How to Reach Your Full Potential for God - book review

Book Description
In How to Reach Your Full Potential for God, acclaimed pastor and speaker Charles Stanley connects readers with the plan and purpose God envisioned when He created them.

"Things are never going to change" or "This is just the way I am--I'm never going to get better" are just a few of the damaging lies Christians believe about themselves, their situations, and their walk. But Dr. Stanley shares the real truth as God sees it.

In this powerful and inspiring message, readers reconnect with the grand vision God had when He uniquely created them. They learn that regardless of setbacks, failures, and frustrations, there is a better path based in His Word, one that's full of freedom and purpose. This book takes them to their specifically designed path to become exactly who the Father made them to be and achieve exactly what He designed them for.

My thoughts
I really enjoyed reading this very informative book by Charles Stanley. No matter how long a person has been following Christ, there are always areas that we can improve in. People question all the time what purpose they have in life or they don't understand why they are not hearing from God on certain areas. Charles Stanley gives great pointers by outlining seven essentials to living the life God desires for us. Among these essentials is: having a clean heart (this chapter is a real eye opener for those that "thought" they were clean), a clear mind (what are you thinking about? It is not always about what you do but how you think.), using your gifts, a healthy body (your body is a temple of God so why would we not take better care of it?), right relationships (Is there someone in your life that you need to break ties with?), a balanced schedule, and taking God-approved risks. He outlines just how we can improve in all of these areas of our lives. Anyone that reads this book with an open heart and an open mind, can and will learn something.

Get your copy today from
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Disclaimer: I received this book free for review purposes only. The thoughts in this review are mine and I was not compensated in any way.

The Girls from Ames - Book Review

WOW...I have just finished reading the book The Girls from Ames and all I can say is WOW. When I agreed to review this book I had no clue that I would learn so much from a group of girls that I have never met, that grew up in a place that I have never heard of. This book has been a true inspiration to me and I recommend it to everyone!!

From the back of the book: Karla, Kelly, Marilyn, Jane, Jenny, Karen, Cathy, Angela, Sally, Diana, Sheila. Meet the Ames girls , eleven childhood friends who formed a special bond growing up in Ames, Iowa. AS young women, they moved to eight different states, yet they managed to maintain an enduring friendship that would carry them through college and careers, marriage and motherhood, dating and divorce, a child's illness, and the mysterious death of one member of their group. Now in their forties, the girls have a lifetime of memories in common, some evocative of their generation and some that will resonate with any woman who has ever had a friend. Capturing their remarkable story, The Girls from Ames is a testament to the deep bonds of women as they experience life's joys and challenges-and the power of friendship to triumph over the heartbreak and unexpected tragedy.

My thoughts: This book is a true testament of how friendships should be. As I read this book and learned about the girls, I found myself being really caught up into their lives. I laughed with them, I cried with them, and I sometimes ven felt like I was sharing with them, in a sense. I found at different points in the book that I could identify with each of the girls with different situations. Like Karla, I must have my coffee in the morning and I want my sleep or I am grumpy. And like Marilyn, I take a "be-a-nice-mommy-instead-of-a-screaming-bitch-pill".
I have always thought that I did not need many friends. I had one really close friend in school and she was the only person I trusted and felt like I needed in my life. Well, she was killed in a car wreck 7 years ago and I was left with no one to fall onto. There was no other friends to offer a shoulder or an encouraging word. Reading this story of the Ames girl, I realize that having more friends is very important. No matter what, we all need someone that we can count on, especially us women! I also learned through reading this book that I need to stay in better contact with my friend's parents. I did for a while but that has kind of become non-existent. I intend on calling them and checking in on them.
I hope that it is not too late for me to find some good friends that I can hold on to! If Kelly can find the man she has been looking for, then surely I can make friends!!
After reading the book I went to the website Girls from Ames and I was super happy to hear that they were in the process of making a movie!! I thought as I was reading that this would make a great Lifetime movie!
Get your copy today of The Girls from Ames from Amazon.

Two Cups of Coffee

I received this in an email once a long time ago and thought it was really awesome. I have been thinking about it lately and I finally found it so I wanted to share it. Tell me what you think......
When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee. A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous "yes." The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed. "Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things---your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else---the small stuff. "If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you. "Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand." One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled and said, "I'm glad you asked." The coffee just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

Memorial Day

It is Memorial Day weekend. The official start of summer!! So what are your plans for this weekend and Monday? I have family reunion on Sunday and I guess I will be one of the unfortunate that will be working on Monday. But I hope that everyone will take time ouot, no matter what your plans are, and think about what Memorial Day is all about. We need to think about the soldiers that made the ultimate sacrifice so that we could be free, and also the families of those!! Take time to say a prayer for our current military men & women as well as their families too. I am sure they would all appreciate it.

Now if you know someone that would like to show their American pride, check out the great folks at ABC Neckties. They have awesome assortment of "flag" ties. I have one of these and my son took it as soon as it came in and wears it even when we are not celebrating a patriotic holiday!

5 fun family vacation activities your kids will love

Ok so summer time is among us and that means summer vacations!! What are some of the things that you are planning this summer? What are some of the things that your family likes to do on vacation?
I am going to take a moment and share my idea for 5 fun family activities that your kids will love. If your kids are anything like mine, they are hard to please sometimes! But these ideas would make any kid happy!

1) Have you ever heard of the Great Wolf Lodge? You really should check them out if you have not already. They are an indoor water park! And as if that wasn't enough they have specialized rooms to make any family happy.

2) Theme parks are always a great family spot. In fact in July my family will be traveling and going to King's Island. My hubby is from that area so he is the only one that has been before and he is really looking forward to taking me and the kids!

3)One trip I would love to take is to see Niagra Falls. I would love to take a family road trip to see the falls and I am sure we can find some good stops on the way as well!!

4) My kids LOVE going to the beach. Even if we don't make plans to do anything except stay in a hotel with a pool they are happy! In fact they get mad when dad makes plans to do anything that involves leaving the pool.

5) Walt Disney!! Every family should make this trip at least once!! I went when I was too young to remember and again my senior year of high school. This is the one trip that I am most looking forward to taking with my family in the future.

There are also places that are good depending on where you live...such as I have heard there is a M&M factory in Las Vegas I believe and I know there is Hershey, PA where they make Hershey candy. Those would be fun family places to go but again that would depend on where you are living or going.

So, what are YOUR plans this summer? You can share along with me and other bloggers by going to Twitter Moms and making a post of your own. But I would also like for you to leave me a comment about some of your plans. I am looking forward to my vacation in July!! And I will be sure to take lots of pictures and post them for all to share in my excitement wiht me.

Disclaimer: I wrote this blog post while participating in the Williamsburg Tourism and TwitterMoms blogging program for a chance to get a $50 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here

Fun Family Vacation ActivitiesVisit Williamsburg

10 Tips for Being Fashionable on a Budget

Do you find it hard to be fashionable and still stay within your budget? Well it is really not that hard to do and to prove it I am going to share 10 tips with you.

1) Shop end of season clearance. If you can shop at the end of the season you can get some really awesome deals!

2) Shop at stores like TJ Maxx or Rugged Wearhouse that has the name brand clothing at a fraction of the cost.

3) Have a clothing exchange party. I have heard of these but have enver had one or been to one but you get your friends together and everyone brings clothes that they do not wear any more and exchange with each other.

4) Dont' be too proud to accept hand me downs. We expect our children to share clothes and if there is someone that you know that is getting rid of some clothes, accept them.

5) Don't be too proud to shop yard sales! This is a good way to get good stuff at great prices!

6) Shop the good will stores. They always have nice things in there...one of my personal favorite places to shop.

7) Shop at second hand stores. You can find brand new stuff on the shelves that people take in because once they bought it they did'nt really like it.

8) One of my greatest blessings is having my mother in law live with me AND we are the same size!! We share each others clothes all the time.

9) Look deep into your closet and find those pieces that you put away that you didn't wear any more...I guarantee that they have come back in style or you can bring them back in style!

10) This is one that is good for the women but not for the men....wear your hubbys clothes!! We can always put something together with one of our men's dress shirts.

What are some of your tips for being fashionable?? You can share your tips just as I did by going to Twitter Moms.

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Disclaimer: “I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Gap Outlet blogging program to be eligible to win a $20 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here

Friday Follow May 14th

Click on this Friday Follow link and add your blog! Make sure you follow other blogs and then others will follow you as well.



Join in on the fun and get more followers!!

10 Creative and Affordable Vacation ideas

Are you taking a vacation this year? Did you take one last year? My husband and I only took our annual trip to see his grandparents last year over Thanksgiving but that was it because money was so tight. This year we are planning early and trying to plan maybe 3 small vacations. Along with the girls from Twitter Moms, I am coming up with 10 ways that you too can have an affordable vacation this year.

1) Whenever possible, stay with family. It gets a little crowded when the whole family goes to see the grandparents and stay in their single wide trailer, but it beats those high priced hotels.

2) If you have to stay in a hotel, try to find one with a free continental breakfast. That is one meal that will not be extra.

3) Take food with you to make lunches with. If you combine this tip with #2 then you can enjoy a nice dinner each evening. I know that when you are on vacation you do not want to cook but you can take sandwich makings or other easy peasy lunch time meals to make.

4) Travel with family or friends. If you can go with someone else you can split the cost of gas and food and both of you will be getting a break.

5) Drive rather than fly if you can. Although gas is not coming down it is still more than likely cheaper to travel by car (or van) rather than flying. Plus you get to see more of the "country side" and maybe take a few detours on the way to the original destination.

6) Take a day vacation. If you are close to a beach or lake then you can leave early one morning and just stay for the day.

7) Plan your vacation for the week instead of the weekend; especially if you have to stay in a hotel. Prices are generally cheaper on weekdays than they are on weekends.

8) There are alot of fun places to visit that have free child admissoins with the purchase of an adult. These places are great to take the kids to when you are short on cash.

9) Where I live, I could stay home and visit different places each day while on vacation. I live in an area that the beach is about 2 hrs away, the zoo is a couple of hours away and so on. I am sure others are the same, so why not stay home and take mini vacations each day.

10) Finally....I say just stay home!!! If you are taking a vacation from work then just staying home and relaxing is the best vacation ever. Usually when we go on a long vacation and come home the day before we have to return to work we are give out!! So staying hime is not the worst option.

Share with me some of your ideas...what are you doing on vacation this year??
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Disclaimer: I wrote this blog post while participating in the Toyota Sienna and TwitterMoms blogging program for a chance to get a $30 gift card. For more information on how you can participate,
Click here

Happy Mother's Day...just a little late

I know I am a slacker but better late than never right!?!?!? Anyway, I wanted to wish all of you wonderful mothers out there in blog world a Happy Mother's Day. Since everyone else said it 2 or 3 days ago I figured I would make you feel special all over again by saying it again. Why is Mother's Day only celebrated for 1 day anyway? We work hard all year and we get 1 day! I think at the very least we should get a whole week! So start celebrating all over again ladies. Enjoy being a mother and enjoy being YOU!!

5-things on my honey-do list that never get done

We all have them; some of them never get done and the ones that do get done usually don't get done without any lip. What am I talking about?? Honey-do lists! We all make lists that we hope our significant other will do but unfortunatley there are some of them that we ask and ask and they never seem to get done. I am going to share 5 of my honey-do list items that fall into this category.

1) The door on my son's bedroom door has fallen off and he has really wanted it to be fixed. We have tried everything but it has not worked so we need daddy to fix it. Well....there is a sheet hanging up so that he has a little bit of privacy.

2) The sliding glass door will not open easily and will not close all the way either. There is a draft in the winter so I have begged my "honey" to please do something with the door.....and well, I finally just put some blankets down to cut down on the draft.

3) While we are on the subject of doors....the screen door on the front of our house does not fit properly. It will not close all the way so when the wind blows at all it will blow the door open and that is never fun!

4) This one does not involve a door for a change. But it does involve my kitchen floor. We had a leak under the sink that caused the floor to rot and finally the floor fell through. I have wanted this to be fixed but instead got a temporary fix...there is a board on the floor to cover the hole. This is aggravating because of tripping over the board on the floor now.

5) This has been the one that has bugged me the most! About 2 years ago we had a hurricane. Not much to it but there was enough wind to blow a tree over. Thank God above for sparing my house and our lives!!! But the tree hit my porch. It came so close to going through my house that it knocked out the board on the porch that is next to the entrance. It also weakened the rest of the boards so it has been scary thinking someone was going to fall through. I have begged for a new porch and well, I am still waiting. We did find a temporary fix that is safer but it is also too small and has a longer drop when you walk out the door.

What is on your honey-do list that you can't seem to get done? If you are a blogger you can participate along with me for a chance to win $100 in ServiceLive Bucks. Just check out
Twitter Moms

Disclaimer: “I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and ServiceLive blogging program to be eligible to receive $100 in ServiceLive Bucks. For more information on how you can participate,
click here.”

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How do YOU effectively discipline?

Ok so I am asking for input here. How do you effectively discipline your children?? I have an 11-yo son that has become terror at school and I am at my wits end trying to get him to do right. He talks back to the teachers, he walks away from the class and goes somewhere else (which is considered skipping class) and he misbehaves on the bus. Last week he was suspended from school for 2 days because of skipping class. For those days (and even other days as well) he was made to work. He helped my mom out for 2 days and then my mother in law for another day around the houses. All the other kids went camping with my sister and brother in law and he had to stay home, he has not been allowed to ride his dirt bike, and he has watched very little tv. Then his first day back to school he gets called to the office and has been suspended from the bus for 5 days because of standing on the bus...this happened before he was suspneded from school not on his first day back. He smiles and seems to think that it is funny and the punishments have not seemed to phase him at all. I really thought once we got the dirt bike(we have only had it about 2 weeks) then he would start behaving because he loves to ride it! But so far he has done without.
What I am in desperate need of is some advice from all you wonderful blogging mommies (and daddies) out there. What have you done that worked as far as punishment? All that we have done to punish him has not seemed to work. He is a little big for spankings. What else can I do???

Plan B - book review

Every good planner has a back-up plan. You hear people say all the time, "Well that did not work so let's try plan B". But what about those times when you really thought God was going to come through for you in a certain way and He doesn't. Maybe you have prayed and prayed for something to happen and God leads in a totally different way? Do you find yourself questioning God and being disappointed in His leading? Most of us, even if we don't intend to, do seem to get upset when God does not answer the way we thought He would. But how are we supposed to respond?
That is what this book is all about. Pete Wilson, the author, is the lead pastor of Cross Point Church in Nashville, TN. Pete aspires ro lead churches to become radically devoted to Christ, irrevocably committed to one another, and relentlessly dedicated to reaching those outside of God's family.
I learned by reading this book that God's plan is definitely not always our plan. And even though we hear that all the time and we even preach it and teach it to others, we still tend to question Him when we really think things should go another way in our life. But we have to have faith in God and in His decision for our life. He is the one that knows what will happen tomorrow where we only hope for what will happen today. But sometimes God will change our plans and lead us in a way that we have to depend on Him, and as long as we have faith and truly believe in Him then He will go before us and things will always work out for the better. Just like in the days when Moses died and Joshua had to lead the people to the promised land. God spoke to Joshua and told him that they would have to cross over the river, but the river was up and there was no human way for them to get across it. Our plan in this situation would have been for God to make a way for them to cross before they got there, but in order to really show their faith they had to step foot into the river before God split the waters and they walked across on dry land. God's plan B was more of a challenge but I think God will bless us more if we take that extra leap of faith.
As I was reading this book I was faced with my own kind of Plan B experience. I was called at 6:30 on a Sunday morning by my dad. My first thought was that something was wrong with my mom but as I answered the phone and began to talk to him I realized he had a problem at work. He was supposed to teach Sunday School but he had an emergency at work that required him to go in ASAP. Before reading this book I would have said something to the tune of "I am sorry but I cannot help you." But this book came to my mind and I told him that I would teach his class for him. I had not studied at all so I went up to his house and got his notes and I went home and studied and prayed!! I was nervous but I truly felt God's presence was with me while I was in front of the class. I got several compliments and people even asking when I was teaching again. I know that God was testing my faith on that morning and I feel like I passed the test. But I would not have taken that chance if it had not been for Pete Wilson and his encouraging words in his book.
I totally recommend this book to everyone!! In fact, I have already told a few of my family and friends that they needed to read it as well as told several people in the church about the book and my own personal experience with it.
Get your own copy of Plan B @ Amazon here