So this thing happened today...

I was scheduled for 2 webinars at the same time today.  Voluntarily.  At noon.  Why, you may ask, would I do that?  Well, they were both free and they offered options of receiving the recorded version even if you couldn't attend live so I figured, why not?  What do I have to lose?  Noon rolled around and I logged into both to decide which one I wanted to commit to live (if either of them).  I mean, it's not like I had nothing else to do.  We are in the middle of a quick month-end close due to a board meeting next week.  But I figured if I could learn anything new from either one that might help me or the company I work for, it would be worth giving up an hour of my time.

This is the one that won out:

Digital transformation in Manufacturing - 

leverage analytics to maximize profitability

Sounds like a doozy, doesn't it?  It honestly was.  This was the most helpful free webinar I've ever attended.  Not because it gave me amazing tools to help in doing my job more effectively or increasing efficiencies in the workplace (which it potentially did), but because it fanned a spark of passion in me that has been lying dormant for a while now.  I attended the webinar to learn how Microsoft Power BI could help the startup medical device company I work for make better informed decisions in a timely fashion without hours of labor to input data into multiple spreadsheets and then manually manipulate it into the various outputs in order to answer the questions posed to the various departments.  Phew!  No kidding, that's what we do.  Different departments input the same data into their own spreadsheets on a daily/weekly/monthly basis in order to manipulate it and track it in different ways.  The same data.  Multiple spreadsheets.  And I do mean multiple.  I have 3 spreadsheets alone to track various information on the same items.  Customer service and sales have at least that many also to track some of the same information but for different purposes.

Since I started working there almost two years ago, I thought to myself that there has got to be a better way.  At first I thought, "If I could just learn more tricks about Excel, it would help a lot".  So, I reached out to an Excel expert to help me streamline some formulas in the spreadsheets I was responsible for.  This helped a lot and actually did take hours off of my weekly data processing time.  As an added bonus I became very comfortable with vLookUps and learned about the index function and CountIf formulas in Excel.  However, it did not help with the duplication of efforts among departments.  This is a huge inefficiency to me and I'm all about process improvements!  

For a long time I blamed our current inventory tracking and accounting software (FishBowl and QuickBooks respectively).  I assumed that during our commercialization phase we just outgrew what these programs could provide.  I pushed for a new ERP system.  One system, that could do it all!  All the modules would talk to each other and all the departments would have access to the information they need while the data only had to be entered ONE time and life would be good.  I did research.  I recommended options.  Multiple departments jumped on board.  I scheduled software demos.  I took team notes.  I scheduled more demos.  And finally, we picked the ERP system that would solve all of our problems!  {Cue the angels singing} 

Our team took a final presentation and recommendation to the CFO.  She liked it.  She asked pertinent questions.  She got on board with us.  And, she took it to the CEO and the board of directors.  They all saw the need and the advantages to a more streamlined data system.  It got added to the budget and life would be good.  

But the contract never got signed.  It kept getting pushed out until our next round of financing or until this medical vote got passed or until...  well, you get the point.  In the meantime, the business is still growing.  The data is still accumulating at a steady rate.  And each department is still tracking it using multiple spreadsheets.  I am hopeful that we will sign a purchase contract soon, but whether we do or not, we need to increase efficiencies NOW.  Not nine months from now when we may or may not be ready to flip the switch on a new ERP system. And even when we do flip that switch, we are going to have to get that same information out of a new ERP system and what's going to do that?  Is this new software going to magically solve our information problems?  I think not.  The data may all be housed in one place, but it's still going to need a system to manipulate it into providing the answers each department needs.

So, my never ending quest for streamlined data flow led me to discover Microsoft Power BI.  But what is this program?  What is BI and what does it mean for the startup company I work for?  What does it do exactly?  After a free download and test drive (thank you very much Microsoft!), I saw the potential but I needed a little more guidance.  My curiosity lead me to today's webinar.

Today I heard from Jon Thompson of Blue Margin on utilizing Power BI to increase efficiencies, but more importantly and on a personal level, I learned that I love business intelligence.  I love the concept of taking raw data and turning it into dashboards (slicing and dicing as they say) to show executives, managers, and all employees the real score in the business game they are in.  Mr. Thompson really struck a chord inside me in comparing business information to a game.  Everyone enjoys a good game, right?  You are motivated to do your best to tilt the score in your favor and come out on top.  That's what BI does for business - it's the scoreboard. Data doesn't lie and neither does the score.  BI gives you the play by play analysis you need to make better decisions to increase your odds of winning.  Who doesn't like better odds?

I am so excited to learn even more about this powerful tool!  I get the pleasure of talking with Jon Thompson himself next week to learn more about what Blue Margin can provide to our company and hopefully more about Power BI in general.  In the meantime, I'm going to focus on completing our month end close so I can continue my quest for data efficiency in the workplace and how to quench my newfound thirst to learn all I can about business intelligence and creating scoreboards.

Stay tuned...

~Becky

P.S.  What a crazy topic to post about for the first time in over 5 years!!  Or is it?

P.P.S.  I promise I will update this page shortly as all of it is completely outdated (except my support of Compassion International).  I just really wanted to get all my thoughts about today's webinar down in print so I could remember what sparked my passion again.

Every Body Matters by Gary Thomas

The subtitle of this book is "Strengthening Your Body to Strengthen Your Soul".  What a great concept!  I read Lysa Terkeurst's Made to Crave: Satisfying Your Deepest Desire with God, Not Food last summer and this is a wonderful companion book to that one.`

Mr. Thomas does a great job in tying our spiritual health in with our physical health and stressing the importance  of both.  Some of my favorite quotes from the book are as follows.

"Our battle is today.  Because of God's grace, yesterday doesn't count.  Because of God's hope, worry about tomorrow is inappropriate.  This moment, this day, this hour, are we being faithful toward God, honoring him with what we eat and don't eat, and taking care of our bodies accordingly?"

"Our holiness does not rest on the shape of our bodies, but on the acceptable sacrifice of Jesus' broken and bruised body.  Losing twenty pounds won't make God love you any more, and gaining twenty pounds won't make him love you any less.  The glorious truth is that our skinny, chubby, overweight, and obese bodies are all "holy and pleasing" to God because of what Christ has done (Romans 12:1)." - I have a hard time accepting this comment, but I know it's all true.

"It's important to know the difference between physical hunger, emotional hunger, intimacy hunger, relational hunger, and any other kind of hunger.  Many, many calories are consumed in response to needs and appetites that have little or nothing to do with physical hunger but rather are consumed in response to appetites that these calories will never touch." - Can I get an "Amen"? :)

"We need a new relationship with food altogether, seeing it as an aspect of life but not the reason for life... we need to remember that our use of food is something that, due to our sinful nature, can imprison us, assault us, and take years off our lives."

"Protecting your health is the same thing as protecting the vehicle through which God wants to change the world."

And my absolute favorite quote from this book that has become my mantra:

"If I'm going to hurt in this fallen world - and everyone of us will - I'd rather hurt and be sore getting in shape than hurt and be sore because my body isn't fit."

There is also a small section in the first chapter titled "Refined Souls" which struck me so much I made "Refine" My One Word for 2012!

 Check out this book and see how it changes your life!

 Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Zondervan book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

One tough woman!

This is a review of the book, "One Call Away" by Brenda Warner

I knew Kurt and Brenda Warner were very faithful people so I was curious to read about Brenda's life experiences. This book did not disappoint! She cuts right to the chase and does not mince words about any aspect of her life. I cannot believe what this woman has been through and to keep her faith through all of it is amazing! 

This was a really eye opening book about life before and during celebrity status. The world sees a rich, confident couple, but we really have no idea what it took to get there and what personal struggles they have gone through. 
I loved how Brenda's family helped her discover nursing as a result of having a special needs child. 
Wonderful, wonderful book. I had a hard time putting it down and actually read the whole thing in 2 days! 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Dolphin Tale

I've been seeing commercials for a new movie coming out next Friday, September 23rd, called Dolphin Tale.
The cast is amazing and the story looks really good.  It is based on the true story of Winter the dolphin.

There is a really neat story about one of the workers from the movie here and you can check out the official movie site here.

Women of Faith Conference

Because of my love of Thomas Nelson Publishers and my participation in their Booksneeze program, I was given the opportunity to receive 2 free tickets to a Women of Faith event.  Wow, I was all over that!  I was dancing a jig when I was notified that I would indeed be receiving 2 free tickets to the Women of Faith event in Milwaukee, WI on September 30 - October 1!

If you've never attended a Women of Faith event or never even heard of it before, here's a little video clip:



Doesn't that look great?!?  I had the pleasure of seeing Sandi Patty, Nicole Johnson, Sheila Walsh, Patsy Clairmont, Marilyn Meberg, Luci Swindoll and others in Omaha, NE for the 2008 event.  It was an amazing event!  I've been unable to attend another one up until now and just can't wait.

So I have 2 tickets and a hotel room for Friday and Saturday night, but no one to attend with me.  Do I have any takers out there?  I don't mind going by myself, but it would be a lot of fun with a friend.

Please leave a comment on this post if you are interested in attending this life changing event with me.  If I have more than one person interested I will do a drawing. 

Have you ever been to a Women of Faith event?  If so, I'd love to hear about it!  Which one did you go to?  Who were the speakers?

Blessings,
Becky

Book Review - "Live Loved" A Devotional by Max Lucado

As I stated in my last post, Max Lucado is one of my favorite authors and this is a new devotional book by him.  I purchased Mr. Lucado's "Grace for the Moment, Vol. 2" for my husband a year ago and liked it so much I got "Live Loved" for myself.  I love how he takes a snipet from his other books and adds a prayer and some bible verses for some quick daily inspiration for the casual reader.  These are not "deep" devotions, but are a great way to start or end your day or provide a short spiritual break during the daily grind. 

There are five sections:
     1. Loved with a Steadfast Love
     2. Loved with a Perfect Love
     3. Loved with a Wise Love
     4. Loved with a Merciful Love
     5. Loved to Love Others

The excerpts are taken from Mr. Lucado's books:  It's Not About Me, Facing Your Giants, 3:16 Numbers of Hope, Every Day Deserves a Chance, Fearless and Outlive Your Life

Overall, great devotional!  9 out of 10

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Review - "Max on Life" by Max Lucado

Max Lucado has quickly become one of my favorite authors of all time.  I love that he is a long-time pastor and the books he writes seem to talk right to me.  He doesn't write in big, theological language that I don't understand.  He writes in the language I talk.  Any chance I get to review one of his books, I jump at it.  I actually saw him in person in Cedar Rapids, Iowa at a special event for pastors on his "Outlive Your Life" book and concert tour.  Very nice man.
Anyway, in his book "Max on Life", he publishes the answers to many questions he has received over the years.  I wasn't sure what to expect with this book as it is a different type of book than I usually read.  I shouldn't have doubted.  Some of the questions are funny, some are deeply serious and Mr. Lucado answers all of them with grace.

For example:  #128 Our family is exhausted.  We run from one event to the next.  How do we slow down?  Answer:  Jesus understands  He knew the frenzy of life.  People back-to-backed his calendar with demands.  But he also knew how to step away from the game.  Mr. Lucado goes on with biblical quotes and how to relate them to our busy lives today.

Example 2:  #57 Why is there so much chaos and evil in the world?  It seems that no one cares about what God wants, and humanity is imploding.  Answer:  Sin works proportionately to the number of opportunities it is given.  As communication and technology grow, sin expands with it.  So while the world appears to be spinning out of control, it is only behaving as expected.  He goes on with his answer, but you get the idea.
Overall 8 out of 10

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Amazing Grace

First of all, I am sorry it has been so long since I've blogged.  Life was pretty crazy here for a while as I'm sure you can relate.

As you know my life was pretty much consumed by my job from February 25th (my old boss's last day) until this week.  Our new CFO started on April 4th and has jumped in with both feet.  I am very happy to report that I had zero overtime this week and I am so excited about that!  There was always a part of me that wondered what it would be like to have a bigger career and executive status.  Well, that was a great way to "try it on for size" and I learned a very valuable lesson.  I don't want to be a CFO and I never want my career to come before my family on that level.  I am very happy being a financial accountant and I wouldn't mind being controller, but that's all the higher I want to go on the corporate ladder.  We have a really great team going at work right now and I'm enjoying it.

Enough about work and on to amazing grace.  In the middle of my work issue, my last grandparent passed away on March 20th.  Grandma Krause was 97 amazing years old.  She still lived on her own and was in great health except for extreme macular degeneration in her eyes.  She had a weak heart valve and was a two time breast cancer survivor.  Like I said, amazing.  She was in the hospital that weekend for a pulled muscle in her back.  That's what they were calling it because all her health tests came back great.  She was going to go to a nursing home temporarily for rehab before going back to her apartment.  The nurses found her Sunday morning not breathing.  Her heart just quit.  We'll never know if it really was a heart attack, or if the cancer had come back somewhere, but at 97 years old does it really matter?  She lived a complete, full life and taught her family a lot. 

Great-Grandma Krause, Jenna and Tori



Great-Grandma Krause, Jenna, Uriah & Tori
Thanksgiving 2010

So we had an unscheduled trip to Wisconsin for the first week of spring this year.  It was a whirlwind week.  We helped my sister and husband clean out Grandma's apartment, planned the funeral (although Grandma had most of it planned already) and otherwise just looked at each other wondering what we were going to do without Grandma.  It was really nice spending time with all our family, but it was a hard week.  Grandma's minister had a wonderful funeral service and we enjoyed putting together a picture board of Grandma's life (even though we joked the whole time about how she would hate us doing that as she avoided getting her picture taken at all costs and we even thought she might have had something to do with the foot of snow that fell the day before her funeral).  During the funeral service we sang the hymn "Amazing Grace".  That's when I really broke down.  I sat there crying as everyone else was singing "I once was lost, but now am found.  Was blind, but now I see".  I can't even explain how much I'm going to miss her. 

Flash forward to a week later at our ecumenical lenton service held at the methodist church in town.  We've been doing a bible study during lent about the blessing of the cross.  That week we talked about the blessings of blindness.  At the close of the service we sang "Amazing Grace", stood in a circle and lit candles.  It really struck me that I was singing "Amazing Grace" twice in one week under two very different circumstances.  Isn't God's grace truly amazing?

May you have a blessed Easter season!

A winner, a scholarship chance and a new book!

So sorry I didn't post on Sunday like I said I would, but time is just getting away from me.
I loved both comments about favorite bible verses, thank you Amy and Monica!!  I have chosen Amy to win the NLT Life Application Study Bible.  Congratulations!!  Amy, you were one of the first people I ever knew outside of my family.  We were best friends growing up and then went our separate ways.  Re-connecting with you through Facebook has been a real blessing to me.  I hope you enjoy your new bible!!  Please send me your mailing address through a private message on facebook or to beckster1024@hotmail.com.

I read an exciting post yesterday on Lysa Terkeurst's blog.  Have any of you heard of the She Speaks Conference?  It's an annual conference put on in beautiful Concord, North Carolina by Proverbs 31 Ministries.  I only recently learned about this conference, but from everything I read it sounds wonderful!  There are three different tracks for the conference:  a speaker's track, a writer's track and a women's ministry track.  I have been struggling with my call recently.  I have felt a "tug" to do something more, but have no idea what.  The She Speaks Conference looks like the perfect place to explore our "tugs".  Lysa Terkeurst is giving away a scholarship to this conference!  You can read all about it here.  Check it out and maybe I'll see you there someday! :)

Guess what I received in the mail today?  You're right, a new book to review!!  I just received "Lazarus Awakening" by Joanna Weaver to review for Waterbrook Press, a division of Random House.  It's my first book from Random House and I'm very excited.  My book group friends and I are reading Joanna Weaver's first book, "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World".  I've really enjoyed the study and can't wait to dive into "Lazarus"!  Anyone interested in doing an online book study on "Lazarus Awakening"?  It includes a 10-week bible study.  I'd love to read it with you!  Leave a comment here if you would like to participate.

Happy Tuesday everyone!!!  Have a blessed week!

~Becky

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

This book by E.L. Konigsburg is a children's literary classic.  It was written in 1967 and I believe I read it around 3rd grade which would have been 1980.  I remember this being the book that got me completely hooked on reading so when I saw it come up on one of the kids' Scholastic book order forms I promptly ordered it to share with them.  Tori & I just finished reading it together.  I don't think it touched her quite as much as it did me, but she really enjoyed it.



Book cover from http://www.amazon.com/


When suburban Claudia Kincaid decides to run away, she knows she doesn't just want to run from somewhere she wants to run to somewhere--to a place that is comfortable, beautiful, and preferably elegant. She chooses the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Knowing that her younger brother, Jamie, has money and thus can help her with the serious cash flow problem she invites him along.


Once settled into the museum, Claudia and Jamie, find themselves caught up in the mystery of an angel statue that the museum purchased at an auction for a bargain price of $250. The statue is possibly an early work of the Renaissance master Michelangelo, and therefore worth millions. Is it? Or isn't it? Claudia is determined to find out. This quest leads Claudia to Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, the remarkable old woman who sold the statue and to some equally remarkable discoveries about herself.

Have you read it?  If so, what was your favorite part?  My favorite part was what Claudia discovers about herself at the end of the story.  If you haven't read it yet, why not pick it up?

It was a nice break between 39 Clues books for Tori & I.  We were waiting for our library to get book 8 in and there are actually a lot of similarities between the two.  Tori pointed out how Amy and Dan Cahill are a lot like Claudia and Jamie Kincaid.

Happy Reading!!

Reviews, a Giveaway, and taking a dive!

So I know it's been a few weeks since I posted and I have a bunch of reviews and "life" to post so tonight I thought I'd "dive" in.

First, a giveaway!!!!  Tyndale House Publishers has given me a certificate for a FREE Life Application Study Bible, NLT.  This is my first giveaway on my blog and I am so excited.  I know a lot of bloggers leave the giveaway until the end of their posts, but I'm just too excited to keep it to myself any longer. :)  Leave a comment on this post and tell me what your favorite bible verse or story is.  I'll pick a random comment Sunday night, March 6th, and you will win a new study bible in time for Lent.  Isn't that exciting??

And now for my "dive".  There are so many life stories to tell about the last 3 weeks, but the "Wow God" moment that stands out the most to me happened on my way work yesterday morning.  To give you a little back story, my boss at work gave his two weeks notice and last Friday was his last day.  He is greatly missed and more than a few people tried to talk him into staying.  It was a very hard choice for him, but he needed to be closer to his family and we all understand. On Friday it became apparant to me that I would be responsible for a lot of his duties in the interim period.  Now I should tell you that my boss was the CFO and the company had $250+ million in revenue last year and I found out I would be monitoring the cash accounts among other things starting Monday.  Needless to say I had some butterflies driving to work yesterday morning!  It wasn't that I doubted my abilities, but I was nervous with everything seemingly piled on me at the last minute and I didn't want to make a mistake.   So there I was driving along listening to LIFE 101.9 when this song by Steven Curtis Chapman came on.  I LOVE the song and immediately started singing along and then I realized what I was singing.  Here are the lyrics:

Dive by Steven Curtis Chapman

The long awaited rains

Have fallen hard upon the thirsty ground

And carved their way to where

The wild and rushing river can be found

And like the rains

I have been carried here to where the river flows, yeah

My heart is racing and my knees are weak

As I walk to the edge

I know there is no turning back

Once my feet have left the ledge

And in the rush I hear a voice

That’s telling me it’s time

to take the leap of faith

So here I go

I’m diving in, I’m going deep

in over my head, I want to be

Caught in the rush, lost in the flow,

in over my head, I want to go

The river’s deep, the river’s wide,

the river’s water is alive

So sink or swim, I’m diving in

There is a supernatural power

In this mighty river’s flow

It can bring the dead to life

And it can fill an empty soul

And give a heart the only thing

Worth living and worth dying for, yeah

But we will never know the awesome power

Of the grace of God

Until we let ourselves get swept away

Into this holy flood

So if you’ll take my hand

We’ll close our eyes and count to three

And take the leap of faith

Come on let’s go

I really felt like I was in over my head at work, but after I heard this song I knew everything was going to be ok.  God was watching out for me and I knew that even if I made a mistake at work I'm still a child of God and Jesus loves me no matter what!  You know what?  I made it through the first two days just fine even with more surprises. :-) 

I wish you "Wow God" moments in your week, too!

Don't forget to leave a comment here for your chance to win a new bible!

Review - Adventures In BoogaBooga Land DVD

More information
This is an animated children's dvd featuring Marty and Gerard, a comical giraffe and monkey, and their adventures.  There are three 15 minute episodes on the dvd each featuring a different parable:  the workers in the vineyard, the wise and foolish builders and the lamp under the bowl.

Marty and Gerard are very likable characters and the animation is very colorful.  I can see children under the age of 6 getting bored with the stories though.  I think the storylines are best suited for 6-8 year olds, but the animation is aimed at children younger than 6.  Maybe that was done on purpose to appeal to a wider audience, but I'm not sure it works in this instance.

I am all for getting God's word out to children and I love projects like this one for that very reason.  I wouldn't give this a bad rating, but it could have been a lot better.  3 out of 5 stars - good.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Monday Musings

Wow, another amazingly blessed weekend thanks to our awesome God!! 

It was such a joy watching our daughter, Tori, play basketball Saturday morning!  She came out of her shell a little and made a basket during the first game.  It was great to see her getting into the game more than she has before!  This coming Saturday is the last weekend of games for the season.  It's such a joy watching our children learn and grow!

Sunday my husband Burt had a brand new worship experience planned for Peace UCC.  It was a visual learning service all about the sacrement of Holy Communion.  One of the key elements of the service was a sharing part where he asked members of the congregation to share their experiences of Holy Communion: who or what do you think about during Communion; where are some special places you've shared the sacrement; what does Communion mean to you.  It's always a little nerve-wracking planning for sharing time because you never know if anyone will share or not, but it was a beautiful experience.  People shared about taking Communion in Africa, on youth retreats, what was learned during a confirmation class many years ago, thinking about parents and our experiences as a child.  The other neat part of the service yesterday was a little section Burt wrote called "Created and Creating"  where he and our daughter prepared the Communion table while another congregant and myself took turns reading the creation story in Genesis and comparing it to a different part of the Communion Table and tying it all together in us right now.  It sounds like that wouldn't go together at all doesn't it?  Well, Burt has a wonderful way with words and an amazing gift of tying things together having it all makes sense for our every day lives.  (On a side note:  I truly believe that's what touches me with Lysa Terkeurst's ministry also.  Lysa and all her P31 sisters really bring the message of God to life for me wherever I am today.  You can check them out here: Proverbs 31 and Lysa Terkeurst)

Immediately after worship I met with the members who signed up for our book study on Max Lucado's most recent book, "Outlive Your Life".  We have a wonderful group of 10 members embarking on the DVD and book study journey with my husband and I over the next four weeks.

Also immediately following worship the church sponsored its annual "Souper Bowl" lunch.  We served chili, vegetable beef and some of my hubby's awesome creamy potato soup.  What a joy and blessing it was to work side by side with the wonderful people of our congregation!
After the wonderful lunch and clean up we went home to settle in for an amazing SuperBowl game last night:  Our home team, the Green Bay Packers vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers.  The boys did not disappoint.  It was an amazing game to watch with our Packers pulling off the win after a rocky 2nd half.  The best part was during the interviews after the game when Pam Oliver was talking to Greg Jennings and his first comment was "To God be the glory"!  I LOVED that!!  I also love the christian attitudes of the majority of the Packer team.  Aaron Rodgers is a great example of a man living his faith.

Like I said, it was an amazing, blessed weekend.  Thank you God!

Monday Musings

What an eventful, blessed weekend we had! 

It started Saturday morning watching our daughter play basketball - a sport neither Burt nor I know too much about.  I played in 5th grade just like Tori is doing, but it wasn't pretty.  I remember getting called for traveling and the only time I made any baskets was when I got fouled and got to shoot freethrows.  My coach was very positive and overall it was a good experience, but I realized that basketball wasn't in my future. :)  It is amazing watching your child learn a new skill!  The first game she was really timid and almost looked scared to get the ball, but in the second game she made 2 baskets and got some rebounds also!  Burt & I were so proud of her!  We celebrated by going to Culvers for lunch (my absolute favorite fast food place) and stopped at Wal-mart to pick up the fixings for a huge batch of creamy potato soup.

Saturday afternoon Burt had 2 roasters full of soup made in about 2 hours!  That man is an amazing cook and I am so blessed to have him!!  He was diagnosed with diabetes in June and he is doing wonderful at adapting recipes to make them "diabetes-friendly".  If anyone would like his recipe I will gladly share it.  Everytime he has made it, we have had guests ask to take some home and want the recipe so it's not just me praising my hubby. :)

Sunday brought Sunday School and worship followed by our annual meeting and potluck.  The annual meeting was completely painless this year!  What a relief!  It's so stressful when you're talking about money with a large group of people as there are always going to be differences of opinion.  There were some questions and comments raised, but nothing earth shattering and the budget passed without conflict.  Everyone enjoyed Burt's soup during the potluck and kept telling me how good it was.  I took great joy in referring them to my husband (their pastor) for the soup as I had nothing to do with it.  A lot of them were pleaseantly surprised to find out how great a cook he is.

After taking the kids to their 4-H meeting, I settled in for an afternoon of NFL football which was interrupted briefly to pick the kids up and then go pick up one friend for the afternoon and then go pick up another friend for the afternoon. :)  So, with each child having a friend over and playing in other areas of the house, Burt & I were able to enjoy the rest of the Packer-Bear game and what a game it was!!!  My favorite play of the game (and maybe the whole season) was the interception by B.J. Raji and his 18 yard touchdown run.  Raji interception and TD  I especially enjoyed his TD dance!  So the Packers will face the Steelers in the Superbowl in 2 weeks!  What really impressed me though was the attitude of the whole Packers team after their win.  Aaron Rodgers gave all the credit to the defense for the win in an interview after the game.  How many quarterbacks would do that?  He is one classy guy and the Pack is one classy team. 

Well, that's my weekend in a nutshell.  How was yours?  Tonight I am looking forward to another webcast by Lysa Terkeurst about her Made to Crave book.  She is an amazing Jesus girl with an amazing message everyone needs to hear!  (I think I said that before, but it's worth saying again)

Happy Monday Everyone!

Made to Crave by Lysa Terkuerst

     This is not a book review, although I hope to own the book soon.  This is a shout out to an amazing book which can lead to an amazing life-changing experience written by an amazing Jesus girl - Lysa Terkeurst!  You can find out more about the book here. 
     If you have ever struggled with your weight, an addiction to food or an addiction to anything, this book will help you turn that addiction over to God.  The premise of the book is that God made us to crave Him and not food (or anything else we put before God).  One of my favorite quotes from Lysa is that we were made to consume food, but food was not made to consume us.
     I have been enjoying Lysa's free webcasts on Monday nights from 7:00 - 7:45 central time.  She has had Dr. Ski Chilton on as a guest for each webcast.  He talks about the importance of fiber in any diet and Omega 3's.  This last Monday she also had Pastor Steven Furtick on the webcast and he gave some amazing insight to the fact that God loves us no matter what we look like and what we do.  He always wants the best for us and is with us every step of the way.
     You can still catch the last 4 webcasts every Monday until February 14th.  These are live and free and can be accessed through the link above and also on http://www.ksbj.org/ There is a DVD book study to go with the main text.  I am really excited to be planning this book study for our church community later this year with the approval of the powers that be. :)
     Check out the book if you can find it - it has now hit the NY Times Bestseller list and is selling out everywhere.  Check out the webcasts if you can as they are very inspirational.  Definitely check out the website link above to learn more about the book and Lysa.

Neat contest from Tyndale

Dear Bloggers,

I wanted to fill you in on an exciting contest that is currently being run and sponsored by the New Living Translation. We’re highlighting three ministries, Wycliffe Bible Translators, Oasis International, and The Dream Center, (click on the link to learn more details about these ministries) and by voting for one of these ministries you’ll be entered to win one of many prizes.

To enter, visit the NLT Facebook page by clicking here:
http://www.facebook.com/NewLivingTranslation?v=app_28134323652&ref=ts

There are several levels of prizes you can win, here are the details:


With the Give the Word Bible Contest and Giveaway:
• Ministries win: Each time the NLT Facebook Page reaches a fan count milestone, votes will be tallied and the three ministries will receive cash donations from the New Living Translation and Tyndale House Publishers.
• Everyone wins: Everyone who enters on the Bible Contest website wins a free download of Matthew West reading the Christmas story.
• Daily NLT Study Bible winners: Vote on the NLT Facebook page and you will be entered to win two NLT Study Bibles—one to keep and one to give away. A new winner will be chosen every day.
• Weekly Give the Word Locally winners: Tell us about a deserving local ministry on the NLT Bible Contest website and they could win five NLT Study Bibles and $250 worth of NLT products.
• One Grand Prize winner will enjoy a unique trip customized just for them and their family (or three guests of their choice), to Wycliffe Bible Translators world headquarters and the WordSpring Discovery Center where they will experience firsthand the exciting world of Bible translation. The Grand Prize winner could also choose to donate the value of the trip--$2000--to Wycliffe instead.

South Dakota Trip 2010

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Review: Outlive Your Life - You Were Made to Make a Difference by Max Lucado

This is the most recent book by popular Christian author Max Lucado.  This book celebrates his 25th year in publishing and all of his royalties from the book and other Outlive Your Life products will be donated to World Vision.  How cool is that?!  It is written in Mr. Lucado's common everyday language that makes his books such a refreshing easy read for me.  I finished this book in 3 days which hasn't happened for a few years due to the ages of my children and the amount of activities we are involved in. This book got my attention with the opening fable of Father Benjamin and kept it all the way to the discussion and action guide at the end.  The book is based on the book of Acts.  It retells the story of the first christian church with present day examples of things every person can do both big and small to make a difference in this world even after we have departed it.

Mr. Lucado really shows us that everyone, even your average ordinary "Joe" can do something to make the world a better place and to leave a legacy behind.  Yes, God can use even you.  Whether it's saying a prayer for someone, sharing hospitality or adopting an orphan from another country EVERYONE can do SOMETHING to make this world better.  If I could recommend one book that everyone should read this year, this is that book.  This book has the potential to change the world one reader at a time.  Thank you Mr. Lucado, for giving us inspiration and hope!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Life Update Part 1 - Summer 2010

So here's a sampling of what we've been up to since May:

The kids had fun at Cougar Day in May

 On May 8th, we picked up 2 calves and brought them to a farm close to our house to work with and train for the 4-H Fair. We had no idea what we were getting into!

We had a visit from family in May – Burt’s parents and 3 of our nephews. They had a lot of fun at the farm with all the different animals. There are horses, newborn chicks and newborn kittens in addition to our calves.

Uriah played little league and Burt ended up coaching his team and Tori & I assisted. We had a lot of fun!

Tori & Jersey

Uriah & Maurice

 We practiced walking the calves down to our house and back to get them used to being led. In addition to going down 2x a day to feed and water them.

In addition to all this fun, Burt took Memorial Day weekend off and the 4 of us went to Wisconsin Dells for the weekend.  We stayed at Hotel Rome and went to Mt. Olympus, Pirates Cove and rode the Ducks.  It was a nice, relaxing family weekend.

We took the calves to Dairy Day in June.  They walked in the morning parade and got 60 tickets each for the rides later.

After the parade they showed the calves in the dairy show.  It was a great warm up for what the fair would be like.  They learned a lot!

A fun nerf fight turned into an all out water fight outside on a hot summer day!

We had a great time at Vacation Bible School in June :)

July was fair time!

The club project was taking care of the Butterfly Garden at Mattke Park.  They took pictures through the whole process and wrote up the project.  They ended up being selected for the State Fair!  Way to go S-F Lucky Clovers!

The big day finally arrived - bucket/bottle calf judging!

The kids did excellent and both received blue ribbons!

My sister, grandmother and niece came for a quick visit so they could see the kids show their calves.  It was great to have them here for a few days!

Did I mention that the weekend before the fair (4th of July weekend) we went camping in Wisconsin with Burt's family?  It was a great time!  Could have done without 2 days of rain, but it was still good to see everyone again.

Review: The Boy Who Changed the World by Andy Andrews

Book Description:

Did you know that what you do today can change the world forever?
The Boy Who Changed the World opens with a young Norman Borlaug playing in his family’s cornfields with his sisters. One day, Norman would grow up and use his knowledge of agriculture to save the lives of two billion people. Two billion! Norman changed the world! Or was it Henry Wallace who changed the world? Or maybe it was George Washington Carver?
This engaging story reveals the incredible truth that everything we do matters! Based on The Butterfly Effect, Andy’s timeless tale shows children that even the smallest of our actions can affect all of humanity. The book is beautifully illustrated and shares the stories of Nobel Laureate Norman Borlaug, Vice President Henry Wallace, Inventor George Washington Carver, and Farmer Moses Carver. Through the stories of each, a different butterfly will appear. The book will end with a flourish of butterflies and a charge to the child that they, too, can be the boy or girl who changes the world.
My thoughts:  This is a beautiful children's book!  I did think that the writing would be hard for younger kids to follow so I would say this should be geared towards kids ages 9 and up.  The message is clear and good for adults too.  I especially found it interesting as we live so close to Mr. Borlaug's birthplace.  I do plan to use it for a children's sermon illustration soon.  Thank you Mr. Andrews for sharing such an important, inspiring story!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”