also be captivating and motivational.

This book exceeded my expectations.

Yes, it had the insight and humor that I expect from Donald Miller. It also had a message that young and old, married and single, MOPS mom and college mom could relate to and be inspired by.

Follow Don on a journey of awakening, growth, heartbreak, inspiration, and accomplishment.

It will make you want to live a great story.

I devoured the majority of this book on the afternoon of its arrival and finished it in the morning hours of the next day. I wanted to immediately drag my kids out of bed and do something incredible.

What kind of story are you living?

Buy this book today at 40% off here.


Preview the first 30 pages of this book here.

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Stories of Praying Moms

I enjoyed working the Moms in Touch booth at the MOPS International convention on Friday. I've never talked to so many women about Moms in Touch in one day!

Although our main purpose was to introduce Moms in Touch to Moms who had children entering school, we were blessed with the stories from so many Moms in Touch women who came by.

One woman introduced herself and told me that she had been praying with a Moms in Touch group for 15 years. Her youngest daughter is getting ready to graduate, and all of the moms are planning a lunch to get together and celebrate years of praying together.

A very young woman ran into our booth exclaiming, "This is such a great organization!" We smiled and asked if she was in a group. "No, My mom was," she answered. She had been prayed for in Moms in Touch all of her life and she knew it had made a difference. Now a mother of two toddlers, she couldn't wait to do the same for her own children.

"We meet every Monday," came another testimony. "I wouldn't miss it."

I was startled by a Mom who walked up to me claiming that she had a confession to make. She explained that she called Moms in Touch 8 years ago, wanting to start a group, and "never did anything with it." She said that she always felt that she had been disobedient to God. "I feel like Jonah, running away from Ninevah," she said.

This woman was not sad, she was enthusiastic. She seemed to view this conference as message that she could still do it, and now with 3 children in school, she was excited.

What is your Moms in Touch Story?

If you have a general comment, you can leave it here on the blog. However, if you have a Moms in Touch story, I would love to post it as a permanent page on the Tabitha's Team Website. Click here to post your story.

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God Whispers His Mighty Voice

So last night we were wrapping up a week with hubby out of town. Because it was just the kids and me, I planned to make one of those easy "everything in a box" dinners.

You know - a can of stuff, a bag of stuff, mix it up, and put it in the oven.

Except my box had 2 bags of stuff, and I mixed them up. So when I thought I was mixing the mashed potatoes, I was really turning the biscuits into soup. (I know someone else out there has to have done this!)

I was already starting dinner late because a computer glitch caught me up working, and oh, yeah - it was grocery shopping day, so there was no other food in the house.

So I announced it was Burger King night.

On the way, I was thinking about how late it was, and how we still needed to go grocery shopping, and how I would have to clean the refridgerator to put the food away, and how my son announced that he had no clean clothes left...

My radio had been turned down to "barely on", but suddenly there was a moment when everyone stopped talking and I could faintly here a song trying to break it's way through all of the noise:





Praising God always puts things into perspective.

Related articles:
Is Proverbs 31 Making You Crazy?
Fear of the Lord - The Beginning of friendship

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Will You Join Other Moms to Pray for Your Children?

This weekend I will be part of a group of women representing Moms in Touch International at the MOPS International Convention in Nashville. We will be providing information about Moms in Touch to women who are interested in praying for their children with other moms.

Moms in Touch International was founded 25 years ago by a mom who desperately felt the need to pray for her children and their school. She felt so deep a need that she invited other moms to pray with her, and they met once a week at her kitchen table, praying for each other's children.

Today, there are more than 17,000 groups worldwide in over 120 countries.

My experience with Moms in Touch began 5 years ago. It is where I really learned how to pray. How to pray out loud. How to pray with others. How to praise God with all of my heart, truly confess before Him, express sincere thanks for everything He has done, and intercede for my family in a way that I never knew was possible.

Getting started with Moms in Touch is easy. You can begin by visiting the group locator to find a group in your area.

It will greatly impact your prayer life.

Related articles:

Prayer - Is it in You?
Moms in Touch International - Where I Learned to Pray
Praying Scripture so that You Will Know Scripture

Related Blog Post:
Why You Need to Register for Arise, Cry Out!

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Anne Jackson is Giving You Permission to Speak Freely

Anne Jackson, author of Mad Church Disease, has a new book coming soon.  Inspired by a question she posted on her blog in May 2008, Permission to Speak Freely has provided an outlet for the things we are afraid to say or confess in church.  Anne explains her book in the following video:


Permission to Speak Freely Resource Video from Anne Jackson on Vimeo.


Visit the Permission to Speak Freely website to learn more about the book, view confessions, and get resources for your church.

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Homeschooling and Loving It! - Not Just for Homeschoolers

Could your family use some help with Goal Setting?  Activity Planning?  Time Management?

Here is a book that can help you with all of these things and more. 

Homeschooling and Loving It! by Rebecca Kochenderfer is a workbook that will certainly help you if you are homeschooling.  However, the many of the techniques applied in this book are great guides to helping your child find his or her strenghts and prepare for life, something that should be done even if your children are attending a public or private school. 

• You will understand your childrens' strengths and learning styles and be able to better assist them with homework and have more productive parent-teacher conferences.
• You will supplement their school learning with information that is exciting to them an choose extra-curricular activities that are customized to their needs.
• You will find out what things your family likes to do best and deliberately plan for those activities in your schedule.
• You will learn how to teach your children the importance of goal-setting, and learn how to model this as a parent.
• You will find some nuggets of time management and organizational tips that will help you streamline your family's busy life and workspace.

Along the way, you will learn something about homeschooling.  Homeschoolers will learn how to plan curriculum around strentghs, interests and goals.  Oh yeah - and how to relax a little.

Homeschooling and Loving It! is currently being offered free by Laurel Springs School.   I ordered the book from Laurel Springs and paid $5.95 for shipping - you can get up to 5 books for a shipping fee of $10.95.  The regular retail price on this book is $15.95.

The book includes some interviews with Marilyn Mosley, Founder of Laurel Springs School.  You will also receive a school catalog.  Other than these two pieces of advertisement, there are no catches.  I've received no annoying calls or e-mails, just some good information for a great price.

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Aim for the Puddles!

I've just returned from a family camping trip. 

It rained the whole time. Yes, we camp in a tent..

During one of the few breaks in the rain, my husband and my daughter went for a bike ride.  When they returned, I noticed that my daughter's shirt had a wet strip all the way down the middle of her back.

"Why is your back wet?" I asked.

She giggled and answered, "The puddles."

I looked at my husband, who was smiling.  "She aims for the puddles," he said.

Later, as my teenage son was complaining that they haven't been able to do anything, my daughter corrected him with a list of everything they had done:  played games, huddled in the tent watching movies, fished from the bank, played on the playground (it was drizzling).  She was having a great time.

On our last morning, I took her on an early bike ride before we started breaking everything down.

"I'm going to miss this place," she said.

Our last turn led us down a small hill that returned to our campsite.  As I put on my brakes, I watched as she let her bike fly down the hill, lining up straight with the oncoming puddles.  Splashes were followed by a loud "woo-hoo!"

As I tried to catch up, I laughed and thanked God for showing me so much enjoyment of life, and how I might be missing out on some excitement when I try to avoid the messiness.

Sometimes we need to just aim for the puddles!

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Why You Need to Register for Arise, Cry Out!

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Ladies, there is a historical prayer event happening in November that you want to be part of. This year is the 25th anniversary of Moms in Touch International.

On November 14, 2009, a worldwide day of prayer is scheduled at individual host site facilities across the globe.

This will be a day of extraordinary prayer for our children and our communities as thousands of women participate in a wave of prayer across the globe.

We will hear from Fern Nichols, founder of Moms in Touch International, and Miles MsPherson of Miles Ahead Ministries. Crimson Bridge will be leading us in worship.

Don't miss this important event!

The live event will be pre-recorded in San Diego on October 9th and 10th.

You can register here for live event or for the worldwide day of prayer at your local site on November 14th.

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