Guest Post From Mother Teresa

Posted on 06.25.08 in General and there are 2 comments.

This week has been ridiculously crazy for me. It’s very late, I’m very tired and I don’t have anything worthwhile to say.

So instead of trying to eek out a lame post, please read this post, this post and this post

...and let your soul marinate in the wisdom of Mother Teresa:

If you do good, people may accuse you of selfish motives. Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you may win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway.

The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.

Honesty and transparency make you vulnerable. Be honest and transparent anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway.

People who really want help may attack you if you help them. Help them anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you may get hurt. Give the world your best anyway.”

“I want you to be concerned about your next door neighbor. Do you
know your next door neighbor? “

“I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can
be no more hurt, only more love. “

A Very, Very Big Day

Posted on 06.23.08 in Family Parenthood and there are 11 comments.

Today was the start of The 40 Day Fast, but that’s not why today was a very big day.

Today was a very big day because my very little girl turned a very big 6 years old.

It’s hard to believe how the years have flown.

I’m so proud of her. Here’s a little glimpse of the wonderful little woman of God she’s becoming.

Story 1

About a week ago, she (The Small Person) woke up before anyone and went to the living room, curled up in a chair and spent some time reading her Bible. Not a children’s Bible - a real-no-pictures-in-it Bible.

She then proceeded to memorize Psalm 25:2a. And then she wrote it down on papers for Jimmy and I to memorize when we woke up.

Story 2

Yesterday I gave a piece of gum to both of my girls. My 4 year old (The Smaller Person) accidentally swallowed her gum and began to cry. She was very upset.

As Jimmy was consoling The Smaller Person, my 6 year old got up and walked around the corner.

When she came back, her gum was gone. Jimmy asked her what happened to her gum and she told him that she asked God what was the nicest thing she could do for her sister. Since she couldn’t give her own gum to The Smaller Person, she thought she should swallow hers too. That way her sister might not feel so bad.

When I Grow Up...

When I grow up, I want to be like my 6 year old daughter. Happy birthday, precious.

(Read more positive posts here.)

Day 1: The 40 Day Fast

Posted on 06.23.08 in The 40 Day Fast and there are 6 comments.

“A child cries
and I am discontent
with comfort

I have seen
death in the eyes of a child
I cannot live life for myself
alone
again

A child cries
and I must cry too
So, now
what is it that I will do?”

---
How do we change the world? By changing our hearts.

How do we change our hearts? By changing our habits.

Follow along and you’ll never be the same.

Make It A Habit

I challenge every one of us to commit to reading each post of the 40 Day Fast. Let’s make a habit of being involved in the needs of others.

Who’s In? 

THe 40 Day Fast 2008 Schedule

Posted on 06.21.08 in The 40 Day Fast and there are 0 comments.

The schedule of bloggers for this year’s 40 Day Fast is out.

Check it out at InspiredToAction.com

We hope you’ll follow along and even join in - unlike last year, this year you can join the team at any point during the event.

Just register here.

Remember it all starts on Monday with a post by Brant.

Time to Brag on Yourself

Posted on 06.20.08 in Blogging and there are 17 comments.

Well folks, today is the last day of camp. It’s time to put our arms around each other, jot down everyone’s address, take pictures and sing a rousing chorus of Friends.

Today is the day I want you to brag about yourselves.  Tell us about a great accomplishment. What’s something cool that you’ve done? What are you really good at?

A Few People I’d Like To Brag About...

While you’re thinking of something to brag about, I’d like to take a minute to brag on four people.

Amy, Kristin, Texas in Africa and Euphrony make up the team at Inspired To Action. They are awesome. Last night we put together the schedule for The 40 Day Fast and they were scheduling ninjas. Here are a few reasons why you need to get to know them. (Besides the fact that they are ninjas. Of course.)

Amy - Is an incredible, diligent and faithful woman. She has been managing Inspired To Action for the past few months and has done an excellent job. I’m so thankful to her and proud of her. She loves to read and teach others to read. If you’re into books, you’ll DEFINITELY want to check out her blog.

Texas In Africa is a genius and an adventurer. She’s getting her PHD from UT and she’s usually on her way to some country that I’ve never even heard of. If I recall correctly, she’s been to almost 30 different countries. I can’t NAME 30 different countries. Being that she’s traveled to some of the poorest places on Earth, she’s provided an excellent “front lines” viewpoint on Inspired to Action.

Kristin - Is one of those people that you just like. She’s one of the most consistent writers on Inspired To Action, she’s a great mom and even though I’ve only met her once, I can just tell she’s a really tenderhearted, thoughtful and compassionate person. I’d like to think that if I lived in Nashville, we’d be good friends.

Euphrony is also a genius. I’d tell you what he does, but it’s so complex that not only can I not pronounce it, but I can’t even type it! He’s been very dedicated to the Inspired To Action site and has written some incredibly interesting interviews.

These four people are making The 40 Day Fast happen, they’re doing a great job and I’m profoundly thankful for each of them.

Your Turn To Brag

Have you thought about something to brag about yet?

A weird talent? Famous uncle? Sixth toe?

Please tell us about it in the comments!

And while you’re at it, post a link below to one of your favorite blog posts or if you can’t pick one, just to your blog in general (as long as it’s family friendly.)

$50 Camp Giveaway!

Posted on 06.19.08 in General and there are 56 comments.

Today we have a great giveaway! Krispy Banana Kids makes really cute children’s clothes and cool purses. We own lots of shirts, burp clothes and blankets from KrispyBananaKids.com and we love them.

They are my girl’s favorite shirts to wear.

In fact, I was going through my son’s dresser the other day and I got rid of all his burp cloths and baby blankets (because he doesn’t really need them anymore) but I had to keep these. They’re just so nice.

I have a $50 gift certificate to giveaway! Just visit KrispyBananaKids.com and come back here and tell us what your favorite item is.

Next week, I’ll select one winner at random to receive the gift certificate.

If you don’t have kids, it’s still a great gift for baby showers.

If you’re a guy, you can score some serious husband points by winning a cool purse for your wife.

(… if your a guy and don’t have kids or a wife or any need for a cool purse, you can still enter to win the Cindy Morgan cd...)

Check out KrispyBananaKids.com!

Day 4: Parent’s University - Summer Fun

Posted on 06.18.08 in Parents University and there are 9 comments.

In all honesty, this week my summer hasn’t been much fun.

Those images that run through your head of carefree summers with the kids, probably don’t resemble my reality. We aren’t frolicking in the yard in our perfect clothes and smiling happily in our nice clean house all day long.

No, this week, my house is filled with kids sitting in various chairs in timeout, my baby screaming for reasons known only to him and my sick husband who has had to excavate the laundry pile that is Mt. Washmore just to get into bed at night.

What is to blame for all this chaos?

Lack of planning

I didn’t plan well and ended up seriously overcommitting myself this week. As a result, I haven’t gotten much sleep and I’ve been grumpy - particularly with the kids who have copied my grumpiness - which then enhances my grumpiness…

We had cereal for dinner because I hadn’t planned dinner and was caught off guard when 5:00 hit.

I didn’t plan to do anything fun today...so we didn’t do anything fun today.

If You Fail To Plan, You Can Plan To Fail

I’m sure you’re heard that one a million times. But it’s oh-so-true.

So, in order to make this summer a fun one, here’s what I’m going to do: P-L-A-N!

1. I will wake up early to pray, be proactive and prepare for the day.
2. I will plan activities for the week that we will do.
3. I will plan our meals for each week.
4. I’ll work with kids to come up with a list of things they want to learn this summer and I’ll figure out a way to teach them.
5. I will plan and prepare for different crafts we can do each week. (This is a true sign of my love for my kids. I’m SO not crafty.)

Tomorrow

My plan for tomorrow is to take the kids to the pool and then we’ll have a movie night tomorrow night.

Simple, but fun.

What Are Your Plans For Summer Fun?

What fun things have you done so far? What fun things are you looking forward to? I need help and I’m sure others do to. Please share your ideas in a post on your blog or in the comments.

Day 3: Five Sites I Recommend

Posted on 06.18.08 in Tech Stuff Blogging and there are 6 comments.

Hello Campers! Today we’re going to talk about our favorite websites/blogs. I picked 5 sites that I absolutely love that you probably haven’t heard of. Enjoy!

Licia and Lori - Licia and Lori are a missionaries in Haiti. They run a medical clinic and child rescue center and they share their lives on their blogs. They document the children they’re helping and the medical cases they handle (warning: some images on Licia’s are gross, so if you have a weak stomach, stick with Lori’s blog.) Either way, these blogs will mess with you. You can’t read their stories and look at the children and just walk away.

I am changed and challenged every time I visit.

Maczot - If you know me, you know I have a thing for computer software. Maczot.com is like Woot for Mac apps. They offer one deeply discounted app each day. It’s a beautiful, beautiful thing.

Angie Smith - If you read anything today. Read this post.

Seriously. Read it.

Lifehacker - I get my geek fix from Lifehacker. It’s full of tech and productivity tips. I love this site.

Music Think Tank - This is a blog all about the state and future of the music industry. It’s full of high quality and interesting posts written by some of the biggest hitters in the online/digital music world.

What are your favorite sites? Write your own post about them or share in the comments.

Day3: Meet More Campers and Tell Us About Your First Computer Memory

Posted on 06.17.08 in Blogging and there are 11 comments.

I’d like you to meet three more campers today.

Meet Jamee, “Milk” and Marla

Jamee - Needs help picking a favorite musician.
Milk in the Closet - has known me for 15 years…
Marla Taviano - is a real live author (3 published and one on the way). Like me she has 3 kids and a work-from-home husband.

Click the READ MORE link to get to know these fine people.

ICEBREAKER Question

What is your first “computer” memory? Tell us about the first time you remember using the computer.

And if you remember 1994, enjoy this video (warning: it’s rated PG-13 for language).

READ MORE...

Register Now For The 40 Day Fast

Posted on 06.16.08 in The 40 Day Fast and there are 3 comments.

The official information and registration pages are up for The 40 Day Fast.

Register ASAP

We’ll be selecting the 40 main bloggers on Thursday night, so be sure to get your registration in before Thursday 5pm Central Time.

This year everyone will be able to participate and join in along the way, but we will have 40 set bloggers that will be featured each day. We have some criteria (like passion for the cause, writing ability etc.) but primarily we’ll make our selections on a first come, first serve basis.

So click over to InspiredToAction.com and register now.

Please Spread The Word

Could you add a logo or widget to your sidebar? Or perhaps write a post about it? If so, please let us know if you need anything to help you get the word out.

Here is the official logo for the event (other sizes available here):


Small Horizontal Logo

Copy this code to post it on your blog:
<a href="http://www.inspiredtoaction.com/40-day-fast-2008"> <img src="http://www.inspiredtoaction.com/40/40logosmall2.jpg" / ></a>

The 40 Day Fast Widget
Click the “GET THIS WIDGET” link below the widget to get the code for your blog.

Thanks For Trying to Change The World!

Thanks for participating in this event. Please be praying for everyone involved - the organizers, the bloggers, the readers.

- Pray that God would remain the constant focus.
- Pray that hearts and lives would be changed.
- Pray that the things that break the heart of God would break our hearts too.
- Pray that we would move quickly from inspiration to action.
- Pray that the distance would close between us and those in need.
- Pray for those in need.

Camp Day 2: God Stories and Prayer Requests

Posted on 06.16.08 in Faith Blogging and there are 5 comments.

I was a part of a different 40 day fast a couple years ago.

It was for two little boys in our small group from church. John had Down’s Syndrome and Sam had autism. Sam also had serious gastrointestinal problems that severely limited his diet.

There were about six families in that small group and it was amazing to spend 40 days with a common purpose and passion. We spent several nights praying together, worshipping together and standing in faith with John’s parents and Sam’s parents that God would do something amazing in and through those boys.

Honestly, though? My faith was pretty lame. I thought it was a great idea to pray for them, but if I was really honest with myself I didn’t truly expect to see change. Maybe I hoped for it, but I certainly didn’t expect it.

Well, the first change that I saw was that by the end of the 40 days, Sam was eating a regular diet. His mom didn’t need to bring special snacks to our small group meetings just for Sam. She didn’t need to carefully monitor his diet.

Not long after that, Sam’s parents decided to have him retested for autism because they’d seen so much change in him. He failed - meaning he was no longer autistic. He even tested as having a higher than normal IQ. The change in Sam was nothing short of amazing.

And John made such significant progress that the next fall, he was kicked out of the Special Education program at his school because he didn’t qualify anymore.

It was incredible for me to see the change in those boys over the course of the year. I’d known both boys for quite awhile and the fact that they were significantly different boys after the fast was undeniable - even for this traditional Southern Baptist girl.

It challenged me and built my faith. I’d always heard that my God is a God of miracles, but I’d never really and truly seen it firsthand.

“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”

Ephesians 3:20-21

What’s Your God Story?

I don’t think we brag on God enough here in the blogosphere. I don’t, anyway. It can be something little or something big, but let’s brag on God today. Write a post on your blog or share your story in the comments.

In Need of a God Story?

How can we pray for you today?

(Read more positive posts here.)

Music Monday: Cindy Morgan, Broken Speakers and FREE Music

Posted on 06.16.08 in Music Monday Music and there are 10 comments.

Howdy campers!

As I was getting ready to write up my post for Music Monday, I found that my speakers aren’t working on my ibook.

No, speakers.

On Music Monday.

I think there may be a camp gnome working against me.

So...if you have a Music Monday post of your own (it can be about anything related to music), please link to it in the comments.

I had been planning to post my interview with Cindy Morgan, but I need to edit it make myself sound cool. Trust me, that takes massive amounts of editing.

Win A FREE Cindy Morgan CD

Speaking of Cindy Morgan, I’m giving away one copy of her latest CD. Just tell us about your favorite Cindy Morgan song in the comments and you’ll be entered.

More Free Music

And for those of you who don’t win the cd, here are some links to great free music.

Hearitfirst.com
Sign up for the email newsletter. Every week they send out a free song and links to interesting videos and interview.

Freeccm.com
Freeccm.com is a venture of INO Records. They currently have songs from Fee, 33Miles and PCD. With artists like Sara Groves, Mercy Me and Addison Road on their roster, this is definitely a site to bookmark.

Downhere
Of course, for the month of June, Downhere is giving away their entire album. Go get it.

The Archives
I’ve got a free music category on my music blog. Check out the archives to find some great free music.

Do you know of any artists who are giving away a song or two? Please share it in the links.

DON’T FORGET

Since it’s TSLOK Camp Week, everyone who writes a Music Monday post or adds a comment to this post, will get a link to their blog (I’ll add them tonight). 

Good Morning Campers! Meet Angie, Brooke, Travis and YOU!

Posted on 06.15.08 in General and there are 18 comments.

Hello Campers, Rise and Shine!

Every morning here at Camp TSLOK, I’m going to introduce you to a few of your fellow blog readers and post a fun morning icebreaker.

Today you’ll meet Angie, Brooke and Travis.

Angie lost 100lbs!
Brooke is a fashion guru.
Travis is “I have to read this to Jimmy” funny.

Click the “READ MORE” link to get to know Angie, Brooke and Travis.

Monday Morning Icebreaker

What was your first car?

READ MORE...

Need A Father’s Day Idea?? (Jimmy, DON’T read this!!!)

Posted on 06.14.08 in Family Parenthood and there are 0 comments.

(Please don’t tell Jimmy about this if you see him today...)

As my kids get older it’s really fun to do more creative stuff for Father’s Day.

This year, one thing we’re going to do is make an “I Love Daddy Because” Photo Album for Jimmy.

I asked the kids to list things that they really appreciate about their daddy. Then I had them write each thing on a marker board. I took a picture of them with the marker board and I’m going to put it in a photo album.

So Jimmy will have a little book titled “I Love Daddy Because...” and then it will be filled with pictures of his children holding signs that say what they love about him.

Here are a few things they wrote.

I Love Daddy Because…

-He’s Brave
-He’s Strong
-He reads his Bible
-He’s good at cleaning the dishes
-He’s sweet
-He speaks nice (meaning he uses a patience voice...)
-He loves me

What are you doing for Father’s Day?

The 40 Day Fast: Season 2

Posted on 06.14.08 in The 40 Day Fast Blogging and there are 42 comments.

Last year we had an event here called The 40 Day Fast. This year we’re doing it again.

The 40 Day Fast was inspired by this photo. Here is the original post entitled, ”Please Don’t Look Away.”

The Details

Here’s a summary of what it’s all about and how you can help:

Who:
40 bloggers who will each fast for 1 day.

What:
They will blog about an area of need in the world (either a cause or a country) and an organization that strives to meet that need.

They will also link (via a small widget we’ll provide) to the blogger who is fasting on each day of the fast and encourage their readers to join the fast on the 40th day.

Why:
The purpose behind it is to give people an opportunity to:
1. Experience a bit of need
2. Learn about the need in the world
3. Do something about it

When:
The fast starts on June 23, 2008 and ends on August 1, 2008

Where:
Each blogger will write their post on their own blog, but the hub for the event will be over at InspiredToAction.com (a site born out of last year’s 40 Day Fast).

How:
We need you. If you’re interested in participating as a blogger, let us know in the comments. The official sign up will be next week, but it would be great to get an idea of how many people would like to be involved.

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS
Also, we need a logo for the event. Last year’s was kind of lame. I’m not the greatest logo designer. So, if that’s your thing, PLEASE email me and let me know if you can help.

NOTE: My spam blocker doesn’t allow identical comments on a single post, so try typing something more unique than “I’m in.”

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