Tuesday, November 28, 2017

December Scripture Writing Plan: Names of God

Happy almost December friends!

The new topical plan for this month is one that I so enjoyed 
researching and am so excited to share with you!

Our God is amazing and incredible and mighty!
There is absolutely NO WAY we can fully understand or describe Him. 
We can’t wrap our tiny human brains around all the things He is & does. 
He loves us more than we can ever begin to comprehend. 
God is the Creator of the universe and everything in it. 
This God of ours is Jesus who became flesh AND
also the Holy Spirit who lives inside of us. 

He loves us so and longs for us to know Him.
One of the best ways to get to know Him more deeply & intimately
 is to learn some of the many names He is called in scripture. 
These are not mere titles assigned by people but, for the most part, 
His very own descriptions of Himself and as such they reveal aspects of His character.

For the plan this month each day lists two different names of God as well as scriptures 
to explore and learn more about our Savior, Lord, and King. 
My prayer is that we are able to take a few minutes each day to learn
more about Him and His great love for us!

You can find a copy of the plan in English and Spanish in the folder HERE.
{Just a reminder, don't try to print the images below or they will be blurry. Be sure to click the link to download a PDF copy!}



 You can find the December plans from last year in the folder   HERE






Monday, November 20, 2017

ESV Illuminated Bible {& a Giveaway!}

I love Bibles and have quite a few but y'all this one- may now be my favorite.
The ESV Illuminated Bible- is absolutely gorgeous and truly beautiful!
It's honestly the most beautiful Bible I have ever seen!
It is breathtaking! 






It places the full ESV text alongside over 500 elegantly hand-lettered gold ink illustrations by renowned artist Dana Tanamachi. It is printed on thick cream-colored paper and the Bible's single-column text setting and wide margins provide generous space for additional notes, prayers, and designs—inviting readers to creatively engage with and reflect on the beauty of God's Word.

The Bible includes: 
  • 9-point, Lexicon 
  • Black letter text 
  • 2-color printing 
  • 64 full-page, custom book opener illustrations 
  • 50 full-page verse illustrations 
  • 250+ hand-lettered margin verses 
  • 100+ other illustrations throughout 
  • Illustrated by Dana Tanamachi, whose work has been featured by Google, The Wall Street Journal, Random House, USPS, and Target 
  • Thick, cream-colored paper 
  • Wide margins 
  • Single-column, paragraph format 
  • Smyth-sewn binding 
  • Packaging: Permanent Slipcase


It is simply beautiful. 
Even the case it's in is gorgeous!
This would make an amazing Christmas gift. 
You can purchase the book on Amazon HERE 
and learn more about the bible on the Illuminated Bible website 
www.illuminatedbible.org including how it was made and about the ESV.
Leave a comment below telling me who you would give this to if you won
and you'll be entered to win your very own copy of this gorgeous bible!
Make sure your name is listed and be sure to check back
 on Thanksgiving night when I'll pick a winner and post it!

“Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255:  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”):  Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway.  Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller /FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days on the same blog, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

Sunday, November 19, 2017

Kutless- Alpha/Omega

Kutless is one of those Christian groups that has been around for quite awhile but that I still love as much now as I did when I first started listening to them many years ago! 
They sing both rock AND worship music which is rare in the Christian music industry. 

Their new album, Alpha and Omega is fantastic! 
This album is a collection of rock and worship songs of both original and 
cover tracks that are true to who the band has been for the last 17 years. 
wanted to create a project that would engage the Christian 
community and have the greatest impact and boy did they ever!

 The songs are true to who the band is at their core - rock AND worship. 
ALPHA / OMEGA features a new version of “Strong Tower” 
 (which is one of my all time favorite praise and worship songs!) 

as well as the debut radio single “King of My Heart.” 

You can purchase this awesome album 
(it would make a GREAT Christmas gift)
at lots of retailers, all which are linked  HERE.

.  

Monday, November 13, 2017

Gratitude Quotes 2017 Part 3

I love the month of November for many reasons- one being that
so many folks seem to focus on being thankful during the month.
I'm a firm believer that counting your blessings is something
that can truly change your mindset when you are struggling or
feeling down and is something we should do DAILY!

I'm a huge lover of quotes and have a ton saved on gratitude and being thankful.
Over the years I've made some printables of my favorite thankful quotes
and am going to add some more this month and share them.

Because when I have my cranky pants on- sometimes just seeing a visual reminder,
can turn my stinky attitude around!




You can print your own copy HERE.

Friday, November 10, 2017

Good News: 11-10-17



I love happy stories.
You know- those happy, inspiring, tear producing stories that
remind you there IS good in the world!
{And there IS so much good in the world!}

I LOVE those so very much! 
I love them so much that I seek them out
daily to remind me of the good in people.

Here are a few of my favorites from the past week!


The Kindness Effect is a project done by a TV station in Tulsa. 
Each week they bring uplifting stories in their community. 
LOVE this one! 

This story of a young man being reconnected with his father's beloved car had me in tears! 


The story of this brave man and his precious daughter is AWESOME!


This story about adoption is INCREDIBLE!

This Surprise Squad in Las Vegas does the most amazing thing! 
In this video they surprise folks in the grocery store. So awesome!












Thursday, November 9, 2017

Gratitude Quotes 2017 Part 2

I love the month of November for many reasons- one being that
so many folks seem to focus on being thankful during the month.
I'm a firm believer that counting your blessings is something
that can truly change your mindset when you are struggling or
feeling down and is something we should do DAILY!

I'm a huge lover of quotes and have a ton saved on gratitude and being thankful.
Over the years I've made some printables of my favorite thankful quotes
and am going to add some more this month and share them.

Because when I have my cranky pants on- sometimes just seeing a visual reminder,
can turn my stinky attitude around!



You can print your own copy HERE.

Adored: 365-day Devotional {Giveaway!}


If you have a teenage girl in your life I have the PERFECT gift idea for you!
is a precious book written specifically for teenage girls ages 13 and up. 

It helps young women tackle the many issues they face daily while being 
reminded how precious to God and how greatly they are loved by Him! 

Each day features a Bible verse and a short devotion. 
Each devotion is on a topic that is perfect for teenagers: 
bullying, social media, friendships, dating, etc. 

There's even journaling space for reflection and real-world applications. 

This book is full of messages that girls of all ages need to be reminded of every single day. 
Messages like: 




You can purchase a copy HERE
and even get a free 7 day download HERE if you want to check it out first. 
This book would make a fabulous Christmas present! 


GIVEAWAY: 
I'm so excited to be able to giveaway a copy of this precious book. 
To leave a comment telling me who you'd give it to if you won. 
Be sure you aren't anonymous and 
be sure to check back on Nov. 12th when I will pick and post the winner. 


“Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255:  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”):  Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway.  Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller /FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days on the same blog, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

Wednesday, November 8, 2017

Acts of Kindness Family Scavenger Hunt

I recently spoke to a precious mom's group at my church about being 
intentional in doing acts of kindness.  
I LOVE speaking to folks about easy, practical, simple, 
inexpensive ways to love others and it was a sweet time sharing 
how committing to doing RAOK had been a blessing in my life 
& what the Bible has to say about blessing others.  

A few of my favorite verses about kindness are: 

The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed;
those who help others are helped.
Proverbs 11:25
And let us consider how we may spur one another
on toward love and good deeds.
Hebrews 10:24
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.
Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to
your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
Philippians 2: 3-4

I wanted to leave them with a little something to encourage them 
to do RAOK's with their children so I created an 
Acts of Kindness Family Scavenger Hunt.

The idea is simple- gather another family or two and set aside a few hours. 
Each family get a copy of the scavenger hunt list and a few hours to 
complete as many tasks as possible. 

The rules are simple: 
1. Be genuine in each one of the service tasks. Remember, this is a race, BUT the goal is to actually make someone’s day, not just be the first family to finish.
2. Put as much effort into each task as possible.
3. Be safe! Stick together and be smart about your service.
4. Take pictures along the way.
5. You have ______Hours to finish.
6. Have fun and enjoy serving those around you!





I even included little notes to print out and leave with your acts of kindness.

You can print out a copy HERE



{Last year when I spoke to this group I created 
some acts of kindness activities for them to use with their children for
 both November and December. 
I shared the November idea HERE and the December idea HERE.} 

 

Monday, November 6, 2017

Gratitude Quotes 2017 Part 1

I love the month of November for many reasons- one being that
so many folks seem to focus on being thankful during the month.
I'm a firm believer that counting your blessings is something
that can truly change your mindset when you are struggling or
feeling down and is something we should do DAILY!

I'm a huge lover of quotes and have a ton saved on gratitude and being thankful.
Over the years I've made some printables of my favorite thankful quotes
and am going to add some more this month and share them.

Because when I have my cranky pants on- sometimes just seeing a visual reminder,
can turn my stinky attitude around!

This is one of my favorites by John F Kennedy

and this is another of my favorites with no author attributed


You can print your own copy HERE.