Fun Monday

Back Seat Driver

Sunday after church we stopped at Sonic to pick up lunch. We had our food and headed home. My husband turned left and pulled out into the turning lane and drove there for a little bit (I wasn't scared yet) before he realized he needed to scoot on over to the right lane. He said, "Oh, I guess I could move over." As he was saying that, our three-year-old was saying, "Dodge and weave! Dodge and weave!" (He had recently watched Disney's Cars.) I was laughing so hard that it took me a minute to interpret what he was saying for our driver!


Do you have any funny traveling or adventure stories we could share this month? We would love to hear it! You can send them to Shelly(at)momandlovingit(dot)org.


Posted by Shelly, Mom and Loving It Ministries Assistant

Gettin' Our Kicks on Route 66

We've been singing the song, "Route 66," as we make our way to California...We were at Amarillo by sunset, then Gallup NM by morning! The hours flew by. Thirteen hours felt more like 6 to me. Somebody must be praying!
Some Other Prayer Requests:

• Everything has gone as planned except for the speed we use gas in the Hilliard's van as they pull the trailer...about 10.5 miles/gallon. I've never been so glad to see Clines Corners in all my life! They were on fumes after filling up not much before that. We are praying that God will stretch the gas as far as it will go. He could multiply food - why not gas?
• Also, pray that God will grow our marriages while we're out here. It's no shock that trips can put a strain on relationships, but I'm planning on getting better.
• We will be speaking to over 600 moms while we're in California. Pray for our hearts as we continue to prepare and for the ladies to be receptive. We hope they will be able to take some resources home that will encourage them after we're gone.

We've started reading The Bronze Bow, watched movies, listened to Adventures in Odyssey Mysteries, worked some, and Pat has been listening to podcasts from NorthPointe Church with Andy Stanley. Good stuff.
We got into our hotel very late last night, but I was wide awake at 6:30, so I'm getting a little quiet time. Laurie did the same! Crazy...I think we're excited! But, we are hoping for a nap later.
Blessings!
Sharon

Thanks for Praying!

Laurie and Sharon and their families are leaving soon for a mini-tour in Southern California. They will be speaking at moms groups in Riverside, San Clemente, Santa Clarita, and Yorba Linda. Then they will have a Mom...and Loving It! Conference in Canyon Lake. If you are in the area and would like to come, contact us and we will give you the contact information.


Many of you won't be in Southern California next week, but you will be praying for us. Thank you so much! We really appreciate it! Hope you have an adventurous sping break, even if it is in your backyard!

Adventures Close to Home

A few years ago we were in the middle of Dave Ramsey's baby steps to pay off debt, and there was not a lot of extra money for a Spring Break Adventure. Anybody else been there? So that year we had adventures close to home! We rode the light rail train to our local zoo. And the kids loved it! You can tell they are kids of the safety seat era because they felt so free they raised their hands like they were on a roller coaster!





















One night we slept in tents in our backyard. We set up two tents--two kids in one, and Mom with one kid in the other. That was the plan anyway. Reality found all four of us and the dog in one kid-sized tent! For breakfast we had pancakes (which is a treat at our house) just like we do when we go camping in Colorado in the summer.






The next day we had a bike ride to the playground. It wasn't anything too expensive, but it was out of our ordinary. Perfect for a spring break adventure close to home!


Do you have adventurous spring break plans? Even if it is close to home!


Posted by Shelly, Mom and Loving It Ministries Assistant

An Amazing Race

“Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us…”Hebrews 12:1

Have you seen the Amazing Race? Around 5:00 on Sundays, my family starts checking the time hoping that 60 Minutes stays within it’s allotted 60 minutes allowing The Amazing Race to come on at 7. We are real fans. I’ve been bugging my brother for years to be my partner and try to be on the show. We would be the middle-aged siblings…and we’d win because we’re both pretty scrappy and can do a little bit of everything.

Chris and I were the perfect contestants. My family was so convinced that we would be on the show that they were already sad about my being gone so long! Such sweet supporters!

Dec. 15, 2010. The Amazing Race was having try-outs in Durant, OK only an hour from our homes. This was our chance. It must be meant to be since the auditions were so close! We decided what to wear - Texas Rangers shirts to represent Texas and our Rangers who made their first ever trip to the World Series in 2010 (Go Rangers!) I even bought a new pair of boots!

I don’t know what I was thinking. I guess I thought we were the only and biggest fans of this show. (That’s why it’s been on TV for so many seasons!) We were ready. Scripted, sort of. There wouldn’t be more than a few people and we would shine above them all.

We arrived around 10 am on a Wednesday morning in the middle of December, the busiest time of the year. When they began passing out numbers we were number 102…not bad, except we were 102 in the pink group. There was a blue 102…204 teams so far. But the day was young.

After hours of waiting and meeting all sorts of people around us, some that had driven from Austin, Dallas, Lubbock, Arkansas, and Houston, we finally made it to the waiting area with actual chairs. That made me nervous. When it was our turn, I lost my brain. I stuttered, babbled, and didn’t even use my best line… “I’ve traveled the country with my sister, I thought it would be great to see the world with my brother!” I’d practiced it for weeks and then when it was time, I forgot! (Now y’all just think I’m weird! It was a humiliating experience.)

Our amazing adventure had been summed up in a few hours! That was all there was going to be.

By the time we left, there were over 500 teams. I felt very insignificant. In fact, over the Christmas break, I struggled with how big the world is and where is my place and what’s so special about me and why do I try to do anything because there’s somebody who will do it better. I was so worried that I hadn’t “wowed” the producers, I failed to remember I already had the approval of The Producer.

I had forgotten that “Jesus loves me.” He knows my name. He even knows how many hairs are on my head. I’m not just a number in the sea of humanity.

Colossians 3:12 calls those who know Christ,
“God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved…”

The world is a big place, but instead of trying to impress some other human, my worth can never be shaken when I find it in The One who has chosen me to live this day, for such a time as this, in my house, and in my community.

If you’re feeling insignificant today, don’t bite into the lie that looms in front of you. Instead, look up and know that He smiles when He thinks of you. He loves you and has an amazing race planned for your life. It starts today, so…On your mark, get set…GO!

Racing with Him...Sharon

“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 a hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

Getting Ready to Go...

Today, we are going shopping to get ready for our California trip next week. We're trying to be budget conscious. Finding clothes that can be sold at a consignment store has been our goal this morning. We'll also find some great deals at our favorite consignment stores...sort of trading the outgrown for "new" things that fit!


I'm finding that it's much easier to have kids who are willing to "clean-out" when they have the adventure of a trip in front of them. While looking for clothes that fit for this fun adventure, we are cleaning out, too. It's much easier to get them moving when there is something to look forward to.


Sometimes our family is a last minute group (I think that's mostly my fault!) But, hopefully this time, we've planned a little better and won't be running around like chickens with our heads cut off at the last minute. (Now there's an interesting conversation to have with your kids...chickens running around...eeeeyoooo!)


We would really appreciate your prayers as we head out. We'll have LOTS of hours in the car from Texas to California. While we are there, we'll have the opportunity to speak to 600+ moms. What an amazing opportunity and incredible responsibility. To God Be The Glory!!

14 Days of Love Undone…Loving Yourself

14 Days of Love was such a great idea! 14 days from the beginning to Valentine’s Day. That was the original plan. Then when I realized I couldn’t possibly get a thoughtful blog in everyday, I decided we could use the whole month of February for 14 days of love…every other day. But, every other day still proved to be a challenge. So now I come to you on the first day of March (though you won’t see this until at least the 2nd because my internet is down) with the last of the 14 –4 Days of Love.


I decided the best way to end this series was to be an example of loving myself. Love yourself today, tomorrow, the month of March, the whole year by giving yourself a break. I’ve been kicking "me" for the past week when I realized that even if I wrote a blog everyday, I still wouldn’t get enough in before the 28th! I felt like a failure!


But, girl to girl, I’m telling you that I just couldn’t get it all done. And admitting it makes me feel much better. Not that I’m a quitter, or even a slacker. I don’t feel that. I do feel like I’ve written what God had for me to share even if that’s not the nice box of 14 that I thought it was going to be.


So, while I’m asking you to let me off the hook, and as I give myself a break, I want to know what you need to be free from. In what areas do you need to love on yourself by giving yourself some slack? What is dragging you down? How are you bound by guilt today?


You certainly don’t have to share, but if you’re anything like me, you’ll feel better after you do.


“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6 Completion might not always appear as I think it should, but that doesn't mean it's not complete. So from the __ Days of Love ... The End.

In March...as we can, we'll be blogging about our trip to California. We leave March 11th. If you'd like to pray for us, let us know and we can give you specifics.

Following Him,
Sharon