My Camera

This week for MamaKat's writer's workshop, I am responding to prompt #2 "Who is the last person you spoke with on the phone for more than 30 minutes? Write about one thing you talked about."

The last person I talked to on the phone for more than 30 minutes was the customer service department for Samsung. The lady that I spoke to was named Kimmiaco (what a neat name!) She was super helpful. You see, the display screen on my camera is going out. There are new black spots appearing everyday, and existing ones are growing larger. Thankfully, it is still under warranty. I just received my shipping label so that I can mail it in and have them fix it, and then send it back. This will mean that I will be without it for over a month. :(

Kimmiaco and I talked about the fact that I reported this problem over 2 weeks ago and was required to send in my proof of purchase, which I did, but I still hadn't heard back from them. I ended up having to send it in again, and I finally got a shipping label so I can get it fixed!

So! I am thankful for warranties. I really am. It's a love, hate relationship really. If you know anything about me, you know that me and my camera are connected at the wrist (literally) most of the time:

I use my camera to capture pictures of my beautiful children, God's creation, and anything else that finds it's way into the view screen :) I use it to document our homeschooling journey and the children's growth. I can't imagine being without it for that long, although I know that I could live. Thankfully, I have a back up!

This is my old camera. I loved this camera. In many ways I liked it more then the one that I currently have even though it is considered a lesser model. However, I got a new camera for a reason. My old camera doesn't charge anymore. We had to buy a battery charger to be able to continue using it:

At the time I was thankful for the cheap solution, and thankful that I could still use my beloved camera. However, it wasn't long after that, that my precious camera got left in the van on a hot summer day. After that, it started taking pictures like this:

and like this:

Granted, it did take normal pictures sometimes, I just never knew when to expect good pictures and when to expect not so good pictures... Thankfully, when I took it out this morning and charged it up, this is how the picture came out:

I'm thankful for that. This time without my good camera might not be to bad after all. And I am very thankful that I can get it fixed for free. So, I'm off to the UPS store to ship it in for repairs. It will be missed!



I am linking this post with both MamaKat's writer's workshop and Thankful Thursday. I hope you have a blessed day!

Do you need to refocus?

I don't know about you, but sometimes as a believer, I grow weary, I get faint. However, I have come to realize that those are the times that I am not hoping in the Lord. My focus has shifted. This verse is so refreshing to me, because it's a reminder that I need to refocus, I need to put my hope in the Lord, and just trust Him with everything!!!

To read more Word-filled Wednesday posts, hop on over to Internet Cafe Devotions :)

One time only

I mentioned last Thursday that I was hired on to do some more work from home, and I knew before I signed up that I couldn't use this blog for anything related to that. I promise that I will not fill my posts full of work from home ads, or push the products that I promote on you. However, I feel that it would be wrong to not at least fill you in on what I'm doing, and why I'm doing it. I know that there are many other moms out there just like me, that would love to be able to have another income without leaving the home, but are afraid of getting scammed. So, here is my one time only post about working from home.

I have been volunteering for Shelley Hitz for years. I started out volunteering as a prayer partner and mentor for teen girls on her website FindYourTrueBeauty.com, then I started writing and editing devotions for that site. When she started up her new website (Self-publishing-coach.com) earlier this year, she asked me to do some freelance work for her, so I did. She recently asked me to come on as the affiliate manager for that website. I spent a lot time in prayer over this decision. I spoke with my husband and analyzed our finances, and rearranged my schedule. You see, I already have a ton of things I'm doing (I'm sure you can imagine as a homeschooling mom with 4 children, that I am very busy!). I didn't want to commit to the hourly requirement that she asked of me without making sure that it was doable, and that it was what God wanted. After much prayer, God lead me to accept on the condition that I step down from one of the other websites that I have been volunteering for for 3 1/2 years. It was a hard decision to make, but it's what was right for our family. God provided the right replacement for me and really just worked every aspect of me stepping down in a way that made me (and the others involved) know it was from God.

To tell you a little about Shelley's website, she started it because she has self-published several books for her and her husbands ministry (including our devotional book), and she wanted to help others do the same thing. On her website she provides tons of free information, videos, and even free resources. However, she has also published several fabulous products to help authors succeed. The income from this website has allowed her to quit her job as a physical therapist and go into ministry full time. Her and her husband actually just bought an RV that they are planning on living in while they travel around the country for speaking engagements. For me, helping Shelley with this website is just another way to support her ministry.

So this is why I am telling you. If you would like to help support Shelley and her husband C.J., and earn money at the same time, you can check out the affiliate page at her website here.

As I said, I will not be using this blog to promote products, or working from home, but if you are interested in following me on this journey, I will be posting more about it at my other blog:

Mr. Monday: Remember when...

I love my Mr.!! I know you love yours too. :) But I always enjoy Monday mornings (or Sunday nights) when I get to tell the world (or the handful of people who actually read my blog) how wonderful he is!

This past week I have been thinking back, back before he was my Mr. Back to the time where we weren't dating yet, but just hanging out together. Back to the time when we were falling in love. Do you remember those days with your Mr.? Well, here's a look back at ours:

We both worked at Pizza Hut, just different stores. One of the girls I worked with told me that this guy was coming to get some product that their store was out of and that I would most certainly drool over him, because he was like the best thing since sliced bread (or something like that). I therefore blew him off, and only half way nodded when my boss introduced me to him, and continued on working. However, even with my outward effort to blow him off, I couldn't help but notice his smile and other good looks. Of course, I would never let this girl think she was right, so I didn't let it show. Thus, he still doesn't believe me.

Less than a month later, my college roommate/best friends got transferred to his store. He ws the general manager and she didn't have a car, so I was her transportation. I would call him to tell him that she was going to be late for work because I got off work late, or something less responsible. He was always okay with it.

We went bowling as a group and I drove the group of us girls and he would meet us there when he got off work. On the way home he would drive behind us and gently nudge my car at the stop lights, then fly past me when we reached our turn off.

We would go workout as a group. I would pretend to ignore him while I was totally embarrassed by the other two girls oogling over his good looks. Then when we left the gym he would head home claiming to need to get sleep before work in the morning while the rest of us went out to eat, then he would spend the next hour texting me while we were at the Village Inn.

The first time that he hugged me I dropped my phone down the stairs going up to his third floor apartment... I still get butterflies when thinking about that night! LOL!

What about you, do you remember when...?

The need of Christ.

Today hasn't been what I would call a good day. Would you like to know why? Well, let's start from the beginning...

I woke up and spent some time laughing and talking with my husband before he had to leave for work. The kids and I left for church just a few minutes later. The girls and I had our normal struggle to get things done, but we made it to church early. Since I had missed my devotional time, we sat in the van and read a few Psalms and my Proverb for the day together before going in. The sermon was absolutely fabulous. It was a sermon about God's grace, one I defiantly needed to hear. We came home and Kainen volunteered to make lunch, then he and the girls played in the pool, while Ty and I watched a movie. After the movie, everyone came back in to play computer games while I cleaned the kitchen. While I washed the dishes I thought about parenting, and how I want to show my children grace. I was thinking about all of the ways that I could do so, and that's when it happened. Ella wanted a snack, and I told her she had to wait until I finished the dishes. Kainen asked if he could get it for her, I thought that was extremely sweet and asked what he was going to give her, he said an orange. So I agreed. He proceeded to open the pantry door and ask her what she wanted, then opened the fridge and asked if she saw anything in there. He found a dirty plate and left the fridge and pantry open while he walked over to the cabinet and opened it, now the cabinet, fridge, and pantry are all standing wide open and he just stands there, doing nothing. I lost it. There were tons of godly ways that I could have handled the situation, but I chose none of them. Instead, I chose to scream at my children.

This decision ruined my entire day. I feel like such a failure. Here I was praying and begging God to help me show my children grace, and when the opportunity presented itself, I didn't do it. Not only am I damaging my precious children's view of God with my actions and lack of self control, but I am damaging His name in front of the two guys that are currently stay with us. At that point all I wanted to do was break down and cry. Instead, I sent my children to sit on the couch and spoke softly with them. We talked about how my actions were wrong, but how it built to that point. You see, this isn't all too unusual for my house. It doesn't happen daily or anything, but more often then it should. I am not what I consider a good mom, but the children and I talked about how we could make things better, or what some consequences would be if they kept going the way they were.

I was still tempted to go cry when we were done, but instead I got online to read through one of my favorite blogs. Before going to blogger, I went ahead and checked my facebook. One of my friends had posted a quote by Angela Hicks Heikkinen it said ‎"Becoming obsessed with what people think about you is the quickest way to forget what God thinks about you." Was that what I was doing? Was I caring more about the opinion of those around me than I was about God? I cared what they thought because I didn't want to damage God's name, but I was reminded of something I heard several months ago, "God won't save people because of me, he will save them despite of me." Nothing I do is powerful enough to counter God's grace, or the blood of Christ. While I want to live a life that glorifies God, it isn't the end of the world when I fail. My next stop was the blog I was looking for, and what I found was the gospel (that's why it's one of my favorite blogs :) You can read the blog here.

So while my day appeared to be ruined, God really just used my failure to remind me about His awesome goodness. My kids have already forgiven me, and because of Christ and His glorious work on the cross, God has too. If you ever have days (or moments) like this, I highly encourage you to read the blog above, and remember, God doesn't depend on you to save those around you. He might use you, but He can also save them despite your best efforts and all of your mistakes. The people around us need Christ, not us.

By the Grace of God

Today I have just been meditating over everything that God has done in my life over the past several years. In 2009 I signed up to volunteer for the website FindYourTrueBeauty.com authored by Shelley Hitz. It is such an amazing ministry for teen girls that I was excited to play a small part! Well, not too much later than that a woman on a site that I was volunteering for for Christian moms asked about devotions for teen girls. I told her that I knew of a fabulous ministry, but I didn't know if they offered devotions. So, long story short, I asked Shelley about it and they didn't, but she asked if I would be interested in helping her get some started, and I have been writing devotions for her ministry ever since (you can see them here).

Over the past couple of years this has grown from volunteering as a prayer partner, to writing and editing devotion, to doing freelance work for Shelley's other website self-publishing-coach.com. Which indirectly led to me getting hired by another woman to do editing for her. I would have never dreamed 2 1/2 years ago when I signed up to pray for her website, that it would lead me to where I am today. God has used this exponentially in my life, and the life of my family. I got to meet Shelley and her husband last fall when they were on a ministry trip and passed through Colorado. You can read about that here.

Well, this week she has hired me on to help her with a higher level of commitment. I'm excited for the new opportunity and just amazed at how God has allowed me to help support my family financially while still being able to be a stay-at-home, homeschooling mom! It truly is amazing! I am so thankful for the way God has provided, and continues to provide for all of our needs. I am also thankful that the work I do for her on her self publishing website is helping her to be in ministry full time! Her and her husband are Christian speakers that travel all over speaking to teens and adults. They have been doing this part time since before I met them, but God has just now blessed them with the opportunity to do so full time. It has been such a joy to watch their ministry grow!

What are you thankful for? Write a post and link up with Lynn over at Spiritually Unequal Marriage!

Proverbs 24:17

When I read the above verse this morning, I couldn’t help but think about the ways that this would be true in my life. You see, over the summer, we mow our neighbor’s lawns, and in the winter, we shovel all of the sidewalks on the block. It’s just our way of blessing our neighbors. Well, could you imagine if we were out there at 5AM mowing all of the lawns in our neighborhood?! Our neighbors wouldn’t exactly feel blessed! In fact, they would probably be pretty irate. And I know that I have been a little upset with neighbors who shovel their sidewalks that early. The sound of the shovel scraping across the sidewalk seems to penetrate my bedroom window and echo in my head. I totally understand that it is necessary if you have to work for them to do it early, but if they were to do mine at that time, I would most certainly ask them not to.

I’m sure there are tons of other ways that this verse could be true. I mean, I wouldn’t want someone coming over at 6 or even 7AM un announced and knocking loudly on my door to bring me a gift, or just stop in and see how I’m doing. While those things would normally be a huge blessing, early in the morning they wouldn’t necessarily be taken that way. Of course, as a Christian you and I would welcome them in, but if we were to do something like that to a non-Christian, I don’t think we would get a favorable response.

Can you think of any other ways that blessings would be taken as curses when they are done loudly in the morning?

To read more Word-filled Wednesday posts, hop on over to Internet Cafe Devotions :)