Interview with Heather Joel [22:05m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (3)

Phil Joel (of Newsboys fame) and his wife, Heather, have been working in the children’s ministry in their church for the past six years. They have recently launched a new ministry for families, DeliberateKids, to help aid parents in teaching their kids about the Lord.

I recently had the chance to chat with Heather about DeliberateKids, being a mom and what it’s like to be married to one of Christian music’s biggest stars. Click the player above to listen in! Read the rest of this entry »

I have 4 kids. They range in age from 16 down to 4 months. The first 2 are 5 years apart. There are 9 years between the second and third. Number 3 and 4 are two and a half years apart. Given my vast experience I have confirmed my opinion on spacing your children. Here it is…

I think each child should be 4 years apart. By age 4 a child is more secure. He does not cry when separated from you at church, he can go potty, he (hopefully) is no longer clinging to a self soothing toy, bottle or paci except maybe at bedtime. He is in preschool and about to start Kindergarten. He can fetch a diaper and play alone for at least a little while. Perfect!
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From the original Things I’m Thankful For post:
I realized recently that I’ve had a bad attitude. Of course there are reasons behind it and yet I know that my attitude is to be like that of Christ (Philippians 2:5) and it certainly hasn’t been lately. So, I’m embarking on a new journey today - a journey of thankfulness.

As often as possible, I’m going to post things that I’m grateful for. Some may seem silly, some will be serious, but I pray all will bring glory to God.

I invite you to join me! Simply post a comment below to join in.

Today I’m grateful for:
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Our first teleseminar was a great success!

We’re launching a series of teleseminars to give you an edge in marketing and growing your business!

We’ve put together “Teleseminar Packages” so that you can purchase more than 1 at a time and save some money! Click HERE to learn more!

The teleseminars will be held every three weeks on the following topics:

* Press release Writing - Article Writing (7/30 - DONE!)

* Blogging / Newsletters / Social Networking (8/20)

* Marketing - Part II - “Out of the Box” Promotional Ideas, Other Marketing Tips, Direct Mail, Online Marketing, and more
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Recently, the kids and I chose to make the most beautiful smore bars that we saw featured in a magazine. We pulled out all the ingredients and read the instructions. We quickly realized that according to the directions… these smores would only taste as spectacular as they looked if we used their homemade marshmellows.

So, ambitious as our family is, we decided to embark on making homemade marshmellows. We carefully measured the ingredients and followed the instructions to the letter. We boliled the syrupy mixture to a whopping 360 degrees. The next instructions left out important details which would have been helpful. We next needed to pour this piping hot mixture into a bowl of other ingredients and using the mixer, whip it up to a thick creamy texture. I did just that.
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To all the mothers out there in cyber space (and beyond), if there is one area in our lives that we can all relate to when it comes to our children it’s COMMUNICATION. If you’re the mother of an infant, (especially one that’s a crier) you long for the days when they can simply tell you what’s wrong. If you’re the mother of a toddler (especially one who has temper tantrums) you wish they would use their words. However, if you’re the mother of a “drama tween” what then do you pray for?

First let’s define “drama tween.”

Well, we know that a “drama queen” is a person given to often excessively emotional performances or reactions. Merriam-Webster definition.

“Tween” is a derivation of the word “between” which means, in an intermediate space or interval. The word “tween” means a boy or girl not yet thirteen years old. A “tween” can also be referred to as a “preteen”, according to Merriam-Webster.

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 Interview with Margaret McSweeney [27:03m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (22)

Margaret lives with her husband and two daughters in a Chicago suburb. Her book, A Mother’s Heart Knows was published by Thomas Nelson in 2005. Go Back and Be Happy, a co-authored book will be published by Lion Hudson in July 2008.

Margaret has been featured on Greg Wheatly’s “Prime Time America,” TLN’s “Aspiring Women,” and LeSea’s “The Harvest Show.” Margaret writes freelance articles for The Daily Herald, the largest suburban Chicago newspaper. Notable interviews include Wolfgang Puck, Thomas Kinkade, Susan Branch and Dr. John Gottman. Margaret also wrote a feature article for crosswalk.com.

With a master’s degree in international business, Margaret became a vice president in the corporate finance division of a New York City bank and worked there from 1986-1993. Supporting charitable causes is important to Margaret. For the past five years, she has served on the board of directors for WINGS, an organization that helps abused women and their children get a new start in life.

Leah Martensen is a talented artist. Her newest CD, Still… , is a great example of her talent. It contains 10 tracks including songs like Ten Thousand Angels, Something Beautiful and The Beauty Of It All. I did have one small complaint in that the CD seems really soft compared to other CDs I own. Overall, though, I enjoyed listening.

Sample tracks can be listened to on Amazon and more information can be found on Martensen’s website.

I realized recently that I’ve had a bad attitude. Of course there are reasons behind it and yet I know that my attitude is to be like that of Christ (Philippians 2:5) and it certainly hasn’t been lately. So, I’m embarking on a new journey today - a journey of thankfulness.

As often as possible, I’m going to post things that I’m grateful for. Some may seem silly, some will be serious, but I pray all will bring glory to God.

I invite you to join me! Simply post a comment below to join in.

Today I’m grateful for:
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 Interview With William P. Young [30:11m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (32)

A few other bloggers and I got together yesterday for a wonderful interview with William P. Young, author of the New York Times Bestseller, The Shack.

About the Book:
Mackenzie Allen Philips’ youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his Great Sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend.

Against his better judgment he arrives as the shack on a wintry afternoon and walk back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack’s world forever.

In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant The Shack wrestles with the timeless question, Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain? The answers Mack gets will astound you and perhaps transform you as much as it did him. You’ll want everyone you know to read this book.
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