Wednesday Love :: Very Belated

Hey friends!

Hope you are having a lovely weekend! Wow! I cannot believe the weather! It is glorious! I think it's in the 60s! It is craziness that we had snow this past week!

Yesterday was the regional meet! Makos got third overall! Whoo hoo! My cut for the 100 breaststroke was a 1:29:99. When I got the cut it was 1:28:?. I really wanted to swim under the cut! I was so excited when my time was a 1:27:99! I was at the pool from 10-5:45. A very long but good day! It was nice to chat with lots of fun friends :o)

This past Thursday was my last January swim lesson. The kids had to go to the deep end, which was a pretty big deal! Everyone did it and did a great job! I am so proud of my munchkins!

Wow- I have not posted my Wednesday Lovin for two weeks! Whoops!

So here it is :o)

1. PluggedIn

PluggedIn is a ministry of Focus on the Family! It has fabulous media reviews- movies, videos, tv shows, music, and even games- that are from a Christian perspective! I always check PluggedIn before watching a movie I don't know a lot about! Check it out! Also see their FamilyRoom!

2. RBCN on Vimeo

Check out the videos of the preaching and teaching at my awesome church!

3. Etsy

Wow. Etsy is an amazing site with everything homemade you can think of! So fun!

4. Pandora!

Free Internet radio!

5. Do Hard Things Tour 2011- from here

The Rebelution Tour 2011

Many of you have emailed us to ask about locations for the 2011 conference tour. Well, the wait is over! Below is the official (tentative) list of dates and locations:

Orlando, FL — June 18, 2011

Philadelphia Williamsport, PA — June 25, 2011

San Diego, CA — July 9, 2011

Portland, OR — July 30, 2011

Kansas City, KS — August 6, 2011

Indianapolis, IN — August 27, 2011

Baton Rouge, LA — September 17, 2011

We think the 2011 conferences will be amazing. We’re excited to return to two cities where we had incredible conferences in past years, and we’re excited to bring the tour to five new cities — including Orlando and Philadelphia Central PA!

Of course, all of these dates and cities are subject to change. We’re hard at work to nail down details, sign contracts with facilities, and recruit local teams. If you’d like to help out, please email us at info [at] therebelution [dot] com.

Keep checking back over the next several weeks for confirmed dates and locations, as well as registration. We’ll update the website as soon as we have those details.

2011 and Beyond

Since the first conference in 2006, over 50,000 teens, parents, and youth workers have gathered to be inspired by a message and a movement that is so much bigger than any of us. This year marks our fifth annual tour — possibly the last.

This is not to say that the Rebelution is coming to an end. Doing conferences has been an incredible privilege for both of us. We’ve been able to work with rebelutionaries across the country, spread the “do hard things” message to thousands of our peers, and see God change hundreds and hundreds of lives.

But we always knew that the day would come when God would call us to step into new seasons and new challenges — continuing to “do hard things” and live out the message of the Rebelution by building on the foundation we laid in the teen years.

But the Rebelution isn’t over. At each of the conferences this year, we’re going take some time to talk about the future, for us and you. Whether you’re entering the teen years or leaving them behind, we hope you’ll join us as we strategize about the future of the movement — and the future of our generation.

Verse of the Week :: from JFarese

By Keith Beauchemin

Dear Brethren,

Luke 10:41,42

And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."

Our lives often become hectic. Our days are crammed with so many activities, and we tend to perpetuate the same busyness into the lives of our children with soccer, music lessons, etc, etc, etc. So, as their lives become hectic our lives become even more hectic. We all become like Martha, anxious and troubled about many things.

But Jesus tells us there is only one thing that is needed or necessary. The focus of our lives has to be the Lord Jesus Christ. Mary was calmly sitting at His feet and absorbing every word He taught. We need to sit still and pull our minds and thoughts away from the many legitimate things we have to do each day. Then we need to focus our minds upon the word of God and fellowship with our Lord in prayer. This is the one thing that is needful. This is what will calm our anxious hearts.

May the Lord help us to be diligent like Martha, but with the focus upon the one thing needful, like Mary.

One Thousand Gifts :: Take Two

I am thankful for ::

27-47

27. The privilege of attending the Rally for Life yesterday

28. The sanctity and gift of life

29. Others, including politicians, willing to stand up for life

30. Grace Pregnancy Resource Center

31. The finish of a great sermon series on Gideon

32. Spending a lovely evening and lots of great conversations with our dear friends the Graves

33. Making Polly Jane laugh, reading to a very attentive listener Elijah, Haven's enthusiasm

34. Lovely weather today

35. The cheerfulness and great senses of humor my sisters have

36. My brilliant and wonderful Momb :o)

37. Dad as the amazing and wise leader of our home

38. Hannah and her "Sun" Dance :o)

39. Spending time with Papa

40. Healing of my dear Nana

41. Lovely texting mittens Nana made for us :o)

42. Pandora when writing papers

43. Dear friends

44. Lots of improvement in my little munchkins

45. God answering prayers

46. Getting to be part of a Bible Study with four dear friends!

47. God's mercy and grace, new every morning

Rally for Life and Sanctity of Human Life Sunday 2011

Rally for Life- Sanctity of Human Life THIS Sunday, January 23rd.

Mark your calendar and make plans now to attendTennessee’s Rally for Life in Nashville. Timed to mark the tragic 38th anniversary of the 1973 Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton decisions which legalized abortion through all nine months of pregnancy, the annual Rally for Life celebrates the dignity and value of every human life. The January 23 Rally for Life is also significant due to the January opening of the Tennessee legislative session in which key pro-life proposals will be debated, includingSJR127. A strong pro-life presence at the Rally will be an encouragement for pro-life legislators to act and lead for life. Tennessee Right to Life is pleased to welcome Ed Rivet, Legislative Director for Right to life of Michigan. Under his leadership some of the nation’s most groundbreaking pro-life protections have been enacted. Tennessee’s Rally for Life will be held on Sunday, January 23, 2:00 p.m. (cst) in the War Memorial Auditorium onLegislative Plaza, 301 6th Ave N, Nashville 37243. Special thanks to the Knights of Columbus Insurance of Tennessee, Schachle Agency, for their assistance in again helping to underwrite this year’s event. For more information, please call Tennessee Right to Life at 1-877-CHOOSE LIFE (246-6735) or click here to email our office about ordering flyers and bulletin inserts. Click here for directions.

Sample bulletin announcement: Please join with some of Tennessee's most respected religious and political leaders at the War Memorial Auditorium in Downtown Nashville as we show our concern, prayers and hope for the protection of human life in our state and nation. Guest speaker will be Ed Rivet, Legislative Director of Right to Life of Michigan. Come be a part of this dynamic event and find out what you can do to help defend the innocent child in the womb, the elderly and those with disabilities in our country. The rally will be held on Sunday, January 23rd from 2pm – 3:30 pm. For more information, please call Tennessee Right to Life at 615-298-5433, 1-877-CHOOSE LIFE or e-mail info@tnrtl.org.

Chapters of Tennessee Right to Life January events:

· Blount County Right to Life: Celebration of Life Service, Thursday, January 20, 7:00(est), Alcoa Maryville Church of God

· Bradley County: Candle Light Memorial Service, Monday, January 24, 7:00 p.m.(est), Living Word Church, Cleveland

· Chattanooga: National Memorial for the Unborn Service, Sunday, January 16, 2:30 p.m.(est), National Memorial for the Unborn

· Henry County Right to Life: Rally for Life, Pro-Life Essay Contest Winning Essay, Sunday, January 23, 1:00(cst), Henry County Courthouse

· Humphreys County Right to Life: Sanctity of Life Memorial Service, Sunday, January 30, 6:00(cst), Waverly Nazarene Church

· Tennessee Right to Life, Knox County: March for Life, Sunday, January 23, 2:00(est), Calvary Baptist Church (prayer service) followed by march to the abortion clinic on Concord to Tyson Park. Visitwww.trlknox.org for more information.

· Putnam County Right to Life: Pro-Life Praise Rally, Friday, January 21, 12:00(cst), Putnam County Courthouse, 3^rd Floor.

· Sevier County Right to Life: March for Life, Sunday, January 9, 1:00(est), Pigeon Forge Community Center to Country Tonite Theatre. Rally for Life, 2:00(est), Country Tonite Theatre, featuring Debbie Picarello.

· Shelby County Right to Life: Rally for Life, Sunday, January 16, 2:00(cst), Bartlett Performing Arts Center.

From this website. Also check out Tennessee Right To Life.

Belated :: One Thousand Gifts Take 1

Several friends of ours have been making a list each Monday of things they are thanking God for- and I have decided to join in! So each Monday I will be on my way to making a list of 1000 Gifts I am thankful for. Ann Voskamp started making a list and is now on 2187! Check out her blog! She also has a book- post from Faithful Provisions and on Amazon.

1-27

1. God's mercy and grace, new every morning

2. My wonderful family

3. An amazing church family

4. Story time at church with adorable munchkins

5. Fabulously fun and dear friends

6. Hearing the Gospel preached every Sunday

7. My patient family- who listen to my stories :)

8. The blessing of being able to teach swim lessons

9. Having seven cheerful and enthusiastic munchkins to teach how to swim

10. Getting to read Pride and Prejudice for school- it makes me happy :o)

11. The blessing of homeschooling

12. Healing from sickness

13. My very fun swim team and rockin our meets last week

14. Getting to play in the worship band at church every Sunday

15. The joy and pleasure when my swim students get what I am teaching- and I can see improvement :o)

16. Hanging out with friends at the mall when our chem lab got cancelled

17. Ice Cream Tuesdays and Ice Cream Any Day of the Week days ;o)

18. Seeing very fun friends in Sound of Music

19. Playing music from Pride and Prejudice on the piano on rainy days

20. My supportive and encouraging fam

21. Chatting for many minutes on the phone with Jenny :o)

22. Lots of cute, new babies at church

23. Hearing precious Haven enthusiastically say "Lily!" and "I did it!"

24. Laughing with Julia and Hannah- "HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT BEAN PRICES IN CHINA?!"

25. My Whitver family

26. Getting my paper in on time today :)

27. Hot tea

Saturday

The Makos, for the first time ever, got first in the Excel High School Invitational today!! Whoo hoo!! There were over 400 swimmers at this meet so it was very exciting that we won! GO MAKOS!!!

I wanted to share the lyrics of the hymn I am playing tomorrow, "What a Friend we have in Jesus"

1. What a friend we have in Jesus,
   All our sins and griefs to bear!
   What a privilege to carry
   Everything to God in prayer!
   Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
   Oh, what needless pain we bear,
   All because we do not carry
   Everything to God in prayer!
2. Have we trials and temptations?
   Is there trouble anywhere?
   We should never be discouraged—
   Take it to the Lord in prayer.
   Can we find a friend so faithful,
   Who will all our sorrows share?
   Jesus knows our every weakness;
   Take it to the Lord in prayer.
3. Are we weak and heavy-laden,
   Cumbered with a load of care?
   Precious Savior, still our refuge—
   Take it to the Lord in prayer.
   Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
   Take it to the Lord in prayer!
   In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
   Thou wilt find a solace there.
4. Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised
   Thou wilt all our burdens bear;
   May we ever, Lord, be bringing
   All to Thee in earnest prayer.
   Soon in glory bright, unclouded,
   There will be no need for prayer—
   Rapture, praise, and endless worship
   Will be our sweet portion there.

Friday

Hey friends!

I hope you watched the video I posted yesterday :)

Makos won the meet vs. BHS last night!! Whoo hoo!! We have another meet tomorrow- the Excel Invitational. There are about 450 swimmers entered in the meet. It's going to be pretty crazy! It'll be fun, though! GO MAKOS!

Julia got her wisdom teeth taken out this morning. :( Please pray for her! I think it is kind of funny both sisters have had wisdom teeth out before me! :)

Highlight of my day: I started teaching swim lessons last week! I have seven little munchkins in two classes! Today one of the little girls made me a card! It says "I like swimming" on the front and "I like you" on the back. PRECIOUS!! :o) It made my day :) It is now hanging in my room!

Chemistry yesterday was very entertaining haha! "The ates have more than the ites! *clap clap*"

You should check out my friend Maddie's vlog! She is so fun! Check it out!

Lily :o)

Wow. Just wow.

Wednesday Love: Pride and Prejudice!

Time for some Wednesday Lovin, folks!

One thing I am lovin is feeling better. All six members of our household have been sick for the past two weeks. First Julia and Hannah got sick, then Mom, Cara and I, and then last but not least, Dad got sick. Thankfully we are on the Road to Recovery! :)

This week I would like to do a little lovin on one of my favorite books (and movies) of all time:

Pride and Prejudice!

(*insert clapping and cheering*)

My homework over break for lit was to read the first half of Pride and Prejudice. (Thank you, Mrs. Griffin! :D) Life is good, folks! Pride and Prejudice is what we call super happy homework! I told my lab class I would curl up with Pride and Prejudice and tea while there was snow outside and I did. :)

Ahhh. The. book. is. so. good. If you have not read it recently, please go treat yourself. Or at least put it on your 2011 reading list. :)

I have seen the movies many, many times and have read the book so it is fun to compare how things are different in the three. In the book, Mr. Collins is tall. In the movies, he is short. But extremely ridiculous in both book and movies.

The Movies

I have only seen the Keira Knightley and Colin Firth movies. (I have not seen the BBC version. Did you like it? Should I watch it?)

Some folks like one or the other better. I love them both dearly.

Colin Firth can never be replaced as Mr. Darcy. End of story.

Also, a movie to avoid at ALL COSTS: Lost In Austen. One of the WORST movies I have ever seen. It was offensive and vulgar and just plain BAD. Just so you know. :)

I LOVE the cinematography in the newer version. The scenery and music are stunning. I love in the A&E version how it is practically reading the book. Lovely.

The Bennet ladies

Covers:

Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy:

Matthew Macfadyen as Mr. Darcy:

Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet:

Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennet:

Rosamund Pike as Jane Bennet:

Susannah Harker as Jane Bennet:

Crispin Bonham-Carter as Charles Bingley:

Simon Woods as Charles Bingley:

Well folks, I hope you have enjoyed today's Wednesday Love!

I also hope that you will treat yourself to some form of Pride and Prejudice sometime in 2011! It is pure goodness. And it makes me very happy. :)

Lily :o)

I have called you by your name

Isaiah 43:1b

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by your name;

You are Mine."

Fear often grips our hearts - fear of speaking the truth, fear of what others will think of us, fear of death, fear of our children not coming to Christ, and the list could go on and on.

But wrap your heart in these truths, and your fears will melt away. The Lord himself has redeemed you. He has redeemed you from your sins, from death and the judgment to come. He has paid the price in full.

The God of the universe, the Creator of all things, who rules over the heavens and the earth, has called you personally by your name. He has made you his own dear child and has declared for all to know, "You are Mine."

When you feel fears rising in your heart, meditate on these truths, and tell yourself, "I will not be afraid, for God has redeemed me and has called me by name."

By Keith Beauchemin, from Johnny Farese

Top 10 Movies of '10

From Plugged In Online - Christian media reviews (a ministry of Focus on the Family)

Check out other "Top 10 of '10" media results here (very interesting).

TOP 10 MOVIES

Toy Story 3 (G) $415.0 million
Alice in Wonderland (PG) $334.2 million
Iron Man 2 (PG-13) $312.1 million
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (PG-13) $300.5 million
Inception (PG-13) $292.6 million
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (PG-13) $283.5 million
Despicable Me (PG) $251.3 million
Shrek Forever After (PG) $238.4 million
How to Train Your Dragon (PG) $217.6 million
The Karate Kid (PG) $176.6 million

Even though Toy Story 3 officially topped Box Office Mojo's list of the highest-grossing movies released in 2010, it wasn't actually the year's biggest movie. Avatar (PG-13), which was released in December 2009, earns that honor. James Cameron's sci-fi epic took in a whopping $476.9 million of its record-breaking $760.5 million North American gross (including the August re-release of Avatar: Special Edition) in 2010. Possibly even more interesting than that is the fact that none of the Top 10 movies of 2010 were R-rated. The highest-grossing R of the year, Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island, clocked in at a measly No. 17 with revenue of $128.0 million.

Belated Wednesday Love: Family Games

Hey friends!

Time for a little belated Wednesday (or Friday :) lovin!

A Family Game!

We got this game for Christmas and it is so much fun!!

Bohnanza:

Check it out on Amazon here or at Rio Grande Games. This game is for 2-7 people, about 45 mins to play, and suggested for ages 12 and up. Game description: "Bean farming was never so much fun! In Bohnanza, you have two or three bean fields and a handful of bean cards to plant in those fields. When you sell beans, you earn more for growing more of one variety than a few of several. Thus, you want to plant as many of your favorites as you can. But you must plant the beans in your hand in the order you got them. To get rid of the beans you don't want to plant, you trade them to other players for those you want. With clever trading, you get the cards you want without helping the other players too much. In the end, the player who earns the most gold is the winner!" Our family has had a lot of fun playing this game!

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Some fun videos:

That just makes me happy. :)

Another fun one!

Haha this makes me laugh!

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Yesterday I taught my first swim lessons! I have seven little enthusiastic munchkins! I am so excited and it is a lot of fun!

Last night we went to see some of my very talented friends in the Sound of Music! WOW was it fabulous!!!

Lily :o)

winter

christmas morning
ornament
piano and lights (one of my faves)
ribbon
more bokeh playing :)
tree
playing with the sun

lights in the snow

my cold feet- I dashed out to take lights in the snow pics!