(in)Courage - take hope to heart

Do you have a dream to make a difference?
Well, I am thrilled to announce that I have been asked to be a part of a big dream.
A dream that started with this question.

"What if there was a site that was all about equipping and empowering women to connect with each other and become everything God created them to be through authentic messages of hope and encouragement?"

On Monday, August 10th, we launch (in)courage - home for the heart of women.
Twenty bloggers, passionate about encouraging women right where they are, have been asked by Dayspring (the Christian division of Hallmark) to help make this dream a reality.
I couldn't be more honored to be a part of something this revolutionary.
Each writer is taking a day to introduce each other as we lead up to the big unveiling on Monday.
Think of it a bit like a beach house—you can put your sandy, dirty feet on the coffee table, laugh late into the night with friends, and also hear God’s voice clearer than perhaps anywhere else. Life just feels more vibrant and real, as if you’ve stumbled upon a glimpse of heaven and it’s nothing like you ever imagined but everything you’d always
hoped.

Many of the bloggers you already know, or are about to fall in love with their hearts momentarily. We blog about different things, with our own unique "voice," but are coming together with a common goal. Many of you found me through Kristen at We are THAT Family. I just adore her because I AM one of THOSE families and she puts a voice to my life.

But I get the privilege of introducing one of my precious new friends- Annie from Annieblogs.
We couldn't be more different statistically....she's young, I'm not.
She's single. I haven't been for 16 years.
She doesn't have children. I have way too many, but we are a lot alike in other ways.
We both love to laugh and we did a ton of that this weekend.
You all...she is HILARIOUS!
So go meet yourself some Annie because she is another (in)courage writer that is excited about sharing her life with you through this new site.
Mark your calendar....and then wait to be (in)couraged everyday.

(I am now going to rest in the assurance that I have been prayed for and will be taking a break from this computer. Three posts in two days...never a good idea).

Tasty Tuesday Parade of Foods

As I was writing on the topic "What in the world is a tablescape" (to be posted later this week), I came across the suggestion to use fruits and vegetables for decorative variety.
Do you think this was what they had in mind? :)
I can surely see the beauty in this bedlam, can't you?
Better Homes and Gardens at its finest!

So what interesting items have greeted you lately while getting ready to create your Tasty Tuesday masterpiece?

Considering I was out of town this past week, I am anxious to glean fresh ideas for my sorely lacking weekly meal plan. Somehow summer gets those "best intentions" all out of whack.
* Need help with budgeting those meal plans? Don't forget that new coupons have loaded on my sidebar.
Come back later today for my exciting announcement.

So what's been cooking in your kitchen?

Hospitality...who would ever have thought...

Encouraging spontaneous hospitality last weekend yielded a wonderful evening with family and new friends. There's just something about root beer floats that bring out memories of sweet family moments gone by.
No "screen time" was allowed, so the kids attempted to play board games outside. Unfortunately for them, the dogs wanted active participation with the simple pleasures of life as well.
Who says we needed all those game pieces anyhow? We'll get creative. :)
Candle lit ambiance added to the experience, but the kids moved to the safety of the family room floor.
For those with an analytical eye, yes, that is poker they are playing. Now that it's out there...no judgment please...can I just tell you how hilarious it is to hear a little prissy 6 year old girl call, "Fold," with all the emotion she can muster.
Yep, it sure it. (For those of you concerned - no money was involved, so just call it a card game. ;)
There are so many delights in enjoying a welcoming home, but one of our joys in practicing hospitality in our home is the opportunity to engage those of radically different cultures, religious and/or political persuasions and beliefs.
Due to my parents' modeling and revolving door mentality, we had the opportunity to enjoy an evening we will never forget.
Meet Luke.
Coming to the US from China, Luke has been a part of the "family" for four years. Coming from a "one child policy" country, can you imagine the pondering he has done by being around our harried homestead? I love it!
Now meet Marti. Without revealing too much information, he hails from a radically Islamic country. The irony lies in the fact that my parents dove into researching the radical Islam movement this past year, and are passionate about bringing Truth to light. When they found out that Marti was coming to live with them, they knew that it was truly a God thing.
Delightful describes him, and the eye opening education received equates to a year of home schooling.

Who would ever have thought that a spontaneous root beer float party would yield these lessons.

• First, clearly communicate that root beer is a soda beverage. Alcohol is completely forbidden in Islam. Do you think he thought we were trying to play a fast one on him?
• Second, be assured that if you're a weird American family with "way too many kids," then a Muslim guest will feel right at home. He is one of 13, yes 13, siblings.
• Third, be ready with multiple answers when your children drop all thoughts of playing board games because Marti declares those thirteen siblings come from his father's FOUR wives.
• Lastly, rest assured that if you think the grass is greener on the other side, Marti assures us that he will only have one wife because two, three or four are WAY too difficult.

Can you envision actually living out the finals of "The Bachelor"...every since day of your life?
SMART, SMART MAN! One wife is the way to go. :)
So what's stopping you from practicing some spontaneous hospitality with your neighbor?
Buy a few 2 liters of root beer, a few 'buy one get one free' ice creams, and enjoy the blessing of a welcoming home.
I can't wait to hear the lessons you learn.
Don't worry, I don't think you'll have to deal with the sex ed discussions that we addressed after our interestingly educational evening. :) Gotta love it!!

Proverbs 31 - She Connects, She Ponders

Swirling around in my mind are too many thoughts about the She Speaks conference that I attended this past weekend.

He graciously hears our heart, reveals dreams, ideas and suggestions that maybe we are ready and willing to hear, or possibly things that need to be pondered and mulled around for a bit.

I'm still in the mulling stage.
I'm ciphering through what the Lord desires vs. the lies that are being whispered.
But girlfriends, that is way too heavy of a topic to be flushed out right here. Now I must declare, "She Connects, She Ponders, She Can Not be on the computer ignoring her kids any more today."
So as promised, I wanted to give you lovely ladies a chance to jump around and read everyone else's story.

Even though I primarily stayed on the speaking track, one of the highlights of She Speaks was the intimate number of bloggers in attendance. Many of us "knew" each other on line and so the networking aspect was wonderful. Friday night, at our blogger meet and greet, it felt like I was coming home. I can't tell you how reassuring it was to meet friends that really "got" this blogging side of me. We could talk "blogger-ese" together and I didn't get an eye roll.
I could take pictures like a paparazzi with Dawn, the Nester, and Emily and it was considered common place.
For some odd reason, all those little things made for a sweet, sweet time of fellowship.

The thing I regret about my weekend, was that I was so busy chit chatting that I failed in my blogging photographer duties. I have NO pictures with any of my girlfriends, and that is just a shame. Hopefully, you all can help me out.

"To know God and make Him known" is my desire.
Sharing that heartbeat with the Proverbs 31 team is a privilege.
I leave you with this visual image of Saturday evening's worship time.

We met Him!
He was high and lifted up this weekend.

I know many of you have already posted your story. I can't wait to read and vicariously live through your weekend experience.

Spontaneous Hospitality

Summer should be a time of lazy days by the pool, cook outs with friends and special family get togethers. I wish I could speak to all the above, but our summer is just flying by in a frenzy, and I am missing out on some simple summer pleasures.

So when sister in law mentioned root beer floats, spontaneous hospitality went into action.
Quite often, hospitality is equated with stress, hours of house cleaning, and budget breaking buffets.
Why not host an evening of spontaneous hospitality? In one hour, round up a slew of folks for a root beer float party that everyone will enjoy.

Planning something at the last minute allows for expectations to be lowered, therefore enjoying what really matters the most..friends and family.
Last Saturday morning nothing was on our calendar, but by the evening we had a houseful and it was a blast.

Just wait until my next post when I share who our other guests were and what the topic of conversation was....it was VERY eye opening.