Twenty Dollars

A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20.00 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?" Hands started going up. He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this."

He proceeded to crumple up the $20 dollar bill. He then asked, "Who still wants it?" Still the hands were up in the air. Well, he replied, "What if I do this?"

And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. "Now, who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air.

"My friends, we have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20."

Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless.

But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless.

The worth of our life comes not in what we do or who we know, but by WHO WE ARE and WHOSE WE ARE.

--Author Unknown

Go in the knowledge that you are treasured today... by HIM!

My 2x4 Moment

Do you ever have those situations where you are minding your own business? You are paying attention to the moment, focusing on the here and now, oblivious to anything else around you and then…. POW… He does it. Out of nowhere, completely unexpected, never saw it coming.

God speaks right in the middle of what you are doing and OUCH… it feels as if you’ve encountered a 2x4?

Well, it happened to me. I encountered a 2x4.

There are just times in my life I don’t get it and that is all God has left. He tries to speak gently… I don’t listen. He tries to show me through things around me or even His Word… I don’t see it. He tries to explain it to me… I don’t get it. Sometimes it just takes a 2x4. Sometimes there needs the sting, the bruising… AH HA… the light bulb moment.

Do your children ever whine and beg? I heard it recently. I responded saying, “This is no longer up for discussion. You need to stop whining right now. I am not going to respond to your whining and begging. There are other things that need to be done right now. Continuing to whine and beg is not going to change the situation. You just need to stop!”

AND THEN IT HAPPENED!!!! *BANG* The 2x4 moment….. God speaks and this is what I hear Him say….

“Why do you continue to whine about your situation? Why do you continue to beg for an answer? Why do you question the place you are in?

This is not the time to reveal what the plans are. There is a time for that and that time is coming, but it is not now.

Why are you continually asking me the same questions repeatedly? Why do you not trust me to take care of you? Why do you think I have forgotten you and your situation? How could I have forgotten? You have not given me a moment to forget with your whining and complaining.

You have continued to require and request answers from me that I am not able to give you at this time. Not because I don’t have them… I do. But because this is not the time for that.

Stop whining. Stop begging. I am not going to respond to your whining and begging. There are other things that need to be done right now. Other things you need to be focusing on and working on. Continuing to whine and beg is not going to change the situation. You just need to stop!”

Do you see it? The swelling from my encounter with the 2x4? I walked into the 2x4 because I wasn’t looking where I was going… I was looking at everything EXCEPT where I needed to be which is right in front of me. I was too busy whining and begging for things to be different that I couldn’t see them as they are… a 2x4 in front of me.

Oh Lord, forgive me for being a big baby! Forgive me for being selfish and wanting my own way. Forgive me for my rude, demanding, and dictating spirit. Forgive me for the tantrum I have been throwing (privately of course… wouldn’t be very pretty to do it in public) because I am not getting my own way nor my own timing.

I have been a little girl, driving you crazy with my demands, my whining, my complaining, my begging…not recognizing that you are busy in my life. You are attempting to teach me. It’s just not the lesson I want to be learning so I have been ignoring you. I’m sorry. So very sorry.

Hey God, can I keep this 2x4 as a reminder? A souvenir of sorts? Thanks.

And hey, thanks for the ice pack for the bruising and swelling. I appreciate it!

A Reminder, A Winner

You may remember the giveaway of CD's I hosted in June. I wanted to remind you that you can still receive an additional 20% off your purchase of cd's (not including Clearance cd's) from their web store (www.seedsmusicstore.com). Just use the coupon code: MYQUIETCORNER at checkout to receive your discount. This offer will expire October 14, 2010 so don't delay!

Double Your Money

Get 2 CD's for the price of 1! The new packaging for Seeds Family Worship is unique. Each package contains two identical CD's. That means with any CD purchase you make, you will receive not just 1 CD for that price... but 2! One to keep and one to give away.

It's not too early to start your Christmas shopping!

~~~~~

For those of you that entered the Reluctant Entertainer Book giveaway... thank you for entering and sharing with me. How I desperately wish I could have given each one of you a copy of this book! Unfortunately, there is only one copy to give and the winner has been notified.

Remember that you can purchase a personalized, signed copy directly from Sandy.

You can also find the book on Amazon. It is even offered in a kindle version.
~~~~~

Don't go too far. Another book giveaway is right around the corner and with this one... I will be giving away FIVE copies! Stay tuned...

Some of Life's Simplest Things

The sun is shining.


A morning fire takes the chill off.


One of my favorite candles is lit for the first time this season.


I woke up desiring some time with my Lord.


I am reminded that sometimes it is some of life's simplest things that make for the beginnings of a good day...

What are some of life's simplest things that you are recognizing today?

Let the Giving Begin

Okay, okay.... it's been long enough. I've kept you in suspense for weeks waiting to see what I've been reading and am going to share with you.

Never mind that I thought the illnesses were coming to an end only to have me rushing our little guy into urgent care again 2 days ago with trouble breathing. New diagnosis. New meds. More breathing treatments every 4 hours. etc. etc. etc. You probably know the story around here by now...

Putting all that aside, you have all been waiting so patiently I couldn't stand to make you wait any longer, regardless of the craziness happening here in week 7 of it all. I'm beginning to wonder if this is my new normal?!

So, without any more delay... let's get this first book underway!

Do you know my friend Sandy? I "met" her in 2007 soon after she started blogging and have been a faithful reader of her blog and have exchanged e-mails since. I have not been disappointed.

I was so excited when I learned that Sandy would be writing a book. I was honored to be a small part of some of the process behind the scenes. Imagine my delight when Sandy's book "The Reluctant Entertainer" was released in August of this year.

Today... one of you are going to have the opportunity to be given a copy of her book!


I have learned so much from her and have been challenged in ways I never knew I even needed to be challenged. But then, isn't that what friends are for?

I wasn't necessarily reluctant to have people over, but I was reluctant to have people over if things weren't "perfect". Sandy has encouraged me that it's not the perfection that matters, it's the open door and warm heart that counts.

The first time I remember stepping out of my "perfection" box was inviting a family in for brownies when they dropped my son off from school. It was a last minute offer so my house was very lived in. I distinctly remember that my floors weren't even swept. Somehow, that didn't seem to change the taste of the brownies still warm out of the oven or affect the conversation of friends that seemed to flow.

Sandy has also helped me to see that inviting others over for simple things such as a BBQ, a bonfire or just a warm cup of coffee and time together is also serving up my heart in hospitality.

Her words and example have been an inspiration and increased in me a desire to do these types of things even more.

I was encouraged by the following quote from Sandy as I tend to be more of a spontaneous hostess. Often our invitations to others tend to be last minute.

"I so appreciate casual and last-minute invitations because people are just looking for connection..." (p. 94)

I was also challenged by this from Sandy:

"True hospitality is not always easy, and it's not always pretty- but it is about giving to others even when you're tired and you might not feel like it. I've felt that way many times, but I pushed through it and inspiration came." (p. 111)

I do not always feel like slowing the pace to extend of myself to others, or even feel like I have the time. However, I find that every single time I move forward in action and do... I am blessed!

Were I to want to do a more formal event or host a large event, I have every confidence I could pull it off. Sandy offers her experience on how to do such events. Her tips and advice would be useful, practical and so helpful.

This book will now be one of my first "go to" books for anything related to hospitality, entertaining or just a good read to curl up with over a cup of coffee to relish, relax, plan and dream.

More about the book:

This hardcover book is full of glossy pages and wonderful pictures. Typically with these types of books I tend to just browse through while glancing at the photos. I found myself being drawn into this one and read through it word for word.

I particularly enjoyed reading about engaging the five senses in entertaining. I had never thought about it that way before.

I also really appreciated the suggested pantry list included, the conversation starter ideas and the numerous other ideas and practical suggestions as it relates to entertaining.

Recipes can also be found throughout the book with an index at the back for easy searching later.

How can you get a copy?

You can purchase a personalized, signed copy directly from Sandy here.

It is even offered in a kindle version from Amazon here.

AND...

I am giving away a copy of Sandy's book. Leave a comment and tell me "Are you a planner or more spontaneous when it comes to having people over?"

The winner will be drawn Monday, Sept. 27. Be sure to leave a way I can contact you should you be randomly selected as the winner.

Finally, if you aren't already following Sandy at her blog, I recommend heading on over. First, you may want to grab your beverage of choice and be ready to settle in. You just may find yourself spending some time there.

Thank you to Sandy and Bethany House Publishers for providing this offer.

98.6

Dare I hope or even wonder if the beginning to the end is in sight? I can't even tell you the relief that washed over me the morning I walked into the kitchen and my husband said, "98.6". That's all he needed to say. I immediately knew he was referring to his temperature.

This pneumonia has had the temps of my family skyrocketing as high as 104.5 . Even with ibuprofen there were moments we couldn't get it below 103. You can see why the simple words of "98.6" sounded so wonderful!

We know there are weeks of healing ahead. The doctor prepared us for a minimum of 4 weeks. My son still mentions occasional fatigue with exertion even with his illness having been in August. Full restoration to health will just take time...

However, the fevers are gone. The amount of coughing is decreasing little by little with hopes of hearing it no more very soon. There is a hope that life may soon be returning to the crazy normal that we are used to. I truly look forward to the time when pneumonia is not included in the conversations of our days!

Now, if I can just rid my own body of this exhaustion as well as the headache, earache and sore throat that I have. I'm working on convincing myself it is simply a basic head cold with no major illnesses following behind.

Thank you to each one of you that has prayed for us! It means so much! As you think of it, continued prayers appreciated more than you know!

If all goes as planned, I'm hoping to do the first book reveal and giveaway next week! You won't want to miss it!!

Now, if you'll please excuse me. I'm off to lay down, if even for just a moment...

The Not So Quiet Weeks of My Break

In case you were wondering, I have not forgotten you all or this place. I wish I could say that life for us has been as quiet as the words on these pages have been the last few weeks.

We have had a visitor in our family since the first week in August. I had not intended for my current break to last this long, but the visitor is being quite stubborn, refusing to leave and draining every ounce of extra energy or time that I have. Although the visitor did give us one week of reprieve, every other week since Aug. 1 has included our visitor... and frankly I'm quite done!

Our visitor's name?.... Pneumonia

It started with our two older children being diagnosed and very ill with it. It then moved on to the little guy whose visit to urgent care just this morning revealed he is still in full battle against it. And to top it all off, now my hubby is very ill with it as diagnosed by our urgent care trip this morning.

Four out of the five of us have had a diagnosis of pneumonia in the last six weeks. All 3 of the children have had more than one antibiotic as the first ones weren't working, and 2 of them have had allergic reactions to antibiotics. Three of them have required breathing treatments every 4 hours in one form or another.

And amazingly, in the middle of all of this, some other big events have also taken place in these last few weeks:

* We had a week long family vacation with strict orders from the doctor to make it a resting vacation only.

* The oldest got his braces off.

* School started. It's official. We now have a High schooler and our daughter is in Jr. High.

* I worked one week of full time with my hubby doing the "Mr. Mom" thing. Both of us discovered a renewed appreciation of the days we each one encounter on a regular basis.

* I have completed 3 of the books waiting for their big reveal and giveaway and the 4th one is underway. Some FANTASTIC reads!!! More to come on this...

* I received a Kindle as a B-Day gift from my hubby. Now to just get a book or 2 downloaded. Any recommendations?

As for blogging, interestingly enough, in the past I have gone into each break pursuing whether to continue or not.

I entered this break fully intending to come back in full force. However, recent days have left me pondering, seeking and questioning my blogging and how/if it still fits for me. Not sure if my thinking is stemming from reality or sheer exhaustion?...

So, until things settle down in my world, a final decision one way or the other will not be made! Any thoughts, feedback or otherwise you'd like to share regarding this would be welcome.

In the middle of it all, God is stretching me, challenging me, growing me, convicting me and giving my head and heart a workout like it's not had for quite some time. I am so grateful He never ceases to change me or give up on me as a hopeless cause!