Day 7 - Tattoos

Day 7 - Tattoos

Well, this is going be pretty short and boring.  I don't have any tattoos and I don't think I'll ever get any.  The only ones I've seen on other people that I'd consider getting are Olympic rings or a name in memory of a child that died.  The former will never happen, and hopefully the latter won't either.  So, I'll probably be tattoo-less for life.

30 Day Writing Challenge - Day 6 - Someone Who Fascinates You and Why

Day 6 - Someone Who Fascinates You and Why

This may be the "Sunday School answer" but it's also true - Jesus.  There will likely be no limit to the questions I'll ask Him when I get the chance!  The why is pretty obvious - there's no one more fascinating than God.

And if I have to pick a regular person, instead of God, it would depend on if that person was supposed to be alive or dead.

Dead - it would probably be someone from the Bible - Joseph, Paul, David, Solomon, Elijah, the list could probably go on and on!

Alive - maybe Joni Eareckson Tada.  If you don't know her.... a diving accident as a teenager left her a quadriplegic. Currently 66 yrs old, she has become an internationally known speaker, vocalist, radio host, author, and an advocate for disabled person.  The why seems pretty self-explanatory.

30 Day Writing Challenge - Day 5 - A place you would live but have never visited

Day 5 - a place you would live but have never visited

My husband wouldn't want to live anywhere else - basically because of the Jets.  And family.  But mainly the Jets. :)

I would be hesitant to move anywhere else because of family.  Although, every winter I could probably be persuaded to move - ha ha!

If it wasn't for that there are many places I would live.  Of course, I'd have to learn more about them to be able to tell if I'd actually want to live there, but a few that come to mind are Australia, England, and Switzerland.  In Canada, I'd say somewhere in Alberta or BC (mountains!) or PEI.

30 Day Writing Challenge - Day 4 - 10 Interesting Facts About Yourself

Day 4 - 10  Interesting Facts About Yourself

I'm not sure if they're necessarily all that interesting, but here's 10 facts about me....

1) I have had 3 last names.  I was born with the last name Dueck.  After my dad's death and my mom's remarriage to my new Dad, I became a Friesen.  And then when I married, I became a Reimer. Mennonite all the way around!  (We've also got Rempel, Thiessen, and Koop in our blood)

2) I've been blessed to be loved by two dads and my heavenly Father, and a husband that is an amazing dad to our 4 kids.

3) Nathan and I have built and moved into 6 new houses in the past 17 years.  The longest we ever lived in one house was 4 1/2 years.  The shortest was 8 months.

4) I've been pregnant 6 times.

5) Nathan and I have been on 8 cruises and are planning our 9th.  The best part is that they've all been free.

6) I switched schools several times in my early elementary education, and then stayed put the rest of the time.  Preschool was in Calgary, Kindergarten in Winnipeg, Grade 1 in St. Adolphe, and Grade 2-12 in Niverville.

7) I went to U of W for one year in the Faculty of Education (it was the last year Education was a 4 yr degree).  I was planning to become a high school math teacher.  I no longer have a desire to teach high school math. :)

8) I am currently learning how to play hockey for the first time in my life!  I started this past spring with a 12 week session, and am continuing once a week now from October through March. I never took skating lessons, or played hockey or ringette as a kid, so this is a new and fun experience for me!  I'm not sure if the kids think it's more hilarious or awesome.

9) I have a weakness for chips.  And freshly baked cookies.  And cinnamon buns.  And chocolate.  But not ice cream.  Unless it's a Rolo revel.

10) I have exercised between 4 - 6 days a week for the past 17 years, including right up until delivery with all 4 babies (I took a bit of time off when I was really sick during pregnancy).  I've done everything from the TSN Caribbean workout, to Slim in 6, to Insanity, to training for a 10K, to P90X3, to Insanity Max 30, to various Jillian Michaels DVDs, to PiYo, to Body Beast, to the Venus Index, to Chalean Extreme, to 21 Day Fix Extreme, to T25.  There's a couple more oldies I did way back when that I can't remember.  Ooh - I just googled it - I also did Buns of Steel, Tae Bo, and Body Moves.

30 Day Writing Challenge - Day 3 - Your First Love and First Kiss

Day 3 - Your First Love and First Kiss

Nothing like getting publicly personal!

Technically, my first kiss was with a childhood friend when I was about 5 or 6, but I don't think that counts. :)

My first kiss was not with my first love, and was, in fact, what let me know the relationship was not going anywhere and I broke it off the next day.

My first love was not my first boyfriend, but he was my last - Nathan, my husband of over 19 years.

30 Day Writing Challenge - Day 2 - Your Earliest Memory

Day 2 - Your Earliest Memory

I have a notoriously bad memory - at least when it comes to remembering things from the past.  The earliest moments I can remember are in Grade 1. I have several memories from that time period.

I remember an assembly where a performer of some kind came and brought a caged tiger or some other sort of wild cat for us to see.

Another assembly where they had a moonwalking contest.

There was a time when I was jealous of my best friend Becky because the teacher publicly praised the way she was coloring in her circle, which was different than the way I was going it.  Yup, those perfectionist tendencies began a long time ago!

And there was a time when Becky got hurt on one of the structures on the play ground - that one where you hold on and you swing around and around a pole?  She ended up going flying off it. Yeah, they don't have that one anymore nowadays.

I also remember someone I know, who shall remain nameless (not me!), getting pantsed.

There you have it - memories from Grade 1!

30 Day Writing Challenge - Day 1 - Five Problems with Social Media

I haven't written anything on this blog, aside from book reviews, for a long time now.  When I saw this challenge, I decided to take it!

Day 1 - Five Problems with Social Media

1) Gives the illusion of intimacy and friendship.

There are a lot of things good about social media, including ways we can use social media to enhance our friendships.  It's a great way to send someone a quick note of encouragement and to keep up somewhat with people we simply don't have time to get together with.

At the same time, if I just read updates about someone, without actually interacting with them or discussing things with them, they don't even know that I know about it, and it certainly isn't deepening our relationship.  It gives the illusion of knowing someone without actually knowing them. It gives the illusion of being friends when you're actually just "Facebook stalking".

2) Venting

Social media is not the place for people to vent, and yet they do it all the time, saying things publicly that should be kept private.  It's always good to remember the 24 hr rule when you get upset - give yourself 24 hrs to think things over before confronting someone.  And if you still need to confront them - don't do it on Facebook!

3) Depersonalization

Social media causes people to not seem like actual human beings.  Some of the comments people make about the people in a news article or opinion piece are horrifying!  Even if you don't know them personally, they're still real people.  It's also given rise to sexting and all sorts of inappropriate behaviour online.

4) Rudeness

A combination of #2 and #3 - people tend to say things online to and about people they actually do know that they would never say to their face.  The depersonalization of social media makes people forget this is a real person with real feelings that they're addressing.  That combined with the false anonymity barrier it provides, can cause people to go off in a way they never would "in real life".  The problem is, the people they are addressing ARE real, and the effects ARE felt in real life.

5) No room for mistakes

There is no room for our teenagers to make mistakes - at least, not without that mistake getting broadcast for all the world to see.  No matter where you are or what you're doing, there is someone with a cell phone that is ready to document your most embarrassing moment, or the moment in time you wish you could go back and erase - but now you'll never be able to because it's preserved in internet history.

I think this list could go a lot longer than just 5!

Book Review: Pass it On by Jim Burns & Jeremy Lee

About the Book: Parents often experience a "freak out" moment when they realize their children's view of God will primarily come from what they learn at home.
Most parents spend more time helping their kids succeed at academics or athletics than infusing shared spiritual experiences into the rhythm of everyday family life.

While the idea of strategically passing down our faith can seem intimidating, the annual Rites of Passage Experiences contained in Pass It On make it easy for your family to celebrate milestones from kindergarten through high school graduation. Forever change the direction of your family's spiritual legacy . . . starting now!

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1jCKyrU

My Thoughts:  Something that often bothers me about many Christian parenting books is the fact that they are great (and long) on theory but short on practical ways to implement what they are teaching.  I often come away from those books thinking that I agree about what to do, but I have not the first idea of how to accomplish it.

This book gives you the practical in spades!

Each chapter of the book covers a different grade level and has a specific purpose of something spiritual you want to work on instilling into your child.  It gives several examples of ways to accomplish this and ideas of how to celebrate it in your child's life.  It is flexible - you can switch years if it's more appropriate for your particular child, you can combine some of skip some, and of course, you can always add your own!  Each chapter includes sample scripts and questions - you truly will feel like you're being guided step by step through the process, yet left with enough flexibility to make it unique and applicable to your family and child.  

This is a great book to have for every step along the parenting journey!


Thank you to Litfuse Publicity for organizing this tour and providing me with my complimentary review copy.

Book Review: The Oaks Remain by Julia J Gibbs

About the Book: 

In a world divided by blood and race, Veralee Harper comes of age under the guardian oaks of her family’s isolated plantation in southern Alabama. Red Oaks stands frozen in time, a haven for Simulacrum people for generations, against the chaotic world of the Friguscor. Life quickly unravels when her own split second decision breaks the Simulacrum law she is bound to keep. The blood moons have begun, the watchers have returned and war with the cold-hearts, the Friguscor seems inevitable. As she struggles to reconcile deep love for her family and loyalty to her people with the reality she is coming to know and the love she finds for a mysterious man, she realizes she is marked by more than the tseeyen on her arm. Many have a plan for Veralee Harper, but only she can decide which way it will end.

My Thoughts: Books that fall under the fantasy category, even if only just barely, do not generally interest me.  This book, however, thoroughly captivated me.

The author writes with such stunning detail that you can picture yourself within the pages.  At times her writing style can only be described as beautifully poetic, far different than the "dumbed down" style we're used to hearing spoken in our modern society, yet it does not seem out of place.

You can read this book somewhat superficially if you are so inclined, but any sort of in-depth reading at all will have you pondering all sorts of questions.  What is my purpose? Who am I? How do my life choices affect the lives of those around me?  Is the law to be followed blindly or interpreted through circumstance? Should there ever be exceptions to the law? Do our motives matter?  Do the ends justify the means?

People are separated into two different races - Simulacrum and Friguscor.  The differences between the two are internal at the core, yet manifest outwardly as well.  The blood of the Simulacrum protects them, causing them to age slowly and heal quickly.  The cold hearted Friguscor begin dying and decaying immediately after birth.  Though they live and work side by side, the Simulacrum try to limit their contact with the Friguscor for safety reasons.  The Friguscor can sense the sweet smell of the Simulacrum, and once they've gained a taste of their blood, they have an insatiable hunger for more and are capable of inflicting monstrous atrocities in order to obtain it.  Veralee begins to question the long-standing rules and traditions of the Simulacrum and questions whether it is possible for the Friguscor to be saved.  And if it's possible, is it worth the risk?  

The book clearly wrestles with themes contained in the Bible - the differences between Jews and Gentiles of the OT; the Jews' struggle to decide who Jesus was; the tendency of many to blindly cling to law over grace; the offering of a perfect life in order to take the punishment of the guilty; the power of the blood of Jesus; and the reality of eternity. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't wait for Book 2 in this series!

I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.   Thanks Julia! 

Celebrate the Whit Award with Adventures in Odyssey

 

Most people can think of one or two figures whose love and life example had a great impact on the formation of their spiritual foundation. It might be a coach, a Sunday school teacher or a parent or grandparent. Whatever the role, it’s hard to put a value on the investment these people make on a daily basis. In an effort to bring honor to these countless, quiet heroes, Adventures in Odyssey announces the John Avery Whitaker Award. Named after Odyssey’s resident leader and the namesake of Odyssey’s most famous attraction, Whit’s End, the award will be bestowed annually on one deserving mentor.

Like the Adventures in Odyssey character John Avery Whitaker, or “Whit” as he’s known by fans of the show, the person should be someone who is passionate about innovatively teaching children the truths expressed in the Bible. Those who create Adventures in Odyssey know that while Whit might be a fictitious character, there are thousands of real people just like him. “Our hope is that by bringing those people into the light, others will be inspired to follow their example,” says Dave Arnold, the executive producer of Adventures in Odyssey. “If we can spur mature believers in Christ to mentor and influence a generation being barraged with messages of compromise, we can turn the tide and encourage revival in our youth.”

Nominations are being accepted now through October 31 for the “Whits” out there in the world. Beginning on November 1, one nominee will be selected daily and awarded with a prize package including Adventures in Odyssey's latest album, Taking the Plunge, and a DVD of the movie Beyond the Mask. One grand prize winner will be chosen and announced on November 20. This worthy recipient will receive more than $500 worth of Focus on the Family resources, including an Odyssey Adventure Club (OAC) membership. The OAC offers 24/7, on-the-go access to more than 800 episodes of Adventures in Odyssey, as well as a new, members-only episode every month. It is a safe, fun environment where the whole family can explore, create and imagine, all while learning biblical truth.
Nominations can be submitted via this form, or the information can be emailed to contest@whitsend.org. (See the Official Rules for all the details.)
To learn more about the John Avery Whitaker Award, visit www.whitsend.org. Discover the Odyssey Adventure Club at www.oaclub.org or on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.