ONE MORE CHANCE

Because of the Lord’s faithful

love we do not perish, for His

mercies never end. They are

new every morning; great is

Your faithfulness! I say, “The

Lord is my portion, therefore

I will put my hope in Him.”

Lamentations 3:22-24 CSB

My five year old grandson is the oldest between he and his brother as well as the oldest among his cousins on both sides of his family. Because of this, he often thinks he knows best and is in charge. I'm an oldest child and grandchild so I get it. This morning his two year old cousin was doing something he shouldn't and while I was correcting him, big cousin jumped in and said, "Grammie, he gets another chance. God gives us one more chance." Well, how can I argue with that!?

The truth is, God doesn't just give us one more chance. God is so patient and kind with us, He is full of grace toward us, He gives us new mercies every single day.

To continue reading, please join me at Woman to Woman Ministries. Click HERE.

GRACE & GRATITUDE {ILLUSTRATED FAITH}

Living a life of grace and gratitude isn't just for the week of Thanksgiving. Living grace and gratitude out in our lives should a continual thing, something we start on January 1st and continue all the way through December 31st. Illustrated Faith is helping us to do just that, to live out grace and gratitude.

The new Illustrated Faith Bible journaling kit is the second kit in the grace and gratitude series. To see the first kit, click HERE. November's Grace & Gratitude kit not only leads us toward grace and gratitude but is also perfect to help lead us into the Christmas season.

Each piece in this kit is perfect for illustrating your time with God throughout the season of Advent. It is also perfect to add some grace and gratitude to your planner during the busy holiday season.

November's Grace & Gratitude kit focuses on four important elements: hope, joy, love, and peace. The kit comes with:
4 devotionals
24 hole punched Scripture prompt cards on key ring
1 sheet of Christmas stickers
1 buffalo check washi tape
1 4x6 clear stamp set
2 sheets of Christmas tabs
1 Grace & Gratitude sticker
1 surprise from Shanna

The Christmas tabs are a great addition to your Bible journal for your Christmas time Bible studies or your Christmas gift planner. And the Scripture cards on a key ring are convenient to carry around on your purse or key chain this Christmas season. What better thing to look at when things start getting chaotic!

The devotional cards offer Scripture reading, a brief devotion, and questions to get your mind thinking. Personally, I love to use the adorable washi tape and tape the devotional cards into my prayer journal at the beginning of the week. Then I spend the week meditating on and memorizing the verse.

This kit is so much fun and truly leads us into living out hope, love, joy, and peace as we learn to live a life full of grace and gratitude.

To get your Grace & Gratitude kit, click the banner below. Plus, with Dayspring's early Black Friday sale, get 30% OFF with code FRIDAY18! And, as always, get free shipping with orders $50 or more!

*Disclosure: I received this product free of charge in exchange for my honest opinion.Links on this page may be affiliate links. Thank you for supporting this ministry by using the affiliate links.

ILLUSTRATED FAITH

The holiday season of Thanksgiving is one of my favorites. I love the colors of autumn and I love that people focus on giving thanks. This is why I am so excited for the new Illustrated Faith Bible journaling kit! This month's kit has all of the beautiful fall colors with all the gratitude and encouragement of Thanksgiving.

The Grace & Gratitude Kit gives us thirty days to focus on being grateful for so many sweet gifts from God. With thirty days in November, it is a perfect match!

This kit includes:

-30 hole punched Thankful prompt cards on key ring

-2 sheets of clear stickers

-1 washi tape

-1 4x6 clear stamp

-Paper pieces

-1 Grace & Gratitude sticker

-1 surprise from Shanna

One of my favorite things about this month's kit is the thankful prompt cards. These cards are on a key ring making them easy to carry around. You can add them to your keys, hang them in a place you'll see them often, hang them on your purse, or even hang them on your child's backpack. They are beautiful and convenient.

The clear stickers are beautiful and go with the thirty thankful cards. Use the stickers to add to your Bible or journal or even your daily planner to show what you are thankful for each day. The colorful leaf paper pieces are adorable and can be added to your Bible or journal with washi tape or glue.

Speaking of washi tape, fall washi tape is my favorite! This washi matches the leaf paper pieces and is adorable. Washi is a fun way to add something to your Bible, journal, planner, to leave a note on your child's lunch, and so much more. The stamps are always fun for adding some colorful ink to your work. This month's stamps include a pumpkin, leaves, an acorn, and the words thankful and grateful.

The Grace & Gratitude Kit is a wonderful addition to your Thanksgiving season quiet time or to add an additional time in God's Word as you focus on gratitude. They say it takes twenty-one days to create a habit. If we take the Grace & Gratitude Kit and focus on grace and gratitude for thirty days, we will be creating a habit of giving thanks to God.

While I do journaling in my actual Bible on occasion, I generally do my journaling in my quiet time notebook. My notebook has the date, where I read in the Bible and anything God spoke to me in that time, my gratitude list, and my prayer requests and praise reports. I also do some illustrating. Not being the most artistic person, I love the Dayspring Illustrated Faith Bible journaling kits that offer pops of color and artist flare to my time with God.

This month, Shanna Noel of Illustrated Faith has a devotional to go with the journaling kit. This devotional, 100 Days of Grace & Gratitude, helps us journal through God's Word as we study about grace and gratitude. By starting this devotional journal in November you are getting through the holidays learning about gratitude and creating that life long habit.

This month's journaling kit is the perfect addition to your fall season. Get your kit to journal and illustrate your way to a grateful holiday season. Click below.

•Grace & Gratitude Kit

•100 Days of Grace & Gratitude

•Grace & Gratitude Kit AND 100 Days of Grace & Gratitude (includes FREE shipping!)

*Disclosure: I received this product for free in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions are my own. Links on this page may be affiliate links. Thank you for supporting this ministry by using the affiliate links.

GOALS WITH GRACE {ILLUSTRATED FAITH}

The brand new Illustrated Faith Bible journaling kit is out and it is fabulous! With the new year, Dayspring has updated the look and contents of the kit and I think you are going to love it.

The January kit is perfect for a new year and fresh start. This kit is called Goals with Grace. Check out the live Facebook unboxing we did:

The new kit comes with:

• 1 plastic pouch

• 1 14 day devotional booklet

• 1 clear stamp collection

• 1 roll of washi tape

• 1 sheet of cut out paper pieces

• 2 cardstock sticker sheets

• 3 tip ins - book markers

• 1 magnet book marker

• a thank you note from Shanna

I absolutely love this washi tape! Not only will this be used in my Bible and prayer journal but I have big plans to use this in my daily planner. With the words with HIM, it will be an incredible reminder when I look at my planner on those hard days or big appointments and I am reminded that with Him, I can handle it and all things are possible.

The brand new pouch for the kit is a great place to keep your Bible journaling supplies. It could be a great bag for pens or makeup as well!

The 14 day devotional will encourage and inspire you as you begin the new year with your new goals, resolutions or One Word.

I love everything about this new kit! Those pink sneakers are darling! One thing you may have noticed is the new kit does not come with an ink pad. If you've been getting the kits previously, you probably have a good collection of ink pads in some really pretty colors (though, we really want a purple ink pad Dayspring!). If not, you can pick up an Illustrated Faith ink pad HERE.

As you begin the New Year and set some new goals for yourself and your family, pick up the new Goals with Grace kit today! Click HERE or click the image below.

Grace of God

If you've been around here long, you know how much I love faith based and family friendly movies. Our family loves to watch  movies and it can be hard to find something that is clean and appropriate. So when we find something, we love to help share it. Today I want to tell you about another great faith based and family friendly movie your family will love!

Grace of God is a brand new dvd available at Walmart. With stars like John Ratzenberger, Lorenzo Lamas and Erin Betha (Fireproof), you know it'll be a great movie!

Having lost his faith many years ago, Detective Bill Broadly is called to investigate the disappearance of the local church’s collection plate. As he questions its various church members, rumors swirl as more congregants learn about the theft. When one unexpected church-goer confesses to stealing the funds, the confession resurrects Broadly’s views on God, and helps him see that through faith and belief there really is rebirth and redemption.

To enter to win a copy of Grace of God complete each task in the rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Case for Grace

Grace.

Grace is something we are all given by God, yet something none of us deserve.

No matter where we are in life, no matter where we've been, no matter our bank account, our debts, our earthly treasures, our faults, we are all sinners in need of grace.

Sometimes grace is hard to understand for teens and children. Author Lee Strobel is ready to help! In his books, Case for Grace Student Edition and Case for Grace for Kids, he tells it like this:

God's
Riches
At
Christ's
Expense

In Case for Grace Student Edition, Strobel shares of his own story of atheism and the journey to Christianity as he explored God's redeeming love. You will be excited to read as find out just how he handled each situation he was faced with. This book is a great read for your teens as they learn about grace.

In Case for Grace for Kids, Strobel shares how grace is for everyone through stories of every day people and their situations. Each chapter ends with a couple of questions for your preteen to see how grace is for them.

Whether your preteen or teen is struggling with grace, doesn't understand it or is looking for something to read, check out these books!

Counting Blessings {GIVEAWAY!}

Last week we talked about having a plan in place to help us calm down during arguments. Today I want to talk about fighting fair.

What does it mean to fight fair?

• Use your plan to go to your place and calm down as you spend some time with God. Pray and as God to reveal to you where you were wrong and how to make it right. Don't let the anger fester, breath and release it.

To continue reading, please join me at Woman to Woman as we learn to fight fair.

Continuing to count my blessings...

1249. My daughter's youth pastor, and my friend, coming to watch her play volleyball. It meant so much to my daughter and I.

1250. A quiet Friday night at home.

1251. M&M cookies with fall colored M&Ms.

1252. Morning devotions with my children and hearing them read the Bible.

1253. The heart-felt, faith-filled prayers of my children.

1254. My husband reading the Own It devotional. He never reads but is loving this book.

1255. My kids' excitement over new sleeping bags.

1256. God filling me up when I feel empty.

What are you praising God for today? Please share with me in the comments.



Giveaway time!

Last week we had a giveaway for the Grace Unplugged movie. My daughter and I truly love this book and are beyond excited for the movie to come out. And as for the Own It book, this is something very personal to my family. My husband has been talking a lot about ownership lately. Encouraging our kids to take ownership of our home and the things in it (aka: doing their chores) and talking to our church about ownership. I told him of this book and he is actually reading it! My husband never reads. Never.

I love these books so much that we are having another giveaway!

Grace Unplugged Prize Pack INCLUDES: 
• Grace Unplugged Soundtrack CD
     - Songs by TobyMac, AJ Michalka, Chris Tomlin and Shawn McDonald.
• Grace Unplugged: A Novel by Melody Carlson.
• Own It: The book Discover Your Faith in God by Michael & Hayley DiMarco.
• Grace Unplugged Exclusive Guitar Pick.

Plus, check out this really cool app!

To enter simply complete each task in the rafflecopter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Linking with:
A Holy Experience

Grace Unplugged {Review and GIVEAWAY}

Today I am so excited to review two books: Grace Unplugged and Own It.

Grace has been singing along side her father in church for years. Now, at eighteen, she is ready to make it big and prove she can do it herself. She takes out on her own to Los Angeles and life gets tough. As her music and popularity grow, her relationship with God and her parents diminish. Grace is given a book, Own It, that challenges her faith. With this great devotional to aid her and the prayers of many, will Grace get back on track?

Grace Unplugged is an incredible story. It gave not only entertainment, but great inspiration and encouragement to me, and to my teenage daughter. Own It is an incredible devotional that I cannot wait to read again and pass on.

Grace Unplugged, the movie, will be in theaters October 4th. As someone who loves faith and family films, I cannot wait to see it! And a big bonus, Jamie Grace is in the movie! Our family just loves her!

Giveaway time!
One blessed reader will recieve both Grace Unplugged, the book, and Own It. To enter to win, simply complete the tasks in the rafflecopter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Are You Feeling Overwhelmed?

Life is so busy right now.  Of course, I wonder when it isn't.  I am a wife, mother of four, homemaker who tries very hard to keep the house in order and meals ready, homeschooler (homeschooling four different grades is no easy task), my husband and I work in the church, my daughter plays volleyball and has either games or practice every night of the week (and in the summer its baseball), piano lessons for my youngest girl, blogging, a magazine, and a project with a dear friend, just to name a few things.  

For the most part, I am able to juggle and prioritize and everything runs smooth.  I have learned what I can and cannot handle and when to say no.  I know that things will not always be perfect, but that I can do my best with what God has given me.  Then there are times when something extra gets thrown in the mix that takes away all my sanity.  Things like a headache.

Last Wednesday I woke up with a major headache.  A headache that had me wanting to sleep all day long, something that was not going to happen.  This headache held on strong for five days straight.  Yesterday it finally let up about eighty percent.  While still slightly there, I can now function.  On Saturday, I was cleaning the house and my vacuum cleaner would not stay plugged in.  Some of the outlets in our house are wore out and the cord on the vacuum is short, so with every move I made, it fell out.  I was so frustrated.  I had so much to do, the calendar and weekly to-do list was maxed out, my head was splitting and the vacuum not staying plugged in was the straw that broke the camel's back (I find that saying very weird, by the way).

With my husband out washing the car and the kids in bed for the night, I pushed the vacuum far away from me, sat down and cried.  God, I am so busy, I hurt so bad and just do not feel good.  I don't have time or energy for this vacuum cord to not stay plugged in.  I cannot do this.  God's response to me was 2 Corinthians 12:9, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness..."

I am weak.  I plan, organize and try hard to do my best.  But the truth is always there, I am weak.  Without Him, I am nothing.  But praise God, His grace is sufficient for me!

What are you facing today that has you feeling overwhelmed, tired, hurt or sad?  Remember that God's grace is all you need.  Remember that in your weakness He is strong.  Friend, all you need is to reach out to Him.  He is there.

Sweet Blessings~

 

Linking with:

Into The Beautiful 

Titus Tuesday  

On Your Heart Tuesday 

Soli Deo Gloria

Teach Me Tuesday

Hear it on Sunday, Use it On Monday

Autumn Beauty & The Grace Card

Today I am posting a Marriage Monday over at Woman to Woman Ministries.  We are talking about how our husbands rock!  We also have a fabulous giveaway starting today.  Join us!

I love taking my children to the park.  It is one of our favorite things to do.  We play together, go for walks, then mommy sits back and reads as the kids play some more.  It is always a great time.  Autumn is my favorite season.  I love the colors, sound of rustling leaves, and smells.  I love Autumn.  Today, take a moment to get out and enjoy God's beautiful Autumn nature! 

It can be difficult to show grace sometimes.  Someone hurts us so we are bitter towards them.  They are from a different walk of life and we do not understand them.  They stand for something we are against.  They simply live differently than we do.  These things make it hard to show grace sometimes.

But the fact remains that God showed grace to us so how can we not extend it to others?

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is a gift of God."  Ephesians 2:8

We are all sinners.  We all mess up and fall short of God's glory.  Yet He still extends His grace to us.

We do not always do things the way God wants.  We hurt Him.  And at times we may even stand for something He is against.  But He still extends His grace.

Who are we to hold onto that grace and not share it?

I encourage you, the next time you are at odds with your neighbor, show grace.  The next time the clerk at the store upsets you, show grace.  The next time your in-laws mess up your plans, show grace.  The next time a friend lets you down, show grace.

Here is a beautiful explanation of grace:

I will pray for you daily.  I will ask your forgiveness and grant you the same.  I will be your friend. ~The Grace Card

When grace is needed, offer to pray for the person daily.  Ask their forgiveness and grant them forgiveness.  Be their friend.

Sweet Blessings~


Linking with:
Capturing Beauty

Review and a giveaway!

Theo - This cute animated movie features Theo, an Englishman and his two mice friends, Belfry and Luther.  Theo knows all about Gods Word and teaches children about Biblical values.  My two youngest kids, though older at 8 and 10, still loved the movie and look forward to seeing more.

The Shunning - The Shunning is a movie taken from Beverly Lewis' book series, The Heritage of Lancaster County.  If you are familiar with Beverly Lewis, her stories are based on the Amish.  The main character, Katie, learns shocking news that will change her life forever.  She has to learn to forgive and follow God's will for her life.  I am a fan of Ms. Lewis and really enjoyed The Shunning.

Grace Card - Tragedy strikes a family and changes their lives.  Years later they are still dealing with this tragedy when God brings two men together on the job.  They are from different backgrounds, different walks of life, and different beliefs.  Will grace be extended?  This movie was excellent!  A very powerful lesson in extending grace, even when it is hard.  This is a movie I will watch again and pass on!

The winner, which will be announced on Friday (10/14), will receive all three of these wonderful movies.  To enter:

• Comment on the blog post each day.

For extra entries:

• Facebook about the giveaway then come back and leave a separate comment telling me you shared the giveaway.
• Tweet about the giveaway then come back and leave separate comment telling me you tweeted the giveaway.
• "Like" us on Facebook then come back and tell me you are following us there, or tell me if you already follow.