tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33877222195871743392024-02-20T11:44:13.986-08:00Bless Your Neighbor{Sweet, simple ideas for loving well}Bless Your Neighborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17029559155905896248noreply@blogger.comBlogger115125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387722219587174339.post-50520351687759218892013-04-01T08:46:00.000-07:002013-04-01T10:58:15.865-07:00{Under Construction} A fun new design is on the way!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioPMXwkKAjFXkuaD3u5mUT6AqV040ueXnMKMJLCGEkJg_1Af-kT5HQApjeFmjy6H2ZLQ8kmLzlMBFHbjps-waHuAetlmlMP6O_Of6wH6DauZflRNW4_qBQDnG0ATyJ-2YtURMUl4Py_fc/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-04-01+at+9.50.49+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioPMXwkKAjFXkuaD3u5mUT6AqV040ueXnMKMJLCGEkJg_1Af-kT5HQApjeFmjy6H2ZLQ8kmLzlMBFHbjps-waHuAetlmlMP6O_Of6wH6DauZflRNW4_qBQDnG0ATyJ-2YtURMUl4Py_fc/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-04-01+at+9.50.49+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hello, faithful ones!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are doing a little work on my blog this month. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">{Do you love the sneak peek above?}</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I won't be posting regularly until we have the new platform up and running.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have a bit to learn about how to use Word Press, so </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://turneronlinedesign.com/">Mackenzie Turner</a>, my website designer, is going to teach me a few things.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until then, will you pray for our team? </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That I will learn quickly...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://jennsprinkle.com/">Jenn Sprinkle</a>, my graphic designer, would have God-inspired ideas...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8OD2_aiSUXhZ3VkAq40lu88n3gq_r8UMF9JKse8VK_WVujwwSVa7VFlVWOdFrRn4aAmnM9S0y-zX5bqQzGyL0Wzk587rmCRHn9ezLFSG5CIyNrByK7T_WYb6sKu8dUF-h_V1swQ-Bti0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-04-01+at+10.31.27+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8OD2_aiSUXhZ3VkAq40lu88n3gq_r8UMF9JKse8VK_WVujwwSVa7VFlVWOdFrRn4aAmnM9S0y-zX5bqQzGyL0Wzk587rmCRHn9ezLFSG5CIyNrByK7T_WYb6sKu8dUF-h_V1swQ-Bti0/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-04-01+at+10.31.27+AM.png" width="224" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The movement of information will go easily for Mackenzie...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and Mackenzie's new little one will take long naps? {wink!}</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aren't her girls perfect?!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMmJZ9lZROuCy0kv0jwrIS5rzCuZ67LHl6fk033S3bBzRX_HhFjL5QUmjVETkVRpTlY8JJH4-s1XdcaiIY1M5YJjIjwGY0bCRpbbtdHOAj45lPo2GofNdBlQgkj8Jgz4Oa0lKIONB-oD8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-04-01+at+10.32.47+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMmJZ9lZROuCy0kv0jwrIS5rzCuZ67LHl6fk033S3bBzRX_HhFjL5QUmjVETkVRpTlY8JJH4-s1XdcaiIY1M5YJjIjwGY0bCRpbbtdHOAj45lPo2GofNdBlQgkj8Jgz4Oa0lKIONB-oD8/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-04-01+at+10.32.47+AM.png" width="270" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks for your patience. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll be in touch in a couple of weeks to let you know how we're doing.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until then...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Be a blessing!</span></div>
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Bless Your Neighborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17029559155905896248noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387722219587174339.post-3551795288728705662013-03-12T10:59:00.001-07:002013-03-12T12:37:42.061-07:00{Make Friends} Conversation Starters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvFD5d0D2Rt2lQ-elULk6BNllyVejYKl8rTDGvNb_7Rtzsefj3XVkq3zwQ39St4JA0D5R4eZUzZCrrC8x8ZD_pMxDfsYPsvJiRRzXXtB6x2uFqAy325dr2gAGwX1x5ICvY_AYLI9wD6Bw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-03-12+at+12.55.20+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="357" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvFD5d0D2Rt2lQ-elULk6BNllyVejYKl8rTDGvNb_7Rtzsefj3XVkq3zwQ39St4JA0D5R4eZUzZCrrC8x8ZD_pMxDfsYPsvJiRRzXXtB6x2uFqAy325dr2gAGwX1x5ICvY_AYLI9wD6Bw/s400/Screen+Shot+2013-03-12+at+12.55.20+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">I have always enjoyed meeting new people, but it wasn't until </span><a href="http://blessyourneighbor.blogspot.com/2011/03/meaningful-mantras-making-yourself.html" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">I heard Fred Smith</a><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;"> say that his hobby was "making conversation" that I realized it was mine, too. Before this epiphany, I would often stare at the blank on the application form asking me to list my hobbies. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">I didn't knit or ride a bike, but I could talk.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Hobbies are great, because they start with something you love, then </span></span><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">compel</span><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;"> you to improve at it. </span><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">Making conversation is no exception.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Talking about the weather isn't enough for a talker, and talking isn't for the faint of heart. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">It takes courage to talk to a stranger, a teenager, a grieving widow, a friend in crisis, or someone who has done you wrong. Talking to people is risky, unpredictable business. You risk being misunderstood, fumbling your words, or discovering after you walk away that you have spinach in your teeth. It requires dealing with conflict, making the hard phone call, and saying you're sorry... a lot.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">When you consider the complexity of making conversation, hobbies like skydiving and bungee jumping look like a breeze! But the investment of yourself in the lives of others is worth it. </span></span><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">For some, it comes naturally, for others, it is more difficult. But anyone who wants to live a deep and meaningful life, must learn to talk to people. When I saw these strangers on the street sitting in a ball pit working to get to know one another, I was encouraged to keep working at my hobby. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">What JOY it is to make new friends!</span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/HfHV4-N2LxQ?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">{If you're reading via email, you can play the video <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=HfHV4-N2LxQ">HERE</a>.}</span><br />
<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And if you need a few questions to help you get the conversation started, visit <a href="http://www.humorthatworks.com/">Humor that Works</a> and <a href="http://www.humorthatworks.com/how-to/50-questions-to-get-to-know-someone/">get their list</a>. </span><br />
<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here are a few of my favorites:</span><br />
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Bless Your Neighborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17029559155905896248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387722219587174339.post-41109159326995458042013-03-02T13:41:00.000-08:002013-03-02T13:44:05.356-08:00{Bridal Luncheon} The details and meaning of the day. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqv43NBPTgDTcbuGuZ_ixSGqTFJfs4v26bHXhtKZ7mGaMbNuTQwg44Q0aLo6xJvlGRqHG7fnj9GGmryWDQ_Aqfe4AM2JYHAnFgxQWB_oR4Oi742dAhxjKYVKH84H5mH6511t1XLbCI_So/s1600/bridal+luncheon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqv43NBPTgDTcbuGuZ_ixSGqTFJfs4v26bHXhtKZ7mGaMbNuTQwg44Q0aLo6xJvlGRqHG7fnj9GGmryWDQ_Aqfe4AM2JYHAnFgxQWB_oR4Oi742dAhxjKYVKH84H5mH6511t1XLbCI_So/s640/bridal+luncheon.jpg" width="456" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We spent the day honoring our sweet friend, Jenna, yesterday~</span><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She is getting married tonight! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few of the neighborhood ladies hosted a bridesmaid's luncheon for her at <a href="http://www.sfuzzilc.com/">Sfuzzi's in Las Colinas</a>. They have a pretty private room, perfect for parties like this. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wanted to share a few sweet things I took away from the event with you...</span></div>
<h2>
<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The incredible power of a mother's words. </span></h2>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mary, the emotional <a href="http://weddings.about.com/od/theweddingparty/a/motherofbride.htm">mother of the bride</a> regained her composure when her youngest daughter, Amy, took her hand, infusing strength and composure into her heart. She then spoke unconditional love and pride over her soon-to-be-married daughter. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was the perfect example of <a href="http://www.gotquestions.org/power-of-words.html">words that bring life</a>, and you could see the impact it had on Jenna when she dabbed the tears from her eyes.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"<span style="background-color: #fffefd; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;">Death and life are in the power of the tongue" Proverbs 18:21</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXP0qsV4Fgt74NXxMDhqh4cKLsiz0A5EiqVyYHS-5vINkQ3b1xIDAukdKYKnUEXskfhoYgHcorxqX5sEhjUdYIOnTSL-5qyKegJNsC3lTusLxaVz8gcIH86EzzJGrYYEW6uLjGe6uJHjM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-03-02+at+12.48.14+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXP0qsV4Fgt74NXxMDhqh4cKLsiz0A5EiqVyYHS-5vINkQ3b1xIDAukdKYKnUEXskfhoYgHcorxqX5sEhjUdYIOnTSL-5qyKegJNsC3lTusLxaVz8gcIH86EzzJGrYYEW6uLjGe6uJHjM/s640/Screen+Shot+2013-03-02+at+12.48.14+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let the generations be blessed!</span></h2>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Little Sophia, </span><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the flower girl, </span><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">was all eyes and ears. She stood by the bride and drank in every word. Then I met Jenna's aunt, Mary Lawrence. I couldn't help but consider the profound impact these distant generations could have on one another. Sophia brought a spirit of awe and delight and pride to the family. Mary Lawrence, a 5 time cancer survivor, lover of Jesus and encourager, brought insight and peace. The youthfulness of Sophia and wisdom of Mary Lawrence added JOY and DEPTH to our day.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; text-align: start;">Behold, children are a gift of the </span><strong style="background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: start;">LORD" Ps. 127:3</strong></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fffefd; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Gray hair is a <b>CROWN</b> of splendor; it is attained by a <b>RIGHTEOUS</b> life." Proverbs 16:31</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzpCdPR4LuPNYL_9g-Cdk8TJO90As_6OcSKUPvAKzu1sRtHfu9UQ_mV5-1g-ZMXkZ97kfW52noy8B1XWDr3FpcK5pgfyFMBZWhBo6am2r4Cjp_Y0vt8cIghLC64LpWj8GnyjqM386-WfI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-03-02+at+12.33.31+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzpCdPR4LuPNYL_9g-Cdk8TJO90As_6OcSKUPvAKzu1sRtHfu9UQ_mV5-1g-ZMXkZ97kfW52noy8B1XWDr3FpcK5pgfyFMBZWhBo6am2r4Cjp_Y0vt8cIghLC64LpWj8GnyjqM386-WfI/s640/Screen+Shot+2013-03-02+at+12.33.31+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<h2>
<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Details and meaning make a party memorable.</span></h2>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jenna gave the hostesses a beautiful <a href="http://12smallthings.com/hearts-for-haiti.html">stone heart</a> as a way to say thank you. It was made in Haiti and the proceeds go to <a href="http://handeyemagazine.com/content/hearts-haiti-0">A Heart for Haiti</a>. I love it's meaning and the sweet words that Mary and Jenna attached to it! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some people use paint to make art, Jill uses flowers. She put together the sweet flower arrangements with flowers she bought at the grocery store. To keep the cost down, she bought a potted hydrangea and cut off the stems {buying individually stems at the florist is expensive!} and used her own vases. Abby brought pretty padded hangers for the bridesmaid's to hang their dresses on.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigT5-wr1I4zvmWDZEggcgk0XrMxa3FUXjMH7Qy3PBQI8l4S1PVUvNfZ7e6TLq71qg_mfRLRKVIu4begYqkhgUXmCN8hcfOFWjDWKW8su04NeglPuvzWzwBzvVjEViFqlitaiW5Zvq7qTs/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-03-02+at+1.04.38+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigT5-wr1I4zvmWDZEggcgk0XrMxa3FUXjMH7Qy3PBQI8l4S1PVUvNfZ7e6TLq71qg_mfRLRKVIu4begYqkhgUXmCN8hcfOFWjDWKW8su04NeglPuvzWzwBzvVjEViFqlitaiW5Zvq7qTs/s640/Screen+Shot+2013-03-02+at+1.04.38+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Abby's art is with paper and a computer. Aren't the invitations for the party beautiful? </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And now for the best kept secret of the day! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The guests oohed and aahed over how delicious the cake was with it's white chocolate mouse filling. Here's our little secret...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Order it with white on white icing, scored with little rosettes {very classy and sweet!} from <a href="http://www.costco.com/">Costco</a>~ </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Delicious and pretty for $17.99!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz9Xom2cmO-K-hW1maa0DImCM-iG0ak6b3yttc0SIejWiK1rPOieaF3ES330jTCcJif72MGZS9VlWoJ5d97sXVEUbjEeoR1zb6me1-u1rgRP02AaFfVNxn1US71ZpaRuJ0QkHa2u-pZ3s/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-03-02+at+1.22.05+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz9Xom2cmO-K-hW1maa0DImCM-iG0ak6b3yttc0SIejWiK1rPOieaF3ES330jTCcJif72MGZS9VlWoJ5d97sXVEUbjEeoR1zb6me1-u1rgRP02AaFfVNxn1US71ZpaRuJ0QkHa2u-pZ3s/s640/Screen+Shot+2013-03-02+at+1.22.05+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Speaking of weddings, have you seen this video? </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've watched it several times, </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">noticing the reactions from all who hear the message as it unfolds. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The congregation giggles, taking in the fact that this father has more to say than "Her mother and I" when asked the question, "Who gives this bride away."</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The bride, blushes and looks down, but you know in her heart she is happy her daddy has some things he wants to make perfectly clear to her man.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The groom starts out nervous, laughs some, and ends up in tears. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What a gift this is~ and thank goodness someone captured it on video~ </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Priceless!</span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/eqEkPjUbmIA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />Bless Your Neighborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17029559155905896248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387722219587174339.post-20097345040984765822013-02-27T21:16:00.001-08:002013-02-27T21:17:29.217-08:00{Loving Your Wife} J.T.'s beautiful sacrifice.<br />
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>This story has been reposted with permission from my friend <a href="http://www.irvingbible.org/about/lead-team/nat-pugh/">Nat Pugh</a>. Nat often speaks of the precious unconditional love of his parents, but recently when he <a href="http://gnatpew.wordpress.com/2013/02/16/j-t-loved-bessie/">blogged</a> about the tender care his father showed his mother as she grew ill. Reading it made me want to love my Mr. Wonderful better. I pray it inspires you in the same way.</i></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5WIBVtPvUtTYJQX-YxRKf86HLJY6-XOKsvjQArINn8WpQqlvtQmuveSZt9JQZUtTDHMPSZbSp-LrkLfLFpAPwEXWR_DezzHYDETYTI91gXb0OUR4iEXHDasfff2iUti-JtFlLtCqEbMs/s1600/J.T.+Loves+Bessie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5WIBVtPvUtTYJQX-YxRKf86HLJY6-XOKsvjQArINn8WpQqlvtQmuveSZt9JQZUtTDHMPSZbSp-LrkLfLFpAPwEXWR_DezzHYDETYTI91gXb0OUR4iEXHDasfff2iUti-JtFlLtCqEbMs/s400/J.T.+Loves+Bessie.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">Dad said he would slow down and quit traveling so much once Mom could no longer take care of herself. She had Parkinson’s and the disease progressively ate away at her mobility and agility…but not her sense of humor or her spirit. They were in their early 80’s but he was still in demand as a preacher and he loved nothing more than to hop on a plane and jet off to some location to inspire all who heard him. If you ever heard him, you never forgot him. But he loved Mom more. He did stop his traveling and tirelessly devoted himself to caring for his bride of over sixty years.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before bedtime he would remove his hearing aids rendering him basically deaf. There was no way he could hear Mom’s soft voice in the middle of the night asking assistance to get up to go to the bathroom, or help rolling over. So dad came up with a profound act of love.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He went out and bought a small rope and cut it to about six feet. He tied one end of the rope to the railing of Mom’s hospital style bed they had moved into their bedroom. Nightly, he would tie the other end to his wrist before going to sleep. When Mom needed him she would tug on the rope, waking him so he could get up and help her.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dad lived love in action as her daily care took a toll on his own health. She became his focus. I told him those last few years were his finest. I told him I was more proud of how he loved and cared for Mom than any of the significant accomplishments of his life. His actions spoke volumes as he, more than any man I know, practiced what he preached.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Question: </i></b> I see J.T.'s love for Bessie in Nat's life as he loves his sweet wife, Dana, with the same sacrificial love. Are you putting the interest of your husband or wife above your own like J.T. modeled so beautifully? </span><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A great way to find out is to ask your spouse a simple question:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>What do I do that makes you feel most loved? </i></b></span></div>
Bless Your Neighborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17029559155905896248noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387722219587174339.post-76252829396780661732013-02-25T22:57:00.001-08:002013-03-06T07:14:44.477-08:00{Giving my son away} Loving him enough to let him go (twice).<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCDQzsl_yzrBkdIRoKfA3rsyeKtwIG-tdQhyaziaE_sSajqLOBnK_GIBD7-oaHqA9d7tjwQibedumUtoEcKh31UVUf4T76xsLwRGp2eZrjY8dp_Bp3_0K34thyazeoLDkMtrvyIz1AhmI/s1600/Blake's+sneakers+and+baby+shoes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCDQzsl_yzrBkdIRoKfA3rsyeKtwIG-tdQhyaziaE_sSajqLOBnK_GIBD7-oaHqA9d7tjwQibedumUtoEcKh31UVUf4T76xsLwRGp2eZrjY8dp_Bp3_0K34thyazeoLDkMtrvyIz1AhmI/s640/Blake's+sneakers+and+baby+shoes.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<b style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;">I'm back from my wedding planning trip, and I'm tired. So. very. tired. </b></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's not so much because Mom and I explored the city of Houston<i> </i>for two days looking for rehearsal dinner venues, or even the tsunami of details </span><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">yet to be decided before the wedding...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm tired because it's hard work emotionally to let go of my boy~ </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Even to the most deserving bride.</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And his Meagan truly is above and beyond what I could have ever hoped or imagined. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>There's not a doubt in my mind that she is the one I've been praying for.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most of the time I'm giddy as I anticipate the moment their blue eyes meet as she glides down the aisle on her father's arm like a dream. But there are moments, like right now, when the house is empty and quiet {Mr. Wonderful is out of town} when tears blur </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the letters on the computer screen, and it is really hard. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Giving my boy away creates a <i><b>sacred</b></i>, <b><i>ironic</i></b>, <i><b>noble</b></i> kind of sadness. <i><b> </b></i></span><br />
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<li><i style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>It's sacred</b></i><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> because the glorious, God-designed mission of motherhood allowed me to birth and raise a son. </span><i style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> </b></i></li>
<li><i style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>It's ironic</b></i><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> because I don't want things to change, but I don't want them to stay the same, either. </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And <i><b>it's noble</b></i> because letting him go requires a profound, selfless act of courage.</span></li>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>I made this sacrifice once before, on my knees, after my cancer diagnosis.</b> Uncertain about my future, I wept and prayed and lifted my hands to Jesus, offering my children to him forever. I survived cancer, but that moment marked me. I gave him away once, so I figure I can give him away again. Because that's what mother's do.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9LVcMXng701Ter7-Gy2LNE7XtrE5mycCBL5hqVMAv_PIR7l20-JBDvcUM7ZB-DWOV39RaHxMVKlsD3L4aNjmG2zheFE_8XnkiTiBYshj417I2mjzntN6-Hr3b_-sjYs1ZSFr9_PDWkUg/s1600/blake%2527s+baby+shoes+and+tassel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9LVcMXng701Ter7-Gy2LNE7XtrE5mycCBL5hqVMAv_PIR7l20-JBDvcUM7ZB-DWOV39RaHxMVKlsD3L4aNjmG2zheFE_8XnkiTiBYshj417I2mjzntN6-Hr3b_-sjYs1ZSFr9_PDWkUg/s640/blake%2527s+baby+shoes+and+tassel.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Tonight I escaped to the attic </b>and sat amidst the boxes of soccer trophies and tubs full of Legos and plastic army men. I shifted things around until I found the large, long plastic box labeled "Blake." Holding my breath, I could feel my throat tighten </span><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">as I snapped the lid off and looked inside. It was full of over sized, extra large zip-lock bags bulging with memories. Random things filled the box along with Blake's school work, journals and art. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>His first pair of Stride Rite walking shoes,</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>a grey construction paper mouse,</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>a spiral full of prayers from his fifth grade </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Bible study,</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>his tattered, thread-bare, sharpie-scribbled red converse sneakers </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>(oh, how he loved those shoes!),</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>and his graduation tassel. </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was good to sit and drink in his life as I laughed and smiled through my tears.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There have been times when my children needed to move on, when instead of trusting God, it was as if I grabbed both their ankles forcing them to drag me out into the world with them, my weight holding them back like an anchor. As they went off to school, camp or college, sometimes I would tighten my grip on those ankles until I heard the voice of God. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>"Do you want my best for your child? Then you must let him go, trust me. </b></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>I'll help you."</b></i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuVoxa0lqwPUUg5Mmfg9Ir4TPwUOVyjXBIif5R700CwfK9qmPDTc15xm3gnekbQoHuwZ1UVuBbQQfH2YlzN7mSrzoC7aoAEfrMRAo1LURfIANNrKx8sP51svgIXGnt5SNHSvcv9eMEygk/s1600/Blake+journal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="327" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuVoxa0lqwPUUg5Mmfg9Ir4TPwUOVyjXBIif5R700CwfK9qmPDTc15xm3gnekbQoHuwZ1UVuBbQQfH2YlzN7mSrzoC7aoAEfrMRAo1LURfIANNrKx8sP51svgIXGnt5SNHSvcv9eMEygk/s400/Blake+journal.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm claiming a mothering victory on this one. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've had my reflective moment. Now I'm getting out in front of it, pressing into the sadness, and pushing through to the </span><br />
<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>joy!</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Question: </b></span><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is there something you need to release your child to do on their own? Are you hindering their growth by holding on too tightly? Whether it's starting school or getting married, kids learn to rely on God when we release our grip and let them fly.</span></div>
Bless Your Neighborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17029559155905896248noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387722219587174339.post-27373380137159764312013-02-21T19:00:00.000-08:002013-02-23T20:13:53.920-08:00Wedding planning and marriage advice.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxRYTvYrilYqoBEugz5_m4-Tu51Z3P-DU53wBIozQ8u2tyu6nIOYxJEVKSKdenCgTXkOpQOBSIhbLtcGY1jLE9UEiq5VR3O5XAiPWHSQLt8TQ0jEDJKYOw8nufGJa6fP3DD71MV02XHE/s1600/IMG_0326.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="511" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxRYTvYrilYqoBEugz5_m4-Tu51Z3P-DU53wBIozQ8u2tyu6nIOYxJEVKSKdenCgTXkOpQOBSIhbLtcGY1jLE9UEiq5VR3O5XAiPWHSQLt8TQ0jEDJKYOw8nufGJa6fP3DD71MV02XHE/s640/IMG_0326.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm off to Houston to secure the venues for the Rehearsal dinner and Bridesmaid's luncheon for our upcoming wedding. I'm taking this pair of </span><a href="http://www.dayspring.com/collections/mr_mrs_love_collection/" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">precious coffee mugs</a><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> with me to give to the bride and groom {see the writing on the inside rim? It reads, "I have found the one my heart loves." from Song of Solomon 3:4}</span></span></h3>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can hardly contain my joy!</span></h3>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">I also packed a copy of </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Knot-Book-Wedding-Lists/dp/0307341933" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">The Knot Book of Wedding Lists</a><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;"> just to make sure I'm not missing any of the details, and of course my trusty organizational binder that holds all the sacred lists~ it is </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">adorned with my </span><a href="http://blessyourneighbor.blogspot.com/2013/02/engaged-free-she-said-yes-printable.html" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">"She said, YES!" printable</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">. </span></div>
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<b style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The other day I read a terrific blog post by Chance Scoggins where he shares a valuable piece of marriage advice he learned from his wise friend. </span></b></b></div>
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<b style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Chance tells about their conversation. </b></span></b></div>
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<b style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>It began when he asked this about marriage:</b></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I asked him, “How can I be sure we’ll last forever?”</span></h3>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><strong style="border: 0px; color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“You can’t. </strong><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><strong style="border: 0px; color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">You can only be sure it’s going to last forever a day at a time. You make it to forever bit by bit.”</strong></span></h3>
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<span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Read the rest of Chance's story <a href="http://www.chancescoggins.com/forever-a-day-at-a-time">here</a>. {And consider following <a href="http://www.chancescoggins.com/">Chance's blog</a>; he's terrific!}</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Question: </b>When you consider your marriage and the difficulties you face in it, is your first reaction to examine how well your spouse is meeting your needs? Why not reframe the question to something like this: </span><span style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i>How well a</i></span><span style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i>m I meeting the needs of my spouse?</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i>After all... he (or she) is the one your heart loves!</i></span></span></div>
Bless Your Neighborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17029559155905896248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387722219587174339.post-13557337759729157322013-02-20T19:49:00.002-08:002013-02-20T19:56:54.698-08:00{Howard Hendricks} Do the job you love.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">image by <a href="http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/Blues_and_Violets_g333-Water_Drop_p31407.html">skylab via</a></span><span style="color: #45818e;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Howard Hendricks died today. <br />He was a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary for 52 years, and according to this video interview, he loved it so much he would have done it for free. Watch and see this gentle man describe the joy he experiences doing what he loves.</span></span></span><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/PnAvGujX-LQ?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Prof Hendricks influenced many prominent preachers: <a href="http://www.tonyevans.org/site/c.feIKLOOpGlF/b.2017593/k.BE75/Home.htm">Tony Evans</a>, <a href="http://www.brucewilkinson.com/">Bruce Wilkinson</a>, <a href="http://www.insight.org/about/about-chuck-swindoll.html">Charles Swindoll</a> and <a href="http://www.davidjeremiah.org/site/default.aspx">David Jeremiah</a> are among the most renown. He also taught my Mr. Wonderful, and thousands of other students who went through Dallas Theological Seminary. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Back in 1983, Mr. Wonderful went to a Campus Crusade conference called KC '83 with 17,000 other college kids. When he heard Dr. Hendricks speak he was profoundly moved. In fact, Mr. Wonderful enrolled in Howard's Bible Methods class at DTS after moving to Dallas the following year. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fast forward 20 years or so, and Mr. Wonderful was introduced to Howard's son, <a href="http://www.theologyofwork.org/pages.asp?pageid=102788">Bill Hendricks</a>. As you can imagine, Bill makes his father proud by helping others find their God given calling through his <a href="http://www.thegiftednesscenter.com/">Giftedness Center</a>. Dwight worked with Bill during a difficult career transition and Bill helped him find his way. If you ask Dwight about Prof or his son, he will tell you that Howard and Bill changed the direction of his life. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mr. Wonderful introduced me to Howard when we ran into him at a <a href="http://trailwest.younglife.org/Pages/default.aspx">Young Life Ski Resort</a> in Colorado a few years ago. His face lit up when Dwight spoke to him, and I saw the twinkle in his eye and sincere delight in his voice as he engaged his student.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I found another AMAZING teacher you need to meet via video.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The video is 12 minutes, but you must watch it until the end. It just gets more remarkable along the way. Jeffery Wright teaches Physics and </span><span style="color: #45818e;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>COMPASSION</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This blog post is our way of saying thanks, Prof Hendricks, for embracing your God-given calling and finding joy in it..</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No doubt, your legacy will just keep rippling outward. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Question: As you think back to the teachers in you life, which ones were the most influential? Why don't you take a few minutes and see if you can find them through Facebook</span><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> or an internet search, then text or tweet or post a little thank you on their wall. It's never been easier to say "thank you!" </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you are reading via email, you will need to click <a href="http://blessyourneighbor.blogspot.com/2013/02/howard-hendricks-do-job-you-love.html">HERE</a> to view the videos on my blog.</span></div>
Bless Your Neighborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17029559155905896248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387722219587174339.post-18603961440860331002013-02-18T21:17:00.002-08:002013-02-19T05:04:47.419-08:00{Cleaning closets as a labor of love} What to keep, what to give? Free Printable<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWpX3U6fs8tSQTiImn_b3W1rweWgBU9OU5YQQYw81xkcWH_d-E1pPMSTHakvdawAwZ3DwLv4BRRImmTwEZ3csqiMGSdvMVb3WnKT3ZO0LGZBHqkyolHJp2IeJ0ULA0KVtH1OsEz3XMSW4/s1600/Chalkboard+Quote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWpX3U6fs8tSQTiImn_b3W1rweWgBU9OU5YQQYw81xkcWH_d-E1pPMSTHakvdawAwZ3DwLv4BRRImmTwEZ3csqiMGSdvMVb3WnKT3ZO0LGZBHqkyolHJp2IeJ0ULA0KVtH1OsEz3XMSW4/s640/Chalkboard+Quote.jpg" width="522" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Download Robert Morris Quote <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-PvPkbYf7ZXMHZnZU55QjdKanM/edit?usp=sharing">HERE.</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few summers ago, my sister and I helped my mom and my aunt clean out my grandmother's house. It was privilege to help, but it was difficult. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We laughed and cried throughout the week-long process.</span><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just like the reality television show, Clean Sweep, we created "give", "throw" and "keep" piles as we worked through the house. After hauling a lot to the trash, we were left with some useful furniture to pass along to our young adult children and lots of beautiful items {letters, recipes, photos and other treasures} that told the story of my grandparent's lives. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a result of that experience, Mr. Wonderful and I are getting a head start purging and sorting our packed closets and overstuffed attics. We decided the empty nest was a good season for starting the project. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This wonderful quote by Robert Morris has given me the perfect filter to evaluate each item. So I ask myself, "Is it useful or beautiful?"</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We hope to purge the excess and keep the useful and beautiful. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I created a little chalkboard printable for myself~</span><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">{And to share with you} </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't you find it oh, so inspiring?!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This purging and organizing process is meant to bless our children, so we'll leave them with less to sort out later in life. I also hope to organize family pictures, the children's artwork and other keepsakes so they can be enjoyed. I'll be sharing about some of the ways I discover to help make that happen on Bless Your Neighbor.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Won't you join me?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Question:</i></b> Have you experienced the difficult process of cleaning out a loved one's house? What if you spent a little time each week cleaning out your own house so that your children wouldn't be left with the burden of doing it later?</span></div>
Bless Your Neighborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17029559155905896248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387722219587174339.post-53634156116230897712013-02-14T09:21:00.004-08:002013-02-20T20:10:50.328-08:00{Perfect Love} The One who loves you most.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmQYeCax0Qc6hQktWbAYej4XUSQ9EkfGLCAXEvDMCg59HKvqCQLlzdumoCzi3H6xAAphivKrk4ItTaMRnQykdHz44eBjWZELeEHTW-01h5hXHeEyOGt0jWCsTXneJBXnlDXilJaRU-1jM/s1600/IMG_0092.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmQYeCax0Qc6hQktWbAYej4XUSQ9EkfGLCAXEvDMCg59HKvqCQLlzdumoCzi3H6xAAphivKrk4ItTaMRnQykdHz44eBjWZELeEHTW-01h5hXHeEyOGt0jWCsTXneJBXnlDXilJaRU-1jM/s640/IMG_0092.jpg" width="456" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On this day of love... a beautiful reminder:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our capacity for love exists because of His great love for us.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He loves you. No matter what.</span></div>
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<br />Bless Your Neighborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17029559155905896248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387722219587174339.post-56479402307209469202013-02-13T14:55:00.001-08:002013-02-20T20:11:38.533-08:00{Music for a Happy Soul} Rend Collective's Campfire Story<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzLA1t-S7ZBK_UK4T45W3tmD8FHMAGC0NwrURvk62_sWjkkD8y7OiRO5KexjpjD1abiQw9-N_zkp5pYheOVnikEa0G_fFpI1j1vYgzbHd6pKeGwx1vKeT2ZoGSM0hDtfadRkBbxo-uW6I/s1600/+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzLA1t-S7ZBK_UK4T45W3tmD8FHMAGC0NwrURvk62_sWjkkD8y7OiRO5KexjpjD1abiQw9-N_zkp5pYheOVnikEa0G_fFpI1j1vYgzbHd6pKeGwx1vKeT2ZoGSM0hDtfadRkBbxo-uW6I/s640/+.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My young adult children have the most remarkable taste in music. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Their generation is blessed with technology~ allowing a generous sharing of music, exposure to independent musicians and the ability </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">to record their own music </span><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">in a closet </span><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">on a whim.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This morning, Mr. Wonderful and I received a group text from the kids alerting us about </span><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Rend Collective's new album, </span><i style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Campfire Story. </i></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This album was literally recorded by a campfire at the beach. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My heart beat a little faster and I was swept away to Lakeview United Methodist Church Camp when I listened to the first song... they began with a chorus of <i>Kumbaya.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But don't think this is a throwback to 1970. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is fresh and real and current and amazing.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hear the story of it's inspiration in the following video, and then buy it on iTunes. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It will strengthen your faith, lift your spirits~ </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and put a jig in your step! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The album ends with with a song called <i>Praise Like Fireworks</i> that had me </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">dancing around my office!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Vk2MpaTEzXw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And for all my friends who have young adults in your lives~ </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">you will be a super cool, in-the-know friend if you tell them about this worship band </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">you've discovered called the <i>Rend Collective. </i> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Find their music <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/rend-collective-experiment/id275095657">HERE.</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And their website <a href="http://rendcollective.com/campfire-order-splash/">HERE</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Question: </i></b></span><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> When was the last time you invested in some new music to feed your soul?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why don't you send an iTunes gift card and link to the Rend Collective's new album to a friend or college student? </span></div>
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Bless Your Neighborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17029559155905896248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387722219587174339.post-88505308143978046012013-02-10T16:40:00.001-08:002013-02-20T20:12:08.972-08:00{Working with Joy} Mike the Mailman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhokZeqRVqWpViY5a0WkVYVcy8lS6VHFiS8NGIfJROFHzU3y7kfY0fkw7Kz54Haq6sAyuaIvL43w7na0EazMAjmyP9RM_ngIMgyDgdLqvprBARNq1g8pUsVN9KkpEUiU9skgHr-y-02bLk/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-02-10+at+6.15.05+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhokZeqRVqWpViY5a0WkVYVcy8lS6VHFiS8NGIfJROFHzU3y7kfY0fkw7Kz54Haq6sAyuaIvL43w7na0EazMAjmyP9RM_ngIMgyDgdLqvprBARNq1g8pUsVN9KkpEUiU9skgHr-y-02bLk/s640/Screen+Shot+2013-02-10+at+6.15.05+PM.png" width="392" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Image credit:<a href="http://handdrawnwords.tumblr.com/post/19144916752/blur-the-line-between-work-play"> Sean McCabe</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is your work monotonous? </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Does the routine of life rob you of your ability to see the people in front of you every day? </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take a lesson from "Mike the Mailman." He works at the Post Office at Penn State. A postal worker for 38 years, he believes he can bring sunshine to people's lives as he sells stamps and weighs packages. Take time to watch this segment by CBS ~ it will inspire you to serve coffee with a smile, call your customer with cheerful voice, or notice the shiny new pair of sneakers your student is wearing.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgWcb9pu9dQkJx60-gcL_A8MxsaGfP0r25hUiQWPzwKg8X2Pp10BkddDrmERsCtklAPn9nE-Fz9cWgo0bl1-2d0LBfJj-WXMZdGX2L-9kA9gs0VeX8J-Yc8dtJQh2U_iOxExLR44_GwOM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-02-10+at+6.32.32+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgWcb9pu9dQkJx60-gcL_A8MxsaGfP0r25hUiQWPzwKg8X2Pp10BkddDrmERsCtklAPn9nE-Fz9cWgo0bl1-2d0LBfJj-WXMZdGX2L-9kA9gs0VeX8J-Yc8dtJQh2U_iOxExLR44_GwOM/s640/Screen+Shot+2013-02-10+at+6.32.32+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Watch the video <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50140679n">HERE</a>.</span></div>
Bless Your Neighborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17029559155905896248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387722219587174339.post-18462218504857743192013-02-07T15:03:00.000-08:002013-02-20T20:12:59.594-08:00{Loving Your Valentine} Everything you need to spread the love. Free Printables<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhydeupk5ESRQbV65uzvjJ5OUvtDOMw_o-FHw6QD8Y5jZ2bMYt1Y0M6OvHbrVjrnRcGfChsK-AIyLRP4nd3G01IAAHs0OI45-e6qg7JqwHtdJ5HB_ZzwQElNiJrKJBOhHphKWiOeNyZWlk/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-02-07+at+4.57.09+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhydeupk5ESRQbV65uzvjJ5OUvtDOMw_o-FHw6QD8Y5jZ2bMYt1Y0M6OvHbrVjrnRcGfChsK-AIyLRP4nd3G01IAAHs0OI45-e6qg7JqwHtdJ5HB_ZzwQElNiJrKJBOhHphKWiOeNyZWlk/s640/Screen+Shot+2013-02-07+at+4.57.09+PM.png" width="420" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>This season of love makes my heart palpitate!</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I met Mr. Wonderful he turned my world upside down. </span><br />
<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I </span><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">hyperventilated every time he looked at me with his dreamy brown eyes. </span><br />
<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two months into our relationship, </span><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">during February {the love month!}, </span><br />
<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I KNEW he was my guy. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It wasn't the big things like diamonds and fine dining that won my heart, </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">it was the little, sweet things like...</span></div>
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<li><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Discovering a rose on the seat of the car when he picked me up for a date.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Getting a phone call after he arrived home from our date just to say, </span><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I wanted to make sure I told you how much I enjoyed myself tonight."</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Noticing the "to do" list on the desk, he would add a line item: "Tell Dwight that you love him." Which I would discover later in the day to the great delight of my heart!</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The hot air balloon gram that arrived at the school where I was teaching on Valentine's day announcing to every fourth grader that Miss Ridgway was in love.</span></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRv6aUfXAKQlu8MBMAQVatxgvGyFWDHeOLLd0tcQCvvznt22UjPwUB_WeNVNf3CW73QqZcu8iDTHD13OQafutfI697lQ37diIpBPIg34D7fVuJUBvrUgtXI0cFFAXUUO7OGsrjvaeUF6s/s1600/Dwight+and+Sharon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRv6aUfXAKQlu8MBMAQVatxgvGyFWDHeOLLd0tcQCvvznt22UjPwUB_WeNVNf3CW73QqZcu8iDTHD13OQafutfI697lQ37diIpBPIg34D7fVuJUBvrUgtXI0cFFAXUUO7OGsrjvaeUF6s/s400/Dwight+and+Sharon.jpg" width="302" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Circa 1986, Notice the 80's "big hair"!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm crazy about the love month because the simple, creative ways to say "I Love You" are encouraged and celebrated~ and the blog world is full of all the inspiration you need to make your feelings known! I posted some ideas for <a href="http://blessyourneighbor.blogspot.com/2011/02/indie-love-song-cd-coolest-mom-ever.html">care packages</a>, r<a href="http://blessyourneighbor.blogspot.com/2011/02/spread-some-love-red-dinner-and-free.html">ed dinner</a> and <a href="http://blessyourneighbor.blogspot.com/2012/01/will-you-be-mine-perfect-valentine.html">links to great valentines</a> last year. <i><b>All praise to the creatives who generously share their FREE graphic design talent with the rest of us so we can start loving the world!</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've done you're research again this year...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check out all of these sweet, simple ways to say you're loved, </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">then click on the links in the guide below. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvJongGVL00kBxUyEuWuTje5WNjyfRrxhyyDwS-2BWhGDf34t_6KXJQk5NvDYV0D-D9n5WycwDm6mcGF6WmWMFbvcai8bZL7Wp3MGXtGeqrZRiHMFHKbLo2sZWnRKmUSeh8CWhbmNzG5o/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-02-07+at+4.30.45+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvJongGVL00kBxUyEuWuTje5WNjyfRrxhyyDwS-2BWhGDf34t_6KXJQk5NvDYV0D-D9n5WycwDm6mcGF6WmWMFbvcai8bZL7Wp3MGXtGeqrZRiHMFHKbLo2sZWnRKmUSeh8CWhbmNzG5o/s640/Screen+Shot+2013-02-07+at+4.30.45+PM.png" width="525" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://visualheart.wordpress.com/2012/02/19/52-things-i-love-about-you/">52 Things I Love About You</a> by Visual Heart</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://homespunwithlove.blogspot.com/2012/01/valentines-day-dessert-table.html">Valentine's Day Table Backdrop</a> by Homespun Love</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://sissyprint.blogspot.mx/2012/01/valentines-day-print.html">Love Makes the World Go Round</a> by Sissy Print</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://sissyprint.blogspot.mx/search?updated-max=2012-01-30T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=7&start=56&by-date=false">Valentine Peep Notes</a> by Sissy Print</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.dandee-designs.com/2012/02/love-bug-valentines.html">Love Bug Valentines</a> by Dandee</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.dandee-designs.com/2012/02/love-bug-valentines.html">Valentine Decor</a> by Pleated Poppy</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.thegirlcreative.com/2012/01/valentines-subway-art-free-printable.html">The Love Verse</a> by Project Inspire</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.julieannart.com/2012/01/diy-valentines-day-decorations.html">Paint chip heart garland </a>by Julie Ann Art</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.joyeverafter.com/blog/2012/2/2/lovely-bundle-love-letters.html">Another link up</a> by Joy Ever After</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.theprettyblog.com/2011/02/valentines-post-card-free-printables/">I'll love you always and forever</a> from the Pretty Blog</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.theidearoom.net/2013/01/homemade-valentines.html">Have a little Crush on You</a> from The Idea Room</span></div>
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Bless Your Neighborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17029559155905896248noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387722219587174339.post-86401978123781268032013-02-06T11:04:00.000-08:002013-02-20T20:14:32.002-08:00{Loving Your Teenager Daughter} What teen girls wish they could tell their moms.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOev1bk4ovRnKVkDXJ4cq4D7Ec9DkCLwglB4T7twvQ6DpH3gX1Ey7q21KtttYh73fh3Z_nxhZLrLpmHR2Z9WJE85yfR9dWneqq00xEaKTV2wRY_OqiVS2RneMCPSYQ_-pZa1bndL9AD60/s1600/IMG_7080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOev1bk4ovRnKVkDXJ4cq4D7Ec9DkCLwglB4T7twvQ6DpH3gX1Ey7q21KtttYh73fh3Z_nxhZLrLpmHR2Z9WJE85yfR9dWneqq00xEaKTV2wRY_OqiVS2RneMCPSYQ_-pZa1bndL9AD60/s640/IMG_7080.jpg" width="456" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I love my girl. Sometimes, too much. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last summer she asked me to join her on a weekend away~ just the two of us. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We headed to Galveston where I took this shot of her </span><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">on the dock.</span><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Arms spread wide, eyes and heart full of wonder. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At 21, I am in awe that she is a thriving young adult! </span><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some days </span><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wonder how she ever made it~ And in spite of my <i>many</i> desperate-panicky-neurotic-mothering-episodes!</span><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Looking back, it seems that she only began to thrive as God revealed something to me: </span><br />
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<i style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Desperation</i><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> is actually </span><i style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">fear~ </i><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><b style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><a href="http://blessyourneighbor.blogspot.com/2011/04/loving-your-teenager-communication-fail.html">and parenting through fear is unhealthy</a>.</i></b><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By shear choice of my will (and the support of other moms), I began to loosen my grip and relax in her middle school years. Fear makes us say and do crazy things, we lose our composure when we need it most, even plotting how we might tether our daughter's ankle with a chain to keep her from leaving the house! It's true that we love them, but we can also use fear-filled love as a means to justify our actions~ "I love her so much! I just don't want her to get hurt!"</span><br />
<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because I mentor teen aged girls through a ministry called <a href="http://www.coppellstudentmedia.com/2012/04/18/mankin-brings-girls-together-with-coffeetalk/"><i>Coffee Talk</i></a>, I was able to do a little research with the <a href="http://blessyourneighbor.blogspot.com/2011/12/building-relationships-one-cookie-at.html">girls in our ministry</a> by asking this question:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> <b> </b></i></span><i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>What is it you would like your mother to know, but are afraid to tell her? </b></span></i></span><br />
<i><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">{Ouch. Just reading it makes you squirm, doesn't it?}</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Below is a summary of their responses:</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wish my mom would use a different tone of voice.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wish my mom understood me and celebrated the way I'm wired.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wish my mom wouldn't get defensive and would admit when she was wrong.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wish my mom wasn't so overprotective.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wish my mom would ask how I feel about things and respect my opinion.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wish my mom would show signs of seeking God and growing spiritually.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wish my mom would pick her battles and let go of the little things.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wish my mom would be more fun and make our house a place to bring my friends.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wish my mom would listen without trying to fix my problems and encourage me more.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wish my mom would give me more space and trust me more.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wish I wasn't scared to tell my mom things that bug me about her.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Question: </b><i>How do you feel when you read through the list? </i></span><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Do you get defensive at the end of every line? Or do you ask yourself... I wonder if my daughter feels this way about me? </i> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">I believe that most of these issues are rooted in <b><i>fear</i></b> {and PRIDE}. There are times, even now, when I see myself in every one of them. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can change the tragectory of your relationship and increase your influence on the heart of your girl with this simple tool:<i> A Report Card for Mom</i></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1vM66VLPAOV0hDQ6MeaUYD0rjpWJMJWYIX_1molpAzujTwMxtLI8bF3MMARCEhIprwtOUQrQxnWHMpIdD40AcVfI5PdQkVKj9zk4hfiyS0elstfCxRV20cNkriQT5k28yazKCrZy1CIg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-02-06+at+12.42.46+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1vM66VLPAOV0hDQ6MeaUYD0rjpWJMJWYIX_1molpAzujTwMxtLI8bF3MMARCEhIprwtOUQrQxnWHMpIdD40AcVfI5PdQkVKj9zk4hfiyS0elstfCxRV20cNkriQT5k28yazKCrZy1CIg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-02-06+at+12.42.46+PM.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Download Mom's Report Card <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-PvPkbYf7ZXOWRoNWRETUVjRzA/edit?usp=sharing">HERE.</a></span><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /> </span></span><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;">You may use it two ways: </span> </span></td></tr>
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<li><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Sit down with your daughter and assess how you're doing. </span><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Get feedback and understanding as you move through each line. </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"> Simply use it as a tool for self reflection. Invite the Holy Spirit to teach you as you read through it and then talk to your daughter about your convictions. </span></li>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Moms, wouldn't it bless your daughter if you gave her a little speech that consisted of these things....</span><br />
<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tell her you want to learn how to be a better mom and you need her help. </span><br />
<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ask her to grade your communication skills. </span><br />
<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ask her what she wants you to know, but is afraid to tell you~ </span><br />
<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and tell her you will listen without overreacting or defending yourself. </span><br />
<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Admit that you sometimes react out of fear, but that fear is rooted in love and sometimes you express your love in an unhealthy way. Tell her you want to grow to be a mom that responds with love and faith. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>How would you have felt if your mother had said these things to you?</i></b> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">{<b>A Word of Caution! </b> <i>Before you give this to your daughter, ask her to be kind and gentle toward you. </i></span><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><i>Tell her you are willing to learn, even if what she says is hard to hear~ </i></span><br />
<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><i>And then ask God to give you a <b>tough skin</b> and <b>soft heart!</b></i>}</span></div>
Bless Your Neighborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17029559155905896248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387722219587174339.post-37827736563963390792013-02-03T22:32:00.001-08:002013-02-04T11:48:04.380-08:00{Engaged!} Free "She Said Yes!" Printable<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>It was a magical night!</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Full of giggles and goosebumps,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and laughing through our tears.<b style="font-style: italic;"> </b></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He started with a private candlelight dinner...</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFUQ01vqVS8ybP6IyX_2BN0ZEn-t7NQtCg1Xa3M5Ff7VhTxMni7c-qNZTAwwViKYuIWtX8OlExWfMRB8MmeIY-PdMI8rTApuVsysYf7t4t-ifGeRGwHy_QqeXGEVc4ZZCkUOdajhYXpd0/s1600/blake_megan-68.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFUQ01vqVS8ybP6IyX_2BN0ZEn-t7NQtCg1Xa3M5Ff7VhTxMni7c-qNZTAwwViKYuIWtX8OlExWfMRB8MmeIY-PdMI8rTApuVsysYf7t4t-ifGeRGwHy_QqeXGEVc4ZZCkUOdajhYXpd0/s640/blake_megan-68.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then serenaded her with a song...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm4fbHNL3iDpogmEp8rL-V-Ir4rRc3-Phe2WwVHluZsQdrVm6D2jpzPnPlwdKpmfrj1pcpk49gHno3uPeuePzXis9NpD0qmk8p-hEgTiTCIhwbRrw1j03Fky59B9DUrhkEL0pBTJZeB6w/s1600/blake_megan-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm4fbHNL3iDpogmEp8rL-V-Ir4rRc3-Phe2WwVHluZsQdrVm6D2jpzPnPlwdKpmfrj1pcpk49gHno3uPeuePzXis9NpD0qmk8p-hEgTiTCIhwbRrw1j03Fky59B9DUrhkEL0pBTJZeB6w/s640/blake_megan-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> When he got on one knee, he said that he loved her. </span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Her answer was precious and enthusiastic... </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Yes, yes! A hundred times Yes!" She said.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbGx2ODiswBt5zjR32uG1lLftja5vrDQ4iog9G3RcRGxyLOaMuJ31xXSiuCF7qwIyvX1Oqrtz35NSFFvMnOKCN2FBs3qloboUN6FEvpuX0-V9k6JEM-Xc5zu0usdAx25u2Ar7m0iOLads/s1600/blake_megan-36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbGx2ODiswBt5zjR32uG1lLftja5vrDQ4iog9G3RcRGxyLOaMuJ31xXSiuCF7qwIyvX1Oqrtz35NSFFvMnOKCN2FBs3qloboUN6FEvpuX0-V9k6JEM-Xc5zu0usdAx25u2Ar7m0iOLads/s640/blake_megan-36.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cupcakes and champagne and throngs of people waited </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">to offer toasts and congratulations back at her parent's house.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhND4sjOESBmPEKqZkbwS4UsRZXe0BKOO5SL9YLupuvD_yshkYfE2ZlWiU1yJcFdjP9rTg_suBVHyTA0dwUJ1K7gfLOokBBf83aiYi2a-SLxiKrSpyF5KCBqJjPx9JlhhGlmguhBLxWFsw/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhND4sjOESBmPEKqZkbwS4UsRZXe0BKOO5SL9YLupuvD_yshkYfE2ZlWiU1yJcFdjP9rTg_suBVHyTA0dwUJ1K7gfLOokBBf83aiYi2a-SLxiKrSpyF5KCBqJjPx9JlhhGlmguhBLxWFsw/s640/Untitled.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><b>And all our of our hearts REJOICED!</b></i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuoG0mBcNerjXiMocUElidkqossH9kul3aeD9aVFFp-d9RZZES4Up_r9x7LeHsqVW_jJrr8bQ76HSThd3uLEpL9Yqrkjm0mFHLNP9vsBnKVeEHObZY-RjQNQYDbqkOA9c1g9AANmP7jyU/s1600/She+said+yes%2521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuoG0mBcNerjXiMocUElidkqossH9kul3aeD9aVFFp-d9RZZES4Up_r9x7LeHsqVW_jJrr8bQ76HSThd3uLEpL9Yqrkjm0mFHLNP9vsBnKVeEHObZY-RjQNQYDbqkOA9c1g9AANmP7jyU/s640/She+said+yes%2521.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #45818e;">Do you know someone who is getting engaged, or could use these sweet little signs for an engagement photo shoot? Bless their hearts with wonderful printable signs. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #45818e;"><a href="http://www.tripcarroll.com/">Trip Carroll</a>, one of Blake's dearest friends, whipped them up for me so we could take this cute shot. He offers them to you for your personal use, so you can bless someone in love! </span> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Download "He Asked! She Said Yes!" <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-PvPkbYf7ZXVVRRQk1zVm1qdkU/edit?usp=sharing">HERE.</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I better get busy~ I've got a rehearsal dinner to plan and a new daughter to love! Wee!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>Question: </b> Think back to the day you got engaged. </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Remember how you flaunted your ring and floated on a cloud? </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Makes you want to tell him you would marry him all over again, doesn't it? </i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihNpUGBfg1ppf9DjIsg09rl-xq8nQUlDPMi8bNJMSTsis5ECveXPqt0EkYf3iyCn0WUw1A0ZKEesrvJNtXjLyh7hkCYuWUTw-CebfYrWPWSWRJiUsAsWs6eWdGsDnk4GzyGKNs-k3Hd2g/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-02-04+at+1.19.34+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihNpUGBfg1ppf9DjIsg09rl-xq8nQUlDPMi8bNJMSTsis5ECveXPqt0EkYf3iyCn0WUw1A0ZKEesrvJNtXjLyh7hkCYuWUTw-CebfYrWPWSWRJiUsAsWs6eWdGsDnk4GzyGKNs-k3Hd2g/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-02-04+at+1.19.34+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Bless Your Neighborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17029559155905896248noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387722219587174339.post-53975092720377033972013-02-01T08:43:00.000-08:002013-02-13T15:04:42.155-08:00{Fresh Start} Where I've been...Where I'm going.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">{Where to find the <a href="http://www.target.com/">chalkboard vase</a>, <a href="http://www.tjmaxx.com/">yellow bowl</a>,<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bonded-leather-flanders-black-journal-6-x-8-peter-pauper/1102466296?ean=9781441306203"> journal</a>, and<a href="http://www.verabradley.com/catalog/search.cmd?form_state=searchForm&keyword=mug&x=0&y=0"> mug</a> all of which were sweet gifts from those I love.}</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>I blogged for a year and took a break... for a year. </i></b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hadn't lost my passion for blogging~ I just decided to put first things first. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our youngest was finishing his senior year and heading off to college and I wanted to finish well as a mom. Being totally honest, <a href="http://goinswriter.com/fear-friend/">I also feared</a> that what I wrote might not be worth the effort; who was I to write about love? When the nest was empty, I was going to reevaluate.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Would I miss writing about the movement of love in the world? </i> </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I discovered that writing was not only an exercise in learning to see love, but a lesson in learning </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>how </b></i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">to love. You can't write about love without recognizing the words and actions that display love to the world. Observing life through the lens of a potential story made it come alive, opened my eyes to the details, urged me to capture it in pictures, and compelled me to ask, </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>"What is it about this story that shows love?" </i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>As I began to think about writing again, I began to notice things...</b></i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">~The man pulling trash cans from the street up the driveway for his neighbor.</span><br />
<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">~The lingering touch and gentle smile of the nurse after after she drew my blood.</span><br />
<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">~A text from my daughter thanking me for the care package.</span><br />
<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">~The lady at the dry cleaner who knew my name when I walked in the door.</span><br />
<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">~Precious friends cheering on my newly engaged son and his fiance.</span><br />
<span style="color: #45818e;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Without the discipline of writing these beautiful displays of love down, I now began to fear that they would go unnoticed and unremembered. These simple actions were lessons in love and needed to be told~ and I realized that I'm still compelled to tell them!</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As fuel to restart my engine, I shared a</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #45818e;"> cup of coffee with graphic designer, </span><span style="color: #0c343d;"><a href="http://jennsprinkle.com/">Jenn Sprinkle</a>,</span><span style="color: #45818e;"> and web designer,</span><span style="color: #351c75;"> </span></span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://turneronlinedesign.com/">Mackenzie</a></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><a href="http://turneronlinedesign.com/"> Turner</a>, </span><span style="color: #45818e;">and asked them to redesign my blog. {Side-note: these precious, loving women could be the subject of<i> Bless Your Neighbor</i> post themselves!} So, as they create and design my new page, I am scanning the world for blessings and love~ it's time to start writing again!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope you'll re-engage and partner with me on our quest to "see" love and live it out in a profound way. It's a perfect time of year to <i><a href="http://blessyourneighbor.blogspot.com/2011/01/welcome-neighbor.html">Bless Your Neighbor</a></i> ... After all, it's the season of love! </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Happy February!</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><b>Question: </b><i> Have you <a href="http://goinswriter.com/keep-dreaming/">side-lined a dream</a> that needs a fresh start? </i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Join me as I push the reset button and begin again. </i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>{Would love to hear about your dreams in the comments below~ let's start fresh together!}</i></b></span></span></div>
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<br />Bless Your Neighborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17029559155905896248noreply@blogger.com4Coppell, TX, USA32.9545687 -97.01500779999997832.8479832 -97.176369299999976 33.061154200000004 -96.85364629999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387722219587174339.post-83223036862154385352012-02-06T15:07:00.000-08:002012-02-06T15:09:22.357-08:00Faithful in the seemingly small things: Portrait of a Saint.<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4b4a49;">Reprinting </span><a href="http://www.seeinginvisible.com/post/17152197299/radical-faithfulness"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f1c232;">Blake's post</span> </a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4b4a49;">from his blog </span><a href="http://www.seeinginvisible.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f1c232;">Seeing Invisible</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4b4a49;">. I was going to write about Daniel, but Blake beat me to it. Couldn't have said it better myself! Enjoy...</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4b4a49; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4b4a49; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Meet Daniel Prescott.</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4b4a49; line-height: 21px;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Daniel is on the Hospitality Team at Irving Bible Church. Every week—no matter what—Daniel is voluntarily helping cars find their spots. He’s greeting people as they walk into the sanctuary, joyfully welcoming each person he sees with a strong and meaningful “How we doing this morning?”</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He asks because he really wants to know, and he treats every individual as if they are the most important person on the planet.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As my parents and I walk into church on a Sunday morning, Daniel greets us with his warm smile and engaging conversation. It’s amazing to see him consistently exemplify what it means to love others without conditions. And my family is no different. Daniel laughs and tells us that he’s happy to see us. My mom, being the avid photographer that she is, pulls out her phone to take a picture of him. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWdVcbgYro84eIBmOSUNqkcGiXdzI9rEyo-Me7_0Jr_R7HXw6oLged2hMTaV9AZsVWtMu9MTjDdSheCRl78h3Ttc_DnydfciKJda-_R1WrhvQBBG3oj7qOAnF6-grwnhVU7zVbTo41Dx4/s1600/tumblr_lyz3dpVO5P1qbm1ri.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWdVcbgYro84eIBmOSUNqkcGiXdzI9rEyo-Me7_0Jr_R7HXw6oLged2hMTaV9AZsVWtMu9MTjDdSheCRl78h3Ttc_DnydfciKJda-_R1WrhvQBBG3oj7qOAnF6-grwnhVU7zVbTo41Dx4/s400/tumblr_lyz3dpVO5P1qbm1ri.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I’m documenting all the blessings in my life,” she says, “Can I take your picture?”</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Daniel chuckles at the request, but happily agrees. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My mom frames him on the screen and freezes the moment, capturing a saint’s pixelated image.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4b4a49; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4b4a49; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Daniel Prescott shows us what it means to be radically faithful to something that matters. Rain or shine, good day or bad day, recognition or anonymity, he shows up and loves people without expecting anything in return. His job is much more than parking cars. His job is serving Jesus with a passion that we can all learn from.</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4b4a49; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We’re all faithful to something—for good or ill. We’re prone to let our allegiances settle for laziness, social media, distractions, or self-gratification. But we have the ability to fight those urges.</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4b4a49; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If we’re all inherently faithful to something, why not follow Daniel’s lead and be faithful to something meaningful?</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4b4a49; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let’s not be faithful in a flippant way. Let’s be radically faithful. The type of faithful that is inconvenient for us sometimes. The type of faithful that won’t always be fun. The type of faithful that will make us uncomfortable. The type of faithful that drives us to help park cars every Sunday morning without fail.</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4b4a49; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Daniel Prescott is a visible representation of the Invisible God. </span></span></div>Bless Your Neighborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17029559155905896248noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387722219587174339.post-55247014346839499462012-01-30T06:59:00.000-08:002013-02-20T20:15:11.128-08:00Welcome Neighbor! {Free Printable}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>"Love your neighbor as yourself"</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although Bless Your Neighbor is a blog that goes beyond</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ideas about </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">blessing your actually next door neighbor, my</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><a href="http://blessyourneighbor.blogspot.com/2011/01/welcome-neighbor.html">very first post</a> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">was about just that. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">When I saw this printable from 30 Handmade Days, I just had to pass it along, because it would perfect to add to my </span><a href="http://blessyourneighbor.blogspot.com/2011/01/welcome-neighbor.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Bless Your Neighbor Bundt Cake</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;"> when you knock on the neighbor's door and say </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Welcome to the Neighborhood!"</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://thirtyhandmadedays.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">30 Handmade Days</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;"> creates some of the best printables for loving on people. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">Like this </span><a href="http://thirtyhandmadedays.com/2012/01/valentine_cookies/" style="color: #674ea7;">Welcome to the Neighborhood</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;"> card for your new friends!</span></span></div>
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Bless Your Neighborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17029559155905896248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387722219587174339.post-22197485413792582872012-01-27T10:56:00.000-08:002012-01-27T10:56:57.063-08:00Practicing Affirmation: A list of ideas on affirming others.<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138; font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 10px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 10px; line-height: 19px;"><span class="NLtitle" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 38px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: -10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i> </i></span></span><span class="NLtitle" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 38px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: -10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i> </i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 10px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 10px; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>“Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, </i></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 10px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 10px; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>but a good word makes him glad”</i></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 10px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 10px; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>Proverbs 12:25 </i></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 10px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 10px; color: #45818e; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 38px;"><b>20 Ideas for Encouraging Others</b></span><br />
<span class="NLsubtitle" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 10px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 10px; display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-style: normal;">By <a href="http://www.crossway.org/books/practicing-affirmation-tpb/">Sam Crabtree</a> from <a href="http://www.familylife.com/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=dnJHKLNnFoG&b=3577131&ct=11210683&notoc=1">Family Life</a> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 10px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 10px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;"> </span></span><br />
<div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 10px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 10px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">Words matter. As soon as God created mankind, he engaged him verbally. Merely speaking with (not at) people can affirm their existence. You talk to me; therefore, in a sense, I am. Simply greeting someone who walks through a room can be affirming to the individual and uplifting to everyone in the environment. I</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">f you have the life of Christ in you and you want to be a blessing to others, the following list might assist you to that end. </span></div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 10px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 10px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">1. Loan a young person your keys. Or give him his own key.</span></div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 10px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 10px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">2. At a committee or board meeting, before moving on to the next agenda item, stop to commend those who worked on the previous item.</span></div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 10px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 10px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">3. Write a personal letter or note card that an employee can take home or put in a personnel file. Keep a supply of such blank note cards in your desk for just such a purpose. E-mails will do, but they are less likely to be pinned up on workspace walls or put in a portfolio.</span></div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 10px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 10px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">4. Commend the wisdom and helpfulness of a suggestion somebody has made, especially when the suggester has offered to be a part of a solution to a problem.</span></div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 10px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 10px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">5. Explain that what inspired you to do some good thing was the other person’s example. “I brought coffee cake for the office because I see how much the staff enjoys it when <em>you</em> consistently do thoughtful things.”</span></div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 10px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 10px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">6. Don’t talk down to people; talk up to them. Consider them better than you. “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3). “You probably already know this, but …”</span></div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 10px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 10px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">7. Just as God decisively chose Paul in Acts 9, tell your spouse, “I chose you, and I still do.”</span></div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 10px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 10px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">8. Write to children. An enthusiastic and thankful mother of some youngsters wrote me after I had first written her young sons, thanking them for their hospitality in serving me a muffin when I visited their home for an interview related to child dedications at our church. To show the significance of my note (and stickers) sent to the boys, she quoted one of them as saying, “Tall men don’t usually send you letters.” It is hard to calculate the lasting effect of an affirmation given to a child.</span></div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 10px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 10px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">9. Share a valuable secret of yours, making it known to the other person that very few others (if any) have been invited into this inner circle of those considered trustworthy.</span></div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 10px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 10px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">10. Loan something of value—books, camping gear, a car, a cabin—as a signal of your willingness to take a risk, having noticed something in the other person that elevates your confidence in her trustworthiness.</span></div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 10px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 10px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">11. Think of something that is normally not praised, because it is simply expected—like refilling the soap dispensers in the church restrooms. Customarily, those who have responsibilities for such things as refilling soap dispensers only hear from people when the dispensers are empty. Be the one to notice that they are <em>not</em> empty, and commend the faithfulness of the worker who serves others behind the scenes.</span></div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 10px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 10px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">12. In the next birthday card or Christmas card you send, include a personal note commending some Christlike quality you observe in the recipient.</span></div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 10px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 10px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">13. Commend someone for the (sensitivity, kindness, compassion, etc.) with which he treated a third party. You noticed, and so does God.</span></div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 10px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 10px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">14. Quote someone positively in his presence. “I agree with Jacob here, who said … ”</span></div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 10px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 10px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">15. Shannon Archer, a mother of several young children in our church, affirms her own children by affirming <em>all</em> children who demonstrate certain character qualities, saying within earshot of her children, “I’m so pleased with children who put away their things (or speak kindly to their siblings, or …)” when she sees one of them behaving in that very way. Talking this way affirms the child in question, explicitly elevates the principle being taught and applied, and holds out hope to other children who might be eavesdropping that if they demonstrate the same kind of character, they too will please Mommy.</span></div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 10px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 10px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">16. Get up from your chair, go to another room, seek out a person, and simply say something like, “I just came to say ‘hi’ (or ‘good morning,’ or ‘have a great day,’ or ‘I appreciate you for …’).” Admittedly, in some relationships that may seem forced, but it will generally be welcomed as a light-hearted affirmation of a person’s existence.</span></div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 10px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 10px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">17. Say, “I thank God for you.”</span></div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 10px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 10px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">18. When asked to do a chore, consider saying something like, “Nothing would give me more pleasure right now than doing this for you.” Serving someone can be affirming of them.</span></div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 10px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 10px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">19. Nominate someone for an office or post—based upon her integrity, dependability, or trustworthiness. </span></div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 10px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 10px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">20. Ask someone’s advice.</span></div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 10px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 10px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;"><em>Adapted excerpt taken from</em> Practicing Affirmation <em>by Sam Crabtree, © 2011, pages 149-155. Used by permission of Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, </em><a href="http://www.crossway.org./"><em>www.crossway.org</em><em>.</em></a></span></div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 10px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 10px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;"><em>Sam Crabtree is a former public school teacher and has served as executive pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis since 1997. You can hear Sam talk more about the importance of affirming others in a<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_552467789"> </a></em><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_552467789"><em style="text-decoration: none;">recent </em>FamilyLife Today<em style="text-decoration: none;">interview</em></a><em style="text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://familylife.net/sermons-main-page?series=724">.</a><span id="goog_552467782"></span><span id="goog_552467783"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a></em></span></div>Bless Your Neighborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17029559155905896248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387722219587174339.post-54771906484261750672012-01-23T19:16:00.000-08:002012-01-23T19:17:28.025-08:00Power of the Praying Mother: Printable Prayer Calendar<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><b>Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, </b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><b>believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.</b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Mark 11:24</i></span></div><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">I used a calendar like this years ago to pray for my children. At the time, they were toddlers and the only time I had alone was in the shower. So I taped it to the outside clear glass of the shower facing me~ by the time I was clean, the kids had been covered in prayer! </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">Today my children are all young adults, and when I consider how they got to this point, I can tell you that my prayers have been answered! There is no better way to love your kids than to pray for them, and no simpler way to get started~ you've heard of singing in the shower, but praying will change lives! </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://inspiredtoaction.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f1c232;">Inspired to Action</span></a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">created a calendar just like the one I used to have.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">You can see it below, and download it</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f1c232;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f1c232;"><a href="http://inspiredtoaction.com/2010/01/how-to-pray-daily-for-your-children-a-free-calendar/">here. </a> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f1c232; line-height: 20px;"> </span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-sFbMrYOr1aBT5vB8ZnwYms7MQm2e2Nu2PIqdn2bJM2vXCM9AHACkwfZpoM08sCipEwpKZJ5ybo20-PFEcQbfGzVWX-3v7pJhNyo7QrU3EHPe7SHh_UUMQUNSijOxfDYAAU5qYqryZQA/s1600/I2A_Prayer_Calendar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-sFbMrYOr1aBT5vB8ZnwYms7MQm2e2Nu2PIqdn2bJM2vXCM9AHACkwfZpoM08sCipEwpKZJ5ybo20-PFEcQbfGzVWX-3v7pJhNyo7QrU3EHPe7SHh_UUMQUNSijOxfDYAAU5qYqryZQA/s640/I2A_Prayer_Calendar.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>Bless Your Neighborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17029559155905896248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387722219587174339.post-75775580075947265662012-01-19T14:32:00.000-08:002012-01-19T14:33:38.422-08:00Will You Be Mine? Perfect Valentine Printables<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">A hundred hearts would be too few</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">To carry all my love for you.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">~Author Unknown</span></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Valentines Day has my head swirling with hearts! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">And ready to plan this years </span><a href="http://blessyourneighbor.blogspot.com/2011/02/spread-some-love-red-dinner-and-free.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">RED DINNER.</span></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wanted to pass along a few of my favorite printables being offered on line </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">from other bloggers for FREE. They are simply LOVELY!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Prepare now to say "I Love You"!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://silverboxcreative.com/blog/2010/01/love-notes/">Love notes</a> from Silverbox Creative</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYGYl0nEhjVbM2u8SRbLMejqvrPJvVHYw_aWxNom8UyhborydVHi5JmLWaUOY82-5gi58f3rAojJc-QanSntRN1qfY8DBKAcg248sSJnKMTeXxzmZcAYNN11o2h-zQzudJo0g8wdcYpgs/s1600/6a00e55070cb928834012876c6141e970c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYGYl0nEhjVbM2u8SRbLMejqvrPJvVHYw_aWxNom8UyhborydVHi5JmLWaUOY82-5gi58f3rAojJc-QanSntRN1qfY8DBKAcg248sSJnKMTeXxzmZcAYNN11o2h-zQzudJo0g8wdcYpgs/s320/6a00e55070cb928834012876c6141e970c.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com/2012/01/printable-valentine-card-and-coupon.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+HowAboutOrange+%28How+About+Orange%29&utm_content=Google+Reader">Valentine and Coupons</a> from How About Orange</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghwKpdPNKWWqTJ_OsIlEsLd8wlwcltP68nE6H0zjL7fFahAbBLYYfgiJDqhZdUvbJc_jHqj70JkQY1sK4Etzzg2ZDRyGZsYUIcwwmO7YTZrkibC0HXbRslKCHBNEIqH10IARyzkAQ2NEA/s1600/valentine%2527s-day-printable.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghwKpdPNKWWqTJ_OsIlEsLd8wlwcltP68nE6H0zjL7fFahAbBLYYfgiJDqhZdUvbJc_jHqj70JkQY1sK4Etzzg2ZDRyGZsYUIcwwmO7YTZrkibC0HXbRslKCHBNEIqH10IARyzkAQ2NEA/s320/valentine%2527s-day-printable.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Precious <a href="http://zakkalife.blogspot.com/2011/02/its-bird-its-plane-its-super-valentine.html">Super Hero Valentines</a> from Zakka Life</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD0s9F6rP8ftaScGSkobDF3h35zlUM6XxmFpeJ1lNj3qHCtuQis2YWeggT4pwGSbBCdCO0ZkzjF4RU1p3XCtfYEGGFNRr-GGfNcXODYxX9lvLR6Gp0gi3rSjYq9yFRgZhrXByhZjo4qIk/s1600/Superhero+Valentine+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD0s9F6rP8ftaScGSkobDF3h35zlUM6XxmFpeJ1lNj3qHCtuQis2YWeggT4pwGSbBCdCO0ZkzjF4RU1p3XCtfYEGGFNRr-GGfNcXODYxX9lvLR6Gp0gi3rSjYq9yFRgZhrXByhZjo4qIk/s320/Superhero+Valentine+8.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.partyboxdesign.com/pages/Printables.htm">Tweety Pie printables</a> from Party Box Design</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs2-nVoawWZ1MuijQSbjErASAeEf0o9tTNRFfAap6M9wBaBzhBj6KuaRhajSht_78RfnXtAgL45P8892noOQ42f2OiaInD8Vq5SLKOzi85VtY3PNlomizze6xZOo3ZKJZ9W4N9xft0ET4/s1600/Tweet-Valentine-Card-2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs2-nVoawWZ1MuijQSbjErASAeEf0o9tTNRFfAap6M9wBaBzhBj6KuaRhajSht_78RfnXtAgL45P8892noOQ42f2OiaInD8Vq5SLKOzi85VtY3PNlomizze6xZOo3ZKJZ9W4N9xft0ET4/s320/Tweet-Valentine-Card-2.gif" width="247" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Valentine <a href="http://pizzazzerie.com/holidays/freebie-valentines-day-art-prints/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Pizzazzerie+%28Pizzazzerie%29&utm_content=Google+Reader">"BEE Mine" Printable </a>from Pizzazzarie<a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGnWsM5WNmqAYYnXnCPaj08BCmVoKRKVGrGaHuLXT6zE_JrrxaGViYsQ4S5efxbwY9nJLAO3zqXBFAgqSEPrT9bSW5mytjuZKlrOy_iFdp_jBULPdy9j1t2r-BLFwDAqQdL9RYo8LleKo/s1600/beemine_shadow-245x300.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGnWsM5WNmqAYYnXnCPaj08BCmVoKRKVGrGaHuLXT6zE_JrrxaGViYsQ4S5efxbwY9nJLAO3zqXBFAgqSEPrT9bSW5mytjuZKlrOy_iFdp_jBULPdy9j1t2r-BLFwDAqQdL9RYo8LleKo/s1600/beemine_shadow-245x300.png" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://thirtyhandmadedays.com/2011/01/valentines-day-idea-cute-as-a-button/">Cute as a Button Valentines</a> from 30 Handmade Days</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBuT6_MylQ5ctp93klkJ5wc962Z4Xki_z1Osie7dQMsQfSjRqPKtUpXnTT-LO-BtQiD8XalbXqPVJhLTcpGz9qWSTz2SUBTed0UnbD4xn3l4UGu0r5Mmwmw5FPiZIcahOYo5_JiBz7pZ8/s1600/cuteasabuttonpic2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBuT6_MylQ5ctp93klkJ5wc962Z4Xki_z1Osie7dQMsQfSjRqPKtUpXnTT-LO-BtQiD8XalbXqPVJhLTcpGz9qWSTz2SUBTed0UnbD4xn3l4UGu0r5Mmwmw5FPiZIcahOYo5_JiBz7pZ8/s1600/cuteasabuttonpic2.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://thirtyhandmadedays.com/2011/01/valentine%E2%80%99s-day-i-%E2%80%9Cwheelie%E2%80%9D-like-you/">"I Wheelie Like You" </a>from 30 Handmade Days</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiw4P-UZIFBa4cwSq-D3vIIEzG6SvcuWCs_1ZhoYNViLtFozSVTDZ9T7ZVH1oLRXUYD7lB8C1CDGsF-ejSBZ0uO3F4k94llcFOnAtbIoGgNf0Vt5jGsF6fuaFx7zqP6udV42wSDh1FP8A/s1600/valentines-ideas.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiw4P-UZIFBa4cwSq-D3vIIEzG6SvcuWCs_1ZhoYNViLtFozSVTDZ9T7ZVH1oLRXUYD7lB8C1CDGsF-ejSBZ0uO3F4k94llcFOnAtbIoGgNf0Vt5jGsF6fuaFx7zqP6udV42wSDh1FP8A/s320/valentines-ideas.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://thirtyhandmadedays.com/2012/01/valentine_cookies/">Baggie topper for heart shaped candy</a> or cookies from 30 Handmade Days</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht8gbd6jUEHZpDOyGOXTi5mqA1My4QEDmOMWMVTWxA7wXODLfZ0bTzp80puWbD8wQPKfIbv4dx9RisXqXvhgdqaEkS-C9Ek3buQ-KkH9KvdpLdk7TRPfmR1G7bEu5obBLCkqge18dCsTY/s1600/iheartyouvalentinepsd-300x300.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht8gbd6jUEHZpDOyGOXTi5mqA1My4QEDmOMWMVTWxA7wXODLfZ0bTzp80puWbD8wQPKfIbv4dx9RisXqXvhgdqaEkS-C9Ek3buQ-KkH9KvdpLdk7TRPfmR1G7bEu5obBLCkqge18dCsTY/s1600/iheartyouvalentinepsd-300x300.png" /></a></span></div>Bless Your Neighborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17029559155905896248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387722219587174339.post-70595243134832236642012-01-16T17:43:00.000-08:002012-01-16T17:43:56.168-08:00Mother/Daughter Baking: Snow Man Cupcakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4FBZ7mnZO73QFYu2Ne1nf3Gsb6RDyMB1ErL2aDjOl9AsowjJEDYlBW7O3zHqp8jZck39S9SHgvuFkFsSCgzEwS5olzY6pino7nYm5jZvpCiUSnYlydsQ-WKJGqX7Gh49vVgZI52M8nuA/s1600/IMG_1412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4FBZ7mnZO73QFYu2Ne1nf3Gsb6RDyMB1ErL2aDjOl9AsowjJEDYlBW7O3zHqp8jZck39S9SHgvuFkFsSCgzEwS5olzY6pino7nYm5jZvpCiUSnYlydsQ-WKJGqX7Gh49vVgZI52M8nuA/s320/IMG_1412.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There may not be snow in Texas, but we still love the winter and all that goes with it. Coconut and butter cream icing make a great substitute snow ball! Emily and I made these cute little cupcakes when she was home over the break.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If we get a snow day this year, or you find a rainy, wet, Texas winter day has you stuck inside, these would be a fun activity for you and the kids! Find the link to the directions <a href="http://www.allyou.com/food/celebrations/christmas-sweets-00411000070239/page3.html">Here.</a></span><br />
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</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We made the following modifications to the recipe: </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>~Instead of the vanilla wafer ear muffs, we used jelly candy</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>~We put chocolate icing in a baggie and trimmed the corner to make a pastry bag to create the</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> mouth.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>~Instead of the mini M&Ms, we used upside down chocolate chips for the eyes</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>~Instead of sugar on the icing, we used coconut</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4GZ1z50wbU2IDQJh5PZynSGM4PsF5_TLIZzEck6wu95sigI3GiyiEE5FpIOg2yLS7QUs3ck33_d3XTovT-aEF1p8yIEbAxdsOQ88AK-sqNhIhoIZ6vNMt3389Vr1FHeg3UCLCqxuXYpk/s1600/IMG_1422.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4GZ1z50wbU2IDQJh5PZynSGM4PsF5_TLIZzEck6wu95sigI3GiyiEE5FpIOg2yLS7QUs3ck33_d3XTovT-aEF1p8yIEbAxdsOQ88AK-sqNhIhoIZ6vNMt3389Vr1FHeg3UCLCqxuXYpk/s320/IMG_1422.jpg" width="310" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Best part of the entire experience, may have been the end...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">when Emily stuck it out and did the dishes!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was at that moment that I realized my little girl was all grown up...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pure JOY!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhMbKc_YdFVqXAwWD8rsy7TNncd7inl4j7E4XxhTcthKv7xLkxgMV3Cwrw-O_XuqVo433A7ej6CrYpc8a3WlFVen5IHjzOj1yH64aiDV4MUgqg1MPaPq_5l0Xv6IKzG5lN3pw-vpqOKJU/s1600/IMG_1409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhMbKc_YdFVqXAwWD8rsy7TNncd7inl4j7E4XxhTcthKv7xLkxgMV3Cwrw-O_XuqVo433A7ej6CrYpc8a3WlFVen5IHjzOj1yH64aiDV4MUgqg1MPaPq_5l0Xv6IKzG5lN3pw-vpqOKJU/s400/IMG_1409.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>Bless Your Neighborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17029559155905896248noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387722219587174339.post-19296265671877254952012-01-14T12:44:00.000-08:002012-01-14T12:44:50.008-08:00From Japan with Love: A beautiful way to say thank you.<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Have you been loved well by someone who brought love and courage to you when you needed it in the midst of a tragedy?</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This is a beautiful way to express gratitude...</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">While you watch, say a prayer for the hearts of those who are still healing from this tragedy.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/SS-sWdAQsYg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Bless Your Neighborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17029559155905896248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387722219587174339.post-84822153403344714562012-01-11T11:11:00.000-08:002012-01-11T11:11:05.302-08:00One Word: Sweet, Simple Resolutions.<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVJrUS9SbOOf-DfNy97H99hhoIQKKlrZ9ahzG6drx6FaeViUKxpcoOWfMJ1jLILFBiysHc4QWjmQ2ILooJyTGh_yRR-4J8VUa2B64vufwMMn0dZBC4WtGf9NlRe7kBm8QE_KmjptcXX8I/s1600/IMG_2393.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVJrUS9SbOOf-DfNy97H99hhoIQKKlrZ9ahzG6drx6FaeViUKxpcoOWfMJ1jLILFBiysHc4QWjmQ2ILooJyTGh_yRR-4J8VUa2B64vufwMMn0dZBC4WtGf9NlRe7kBm8QE_KmjptcXX8I/s400/IMG_2393.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have you made your New Years Resolutions? </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Did you know that long lists of commitments are out? </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And <a href="http://oneword365.com/">ONE WORD </a>mantras are in? </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Instead of a list of things to "do," simply pick a theme and make it the filter for everything you do~ Infuse it in you decision-making, speak it over your day, ask yourself if you are applying it, keep it in front of you. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our family decided to choose one word to help us cast a vision for what we desired in 2012. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It is as simple as it sounds... </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I used my <a href="http://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_type=all&includes%5B0%5D=tags&search_query=rolling+alphabet+stamp&page=1">rolling alphabet stamp</a> to put "One Word 2012" on a little <a href="http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/508402/String-Ties-For-Shipping-Inventory-Or/">shipping tag.</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFhSfH3eBhijziJh-DxCL7K1AHpeR4uQjKUOdaub0diALoYtvGsbD_I5mAmU_qL2pMrMktx3PN4Y8D_6x3PZwHOQKhv-QZnDf9aWriUVwOoG_nU6xfYkRnPljSPsOW8fN__MyGSA2gzR4/s1600/il_170x135.269250752.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFhSfH3eBhijziJh-DxCL7K1AHpeR4uQjKUOdaub0diALoYtvGsbD_I5mAmU_qL2pMrMktx3PN4Y8D_6x3PZwHOQKhv-QZnDf9aWriUVwOoG_nU6xfYkRnPljSPsOW8fN__MyGSA2gzR4/s200/il_170x135.269250752.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj9t4Qh-8bwQL4lHB5k0wuz96PWCZEQ96WmY9iRGithViVtxXAf34bqCaw6acGgR825u3L1tqxe4F7Oa8wjC0qXlf0B9_UCEI_DVOiOJDluQOsBvCCS71oUG1Wh9jfwYmZbXfiuKLzLV0/s1600/IMG_2105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj9t4Qh-8bwQL4lHB5k0wuz96PWCZEQ96WmY9iRGithViVtxXAf34bqCaw6acGgR825u3L1tqxe4F7Oa8wjC0qXlf0B9_UCEI_DVOiOJDluQOsBvCCS71oUG1Wh9jfwYmZbXfiuKLzLV0/s320/IMG_2105.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everyone in the family chose a word and <a href="http://www.google.com/products/catalog?client=safari&rls=en&q=alphabet+stamps&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=4993037449957945778&sa=X&ei=8qALT6biGKmEsALDzfzoBQ&ved=0CJ8BEPICMAA#ps-sellers">stamped it</a> on their card.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some of us, who wanted more specific context around our words, added bullet points on the back of the card that gave additional explanation to our word.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPlYHEWphNFacQSfuMlc1k8OqYrr9HOaJOUzHqh6eUsKusqd72PhbvRQ0RpnZI9kALcxY9na628qM2xpJON-COMvVh89suZ1UyBjLIL1fRR2BlzObZJifEclMdZS5blgGhxyC7Bj5E5Ok/s1600/IMG_2106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPlYHEWphNFacQSfuMlc1k8OqYrr9HOaJOUzHqh6eUsKusqd72PhbvRQ0RpnZI9kALcxY9na628qM2xpJON-COMvVh89suZ1UyBjLIL1fRR2BlzObZJifEclMdZS5blgGhxyC7Bj5E5Ok/s320/IMG_2106.jpg" width="213" /></span></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhur_S0SNmqyo5SaobhIkNy5nsyIznYJOi02LIN7lulj4L3cdLn_7acTMirw9gXNNleaFGKeUAbCl7Y-AQuaqWBuVoe9HRy2X0B1maVOdwL5XZLPbpMYwrsQB0WF3aZVPZR3GRNQ4cPLkg/s1600/IMG_2120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhur_S0SNmqyo5SaobhIkNy5nsyIznYJOi02LIN7lulj4L3cdLn_7acTMirw9gXNNleaFGKeUAbCl7Y-AQuaqWBuVoe9HRy2X0B1maVOdwL5XZLPbpMYwrsQB0WF3aZVPZR3GRNQ4cPLkg/s320/IMG_2120.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Emily's boyfriend, Will, was at the house the day we did this little project. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He chose an awesome word:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy2m1xtLrvoYm0GJ9TR_8Z1mCttxbzfLaDTpH4Sd3XvMgak2f5vc4b0X5MWiQ9CAIlwzPUL-raaR0eLueQLy3nZgue2JPQgGvEpUHF0IDvHuUcAX1HnxFym0ecOFP_t8tuqie0KMT_1S4/s1600/IMG_2103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy2m1xtLrvoYm0GJ9TR_8Z1mCttxbzfLaDTpH4Sd3XvMgak2f5vc4b0X5MWiQ9CAIlwzPUL-raaR0eLueQLy3nZgue2JPQgGvEpUHF0IDvHuUcAX1HnxFym0ecOFP_t8tuqie0KMT_1S4/s400/IMG_2103.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At dinner one night this week, why not challenge the family to think and pray about </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">their "One Word" resolutions? It will make a great discussion. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> And w</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ould you pray for me? That I would be diligent in my "one word" resolution....</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">PURSUE</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">~Pursue God through prayer</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">~Pursue people with great intention</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">~Pursue growth in writing and photography</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If "One Word" </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">is too simple and you want to go all in with a plan, you might try the app for you phone called <a href="http://www.bigchangeapp.com/">Big Change</a>.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">{I would love for you to let me know what "one word" you've chosen to stand as a resolution for you in 2012. Would you share it in the comment section below?}</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Don't have shipping tags or cute letter stamps? </i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>No excuse! An index card and Sharpie marker work just fine!!</i></span></div>Bless Your Neighborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17029559155905896248noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387722219587174339.post-45323255607273252452012-01-09T15:25:00.000-08:002012-01-09T15:25:15.782-08:00New Year Thank-A-Thon: Free Printables<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqKtPERlWYGgM_5nKqS0w4HB2KTpq17wOi3hwsghKoVsDesFBy7EhvH24Bg50bw-XkG6SslWM31-eKkG1R5AY0nwfVimaSzMKL7v3vo5XakhjiPb24_RJHKMre14f66x_muQtnOmf5KsY/s1600/IMG_2113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqKtPERlWYGgM_5nKqS0w4HB2KTpq17wOi3hwsghKoVsDesFBy7EhvH24Bg50bw-XkG6SslWM31-eKkG1R5AY0nwfVimaSzMKL7v3vo5XakhjiPb24_RJHKMre14f66x_muQtnOmf5KsY/s400/IMG_2113.jpg" width="265" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With so much giving and receiving during the holidays, it is always necessary to follow them with writing thank you notes. A few years ago, our family began holding a "Thank-A-Thon" in early January as a way to tackle the job together, and challenge each other to think beyond the holidays. Not only do we write notes for gifts we received, but we reflect on the people who have given us their time, encouragement and friendship throughout the year and write them, as well.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This year, I made little note cards using a Mac Pages template, </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and printed them on card stock. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLEvyO9JVOpiqWVR6jdDAj6lYWgG860lEnHYsvlopQi_oU5nL0WY4NYhyRHoQpRsdxuD34rlIOe3T7A7kSP1yve7uuermeRWTY6ewZIp_0Umls_gLrKjeV3cV0tZfolD5mR653roAazR4/s1600/IMG_2111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLEvyO9JVOpiqWVR6jdDAj6lYWgG860lEnHYsvlopQi_oU5nL0WY4NYhyRHoQpRsdxuD34rlIOe3T7A7kSP1yve7uuermeRWTY6ewZIp_0Umls_gLrKjeV3cV0tZfolD5mR653roAazR4/s320/IMG_2111.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We addressed the cards and passed them around the table so every </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">family member could write a little something. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh32WtnttceFTsN9p4Cb6oDvN_NE9bAhSrpPzpUNFfSis9VW2PE3bwmEC9HV575Kv7F_h4yNudVJTZ1_fIozzQff8-I554HaDpsQAFqtBCcTXyGgn4c-lAyAUTKwZSjwVaw2h4tM5l-W3M/s1600/IMG_2299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh32WtnttceFTsN9p4Cb6oDvN_NE9bAhSrpPzpUNFfSis9VW2PE3bwmEC9HV575Kv7F_h4yNudVJTZ1_fIozzQff8-I554HaDpsQAFqtBCcTXyGgn4c-lAyAUTKwZSjwVaw2h4tM5l-W3M/s320/IMG_2299.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The value of showing gratitude to the people around you is one that I hope to model, even as my children are young adults. Today, I realized that I could model that best, by writing each of my children and thanking them for spending time with us during the holidays. As adults, they have choices, and I never want to take that for granted. Oh, how grateful I was they chose to spend the holidays with us! I used this precious printable from Jones Design Company, you can find it <a href="http://HERE.http//jonesdesigncompany.com/printables/thank-you-notes-free-download/">HERE.</a></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzK4veROP6zdPRTO5S_j1gNhtjwRgZQA_UWxcMltBE4t2bjIhnadJdn455yK63uu8PL93SZjqtT4DTNp-Gm3E__Jarfp3fXf-xklyIzwCgfcoHLejhSilRuLMcspF4s2b0fNi9qKh_ZLA/s1600/IMG_2301.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzK4veROP6zdPRTO5S_j1gNhtjwRgZQA_UWxcMltBE4t2bjIhnadJdn455yK63uu8PL93SZjqtT4DTNp-Gm3E__Jarfp3fXf-xklyIzwCgfcoHLejhSilRuLMcspF4s2b0fNi9qKh_ZLA/s400/IMG_2301.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Bless Your Neighborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17029559155905896248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387722219587174339.post-63780357149730607212012-01-05T08:07:00.000-08:002012-01-05T17:59:29.243-08:00Starting the New Year with Gratitude~ iPhone App.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOj2f6RoNSXb0ETwXaH9sHEy7l2oq4TBMhr8pXvCy_Dz5wBFockLxb2LG9YZ1RFFZq-VXc_vY65LJCDdyiLwh6sMvOkyg_ip0npZ2Yu-au9lFTV0_-f5NLkKyFAB6VmJJcyMi-iLZ_4Sg/s1600/One-thousand-gifts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOj2f6RoNSXb0ETwXaH9sHEy7l2oq4TBMhr8pXvCy_Dz5wBFockLxb2LG9YZ1RFFZq-VXc_vY65LJCDdyiLwh6sMvOkyg_ip0npZ2Yu-au9lFTV0_-f5NLkKyFAB6VmJJcyMi-iLZ_4Sg/s320/One-thousand-gifts.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of my favorite reads for 2011 was a book my friend Beth introduced me to called <a href="http://onethousandgifts.com/">One Thousand Gifts</a> by <a href="http://www.aholyexperience.com/">Ann Voskamp</a>. {I mentioned Ann in previous posts<a href="http://blessyourneighbor.blogspot.com/2011/10/on-days-like-today-it-is-good-to-be.html"> here</a> and <a href="http://blessyourneighbor.blogspot.com/2011/05/loving-your-man-sweet-disciplines-of.html">here</a> and <a href="http://blessyourneighbor.blogspot.com/2011/04/weight-of-good-friday-love-perfected.html">here</a>} Ann tells about the healing of her heart through gratitude. Ann began to train her eyes to see all that she has to be thankful for and listed them in a little journal. If you haven't read the book, I highly recommend it. It will bless your heart and challenge you as a reader; Ann writes with depth and insight that requires chewing on every page before swallowing it! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I recently learned that Ann has created an app for your phone that allows you to make your own list of things you're thankful for~ It is the perfect way to kick off the new year. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcNt74M5YFcgcGnHsmlie9wr-_HNPv60xdl_63pYc_WhydjsoyK8XjgmXyRYuiRHKjlPBMSQQZoW_YJBKiqWio3m8qWf3lJ-pJisB8ftUXLU78EhU6DpV5O-EWs8dGSRzN4vSwJp5s5Kk/s1600/nav1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcNt74M5YFcgcGnHsmlie9wr-_HNPv60xdl_63pYc_WhydjsoyK8XjgmXyRYuiRHKjlPBMSQQZoW_YJBKiqWio3m8qWf3lJ-pJisB8ftUXLU78EhU6DpV5O-EWs8dGSRzN4vSwJp5s5Kk/s200/nav1.png" width="200" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can find out more about it </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://onethousandgifts.com/get-the-app">here.</a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This morning, I made an entry on the app when I saw Emily in the rocker by the fire. I am so very grateful that my kids are home for the holidays. I took a picture and added my words of gratitude. This is what it looked like on my phone:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBa513tz6aSsRw9bPuVN8em6OITP7qZYoN5wXOcsUouNh0pCduGC4Zg2UbCMMXuy7X0BfnQgGZwmp63K1ktl5isejC8GN4NcZkM1EoQRpeRYFlFB48AcI2yDSsz9wq07Hd3DCCcNn95SI/s1600/photo.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBa513tz6aSsRw9bPuVN8em6OITP7qZYoN5wXOcsUouNh0pCduGC4Zg2UbCMMXuy7X0BfnQgGZwmp63K1ktl5isejC8GN4NcZkM1EoQRpeRYFlFB48AcI2yDSsz9wq07Hd3DCCcNn95SI/s320/photo.PNG" width="213" /></a></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Now that the packages are unwrapped from the tree, you have a way to keep opening gifts all year long~ Little gifts of thanks. </span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Each moment of gratitude recognized is a "gift."</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I pray it helps us develop super power vision for quick blessing recognition!</span></div>Bless Your Neighborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17029559155905896248noreply@blogger.com2