Any suggestions for St. Patrick’s Day? I would like to do some fun things, but don’t really have any ideas. You are my “party go to expert”....
I'm so glad you asked, dear friend! Now that it is almost March, I am in St. Patrick's Day planning mode ~ and would love to share my family~friendly ideas with you!
(Sorry I look weird - it was a self portrait! I was trying to show you my new headband!)
I've already pulled out our St. Patrick's Day books. We've been reading The Storyof Saint Patricks Dayby Patricia Pingry for years!
I love sharing with my kids St. Patrick's love for God, and how he used the shamrock to share the Trinity with others (more info on teaching St. Pat here)
And how will we celebrate on St. Patrick's Day??
(I must confess - I'm going to be in Turkey this year on St. Patrick's Day - so this is what we'll be doing a few days before the actual date.)
Typically, I decorate the house the night before with tons of green party supplies from Party City. (I buy the bulk of my "party goods" the year before, when it's clearanced). It makes me happy to go to bed with everything ready for the big day! :)
In the morning, we start the day with green pancakes. Here's a fun picture from a few years ago....
Don't they look adorable?? (Sorry I still had my hearts of loving kindness hanging from the chandelier. I'll have to share that idea in another post...)
For lunch, I usually cut their sandwich into a shamrock with a shamrock~shaped cookie cutter, throw in a green napkin, cut green apples or grapes, green veggies, etc...
For dinner, here is the menu we usually have...
* Shamrock Shaped Pizza
* Green Fluff Salad (my kids favorite ~ with marshmallows & pistachio pudding mix)
* Lettuce Salad & Dressing
* Fresh Green Vegetables (cucumbers, celery, broccoli, snow peas, etc..)
Of course, we will have tattoos :) Here's a pic from a former celebration.... (My jewelry is from Claires. Super fun, but inexpensive!)
* We also have a Treasure Hunt. I place a shamrock under one of our guests' dinner plates. After dinner, I have everyone look under their plates. The shamrock under the plate has the first clue. At the end of the treasure hunt, I have little black pots filled with candy gold for all the kids. (I originally saw this idea here). The kids LOVE it! :)
* As you know, it wouldn't be a party without BINGO. You can make your own St. Patrick's Day BINGO cards here.
* I'll print off lots of color sheets, word searches, mazes, etc.. You can get started hereor here.
You might think, "Cindy, why do all this work for one simple day?".
Years ago, I coordinated a program for homeless teen moms. We happened to be out driving to appointments on St. Patrick's Day. I drove by McDonald's and saw a sign for Shamrock Shakes. We stopped in and I bought all the teens a Shamrock Shake.
You would have thought I gave them a million dollars. The teens were thrilled to enjoy a special shake, and asked me if I would do that every year for them.
Simple. Inexpensive. Took very little time.
And yet, my guess is that these teens will always remember that day. I know I will. (And yes, the next year I bought green shakes again for all the homeless teens!)
When my Jake was little and I was a single mom, every year on St. Patrick's Day, I'd take him to McDonald's for a shamrock shake.
Now that Jake is older, although our family has grown ~ I don't ever want to miss the chance to make an "ordinary" day more "extraordinary".
This year, thankfully, I am able to spend a little more time planning our "pre-St. Patrick's Day" celebration.
And I hope while I'm in Turkey...John will take the kids by McDonald's for a Shamrock Shake. :)
I have a feeling he will - I think my "celebration spirit" is rubbing off on him! What do you think??
May I encourage you to "mark this moment" in some little, special way. Your family will remember. You will remember. :)
And if you don't have a McDonald's nearby, a delicious Shamrock Shake recipe is here.
Happy early St. Patrick's Day!! Do you have any tradition or family fun ideas to mark this day?? I'd love to hear from you!!!
Thanks for stopping by *She Sparkles*! Many blessings to you!!
P.S.S. My celebration ideas are obviously very family-friendly. If you are looking for more "grown up" recipe ideas, All Recipes has some great looking recipes here.
Welcome to the A to Z Memory Verse Challenge 2012! I'm so glad you are here!
If you are new to the A to Z Challenge, you can read all about it here! You can join in at anytime!
Today is the perfect day to memorize verses with us!
Before I share this week's new verse (can you believe we're on "E" already?!) - I wanted to share some fun stories/pics I've received. (I just love journeying with y'all!)
**Thanks, Jen, for sending this picture to show how you're memorizing. She's taping her verses right on her dashboard. Love it! **Want to read an AWESOME answer to prayer story (and great devotion from the D verse). Check out my friend Lisa's blog! (You can enter her giveaway too!) **Gigi shares new memorizing tips - be sure to stop by and say hello! And now for our "E" Verse -
E - Every good and perfect gift is from above. James 1:17
(for the other verses we've memorized, clickhere).
Remember, join in at anytime! Go at your own pace - just don't give up!! :)
Memorizing Ideas ~
* Don't forget the dry erase marker idea. Write the verse on mirrors in your home.
* Instead of putting the verse on a note card, type it into your phone. (Recommendation from an A to Z friend - thanks Silly Mama!)
* For families, you may want to print off a letter "E" on colored cardstock. Write the verse on the "E", and hang it on your refrigerator.
* I've found the Kidz Memory Verse Book has been very helpful for us. I gave Darleneall 26 verses we'll be memorizing this year. She put all the verses into this fun, colorful book.
After dinner we pass the Kidz book around the table, each saying the one word in the verse until it sticks in our memory. It's working. Woo Hoo! :)
**Feel free to share your favorite tips, ideas, even pictures. I'd love to share your suggestions and/or link to you in the weeks to come!
Giveaways ~
I am thrilled to share another GREAT GIVEAWAY with you! For our last giveaway, I introduced you to Seeds Family Worship (although many of you knew and loved Seeds already!).
Seeds does an excellent job of creating amazing songs to help scripture memory simple (as my kids would say "easey, peasy...") and very kid-friendly. Don't just take my word for it, take a listen. Here's another one of my Seeds favorites.....
Want to hear more?? Clickhere for more song samples! While you are on the Seeds website, be sure to check out the Family Worship Ideas, Memory Verse Cards, Parent Resources, and more!!
And guess what?? The amazing folks from Seeds Family Worship have given me a bundle of Seeds Worship CD's to give away to you!!! Since the comments were so favorable last time, let's do it again! I have 3 more Seeds Cd's! to giveaway!
3 Cd's = 3 blessed winners!! Woo Hoo!!
ToWin this week's Seeds Family Worship Giveaway: Share with us who you are, where you are from, and your favorite Scripture verse.
I'll go first....
Cindy B., Grand Rapids, Michigan, Jeremiah 29:11
Extra Entries:
•Follow *She Sparkles* •Subscribe to *She Sparkles* •Add my *She Sparkles* button to your blog •Tweet about this giveaway including a link to this post
Please be sure to leave me a comment to let me know your extra entries.
RULES: Starts today, Monday, February 27th and ends Thursday, March 1stat 9 PM. Winners will be posted on my blog during the week of March 3rd.
If your email address is not connected to your ID, please leave your email address with your comment or email it to me at cindy.bultema@gmail.com with the subject "Giveaway".
If you are a blogger, please leave your blog address in the comment section. What fun to blog hop and see how you are implementing the verses. Friends, if you are able, please stop by and say hello to these fun A to Z Participants too!!!!
Thanks for stopping by *She Sparkles*. Happy Memorizing!
P.S. Verseability has also made a custom A-Z Versepack that contains all 26 of the verses for the year. The Versepacks are business card sized and perfect for carrying in your purse or pocket and are available for a special price of $ 5.00, plus shipping. You can order them by e-mailing: darlenedykstra@yahoo.com. Be sure to mention *She Sparkles* to get the special rate.
One Women's Bible study ordered 50 versepacks so that the whole Bible study could memorize together. What fun!
Disclosure: I was not provided with any financial compensation for this giveaway, and as always, all opinions are mine.
I was speaking at a conference last weekend, and a number of women were asking, "Why are you going to Turkey? What are you taping again? When will it be ready?".
Today I'll hopefully bring clarity to my formerly "top secret" project, as well as share a number of "Only God" updates!
Some brief history....almost 2 years ago, I started writing a Bible study for my Monday Night Bible Study. Remember how scared I was to tell you?? (recap here) Last March, RBC Ministries invited me to lunch. They'd heard about the Monday night study, and wanted to learn more about it.
After much prayer and discussion, they asked if they could publish my Bible study (as a DVD/video driven curriculum) as well as turn my testimony into a documentary for their TV program shown around the world.
Can you believe it?? I was SPEECHLESS. Only God!
Here are Updates on this project ~
My Testimony Last fall I went to my hometown of Kokomo, Indiana with the Day of Discovery film crew (from RBC Ministries) to begin filming this documentary.
The plan has been to air my testimony this spring if they could get in one final scene that involves snow.
Now who would have thought it would be so hard to shoot a snow scene in the winter when I live in Michigan?!
Thankfully we were able to shoot the scene today! Woo Hoo! Since it was a Snow Day for my kids, everyone came to watch.
(Another fun little tidbit - everyone in my family - me, John, and our 4 kids, plus another surprise relative - are in the documentary in some way. What fun!)
Now that the snow scene is filmed, you can mark your calendars!
It looks like Mother's Day 2012 (May 13th) my story will air!
You can lookhere to see when the Day of Discovery TV show is aired in your community. It will also be available in DVD format. Yippee! In case you want a "sneak peek" into the snow scene...you can read the story here. My son Jake plays the college kid that stopped to help (shhh! don't tell - but isn't that fun?!)
Going to Turkey
Today begins my 20 day (yes, 20 days!) countdown until I leave. Yikes!
I'll be heading with the Day of Discovery team to film my upcoming Bible study (to be released next year). RBC has asked I keep the title a secret for now, but I can tell you it's based on the lukewarm church of Laodicea.
We'll be filming 8 different sessions - the intros/closings in Istanbul, and the teachings on site in Ancient Laodicea/Hierapolis. ONLY GOD!
This week we've been planning wardrobe, I'm trying to memorize 8 scripts, etc..
I am so far out of my comfort zone I don't know if I should laugh or cry. I would LOVE your prayer support! Please???!!
One last FUN surprise....
Woven into my 8 video sessions will be diffferent testimonies from various Christian women authors/speakers/etc... RBC asked me to come up with a list of women to highlight for the different teaching sessions.
Would you believe every woman I've suggested has said yes to being in this Bible study?!!! Woo Hoo!!!
I can't share names yet...but I cannot wait until I can tell you. GOD IS JUST WAY TOO AWESOME. ONLY HE CAN ORCHESTRATE THIS.
I may be headed to Nashville, TN to join the film crew to interview one of the women next week, plus we'll be doing two other interviews soon as well. Hopefully I can sneak in a picture or two to share with you.
Whew! That's what I've been up to lately. I hope you hear through my words that God alone gets all the glory for this project. He has opened the doors, and He is the One who is orchestrating all of the details.
May this story encourage and remind you that God is a God who makes the impossible possible!! Do not grow weary! Do not give up! He knows what He is doing!!
How can I lift YOU in prayer these days? What has God been teaching YOU??? I would love to hear from you, my dear bloggy friend!!! Thanks so much for stopping by *She Sparkles*!! God's richest blessings to you!!
P.S. Don't forget on Monday I'll be sharing the next verse in the A to Z Challenge (& a new giveaway). Care to join us?? It's not too late! Start anytime!!! Click here for more details! We'd love to have you join the fun!!!
Do you have a friend who is honest and speaks the truth to you...always?? Yesterday I shared some of my son Jake's "character building" weekend at his hockey games. (Recap here)
On Sunday, I tried to encourage Jake, help him look on the bright side, "normalize" his feelings by reminding him all athletes have off games, etc..
We even went out for Mexican food (chips and salsa make everything better, right?!)
When I asked Jake how his friend Travis responded (Travis is one of Jake's best friends and he's also on the hockey team).
Jake shared Travis just said...
"Why are you playing so bad this weekend?"
I cracked up.
Do you have a friend who is honest and speaks the truth to you...always??
I want more Travis' in my life. I want women to not sugar coat the weak spots in my life but to ask direct, honest questions.
* Why do you allow the fear of rejection to hold you back, Cindy?
* Why do your run to Starbucks for comfort rather than to the God of all comfort?
* Why do worry so much about what other people think?
Do you have a friend who is honest and speaks the truth to you...always??
Thankfully God has brought a number of special friends like this into my life.
I can remember a few years ago when I was frustrated about something with my husband John. It wasn't a super big deal, but I had hurt feelings. I asked my dear friend Julie to please pray about it with me.
Since we're being honest here, looking back, I don't know that I wanted Julie to pray about it as much as I wanted her to pray God would change John's mind.
Julie called me the next day. She had spent the whole night praying for this request. (Is that a good friend, or what?).
After praying, Julie shared that she thought it'd be best if I submitted to John's request. For the good of our marriage, it'd be better for me to "let it go" and demonstrate to John his opinion mattered.
Although it wasn't what I wanted to hear, Julie was right.
Do you have a friend who is honest and speaks the truth to you...always??
Oh God, may we please be women that speak the Truth in love! May we not sugar coat weak areas in our friend's lives, or try to always just look at the bright side, but point them to You and Your Word. Help us to live more like Jesus...always sharing Truth and grace.
Have you ever had a friend share the truth in love to you?
Have you ever had to share truth to a friend (even when it wasn't easy)?
What's worked? Not worked? I would love to hear from you!
Thanks for stopping by *She Sparkles*. God's richest blessings to you!
Do you have a friend who is honest and speaks the truth to you...always??
I've been thinking about this week as I've been journeying with my son Jake.
Many of you know Jake is the hockey goalie for his high school team - Grand Rapids Christian Eagles Most games Jake is a rockstar in the net (if I may say so myself).
Jake made a travel team last year (although we passed on the opportunity) - and besides being the starting goalie for the Eagles, Jake's been practicing with two local college teams.
Although Jake's team doesn't have a super great record, Jake's stats are good and his future is promising after he graduates high school this May.
The past few weeks, the Eagles have played some really hard local teams. Jake and his team rose to the occassion! It's been so fun cheering on my boy and watching him work his "Jake magic" in the net.
Until this weekend.
I'm not sure what happened...but Jake had a hard night in the net on Friday. Although I was at the Women's Leadership Conference, I was getting text updates (shhh! don't tell). My heart sank when I received the text...
"Score 8-3. They just pulled Jake".
Ugh.
I came home from the conference and stayed up until Jake got home to encourage him. I tried to remind him of his extraordinary skills (like this). I reminded him that every athlete has "off" days. I tried to be a good cheerleader mom.
Saturday night we were on our way to Jake's game. I sent my dad a text to see if it had started yet. My heart sank. Again...
First period. Score 4-1. Jake pulled again.
Ugh.
Jake was pretty upset, so I waited until Sunday to try and help him sort through the weekend. As we were talking, I said, "What did Travis say?" (Travis is one of Jake's best friends and he's also on the hockey team).
Jake said Travis just said...
"Why are you playing so bad this weekend?"
I cracked up.
Do you have a friend who is honest and speaks the truth to you...always??
to be continued tomorrow.....
P.S. I'm linking up today with Jen and friends at Soli Deo Gloria. Be sure to check out this amazing sisterhood of women! :)
A local news station (WZZM) wanted to air a segment on why private school enrollment is going up in our area. Besides interviewing the superintendent, they were hoping to interview a mom...and they were wondering if I would do it.
Of course I said NO. I don't like video cameras, and the thought of being interviewed made my stomach hurt. :/
However, as we were talking, she assured me they just wanted to hear from a mom's perspective. I could share why we decided to enroll our kids at a Christian school, and the impact our school has on our 4 kids.
I sensed God was calling me to do it.
I reluctantly said "yes" to the TV interview, and told her I'd be there Monday morning.
Please know, I recognize choosing a school is a very personal matter for families, and a decision to be made with lots of prayer, research, discussion, and reflection.
I certainly am not saying whether the best choice is public school, private, charter or homeschool. I'm not saying that at all.
For us, we made the decision to enroll Jake at Grand Rapids Christian when he was starting the 3rd grade (so almost 10 years ago).
We have loved every minute of it. In fact, as I was thinking of the teachers who have impacted my kids over the years, I started to get a little excited about the interview, and the chance to share why I love our school.
On the day of the interview, I enjoyed meeting Stacia K., one of WZZM's Morning anchors.
I shared how I loved starting all of our parent teacher conferences in prayer.
I talked about how the teachers are more like family to us, especially since we share a common faith in Jesus. Every teacher we've had has modeled Christ's love in action.
I reflected on how when my husband John went through a job transition/loss a few years ago, the teachers prayed our kids (and family) through a very difficult time.
I added how much I appreciate that the school is Christ centered, and that whether they are learning about math, music or Social Studies - everything is taught with Christ as our foundation. Although I sensed she wanted "an angle", I kept going back to Jesus.
Our decision is personal, but we love Grand Rapids Christian school.
Friday morning the segment aired. Unfortunately most of my talk about Jesus hit the cutting room floor. My 3 kids are in the clip, so they are thrilled!
Here is the interview if you'd like to check it out...
A huge note of thanks for my FB friends who prayed me through the interview!
What do you appreciate most about your school?? I'd love to hear from you!
Thanks for stopping by *She Sparkles*! May your week be filled with much joy and grace!
As I was preparing today for this weekend's conference (and feeling a bit overwhelmed with all I have to do over the next 28 days!), I was reminded of 2 Corinthians 12:9. God's power is available to me in abundance. And to you!
I had the sense that someone needed to be reminded that YOU have ALL the POWER you need for ALL the challenges you face!
Enjoy this repost from last year. (And thankfully we are now lice free!). Can I get a Woo Hoo?!
Thankfully only one family member has lice (and it's not me), and I felt confident that when all the kids went to school today, I could complete my Red Hot retreat materials. :(
I was praying that God would do IMMEASURABLY MORE and show me how POWERFUL He is!
Can I just tell you...immeasurably more did not mean "immeasurably more kids home sick from school"?!!!
Yep, I started out the morning with 3 out of 4 kids home. UGH.
Thankfully, the one (with the lice) had a clear check this morning, so now we are down to 2.
Still not what I was thinking today, Lord.
But then I was reminded of God's promises, specifically in 2 Corinthians 12:9.
Jesus said to the apostle Paul, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness".
I love that word power. In the original Greek language, it is the word 'dunamis' meaning might, strength, great ability. It's where we get the word 'dynamite'. Dynamic power!
It is the power of transformation, and - amazingly - it was released for us when Jesus was raised from the dead! (Did you catch that ~ for us!)
I want this POWER in my life! When I am weak (which is TODAY!) ~ I want to be strong and mighty and full of His dynamic power! I have tried to live life on my own before, and failed miserably. And, Lord willing, I won't go back.
What freedom comes when we take the pressure and expectations off of us - and put them back on God and His Word. He is Able!!
My friend, we have ALL the POWER we need for ALL the problems we face!
(Read that one more time ~ we have ALL the POWER we need for ALL the problems we face!)
God's incomparably great POWER is available to help us!!
I'm not sure when this post finds you today...perhaps weary and exhausted like I am? Overwhelmed? In the midst of relationship challenges? Job concerns? Financial pressures?
May our weaknesses put God's POWER on display all the more!
Teach us, O Lord, how to live in the fullness of Your power!
Here is my new Theme Song!
I'm declaring "I've got the Power" (or "I Got Da Power"!) and will live like the Powerful woman that God has created me to be!!
Thanks for stopping by *She Sparkles*! I thank God for you!! Have a fun, power-filled day!! :)
Thanks for praying for Benj! He still has a nagging cough, but the fever is gone and he was able to go to school. Your prayers are making a difference! TY!
Today begins my 30 day countdown until I leave for Turkey. Can you believe it??
I'll be heading with the Day of Discovery team to film my upcoming Bible study (to be released next year). We'll be filming 8 different sessions - the intros/closings in Istanbul, and the teachings on site in Ancient Laodicea/Hierapolis. ONLY GOD!
If I start to look at this challenge from "my" perspective, I would break out in a sweat. I'm so far out of my comfort zone that it's almost comical. I'm the girl that would pee my pants at school when the teacher called on me. The one who lost the spelling bee because everyone was looking at me. The girl that doesn't like video cameras or marketing strategies or wardrobe trips to the mall.
BUT GOD.
He alone makes the Impossible Possible.
Over the next 30 days, I'm committed to immersing myself in Truth. Reflecting on Who God is, and what He is able to do. I will FOCUS on His power, His strength, His ability.
Our God is HUGE....I'm ready to watch Him do a major miracle for His glory alone!
Will you please join me in prayer?? Pretty please??
Today I'm reminded of a post I shared last year with one of my favorite answer to prayer stories. Enjoy....
Do you ever long for a fresh reminder of Who God is and what He is capable of doing??
Last week, I spent the first half of my time on my sick bed stressed out and almost paralyzed with fear and discouragement.
Losing my voice, being unable to breathe due to my asthma, and struggling with bronchitis was not part of MY plan! AHHHHH!
I finally surrendered to the fact that I was sick (and trying to push through wasn't helping matters) and had a good cry about it all.
I also came to the realization that me being sick was not a surprise to God, and that He was fully capable of running things without my help. :)
So rather than pout and whine, I decided to use my time under my covers reflecting on Who He really is and what He is capable of doing.
I'm such a simple girl, so I started with A and made a list to Z...thinking of His character, His heart, His power....
It went something like this...
A ~ God, You are amazing...and I thought about how Amazing and Awesome He is!
B ~ God, You are Beautiful...and I reflected on His beauty and His majesty
C ~ God, You are our Creator...and I praised Him for creating us in His very image
You get the drift! :)
It was also fun to think about the amazing ways I've watch Him answer prayers. Here is my one of my favorite answered prayer stories...
(Again, not scripted just sharing my heart and God's story....thank you for your grace....)
Isn't God so fun??
And Yes, He is a God that makes the impossible possible!!!
So even though last week I missed a week of preparation time, I'm trusting God to make up that time in His own unique way.
And although I "lost" another writing day today (my little Sarah is home sick) ~ I "gained" the opportunity to lean even harder on God and His Word, and love on my little one (which I love to do!!).
What is it you need these days, my friend??
A fresh reminder of His strength and grace??
A special measure of His presence and peace???
A token of encouragement?? His healing touch?? A miracle in the midst of your relationship challenge??
Please be reminded that our God is Who He says and that He can make the impossible possible!!!
I would love to join you in praying for you on your journey....please feel free to send your prayer requests my way. And let's watch God do what He does best ~ heal, provide, protect, redeem, restore and perform miracles in our very midst!!
Thanks for stopping by *She Sparkles*!! God's richest blessings to you!!
P.S.S. I'm linking up today with Jenand friends at Soli Deo Gloria. Be sure to check out this amazing sisterhood of women! :)
Welcome back to the A to Z Memory Verse Challenge 2012! I'm so glad you are here!
If you are new to the A to Z Challenge, you can read all about it here! You can join in at anytime! Today is the perfect day to memorize verses with us!
I'll be sharing a new verse every other week (A to Z style) through December 2012. I also have lots of fun prizes to share with Memory Verse Challenge participants!
Here are the verses we've learned so far....
A - As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15b B - Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. Acts 16:31
C - Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10
and now "D" -
D - Devote yourself to prayer, being watchful and thankfulColossians 4:2
Memorizing Ideas ~
* Don't forget the dry erase marker idea (see pic below!) Write the verse on mirrors in your home.
* For families, you may want to print off a letter "D" hereon colored cardstock. Write the verse on the "D", and hang it on your refrigerator.
* I've found the Kidz Memory Verse Book has been very helpful for us. I gave Darleneall 26 verses we'll be memorizing this year. She put all the verses into this fun, colorful book.
After dinner we pass the Kidz book around the table, each saying the one word in the verse until it sticks in our memory. It's working. Woo Hoo! :)
* How about write them on a homemade chalkboard?! Thanks, Chelliefor sharing! Love it!!
**Feel free to share your favorite tips, ideas, even pictures. I'd love to share your suggestions and/or link to you in the weeks to come!
Giveaways ~
I am thrilled to share another GREAT GIVEAWAY with you!
Years ago (back when I was Children's Director at Mars Hill) I came across Seeds Family Worship. Seeds does an excellent job of creating amazing songs to help scripture memory simple (as my kids would say "easey, peasy...") and very kid-friendly. Don't just take my word for it, take a listen....
Want to hear more?? Clickhere for more song samples! While you are on the Seeds website, be sure to check out the Family Worship Ideas, Memory Verse Cards, Parent Resources, and more!!
And guess what?? The amazing folks from Seeds Family Worship have given me a bundle of Seeds Worship CD's to give away to you!!! Let's start with giving away 3 Cd's!
3 Cd's = 3 blessed winners!! Woo Hoo!!
ToWin my Seeds Family Worship Giveaway: Check in and let us know you are memorizing the verses with us. Please share your name, where you live, if anyone else is memorizing with you, and anything else you'd like to tell us.
I'll go first....
Cindy B., Grand Rapids, Michigan, our whole family is memorizing, I'm grateful to do this together with all of YOU!....
Extra Entries:
•Follow *She Sparkles* •Subscribe to *She Sparkles* •Add my *She Sparkles* button to your blog •Tweet about this giveaway including a link to this post
Please be sure to leave me a comment to let me know your extra entries.
RULES: Starts today, Monday, February 13th and ends Thursday, February 16that 9 PM. Winners will be posted on my blog during the week of February 20th.
If your email address is not connected to your ID, please leave your email address with your comment or email it to me at cindy.bultema@gmail.com with the subject "Giveaway".
If you are a blogger, link in! What fun to blog hop and see how you are implementing the verses. Friends, please stop by and say hello to these fun A to Z Participants too!!!!
Thanks for stopping by *She Sparkles*. Happy Memorizing!
P.S. Verseability has also made a custom A-Z Versepack that contains all 26 of the verses for the year. The Versepacks are business card sized and perfect for carrying in your purse or pocket and are available for a special price of $ 5.00, plus shipping. You can order them by e-mailing: darlenedykstra@yahoo.com. Be sure to mention *She Sparkles* to get the special rate.
One Women's Bible study ordered 50 versepacks so that the whole Bible study could memorize together. What fun!
Disclosure: I was not provided with any financial compensation for this giveaway, and as always, all opinions are mine.
In honor of Valentine's Day, I'm going to share our love story. (I can't believe in almost 4 years of blogging I haven't done this already!)
I'm linking up with From Mrs. to Mama (and many others) for this one! Enjoy!
1. How long have you and your significant other been together?
John and I started dating in December of 1999, and were married on August 5, 2000.
2. How did you meet? {What's your "love" story?}
John was the payroll person at Mars Hill Bible Church when I joined the staff in March 1999. My fiance David had recently died (December 1998) and I was distraught and broken hearted. When John and I first met, I truly thought I would be single for the rest of my life, and was not looking to date anyone.
John was a great friend, very understanding and a wonderful support for me and my son Jake (who was 5 at the time). John helped me get through a lot of dark days as I grieved. After the 1 year anniversary of David's death, I was ready to find love again (smile!) and had my eyes on John. I asked him out on our first date, and I'm so glad he said "yes". :)
Pic below: Here we are New Years Eve 1999. The first time we went out as a couple. What fun!
3. How long have you been married?
We celebrated 11 years of marriage this past August. Pic below is from this year's Anniversary getaway to the Grand Traverse Resort near Traverse City, Michigan.
4. Where did you get married at? Big or small wedding?
We were married on August 5, 2000 @ Mars Hill Bible Church by our friend and pastor Rob Bell Jr.
It was a pretty big wedding - 1000+ people. I loved it! Since I was the Children's Director, we had a children's choir (awesome) plus some of my favorite worship leaders. The reception was held at the church (which used to be a mall) and my parents rented out Play World for all the kids to hang out. It was a beautiful day celebrated by our family and friends. What a blessing!
5. Do you have any nick-names that you call one another? Do share!
Nothing crazy and creative. The usual...honey, honeypie, etc...
6. Name 3 things you love most about your honey.
1. John is 110% trustworthy and loyal.
2. John has a huge heart for the world, kids and missions. I love dreaming with him. :)
3. John is an incredible dad. One of the best EVER. I love parenting with him.
4. John is very understanding about my heart for women's ministry and sacrifices in lots of ways to help me do what I love.
5. John is wise, fun, handsome, Christ-centered, hard working, resourceful and generous. (Sorry I couldn't stop at 3!)
7. Tell us how he proposed. I was totally surprised! We were supposed to meet our friend/relator John Doorn at Mars Hill Bible Church to go look at houses. When we got to Mars Hill (the new site/mall which was under construction), John asked me if I wanted to check out some of the renovations. When we entered the big room that is now the worship center, John got on one knee, had a verse on a card to read to me, and asked me to be his wife. Of course I said yes!
Do I look surprised or what?? We went into another part of the mall, and there were my parents, John's parents, and other dear friends. They had non-alcoholic champagne and were ready to celebrate! I was very happy, but still a little bit in shock!
8. Is he a flowers and teddy bear kind of guy for v-day, or strawberries, champagne, and rose petals?
John's a flowers and nice card kind of guy. :)In fact, he bought me roses last week since he knew I'd had a loooong week!
9. Are you a sunset dinner on the beach kind of girl, or pop a movie in and relax on the couch?
Definitely depends on what life is like with the kids. I'm definitely not a sunset dinner on the beach kind of girl. Lately we pop in movies and relax on the couch due to our busy family life. I'm more of a get dressed up and go out for a fancy dinner type girl :)
10. Tell us one thing you'd like to do with your significant one day. If you could do anything? Go anywhere?
I'd love to travel oversees and serve together. Plus a return trip to Bermuda (where we went on our honeymoon) would be a lot of fun too.
11. Tell us what you plan on doing on this Valentine's Day.
This Valentine's Day we'll be home (it's a school night). We were supposed to go out last Friday night, but Benj has been sick. Nothing exciting...but it's the season we are in right now. :)
12. Are you asking for anything this Valentine's day?
A nice card. Words are my love language. :)Oh, and a latte would be ok too!
13. Give us one piece of advice of keeping a relationship strong and full of love.
Have fun together. Be flexible. Look for ways to serve each other. PRAY!
14. Show us a picture of what love means to you. Thanks for listening to our love story. For more fun stories, head overhere. What's your story???? I'd love to hear from YOU, dear friend!
Thanks for stopping by *She Sparkles*! Have a wonderful, love-filled day!
* As you know, it wouldn't be a party without BINGO. You can make your own St. Patrick's Day BINGO cards here. 
May I encourage you to "mark this moment" in some little, special way. Your family will remember. You will remember. :) 
