GUEST: Jim P. - Encouragement for Uncertain Times

Its been a really busy Summer so far and I feel like we’ve been going non-stop. But, I do have a few minutes to share a little something from a friend....

Jim P. is one of the church members from a special congregation my husband pastored in Northern Illinois.  Jim recently sent me this encouragement to share, for anyone who may be feeling some uncertainty about their future...

“When a company bought out the place where I had been working for 17 years and let all the old-timers go, I was devastated. Being 65 at the time, there were not many job options and I really didn't have enough to retire set aside. The Lord directed me to Jeremiah 29:11, and it helped me so very much to realize I would be safe and secure in His hands.”

Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (NIV)

Thankyou for sharing, Jim! This is a good reminder for us all.
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REVIEW & GIVE-A-WAY: Attitude Adjustments

With a cat on my lap, a glass of lemon water by my side, and a bag of M-n-M’s in my hand, I settled in at the computer to listen to an hour long MP3 download from Lorrie Flem of Eternal Encouragement Magazine. She had arranged for us Gabby Moms to receive 2 downloads - one about ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENTS, and one about the KEYS TO A QUEENLY CASTLE. I knew, without a doubt, that the one on attitudes would be the best one for me to start with. Not so much because I have a bad attitude. In fact, I always try to think positively, no matter what the situation is. But, I have noticed my “bad-attitude button” has been pushed more often lately, due to the negativity received from my 8-year-old son. As Lorrie puts it in her talk, “attitude germs are contagious.” So, I have been praying for ways to remedy this problem with “Little Mr. Negative,” and was hopeful to hear some great ideas from Lorrie.

The beginning of the talk DID briefly touch upon teaching proper attitudes to our children, but that was not the main focus of this talk. It was geared more towards us moms. How can we “attain and maintain” a good attitude in OURSELVES? Here are some things to think about regarding that:

• You have a “bad-attitude button” that no one can touch, unless you allow them to.
• You control your attitude, or it controls you. It sets the tone in your entire home.
• Wake up and CHOOSE to have a positive attitude through-out your day.
• We don’t have to FEEL good about everything that happens, but we should ACT good.

This was all good and well for me to hear, as it was a little refresher course to help keep me pushing towards instilling good attitudes in my children, by using my OWN example. I would surely recommend this download for any mom who needs this kind of encouragement.

However, this download left me wanting to know more about how to CHANGE negative attitudes in my children. So, I took a look at Lorrie’s other downloads on this topic and decided to purchase ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING.

This particular download had phone discussions between Lorrie and her audience. To be entirely honest, I did not like the fact that the people asking the questions could not be heard. BUT.... I WAS able to glean some helpful suggestions from Lorrie as she spoke. At the beginning, it had a lot of the same information in it that ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENTS has, but then it went more into the topic of OBEDIENCE. Lorrie said you can’t really begin teaching about bad attitudes until you first work on obedience. This is an entirely different subject, so I won’t elaborate on it now. But if you are interested in knowing more about how your childrens’ obedience coincides with their attitudes, then this might be a good session for you to consider listening to. Lorrie gave some helpful ideas on how to teach obedience in this session and, let’s just say, I think we will be making some changes around here very soon!  

That brings me to an exciting opportunity for YOU! Anyone who is interested can receive a chance at a FREE download from Lorrie by following these simple steps...

TO ENTER THE GIVE-A-WAY

1. Click HERE to choose the MP3 file you would like to win.

2. Go to THE GABBY MOMS blog, where June's review links are posted and leave a comment

there with:

• The name of the blog where you read about the giveaway (He Holds My Right Hand)
• The name of the MP3 file you would like to receive, if chosen as the winner
• Your email address

The winner will be chosen on Saturday, June 18th via random.org, and will be notified by the e-mail left in the comments. The winner will have 48 hours to respond before an alternate winner is chosen.

Good luck, and don't let anyone push that "bad-attitude button" today! Okay?

Disclaimer:  I received 2 downloads at no charge for a Gabby Moms review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

GUEST BLOGGER: Carie Shinn

Several years ago, I was diagnosed with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome), which finally gave me the answers to so many questions I had about myself, including why it was so difficult for me to have children. So, the following article is something I can relate to in many ways. It is from my friend, Carie Shinn, a homeschooling mother of 4 beautiful children. She wanted to share her story of secondary infertility related to having PCOS, and to be a support for anyone out there who has questions realated to these issues.  Please feel free to contact her directly through the e-mail address at the end of the article. Thankyou for sharing, Carie!  

BE FRUITFUL & MULTIPLY - THE FLIPSIDE

By:  Carie Shinn

In October 2006 I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome - or PCOS for short. This diagnosis was the culmination of over 5 years of hoping, praying and wondering what was wrong with me.

PCOS is one of those things that nobody knows you have. I have no outward deficiencies or problems. I can do anything that you can do.....except get pregnant.

Many people wonder about the age gap in our children. I have no doubt that many believe we are some kind of blended family. All 4 are "ours" and the gap was definately not planned....but I digress....

When my husband and I married in January 1996 I couldn't wait to start a family. I stayed on birth control until September of 1996 when we decided we were ready to start our family. I fully expected to get pregnant immediately. I had always been told if you weren't using birth control you would get pregnant!!!! I did, in November of 1996 and delivered Leland David in August of 1997 without a hitch. A good little patient I am, I went back on birth control immediately and life continued on for us. We moved, I went to college, Lee grew. I greatly desired another child, but Norman wasn't ready.....however in March 1999 I found out I was pregnant. My heart broke 3 days later when an ultrasound tech confirmed that I was miscarrying. Our lives seemed to be in a major upheaval for the next few months as we both did a lot of growing. God is good and our marriage was sustained. During those few months we bought a computer and connected to the internet. A search late one night led me to the homeschooling movement and I was hooked. I learned about the quiverfull movement and began to wonder if my miscarriage wasn't related to the birth control I had been using at the time. In July 1999, I also discovered I was pregnant again.....while still on birth control. This pregnancy was burdened by worries of problems (compounded when an ultrasound tech told me that he thought the baby had Down's Syndrome)......but in March of 2000 I delivered another strong baby boy, Gregory Robert, healthy as a horse and not the girl the ultrasound tech expected :)

I quit working when my maternity leave was up and officially embarked on a homeschooling lifestyle for our family. In the summer of 2001 I went off hormonal birth control completely and we agreed that we would love to "try" for another baby. Although I knew that my hormones were a mess, I fully expected to become pregnant again immediately. That, however, was not to be.

Weeks turned into months, months turned into years. I learned how to chart my cycles. I tried different "herbal" fertility aids. I prayed daily as my desire for another child became so strong that it hurt. I finally had to accept that just because we were willing to accept more blessings into our family, that didn't mean that they were going to come. God and I had a lot of arguements over the clothes line. Well meaning friends and family couldn't understand why we felt the need to add to our family when we already had the perfect 2. "Stop trying and it will happen". "Lose 20 lbs and it will happen". Those well-meaning quips dug deep as I tried to lose weight and I tried not to fuss.

In September 2006, after a tearful discussion with our family doctor (who didn't realize the hurt I had been suffering from), I got a referal to a fertility specialist. My doctor was and is wonderful. He did the blood work. He knew what he was looking for and diagnosed me right away. What a relief I felt when he told me that I had probably been manifesting the symptoms of PCOS in high school when I started gaining weight and that the birth control regulating my cycles was probably the only thing that helped me conceive my 1st 2 sons (and God of course - we believe it was a God thing). Regardless of diet or exercise I was not going to lose weight. Left to themselves my hormones swing in such a messy circle that I am at risk for all sorts of nasty conditions, ranging from heart disease, depression, diabetes and others. God provided medication. A specific diet/exercise plan that works well WITH the medication. A plan. We finally had a plan. Our doctor was fairly certain that the medication for the symptoms of PCOS would result in pregnancy eventually, but time isn't always on a woman's side, and I wasn't getting any younger. So we agreed to a few rounds of fertility treatments and Norman Matthew (Bear) was conceived on the 3rd round.

I remember the flood of emotions I felt when I discovered I was pregnant....ironically during a cycle the doctor didn't think would take. Thanks were given to God almost hourly at our household as we prepared for our new arrival. We felt blessed beyond belief. When you have waited for something so long, there is a period of disbelief......you almost wait for the "other shoe to drop". God is generous and gracious and kind......Bear was born (in Oct. 2007) after only 6 hours of labor and the doctor almost didn't make it to catch him :)

Our story wasn't done though. I like to say that God has a sense of humor :) After Bear's birth I again refused birth control, we were willing to accept another blessing if God chose that path for us. In September of 2009 however, my husband felt that God was telling him we were done. With my blessing (I also felt that God was done expanding our family), my husband had a vasectomy. The side effects were horrific. My husband endured all forms of horrible things and in the end refused to go back for his "checkup". He declared that we would accept more children if that was God's will, but he would never go through that procedure again. I found out 2 weeks later that I was 7 weeks pregnant :)

Little Abigail Caroline was born in May 2010 after an emergency c-section (she presented arm first and had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck restricting oxygen). God was merciful in sparing her life and mine (I had some blood pressure issues during the surgery).

We won't ever be the Duggar family. There are moments when I wonder about God's plan, specifically when dealing with the attitudes of a teenager and toddler on the same day. I can't begin to explain what God taught me about trust, faith and contentment during our time of waiting. With the "unplanned" arrival of Abigail, I learned that God has a sense of humor and always knows what is best for a family.

Sometimes I sit and wonder what God has in store for us. So far the experience has been interesting :)

If you are experiencing secondary infertility or have been diagnosed with PCOS, I would love to pray with you! You can contact me at carieshinn@gmail.com or catch me at my blog http://www.misscarie.blogspot.com/

Blessings,

Carie

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A Hero to the World (GUEST: My Nephew, James)

My nephew, James, graduated from High School this weekend. He is a Christian teen who enjoys humor (it runs in the family), being creative, playing video games, reading books, and cuddling with his dog, Tigger.

This Summer, he plans on working at Youth Haven Bible Camp, hanging out with his family, and volunteering as a worker for Vacation Bible School. After his fun-filled Summer, he plans to attend Gulf Coast State College, majoring in Digital Media.

I recently asked James what his favorite song is, and he replied:

My favorite song is “Hero” by the band Abandon. It is a song that not only sounds good, but has awesome lyrics as well. It presents Jesus as “The Hero/Savior to the world” for what he did.

I had never heard of this song before, or this artist, so I looked them up on You Tube and found the song James was referring to. Although I hate to admit it, I'm not as young as I used to be, and not all that "into" the music of today's youth. So, I wasn't too sure what to expect at first. I'm glad to report that I was pleasantly surprised.

Thankyou for sharing this song, James. It definitely DOES have good lyrics - and they are very important ones for us all to hear and believe.

"With love He gave His life, so we could be free.

The Savior of the world."

Is Jesus YOUR Hero?

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Family Service Opportunities

Are you looking for Summer getaway ideas for you and your family? Why not consider a short-term ministry opportunity? See below for two different organizations looking for volunteers.

Note:  I know of one family who recently returned home from a trip to Voice of the Martyrs, and am looking forward to hearing about their experiences there. If she shares on her blog, I will be sure to direct you to it. In the meantime, read the descriptions below and, if you would like more information, click on the name of the organization to be directed to their volunteer page.

VOICE OF THE MARTYRS

Bartlesville, OK

Short-term volunteers (including families of various ages) work at the Operations Center doing various tasks. They fold, count, sort, stack, stuff, shrink wrap and sticker, just to name a few. This area is clean and climate controlled. Volunteers are seated while they work. There are a few other jobs that require standing and lifting. This is to be determined by the individual volunteer and the work schedule.

VOM does have furnished housing available to volunteers that work an average of 5 hours/day for every night in the VOM housing. The housing has all bed linens, a working kitchen, and living and dining areas. Housing is subject to availability.

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BIBLE STUDY FELLOWSHIP INTERNATIONAL

San Antonio, TX

Staff and volunteers are responsible for the preparation, packing, and shipping of materials for class operation. Preparation involves filling orders and assembling materials, manuals and forms. All of these items, including the lessons, are packed and shipped to classes around the world.

Volunteers include anyone who is interested in participating in the ministry of BSF. Volunteers must be 13-years-old to serve in the Hertzler Press, and 16-years-old to serve in the kitchen. Teenagers must be accompanied by a parent or responsible adult.

· Volunteers may serve in the press from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday.

· Volunteers may serve for half days or whole days, depending on their schedules. Each day includes two (20-minute) breaks for rest and fellowship as well as a one-hour lunch break. First-time volunteers will be scheduled to take a tour of headquarters from 1-2 p.m.

· Please contact the volunteer coordinator at least one month in advance to schedule your visit.

Housing is available on campus for only $10-$15 per person per night, with certain other requirements. Others choose to find hotel rooms on their own off-campus, depending on schedules and other needs.

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I would love to hear from anyone who has already volunteered at one of these places with your family, or if you know of any other great service opportunities that are not listed here! Please feel free to e-mail me:  HERE　

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Here to Help Each Other and Bear the Load (GUEST: Janice Luyster)

Awhile ago, I sent out an e-mail to some of my friends and family, asking for testimonies or stories of how God has worked in their lives. I gave 5 options for them to choose from, and one of those options was to share about a specific time in their life when God sent someone to be an “angel” to them. Earlier this week, I shared a story from Charity Vanderhoof about how God delivered her husband from seizures. She had mentioned the “angels” that were sent to her and her husband to help them. Now, today, I have a short story from

Janice Luyster

Jan is a relative of my husband, David, and a friend to us both. She enjoys traveling, flower gardening, reading and photography. She is also active in her church in various positions, one of which is writing a monthly library news article for the church newsletter. Here is the story Jan wanted to share with you all.

A gal from church who, I didn't know too well at the time, was sent to me about three days before my husband passed away. She stopped in where I was working and said she would come over to my house the next evening and help me, and that way she would be able to meet my husband. When I got home from work the next evening, things weren't going well. I called her and told her that she might not want to come over. She said she still would, as she had helped to take care of her mother when she was ill and passed away. She came that evening and the next evening. The following evening, when she came over, he had passed away about an hour before. Since then I've called her my angel.

Thankyou for sharing, Jan! It is encouraging to see how God brings certain people into our lives to help us at just the right time. He definitely uses average, everyday people like us to do HIS work. Your “angel” is an example to all of us to keep our eyes and our hearts open to other’s needs, and be willing to reach out to them in their time of need. Here is a beautiful old hymn that speaks of us being a servant to one another, just as Christ has been a servant to us.

The Servant Song

by: Richard Gillard

Will you let me be your servant;

Let me be as Christ to you.

Pray that I might have the grace

To let you be my servant, too.

We are pilgrims on a journey,

We are trav’lers on the road.

We are here to help each other

Walk the mile and bear the load.

I will hold the Christ-light for you

In the night time of your fear.

I will hold my hand out to you;

Speak the peace you long to hear.

I will weep when you are weeping.

When you laugh, I'll laugh with you.

I will share your joy and sorrow,

'Til we've seen this journey through.

When we sing to God in heaven,

We shall find such harmony

Born of all we've known together

Of Christ's love and agony.

If anyone reading this has a story YOU would like to share, please e-mail me at: medicfam@frontier.com

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REVIEW: The Take Action Bible

The Take Action Bible, published by Thomas Nelson Publishers, is a full-length Bible in New King James Version. The difference between this Bible and others is that it is interspersed with 48 full-color pages that include 15 true stories from real people. These stories give us examples of how to “take action” with God’s Word.

The theme of this Bible is: Together we can change the world.

You will “meet” people who have answered God’s call to GO, SERVE, GIVE, HEAL and TEACH. However, it is not insinuating that every Christian must be an overseas missionary. The idea is to help us understand that every Christian should be serving the Lord in some way. Even children can answer this call. In fact, there is a story included in this Bible that tells of 9-year-old girl who set up a lemonade stand to raise money for local flood victims. She raised $34, which is quite a lot for selling lemonade!

After each story also comes a Bible reference to look up. (How convenient to already be holding a Bible in your hand.) And, it also includes a couple of thought-provoking questions, as well as a place to write notes. Then, in the back of the Bible, there is also a list of 52 ways to “take action.” The reader is challenged to do at least one action per week, filling an entire year’s worth. A couple examples of these ideas is to (1) hold open a door for everyone you can during the week, or (2) volunteer at a soup kitchen. These could be considered small actions to some, but it could mean a world of difference to the receiver.

It’s definitely a neat little concept for a Bible and, in my opinion, would make a nice gift for a young graduate of High School or College. However, ANYONE could benefit from reading it.

You can find it on Amazon.com for around $11.00.

Disclosure: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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GUEST: Charity Vanderhoof - Sharing About Her Husband's Deliverance From Seizures

My friend, Charity, is the guest blogger for today. She is sharing how God sent some “angels” to help deliver her husband, Vic, from a severe seizure disorder. Thankyou for sharing this, Charity! It is wonderful to hear how God worked this situation out in your life!

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On January 31, 2003, at 9:06pm, Vic and I had just gotten home from going out for pizza on a Friday night. Vic had his first grand mal seizure after a 23-year absence of them. We had only been in our apartment for 5 minutes. While Vic was driving home, just as we were getting off our exit, he complained about a ringing in his ears. Then after being home only a matter of minutes, Vic had the seizure. This was the first of many seizures and we learned the ringing of the ears came before seizures for Vic. He continued to have seizures for five years. It was like walking on eggshells. You never knew when the next seizure would come and you never knew what, if anything, would trigger one.

We lived through a lot during that time until, one day, by a set of circumstances I will not go over right now, we ended up with a different doctor. It turns out that my husband was a candidate for brain surgery. He had the surgery February 19, 2008, and Vic has been seizure free ever since. He also no longer takes medication. Furthermore, he had always had these unexplained “episodes.” It turns out those were undiagnosed petit mal seizures and Vic could not remember even one day of his life not having one of these episodes, prior to the surgery. These petit mal seizures are completely gone as well. To even further share the miracle of this, Vic had learning disabilities that reversed as he healed from surgery.

God sent a team of “angels” to us that absolutely revolutionized our lives when He led us to Dr. Kahlil, Dr. Roof, and Dr. Niemat. We had no quality of life, and had no hope of a quality of life. But, then, the Lord delivered us from our situation. This past December, Vanderbilt (where the surgery took place) used Vic as an example of a changed life from this type of surgery. At that time we figured up some of his statistics. On average, Vic had 3 violent grand mal seizures per week for a period of five years. He also had daily petit mal seizures since infancy. To God be all the Glory that Vic, and our entire family, has been delivered from these seizures.

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You can read more from Charity over at her own blog:

VANDERHOOF HOUSE

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Investing Your Time As A Wife

When you want to improve upon something, or even just maintain the level of strength you currently have in a specific area, it takes a commitment and an investment of your time to do so. Wouldn’t you agree? Well, one of the BEST investments of a wife’s time is to work at strengthening her marriage.

“But, what about HIM?” you might ask. “Why doesn’t HE just do what I want, then we will get along just fine!”

I once read an article by Lorrie Flem of Eternal Encouragement Magazine that said something like, “Don’t focus on your husband’s part in the marriage, and what he is or isn’t doing. Instead, just focus on YOUR part as a wife, and ask God to help you be the kind of wife He wants you to be.” That’s hard to do at times, isn’t it?

Well, this month’s GABBY MOMS product review can help you to invest your time wisely in your marriage. It’s a “marriage bundle” from Lorrie Flem called, "Marriage - To Have and To Hold," and it includes:

• 31 Prayers for Husbands
• Marriage quotes from well-known names
• 75 Inexpensive Romantic Rut Cures, by Lorrie Flem
• Several other e-books on marriage
• short stories and reports
• Magazine articles
• MP3 audios
• and, lots more...

When I was sent this month’s review material, I was not especially thrilled. The zip file I received was loaded - and I mean LOADED - with at least 15 PDF documents and 2 MP3 files. I thought, “My goodness.... how in the world am I going to get through all of this material in time to write my next review?!” And, to be completely honest with you, I STILL did not completely get through it all. There was just wayyyy too much material for me to read in just a few short weeks. However, what I WAS able to get through was definitely good stuff! I can assure you that I will be investing some more of my time to continue reading the rest of the bundle.

In “75 Inexpensive Romantic Rut Cures,” Lorrie said, “Next to your relationship with God, your mate should be your number one priority.” I encourage you to take a moment and do a check-up on your priorities. Are you doing YOUR best at keeping your marriage alive and healthy? If not, then this MARRIAGE BUNDLE might just be the thing you are looking for!

Disclaimer: I received The Marriage Bundle as an official member of The Gabby Moms blogging program for Eternal Encouragement Magazine. I did not receive compensation for this post and all opinions are solely my own You can find the Marriage Bundle, and many other great resources at: http://www.eternalencouragement.com/ 

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BOOK REVIEW: The Whole Bible Story

When I first saw “The Whole Bible Story,” by Dr. William H. Marty, listed as one of my review choices from Bethany House, I was really excited about reading it. For one, the author was one of my professors while I attended Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. I enjoyed the class he taught: Survey of the New Testament. Dr. Marty always had a way about him that made learning the facts of the Newt Testament interesting. So, I was really curious to see what this book was like.

The other reason I wanted to read the book was because it sounded like something I would enjoy reading... and, I was right! This book is considered to be “a Bible story for grown-ups.” It is not a translation of the Bible, and it is not a paraphrase of the Bible’s 66 books. It simply tells the story of the Bible, as if someone was just talking to you and giving a narration. It is meant to be used as a tool alongside the Bible, to help readers better understand what they are reading. It would be great to give to a new Christian who doesn’t really know anything about the Bible, or to someone who is curious. But, it is also good for anyone to read who desires a better understanding of the stories that happen in the Bible.

You can read more about the book, and see a preview, by clicking here:
THE WHOLE BIBLE STORY

Disclosure: I received this book free for review from Bethany House Publishers. The opinions I have expressed are my own. If you have a blog of your own, and are interested in receiving review copies from Bethany House, here is a link where you can sign up: www.bethanyhouse.com/bookreviewers
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