43 Days Until Kickoff!

So ready for some Alabama football!
Roll Tide Roll

Toys 'R' Us Christmas In July

Toys R Us Christmas in July sale is going on NOW through July 24. Toys R Us is also holding a very early Cyber Monday sale on July 26. Cyber Monday typically follows Black Friday, which is a big shopping day the Friday after Thanksgiving. Black Friday will fall on November 26th this year.

Here are some highlights of the Christmas in July deals:

* Free $20 Gift Card with the purchase of Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board
* 50% off the following board games: Scrabble, Monopoly, Sorry, Connect 4 and Trouble
* 50% off Coby 1.8" 4GB MP3 Player with Video
* Save $40 on Power Wheels Lil' Quads
* Save $100 on Big Backyard Carlisle Wood Gym Set
* 30% off all Moxie Girlz Dolls
* 25% off Razor Siege Caster and Spark Scooters

Here on some highlights of the Toys R Us early Cyber Monday sale.

* 50% off Crayola Color Wonder Color Explosion Products
* 20% off Pacific Cycle Bicycles
* 20% off Razor Scooters
* 20% off Barbie items
* 20% off Disney princess dolls
* 15% off Big Backyard Wood Gym Sets
* 15% off Adventure Playset Gym Sets
* 10% off Blast Zone Inflatable Bouncers

Back In Black Friday

Target is running a Black Friday sale this Friday, July 23. The Black Friday sale will be online only at Target.com. The sale will begin at approximately 12:00 a.m. (PDT) and conclude at 11:59 p.m. (PDT) on Target.com/BlackFriday. The online sale will offer an average of a 40 percent off regular prices on over 500 items across all categories, including apparel, electronics, toys, housewares, movies, music, books and more. Here are some highlights:

* Adult Bedding Collections, $14.99-52.49 (25% off)
* Clothing, including: dresses, tank tops and bathing suits, $14.99-33.74 (25% off)
* Philips Blu-Ray Disc player, $99.99 (42% off)
* Aiptek 6.0MP Digital Camcorder, $39.99 (60% off)
* Wii 9-in-1 Sports Pack, $25.00 (50% off)
* Ally McBeal: The Complete Series and original TV soundtrack, $83.99 (58% off)

$2.99 Meal Deal from Quiznos

Quizno's has another meal deal coupon!    Print it now before it’s gone.    My boys LOVE Quizno's so we will definitely be printing this out and inviting hubs to join us for lunch.

Since this coupon includes a sub, chips and a drink for only $2.99 that is a lunch out that my budget can afford!

Get Your Coupon Here

But hurry... coupon expires 7/27

Big Responsibility

Back in the Spring our youth pastor asked parents to consider being "coaches" for the summer.    He said that summer is such a busy time for families that often the kids of our youth group can get disconnected.   His goal was to assign students to an adult "coach" who would keep up with that student and how they were doing over the summer.

Hubs and I signed up to be coaches for the summer as we are already in love with all the students in our middle school ministry.      We immediately started one of our biggest responsibilities for these students which was praying for them.

Not too long after we were assigned our group of students, we found out that one of our guys was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer.      It has been quite overwhelming seeing this sweet young guy who is a friend of our Big Guy be diagnosed with cancer and begin his first weeks of 44 weeks of chemotherapy and radiation.     We have tried to do everything we know how to do as his church to support him.



Yesterday, we received news that another one of our guys is facing a tough time.    On Friday his Dad was told that he has to leave today for Iraq.     It was extremely short notice.      His Dad will be gone for a year.    Yesterday morning during our morning worship our church surrounded their entire family with prayer for his safety in his tour.     

We have so many other kids in our group and they each have their own needs as well.     I am sure you remember middle school (or junior high as we called it).     It was not my favorite time of my life.    I certainly wouldn't want to go back.    

If you have a few minutes today, please pray for two sweet guys.    One who will be saying goodbye to his Dad for a year as he serves our country and another as he goes back for another round of chemo.     Two brave men.

Love is a Flame

Real People. Real Stories. Real Love.

Happily ever after. Does it only happen in fairy tales, or in real life? Over the years love may burn strong and steady, but sometimes it grows cold. However, it can be rekindled--and these stories show how. Be inspired by true accounts of how love was revived and renewed.

You'll discover that love can grow stronger and burn brighter through the years as you read more than forty stories from everyday people like

* Jan, whose marriage was restored despite adultery.
* Marsha, who fought pornography and won.
* Bryan, who realized his family, not his career, was his most important responsibility.
* Emily, who learned that real love overcomes unrealistic expectations.
* Jeff, who went from dissatisfaction and boredom to falling in love all over again.


The true stories in Love Is a Flame will warm your heart and show you how to create a new spark in your marriage and build it into a glowing flame.

Book Review

I so remember those first sparks of attraction to my husband.    Tall, dark and handsome definitely describes him.     Those sparks grew as we got to know each other and fell in love.     Of course, after you get married all the day to day routines of life settle in.       The flame is there, but you really have to work at keeping that flame burning.     Just like a campfire, if you don't add fuel it will go out.    

This book is vignettes of marriages who had ebbing flames.    They were facing various situations which were dampening the flames of their marriage -- exhaustion, schedules, addictions, misplaced priorities, adultery -- but something changed a spark relit their marriage.

At the end of each vignette, author James Stuart Bell writes words of wisdom about God's plan for marriage.


This was such an easy ready and would make a great anniversary gift!

I was provided this book free by Bethany Publishing for my honest review.   

Christians are Hate Filled Hypocrites.... And Other Lies You've Been Told

Christians Are Hate-Filled Hypocrites...and Other Lies You've Been Told
by Bradley R.E. Wright, PhD
Bethany Publishing


What if all the bad news you've been hearing about Christians isn't true?

Here are some facts that may surprise you:

* Evangelicals are more respected by society today than they were twenty years ago.
* Divorce rates of Christian couples are lower than those of nonbelievers.
* The percentage of young people who attend church has held steady over the past twenty years.


All these statements are true, yet we've been told the opposite time and time again. Why is the church being misled? And what is the true state of Christianity in America today?

Sociologist Brad Wright shatters popular myths by sifting through the best available data. He reveals how Christians are doing when it comes to everything from marriage and morality to church growth and public perception. While not all the news is good, it turns out there is a wealth of encouraging information that we're not being told.

Get the truth behind the statistics you've been hearing and how the numbers are being manipulated, and discover what is really happening in American Christianity.

Book Review

I will admit that the first time I started reading this book, my mind started swimming with the statistics and I just put it aside.     I am not a statistics person.      They just don't interest me a lot because I think you can make numbers say anything you want.     Want people to think the sky is falling?   You can find a statistic for that.    Want people to think they should never eat chocolate again?    There is a statistic for that.

However, when I had a few minutes and picked up this book and gave it a honest look again, I realized that was exactly the point of this book.     We hear so many negative statistics regarding the church and Christians every day.    So many of them are frightening and downright discouraging.     However, as Dr. Wright points out, they simply are not true.    So many of them are just numbers which have been exaggerated and twisted.

The book definitely gives us a new set of eyes to look at all the statistics we are thrown each day in the media.    It is a perspective you will appreciate after all the negativity!         


The book was provided free by Bethany Publishing for my honest review.    

  

Bibleman: Combating the Commandment of Confusion

A dastardly villain plots to steal the armor of God.

The Commandant of Confusion and his side kick, Chaos, interrupt the Bible Adventure Training Academy and steal the Bible Team’s secret weapon, which helps them put on the full armor of God “anytime, anyplace.” There is a warning label on the secret weapon that reads in part, “this device contains the most powerful weapon known to man, follow instructions closely to prevent severe harm.” Will the Commandant heed the warning? Will the Bible Adventure Team recover it?

Scripture lesson: “God is not a God of confusion but a God of peace.” 1 Corinthians 14:33 (ICB)

Review

When the boys were younger we would always stock up on the newest Bibleman videos when we were going on any type of trips.    They LOVED Bibleman videos and I loved the fact that every episode taught a Scriptural truth.    When I was offered the chance to review this new DVD, I accepted the opportunity because I knew the boys would get a kick out of seeing a new episode and I would love to share it with a friend.

We were all really disappointed that this wasn't a true episode, but a LIVE show.      There isn't necessarily anything wrong with a LIVE show except that the recording wasn't a very quality recording.     I asked my boys to watch this and they did, but they both said they preferred the original Bibleman to this.

I still LOVE the premise of Bibleman.     He uses the "sword of truth" to fight his battles.      Every episode has an amazing Scripture basis.       However, if you are wanting to create a Bibleman fan I wouldn't start with this video.

Another Amazing Day In Asheville

Friday morning we woke up early to go to the Biltmore Village to eat breakfast at The Corner Kitchen.    This place was on everyone's list as a "must eat".     The Corner Kitchen is located in a home that was once occupied by an engineer that worked on the Biltmore Estate.     

I had pancakes with a blueberry compote.     Hubs ordered the Biltmore Village Breakfast.      We both agreed that it was so delicious.     Once again there was more food than either of us could eat.    

We enjoyed strolling up and down the Village streets after breakfast.    There are so many quaint little shops.

One of my favorite stores was a shop called Just Ducky.   It was clothing for children.   I really wanted to buy tons of dresses for my sweet MM and LK, but wound up not since I was so unsure of their sizes.

In the afternoon we headed back to the Biltmore to go kayaking.    The French Broad River flows straight through the middle of the estate.     We had the best time!    

It is a very easy flowing river so it was an hour and a half of very relaxing paddling.     There were so many ducks and birds and fish to see along the way.    There is also an awesome view of the estate at one point as well.      We had the best time just talking and paddling down the river.     We wanted to start all over when we got to the end.

I have always said that my hubs is one of the most romantic men ever and he proved it again while we were kayaking.     He had a message in a bottle that hidden for me to find along our kayaking route.     I was so shocked to find this bottle and this sweet romantic note from my sweet husband in the middle of our time together.     I am so blessed.     I hope he keeps me another 20 years!

After a quick shower we headed out to explore some more of Asheville.       Nine Mile was on our list for supper.     This is a Jamaican/Carribean restaurant that hubs was excited about trying.       He ordered their signature dish which included jerk chicken, roasted potatoes, squash and zucchini over basamati rice with toasted almonds.       I decided to try a Jamaican salmon dish.   It was served with grape tomatoes, kalamata olives, zucchini, square, feta cheese over linguini with a butter sauce.     Oh my it was good!

We drove through downtown to see what was going on.     Street performers of all ages were everywhere.   One street was lined with guys playing endless rounds of chess.    

Oh Asheville.... we enjoyed our time with you so much.   We'll be back again with our boys!

Afternoon Around Asheville

Walking around the Biltmore gave us quite an appetite.       We had several friends who gave us a list of restaurants that they recommended in Asheville.   One of those was "12 Bones".    We decided to give it a try for lunch.       It was one of those great places found in a old renovated gas station.     All of the locals love this place and it was packed even after the traditional lunch hour.  

They have 2-3 different flavored ribs available each day.    On the menu was their award-winning blueberry chipotle bbq ribs.    We decided we had to try it.    I decided to get jalapeno cheddar grits and cucumber salad with mine and hubs picked baked beans and corn pudding with his.

Neither of us could eat all of that food.     The ribs were delicious.    The service was so great and friendly.    I am so glad that we ate there.

With a full stomach we decided to go exploring the area.     We decided to head towards Lake Lure.    Lake Lure was where the movie, Dirty Dancing, was filmed.    Their visitor's center had a lot of framed memorabilia up in the office.     So much of Lake Lure looked exactly the way I remembered it in the movie.     The tourist center was busy planning for the Dirty Dancing Festival which will be held in September.    

After leaving Lake Lure we headed to Chimney Rock Park.     It was where scenes from "Last of the Mohicans" was filmed.     This thing is high.     You take a 26 story elevator ride just to get to the hide to get up there.  

As we are climbing the steps I noticed a few steps that looked cracked.    Not small cracks, but BIG cracks.  The kind you could drop things through.     I wasn't scared until I saw that.     I refused to step on those steps and I am sure I looked hysterical.    This really short girl trying to skip steps up the side of Chimney Rock.

We finally got to the top and the first place hubs goes is to the very edge for me to take a photo of him taking a picture with this sign.  

To keep myself from hyperventilating about the thought of him plunging over the edge, I decided to take some photos of the views.     It really was gorgeous.

Then hubs asked if he could take a picture of me.    I told him that was fine as long as he didn't mind a picture of me gripping this tree. 

We started making our way down and I really got nervous about those steps.     When we got down to the bottom they announced that they were closing Chimney Rock down for maintenance.     They needed to replace DANGEROUS STEPS!      Hubs looked at the guy and said, "My wife can show you exactly which ones need to be replaced if you have any doubts."    

After a full day we wound our way back down the mountain, found a Redbox to rent a couple of movies and went back to our suite to relax.     

No More Christian Nice Girl

No More Christian Nice Girl:  When Just Being Nice -- Instead of Good -- Hurts You, Your Family and Your Friends
by Paul Coughlin and Jennifer D. Degler, PhD
by Bethany House Publishing


Be the Strong, Confident, and Caring Woman You Were Meant to Be

Tired of doing all you can for others while your relationships remain stuck in neutral--or headed in reverse? Paul Coughlin and psychologist Jennifer Degler show how being nice can harm you and drain the life out of your relationships. They explore the keys to fulfillment at home, work, church, and even in the bedroom. You'll discover that emulating the real Jesus is the key to transforming from a Christian Nice Girl into an authentic, powerful woman of loving faith.

"What's wrong with being nice? Paul Coughlin and Jennifer Degler make a strong case that women need to be bold and assertive rather than people pleasers who try to do too much. I recommend this book to you."
--Dr. Kevin Leman, Author of The Birth Order Book and Have a New Kid by Friday


Book Review
Women wear a lot of hats -- daughter, sister, wife, mom, friend, aunt, cousin, friend, co-worker, church volunteer, etc...     We are constantly being asked to help or even just flat out "do".     I don't know about you, but it is easy to get trapped in the trap of saying yes whether or not you can honestly handle what you are being asked to do.      As girls, we were raised to be helpers.      Be nice.    Smile whether we felt like it or not.     Unfortunately, while these things were not necessarily bad they also did not teach us the Christ like way to live our lives.    God doesn't want us to make our decisions and prioritize our time just to make others happy.     He wants us to make those decisions based on what is best for His will for us.      

Are you stuck in a rut of being a people please instead of being a God pleaser?     Do you have a lifetime of habit of being non-confrontational and letting others run over you because you think that is what nice Christian girls are supposed to do?     No More Christian Nice Girl clearly shows through Jesus' example as well as Biblical women that we are to speak the truth in love in all areas of our life such as marriage, family, work, sex, and even when dealing with abusive relationships.     

This book would make an amazing women's Bible study as the end of each chapter includes study questions.   A great practical book! 

The Biltmore

We woke up early Thursday morning and heard the weatherman warning Asheville residents to be careful because the day was going to be the hottest day of the year.   A whopping 92 degrees.     On one hand it was kind of funny that we were there on the hottest day of the year and on the other hand it cracked us up that 92 was the hottest day of the year.     (The next day it would be back to 85.)

We had breakfast on the balcony and headed out early to the Biltmore.     The Biltmore was one of our biggest reasons for wanting to go to Asheville.      Isn't this place gorgeous?      It is the largest home in America.     This 250 room estate was built in 1895 on 8,000 acres.      The house takes up four acres of floor space, has 34 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, and 65 fireplaces including an indoor swimming pool, gymnasium, bowling alley, and kitchens.

We took an audio tour of the home.      We have already decided that when we go back we will be taking the "behind the scenes" tour.     

My favorite parts of the house?     Definitely the library.    There are 10,000 books in this room alone and that is not all the books in the house.   Mr. Vanderbilt was declared the most well read man in the world during his time and if you saw all those amazing books you would know why.      There was a secret passageway from the library to Mr. Vanderbilt's bedroom so he could slip in to get a book anytime he wanted it.     Ahhh... perfection!

They had three kitchens:  a main kitchen, a pastry kitchen and a rotisserie kitchen.       Wouldn't my Little Guy be in heaven?   I can't wait to take him back so he can see it. 

After touring the house we went to see the gardens.    I was almost afraid to get too close to all those beautiful plants.     I have such a black thumb that I was afraid everything would wilt in my presence.

Frederick Law Olmsted designed all the gardens and grounds of the Biltmore.    He also designed New York's Central Park.      Out of all the things he put on this 8,000 acres, by far our favorite thing was the reflecting pond behind the estate.    He designed and put it there simply to reflect the beauty of The Biltmore for those who drove past.    

Asheville Bound

I woke up Wednesday morning to my sweet husband whispering, "Happy Anniversary!  Ready to start this adventure?"    Was I ready?    Oh yes!    We don't get time like this very often so I was so excited to have a few days just he and I.   

We packed the car and entered our destination into GoogleMaps (have I ever mentioned how much I adore GoogleMaps?)  and headed out.     About an hour into our trip we saw an outlet mall so we stopped and browsed for a little while.   

We enjoyed the beautiful drive into Asheville.    We both wondered if the people who live in that area have gotten immune to all that amazing lush mountainous beauty.   

 All these gorgeous paths to hike up and down every day...

We immediately checked into our hotel which was a beautiful all suites hotel.     If you are ever in Asheville, we highly recommend The Residences at Biltmore.  

We checked into our suite to find these cute balloons as well as a bottle of Biltmore Sparkling Grape Juice, bath crystals and a sweet note wishing us "Happy Anniversary".

Our living room with balcony overlooking the fireplace and fire pit...

Our bedroom...   Notice that there is something on the bed?

Isn't this sweet?    My sweet hubs put these cookies and card on my pillow while I was getting dressed to go out to supper.

 The Residences gave us a $50 gift certificate to a local restaurant for our anniversary so we decided to go there for supper.   Frankie Bones is a classic American-Italian style place.     The entire place is so sleek.    Decorated entirely in black and silver and high back burgundy leather booths with FB monogrammed on them.      Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack memorabilia is everywhere and Frank's music is playing in the background.    

The food was amazing.     Their signature dish was a coffee marinated ribeye so we had to order that.   We also decided to try their Savannah Tilapia.    We couldn't decided which we liked more.    Our waiter highly recommended their signature appetizer: twice baked potato spring rolls.    Oh my gravy!     We wound up taking half of that food back to the suite with us, but it was worth it.      Before we left the manager brought us two absolutely HUGE chocolate dipped strawberries and wished us a Happy Anniversary.    

Several friends told us that we had to go to the Grove Park Inn so we headed up the mountain to watch the sunset from their famous terrace.      This place is gorgeous and so were the views.    What a great place to watch the sunset.

What a great first day in Asheville.