Five Minute Friday: Break

Happy Friday, Friends!  Thank you for stopping by for my Five Minute Friday post.  This is the time that I get to join in with writers everywhere for 5 minutes. We start off at katemotaung.com to get our writing prompt, then we write for 5 minutes about that prompt.  No over thinking. No editing.  Just writing.

And here we go!

"Be careful! Don't break that!"

I have found myself saying that over and over again.  I am the mama of three boys. What do you expect?

Kids break things.  I break things.  It happens.

Carson decided one day it would be a great idea to drop kick a ball through the bedroom door.  When he did, the ball hit the squirrel that has been on our wall for 12 years. It belonged to Jeff's grandmother before that, one of the cherished things he kept after she passed away.

Well, the ball hit it. The squirrel fell. It's big tail shattered all over the floor.

Carson's face was full of fear.

I calmed him down. Cleaned it up.  Then went to talk to his daddy.

Jeff handled it better than I thought.  He said he was upset, but he knew what Nanny would have said, "Oh, don't fuss at him. It's ok."

Breaking things can cause us to react in so many ways.  We can be angry, we can laugh it off, or we can talk about it and move on.

Stop.

I'd like to say that I reacted the same way when Colin broke something special of mine.  I didn't. However, I didn't fly off the handle like I had in the past.  I'm learning more and more that things are just things. We will have the memories that go along with them.  How I react to broken things will be remembered too. I want my children to remember that I treated them more importantly than my "stuff."  It was funny telling Carson's story to Jeff's cousin the other day when she wanted to know what happened to the squirrels tail.

Putting Things Into Perspective

I'll be honest.  It's been a crazy week. Ups and Downs and All Arounds.

I made the comment to Jeff a few weeks back about how that particular day was "the longest day ever." He informed me that the longest day ever for him was the day I lost our baby through miscarriage.

Hmmm. Kinda put things in perspective.

This week.....this week there were so many moments when I wanted to comment about how terrible of a day I was having.  More than once, "This is the day from hell" popped into my mind. I pushed it away each time, reminding myself that things could always be worse.  And it could, and I know that.

If you know me, you know how much I love words, especially God's Word.  He always knows what I need to hear.

This morning as I was reading my Readings for Lent and Easter, my scripture came from Romans 8:18-25.  Verse 18 says, "Now, I'm sure of this: the sufferings we endure now are not even worth comparing to the glory that is coming and will be revealed in us."  I was reminded that I'm going to have rough days, rough weeks, but I am empowered by God.  He speaks grace and mercy over me.  Because of my faith in Him, I have this amazing hope within me. In him, I have glorious freedom.

When I have a bad day, I try to stop and remember the good, the blessings. God's way of telling me to get over myself and see what good He has done.  So for me, in this moment, that is what I am choosing to do.  Instead of griping or listing here the things that went wrong this week, I want to share with you some things that went right:

We made an offer on a house and then accepted the final offer.

Carson has artwork at the local art gallery.

Colin pulled out a B in science when I thought for sure he would get that C.

Jeff bought me a dress just because he saw it in the store window and thought I would like it (and I do).

Jeff showed up in my classroom with Starbucks.

Hilarie showed up in my classroom with my favorite Route 44 drink.

My little boys still want me to lay down with them every night.  

One of my students at school did the Happy Dance when he found out corndogs were on the lunch menu.

I got to fill in for Leslie at church and hang out with the middle school girls. 

Makennah wanted me to be in the nursery with her.

A new couple joined the church.

We got to enjoy our usual Wednesday night Dairy Queen meal with our church family.

We've had some beautiful spring weather this week that allowed for some extra recess.

This is just a small list of good things from this week.  It was easy to pick them out, especially with keeping the positive in mind.  Mindset is a powerful thing.  I encourage you to pick out the positives when things aren't going your way.  Find the good in your day and dwell on that instead of the bad.

And the Winners Are......

First of all, I want to say THANK YOU to everyone who donated prizes for my first ever Spring Fever Giveaway.  I really had fun putting this together. Secondly, THANK YOU to everyone who visited and entered to win. I really hope to do this again during the closer to fall.

But I guess you just really want to hear the winners.  I entered the number of entries on the random.org number generator and here's what we got:

Day 1: 

Monogrammed Hat from Barn Door Designs 

Christie Pickard

Day 2: 

Shakeology Starter Set from Christy Jasper

 Ashley Dixon

Day 3: 

Personalized Cup courtesy of Cindy Sopko

 Dixie Buesching

Day 4: 

Moments and Miracles of Grace: Inspiring Stories from Moms donated by author Nancy B. Kennedy

 Lesley Hall

Day 4: 

Locals Only $15 Pineapple Lily Gift Certificate

 Lori Stevens

Congratulations, Ladies!  Either myself or the prize donor will be contacting you soon to get your prizes to you.

Thanks again to everyone who participated.

Five Minute Friday: Real

Good afternoon!  Happy First Day of Spring to you.  Let's jump right in for today's Five Minute Friday post.

Ready?

I know these kids who are FOR REAL.  I mean really.  They have the neatest little personalities.

Take P for instance.  I've known her for a couple years, and she's is just a hoot. As a nine year old girl, she dresses like she just don't care, and I love it. Her fashion is as full of color as she is full of life. She is sweet and cute and funny.  I hope she never changes.

Then there's this other kid.  He is stubborn to the bone.  If he don't want to, he don't. He stands his ground. I love it. I hope he never backs down and always takes a stand for what he believes.

These kids are our future. We should let them be real, be the unique individuals that God created them to be, not the mini me's or do overs that we want them to be.  So many times, the children become little fakes.  We teach them commercialism. We teach them immorality. We teach them to be something they're not. We don't let them be real. We don't let them be themselves.

Thank you for stopping by on this first day of Spring. Don't forget to head over to katemotaung.com to read some other thoughts on the word REAL.

Spring Fever Giveaway for Locals Only

I'm so excited about this EXTRA part of my Spring Fever Giveaway!!!!!Here is a special treat for those of you that live in my neck of the woods.

Jennifer at Pineapple Lily is giving you the chance to win a

$15 gift certificate!  

Have I mentioned that I would absolutely LOVE to win all these prizes???

I love Pineapple Lilly. Can you believe that I have NEVER bought anything for myself there?? I have purchased some amazing gifts, so I know our locals will find something there they like.

All you have to do to enter is visit Pineapple Lily on Facebook and come back here and tell me who has her wedding registry at Pineapple Lily that has also donated a prize this week.

I told my husband to enter to win so he could get me this beauty.....

Remember,  you and a friend get bonus entries for commenting that your friend shared this on Facebook.

Please remember, this part of the giveaway is for local residents only. 

Disclaimer: The Spring Fever Giveaway is just a fun way to get excited about spring. Those donating prizes are NOT being paid and are doing this for fun and to get a little free publicity.  All winners will be contacted with information on how to redeem their prizes. 

Spring Fever Giveaway Day 4

One more day and it will officially be SPRING!

We've been celebrating all week with the SPRING FEVER GIVEAWAY here on the blog.  I appreciate everyone who has stopped by and commented to be entered to win each day's prize.

I am super excited to announce today's prize.  It is donated by Nancy B. Kennedy.  Nancy is an amazing author.  She has written a book series called Miracles and Moments of Grace.  I first "met" Nancy when she published Miracles and Moments of Grace: Inspiring Stories from Military Chaplains. I had the amazing privilege of reviewing her book before it was for sale!  What an amazing opportunity!  I have each book in the series, and they are all fantastic.  I also have a copy of Nancy's book How We Did It which is about the incredible weight loss stories of several individuals.
Today, Nancy is providing one lucky winner a

copy of her book 

Miracles and Moments of Grace: 

Inspiring Stories from Moms.  

To get entered, simply leave a comment about a special "mom moment."  If you also state that you heard about this giveaway from a friend's Facebook share, you will get extra entries.

Don't forget to visit and like Nancy's Facebook pages and check out her website.  I have included the links below.

Miracles and Moments of Grace: Inspiring Stories from Moms

Miracles and Moments of Grace: Inspiring Stories of Survival

Miracles and Moments of Grace: Inspiring Stories from Military Chaplains

Miracles and  Moments of Grace: Inspiring Stories from Doctors

How We Did It

Nancy B. Kennedy Webpage

Disclaimer: The Spring Fever Giveaway is just a fun way to get excited about spring. Those donating prizes are NOT being paid and are doing this for fun and to get a little free publicity.  All winners will be contacted with information on how to redeem their prizes. 

Spring Fever Giveaway Day 3

It's Day 3 of the SPRING FEVER Giveaway!  Thanks so much for supporting the blog!  I keep telling my husband that I wish I could win each prize.

Today's prize is from Cindy.  She is the very talented music teacher at my son's elementary school.  I have also had the privilege of working with her when I taught at that school.  Every time I see Cindy, she has a smile on her face.  I think her prize will put a smile on your face.

Cindy is donating a  

free personalized item of choice. Choose from adult cups, baby bottles, sippy cups, or sports themed cups.

Personalized cups are definitely the "in" thing right now, so here's your chance to win one. All you have to do is comment below stating which item you would select if you won.  Don't forget to mention if you found out about the giveaway from a friend's Facebook share. That will get you both extra entries.

Good luck!  Oh, and if you haven't already....Go check out what is up for grabs from Day 1 and Day 2.

Disclaimer: The Spring Fever Giveaway is just a fun way to get excited about spring. Those donating prizes are NOT being paid and are doing this for fun and to get a little free publicity.  All winners will be contacted with information on how to redeem their prizes. 

When Does It Become MY Will Instead of HIS?

Can I get real with you for a minute?

I love this blog.  I love coming here and sharing words. Words are a powerful thing.....there's songs written about them.  You can USE ALL CAPS and BOLD and italics. Those simple things can do so much to your words. Oh, and exclamation marks!!!! Whoa! They can really add some excitement.

I love coming here and sharing what's going on in my life with you.  Whether I am laughing, or struggling, or just being goofy.  This small space has provided me with some great opportunities.  I've met some great "online friends," women I've never met personally, but we definitely have a connection and keep in contact with each other.

But as much as I like this little space, I want more.  And I stop to ask myself, "Is that me talking or God?"

Jeff and I talked a lot about open doors. When you have several doors open and they all seem to be a God Thing, how do you pick?  Which one is the right one? They all serve God and can glorify Him, but you pick one.

I am like that with this blog.  When I logged on to Blogger that first time, I had made a deal with God. This space wasn't to be about me,but about Him.

But now, I want more.  More than ever, I have this desire to write.  To be published.  Somewhere other than here.

Thanks to Wives of Faith and Planting Roots, I have been able to publish blog posts with them.  I also found out that our local Christian radio station has a blog and wants listeners to post there. These opportunities want me to write even more.  I've been told by some people close to me that I should write a book.  My! I would love to do that! Can you say, "Dream come true?"

But then I stop and wonder....Is that what I am supposed to do?  Am I supposed to be a writer? A REAL author of something more than this blog? Everything inside of me says to go for it, but then something else pops up.

When I write and want to continue to write more and be published more, is it becoming more about me and less about God?  

I don't want that. I don't want to become greedy and self centered.  I just want to serve God through my writing.

I guess this thought comes to mind even more during this Spring Fever Giveaway I am hosting. Yes, it's for fun, but at the same time, I am promoting the blog.  I should be promoting Christ.  And I tell myself that I am.  The more followers and readers I have, the more there are to hear about Christ through me.

I think the main thing I need to keep in mind is to be prayerful about the opportunities there are for me.  I need to make sure these opportunities to use words and share life are God honoring.  That's my goal: to bring honor and glory to God.  If I fail to do that, then these words do not matter.

Spring Fever Giveaway Day 2

Welcome back for DAY 2 of my SPRING FEVER GIVEAWAY! 

Before I tell you about the prize, let me first tell you about today's special guest.

Christy is our school nurse.  She has only been at our school for a short time, but I enjoy talking with her, and I am looking forward to getting to know her better.  She has a wonderful personality and always lights up the room. As our school nurse, it is important that she exemplifies health, right?  Well, that goes right along with today's prize.

A 24 oz shaker cup, strawberry, chocolate and vanilla Shakeology sampler packets. Shakeology informational brochure and body measuring tape.

Recipient will have access to a FREE 5 day clean eating group hosted by Health & Fitness coach, Christy Jasper. Facebook group begins Monday, April 6th.

So, what do you think? I've heard great thinks about Shakeology. The teachers at our school love it. Now's your turn to get in on the action. Simply leave a comment below telling what your favorite flavor is: Strawberry, Chocolate, or Vanilla. Also, be sure you go by and check out Christy's Facebook Page ReSetForLife. Thank you, Christy, for today's prize. I would love to win this myself!

Don't forget to share the contest with your friends and go back and enter yesterday's giveaway as well.

When you leave your comment, please mention if you learned about it through a friend's Facebook share. I will award both of you extra entries!!!!


Disclaimer: The Spring Fever Giveaway is just a fun way to get excited about spring. Those donating prizes are NOT being paid and are doing this for fun and to get a little free publicity.  All winners will be contacted with information on how to redeem their prizes. 

Spring Fever Giveaway Day 1

Spring officially starts on Friday, but we are going to celebrate early.  Are you ready?

Today starts the beginning of a week long SPRING FEVER GIVEAWAY!!

Today, we are celebrating with a former student of mine, Katelyn.  I had the privilege of being her third grade teacher. This amazing young woman is attending college and pursuing her degree in Elementary Education.  She is planning her wedding, substitute teaching,  teaching basic tumbling skills and creative movement to youngsters, and running her own small business called Barn Door Designs.

Our first Spring Fever prize has been donated by Katelyn and her business Barn Door Designs. 

It is a MONOGRAMMED BASEBALL CAP valued at $22.  

To win, simply visit Barn Door Designs online and check out the great items Katelyn has to offer.  Come back here and leave a comment about your favorite item.  The winner will be announced on Friday.  

Be sure to Follow Barn Door Designs on Facebook to keep up with new arrivals and special deals.  Don't forget to share our Spring Fever Giveaway with your friends too.  

When you leave your comment, please mention if you learned about it through a friend's Facebook share. I will award both of you extra entries!!!!

Disclaimer: The Spring Fever Giveaway is just a fun way to get excited about spring. Those donating prizes are NOT being paid and are doing this for fun and to get a little free publicity.  All winners will be contacted with information on how to redeem their prizes. 

Five Minute Friday: Plan

Five Minute Friday....what a great way to end a full work week!  Now is the chance for writers to set a timer for five minutes and write about the given prompt. No editing, no overthinking, just writing what comes to mind.  Are you ready to get started?  Me too.  Let's go!

* * *


Married. Three Kids. Two boys and a girl. Become a teacher, wife, and mama.  That was my plan.  I never thought much further than that.

God worked things out a bit differently.

Married. Three kids.  Three amazing boys.  And then......One miscarriage, a baby I will never know this side of heaven. Teacher. Mama. Army wife. Chaplain/Pastor wife.

And yet, still wanting to change my plans a bit.

Not that there isn't anything wrong.  Not at all. I love my life. It is, after all, A LIFE WORTH LIVING.  Sometimes, though, I feel like I am supposed to be doing something more, something a bit different.  I never planned to be an army wife, the wife of a chaplain.  I never planned to be a Sunday school teacher or Bible study leader.  I never planned on starting this blog or doing anything with it.  But the older you get, or I get, plans seem to change.

I would love to be a writer. Yes, I know I already am to some extent, but still, a real live writer who has an audience that is touched by words from God.  Sharing stories and life and Christ with others through the written word on a bigger scale.  I know that's what I would do.  But is it God's plan?  Is that what He wants me to do?

*  *  *  *

Thank you for joining me on this Five Minute Friday.  I hope you will plan on joining me again next week. Have a lovely weekend!

Got Spring Fever??

I have loved the snow days we've had here in South Central Kentucky.  However, I am ready for some fun in the sun! Spring officially starts on on Friday, March 20.

I think we should start celebrating a little early.  What about you?

How about a little Spring Fever Giveaway????

I have always wanted to host a giveaway like this on my blog. Fortunately, with the help of some amazing women, I can!  I won't tell you yet what items will be given away, but I can tell you from experience, the women providing these items are awesome.  I will tell you later how I know each one.

Here's how the giveaway will work:

Each day (Monday - Thursday) of next week, I will introduce you to a local small business owner or another special guest and what prize she is giving away.  You will then have the chance to be entered into the drawing to win the prize for that day.   All prize winners will be announced on Friday, March 20, the first day of spring.

Are the owners being compensated? No. They are doing this out of the goodness of their hearts (plus a little free publicity never hurts).  Am I being compensated? No. I am hosting this giveaway for the fun of it.

I hope you are as excited as I am!  Check back with me soon. Oh, and tell your friends!

Five Minute Friday: Gather

It's time for another Five Minute Friday post!  Let's get started!




I am really a homebody.  That week of snow....these last two snow days and this weekend coming up...I'm loving it. Really.

But I do love a good gathering too, especially at my house.

I once had someone ask me, "Do you really like having all these people at your house?"

Yes, and it's not just because I'd rather be home than anywhere else.

There's just something about preparing my home for guests to come together, to gather for a common purpose.  Now, I've had my Mary and Martha moments when I'd rather be hanging out with my guests instead of making preparations in the kitchen, but I've come to realize that I can do both, it just takes extra preparations and organization.

I want my home to be a place where people want to be.  I want my children to love their home, to want to invite their friends over.  I want my home to be a place of love and fun.

When people gather on my couch or at the table or around the fire pit (burn pile) in the backyard, I want memories to be made.  I want them to experience joy and fellowship. I want them to want to come back.

Thanks for joining me in this week's Five Minute Friday party.  If you are new here and not sure what this is all about, just head on over to katemotaung.com to find out more. Basically you write about the prompt for five minutes. No overthinking, no editing, no stressing, just writing.

This is the day that the Lord has made. Now, what are you going to do about it?

My friend Lori challenged me to post a new Bible verse each day for seven days on Facebook.  I gladly accepted the challenge.

For day 1, I posted my favorite verse:

This is the day that the Lord has made! Let us rejoice and be glad in it. 

Psalm 118:24

Each day that God allows us to spend here on earth should be considered a blessing, a true gift.  How we spend that day is up to us.  The thing about God is this.....He doesn't force himself on us.  We have the choice to receive His gifts or not. So, how I spend the day that God has given me is up to no one but me.

I noticed recently during some snow days that I spent quite a bit of time fussing at my kids for not picking up after themselves. A lot of time actually.  It wasn't much fun for me or for them.  I remember thinking, "I've wasted this day yelling at my kids."  I can very easily place the blame on my children. After all, they were being disobedient.  However, I chose to react to their disobedience with anger instead of responding with love.  Yes, my choice.

Tonight, I sit at the kitchen table checking my weather app and Facebook and the local TV station website watching the weather. Our second major winter storm is upon us.  How am I going to react? Am I going to gripe and complain that my flooded yard is about to be covered in ice and snow?  Am I going to be angry because more than likely we are about to add two more days to the end of  the school year and try to teach children in June?  Sure, I can cringe at the thought, but what good does it do me if I choose to become angry or bitter over something that is beyond my control? I could get angry at the Snow Fairy, but it isn't her fault either.

Regardless of what is happening.....a winter storm, a failed Pinterest attempt, low bank account, disobedient children, or my husband not getting me a sausage biscuit when he went to McDonald's this morning....I have the choice on how to react or respond.

A winter storm......be in awe of God's power and enjoy the at home time spent with family. See it as a time to slow down, get caught up on some sleep, and finish that book.

A failed Pinterest attempt......laugh it off. Things could be worse! Do you know how many times I have dropped cakes on the floor???

Low bank account......see it as a blessing that you aren't out spending money on things you don't really need.  Try budgeting.

Disobedient children.....check yourself....are you explaining yourself for them to understand you, is there more going on with your child than what you see on the outside, or are your expectations realistic?  Use this time to practice gentleness and patience.  Show your children what Christian love looks like during times of conflict.

Hubby didn't come through for you with that sausage biscuit.....you didn't need it anyway.  Be thankful because there was more room for that chocolate cake.

These may be silly examples, but if we look closely at some of our behaviors, they are quite childish and silly too. So what about the more serious things in life?

Probably the hardest thing I have ever gone through is my miscarriage.  Carter's 5th birthday is next week, and Carson's 9th is next month.  In between those special days should be Baby's first birthday.  Yes, I should be planning my baby's first birthday party, but I'm not. That's hard people.  But I have a choice....Do I become bitter and angry at God for taking this baby from me?  Do I yell at Him for not allowing me the chance to hold this precious child in my arms and experience life with this child?  Or do I choose to be thankful for the 3 healthy children I get to spend my life with?  Do I choose to praise Him for providing me with a husband and a mother and friends who took care of me on the worst day of my life?

I choose to rejoice.

God never promised us that life would be easy.  However, He did promise not to forsake us.  On my darkest days God has been with me.  On the happiest of days, He has been with me.

I choose to rejoice.

Life is a choice.  Do you choose to live it or waste it?

I choose to live it.