Top 10 Tuesday: August Recap

Can you believe that August is over already?!? Where has this month gone?

At the end of each month, I like to take a post to thank my top 10 referrers and share your top 10 favorite posts from the month.

Top 10 Referring Blogs:

1. Home Sanctuary
2. Oh Amanda
3. So I Married a Mennonite
4. The Southern Institue
5. The Youngman Family
6. Gather in Spirit
7. Seeds of Faith
8. Pensieve Me
9. The Homeschool Chick
10. Tuckers Take Tennessee

Top 10 Most Viewed Posts:

1. Top 10 Homeschooling Blogs
2. Top 10 Blogs I Love
3. I'm NOT going to BlogHer'10
4. Using the Lord's Prayer as a Guide...
5. Creating Conversations and Connections through Comments
6. Company Girl Coffee 8.27
7. God's Love is Greater!
8. Top 10 Things I Need to Submit to God
9. It's a VLOG!
10. Running from Submission

Thanks for helping to make August a GREAT month at AP Freewriting!

This post is linked to Top 10 Tuesday at Oh Amanda.

Completing the Maximize Your Mornings Challenge

For the month of August, I have been participating in the Maximum Your Mornings challenge hosted by Michelle at So I Married a Mennonite. Each week, along with keeping up on Twitter (#HelloMornings), I've posted a weekly recap vlog and linked it up to that week's post on Michelle's blog.

Since I invited you all to join the challenge at the beginning, I thought I'd share my weekly recaps and a final vlog to let you know how I did. (If you're reading this in an email or a reader, be sure to head over the blog to be able to watch the videos.)

Week One:


(I must have forgotten to do one on Week Two, or miscounted the weeks!?!)

Week Three:


Week Four:



Final Vlog Recap:


Links mentioned in vlog - So I Married a Mennonite & Inspired to Action.

Did you participate in the MYM challenge? How'd you do?

"The Blogging Church" by Brian Bailey and Terry Storch

Brian Bailey and Terry Storch, blogging pastors at their local churches, have put together an argument for the power of blogging as a ministry tool. “The Blogging Church addresses the why, what, and how of blogging in the local church” (p. xv). The authors argue that “blogging connects people and builds community in a whole new way” (p. xvi). Divided into sixteen chapters, The Blogging Church gives an overview of blogging and why your church should become a blogging church, explores the many ways you can use blogging to make a difference in your church and community, explains the basics about “how to” blog, and gives you a solid foundation on which to build your blog. Interspersed with interviews from blogging professionals (including some in ministry), The Blogging Church is a guide to help you get started with blogging as a tool for your ministry.

As a speaker/writer looking to use blogging as a tool for my ministry, there were actually a lot of parallels between a pastor at a church using a blog and myself using a blog – both to reach more people with our message and give them an authentic view into our lives.

The combination of rising mistrust with rising access has changed what we expect from organizations. We want a relationship, a true conversation, not a one-way recitation of marketing brochures and talking points. The result is that honesty and transparency are now valued above all else. The desire is not for perfection but for openness. (p. 8)

Blogging provides an open and honest communication to take place (p. 8) – it gives the reader a glimpse into the life of the organization and allows him/her to interact on a one-to-one level with the organization. Blogging helps ministries to be relevant to the culture they find themselves in (p. 9). “Blogging is all about connecting communities through conversation” (p. 15). Blogging allows you to expand your ministry’s reach around the world – having a true impact on lives you may never meet in person (p.15).

The book didn’t seem to have any weaknesses in relation to the proposed thesis – in fact, I thought the author’s did a great job hitting all the major points. However, the correlation between being a pastor who blogs and an author/speaker who blogs is not 100% - it’s probably more around 75%. That being said, I found the majority of the content to be relevant and challenging, with only a few pages that I could set aside completely. Did I agree 100% with the authors’ view of blogging? No. But reading their thoughts challenged me to think through my own convictions and put into words why I feel the way I do.

In all, this book was what I expected from having read the reviews of it on Amazon. It was a well-written book, aimed at helping individuals in ministry use blogging as a tool to advance the cause of Christ. There was a lot of solid information and a ton of challenging questions and thoughts to ponder in regards to my current and future use of blogging as a ministry tool. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone thinking about using a blog as a tool to enhance their current ministry.

I purchased this book on my own, and my review is 100% unsolicited.

Company Girl Coffee 8.27

Hi, Company Girls (and others visiting today)!

It's been a busy week here. I started back to school on Monday, so I haven't been around the blog-o-sphere as much this week. I've been trying to be focused and productive with my class work. I'm taking two classes this session: Academic and Professional Writing and Blogging as a Ministry. I'm very excited about both classes, as they fit in so well with my future (and current) ministry goals.

On the blog this week, we've been here, there, and everywhere in between!

• Monday, we looked at the book of Philemon. I shared my reflections from a brief study of the book last week.
• Tuesday, I shared my Top 10 List of Homeschooling Blogs.
• Wednesday, we started a new meme - Who & Why Wednesday. We looked at WHO God is and WHY that matters in our daily lives.
• Yesterday (Thursday), we spent some time praying specifically for our missionaries. We learned how to pray specifically without a prayer list, and we shared our prayers with one another.
• Today, I'm guest posting on The Outdoor Wife about learning balance.

This weekend will be the first "no family" weekend we've had in over a month! We love our families, but it will be nice to have a "quiet" weekend of just our family this weekend. I'll see you all around the blog-o-sphere next week!


What's on the agenda at your house this weekend?

 


This post is being linked up to Company Girls Coffee 8.27. 

I'm Guest Posting on the Outdoor Wife Today!

The Outdoor Wife is leaving on a jet plane today, and I agreed to guest post for her while she's gone. Hop over to her blog to see what I'm sharing with her readers!

(Hint: It's about learning balance...)

How to Pray for Missionaries

We all know we should be praying for missionaries. But how often are our prayers, "Lord, bless the missionaries"? Even when we don't know specific requests to pray, we can still pray specifically.

Let's take a look at the prayer requests that Paul shared with the Colossian believers in Colossians 4.3-4:

• Pray that "God will open up to us a door for the word";
• Pray that "we may speak forth the mystery of Christ";
• Pray that "I may make [the gospel] clear".

When you don't have a specific prayer request list in front of you, pray these three things for your missionaries:

• Pray that God will open a door; 
• Pray that they would take advantage of the opportunity provided; 
• Pray that their message would be clear.

Missionaries need our prayer support even more than they need our financial support. Pick a missionary that you or your church supports and take a few minutes to pray this for them now!

Missionaries I regularly pray for:

• The Haines Family - serving at Camp Barakel
• The Schutt Family - serving at Camp Forest Springs
• The Kamper Family - currently serving at Camp Barakel while raising support to serve with LAM

I'd love to read your prayers for your missionaries! Would you leave them in the comments below?

For more ideas on praying for missionaries, here is a link to a list that PurposeDriven.org has put together.

Who & Why Wednesday: God is my PROVIDER

A few weeks ago, I shared the guide I'm using for my quiet times, based on the Lord's Prayer, with you. I also shared part two of the guide, when I shared the Top 10 Things I Need to Submit to God.

Today, I'd like to start a weekly MEME from part one of the guide, asking the questions: "Who is God?" and "Why do I care?" Each Wednesday, I'll share a name or characteristic of God and what it means to my life. You can either link up a similar post or leave your comments/reflections below. Let's call it: "Who & Why Wednesday".

Who is God? God is my PROVIDER: Philippians 4.19; 2 Corinthians 9.8-11

Why do I care? As I seek out and walk in His will, He will provide my every need. I do not need to worry about having enough money or clothes or food (Matthew 6.25ff), because He will provide whatever I need. I have seen this to be true so many times in my life. He always provides what is needed, often adding to the provision "extra" blessings.

Because He is my PROVIDER, I need to be less stingy with my giving. I also need to continue to be a good steward of what I have already been given. I need to hold my possessions with an open hand, allowing God to use them for His purposes - not my own.

Edit: I've put together a button for the meme - feel free to include it on your site or in your posts when you link up! 

<a href="http://blog.ashleypichea.com/search/label/WhoAndWhy" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Who&Why" border="none" height="125" src="http://i900.photobucket.com/albums/ac209/apichea/WhoAndWhy.png" /></a>

Top 10 Homeschooling Blogs

As a homeschooler, I enjoy reading other homeschooling blogs, both for ideas and for support. We've formed a great community of homeschoolers at Hip Homeschooling Moms, and I have met a bunch of great ladies through their weekly Hip Homeschool Hop. Today, I wanted to take a few minutes to highlight some of my favorite homeschooling blogs:

1. Teaching Jenny - I would be remiss not to start with a link to my own homeschooling blog! Not only do I chronicle our journey, but I share our units (books, activities, etc.) for others to use as well.
2. Lesson Pathways - I was privileged to be able to join the Lesson Pathways team last fall, helping to put together pathways and write for the blog. Recently, my Disciple's Cross products were featured on their birthday giveaway celebration!
3. No Time for Flashcards - I get so many of my unit ideas from crafts I see on this blog. Not only do they feature crafts/projects, but they also include a number of related books to correspond to each craft/project.
4. The Homeschool Chick - One of the founders of Hip Homeschool Moms, Sue has become a fast friend and resource!
5. The Tuckers Take Tennessee - Though Meghan's blog is not 100% dedicated to homeschooling, she is the other founder of Hip Homeschool Moms. Our kids are very close in age, so I've really enjoyed being able to bounce ideas around with her as we plan our homeschooling adventures.
6. My Home in the Smokies - Another blogger I've found through the Hip Homeschool Hop, Joy is another homeschooling mom who I've come to appreciate and glean ideas and support from.
7. Frugal Family Fun - Not necessarily a homeschooling blog, but I love to be inspired for units from the crafts and fun they share.
8. Along the Way - This is a newer blog for me, but I've enjoyed getting new homeschooling ideas and being inspired. Cindy's kids are just slightly older than mine, so I have been able to find ideas for the future.
9. The Homeschool Classroom - Another new blog in my reader, but already I have found it to be extremely practical and timely in the material being written.
10. What's your favorite homeschooling blog?

This post is being linked to Hip Homeschool Hop and Oh Amanda's Top Ten Tuesday.

Giving up "rights" for grace: reflections on Philemon

Last week, I had agreed to join with some other ladies in spending a week in the book of Philemon. Only problem with that? I didn't open my Bible (or have ANY semblance of a quiet time) until Thursday - the last day of our study of Philemon.

So, I decided on Thursday to read through the whole book (it's only one chapter long - go read it now!) and jot down some observations and applications as I read through it. I came away from reading it amazed at Paul's concern for Onesimus and his faith in Philemon to respond in a Christian manner. Here are some of the thoughts I jotted down in reflection:

Paul knew Philemon would most likely struggle with the situation. What Paul was asking him to do - forgive Onesimus and accept him as a co-laborer in ministry - was probably the last thing he wanted to do. As a wronged master, he had rights. Paul was appealing to Philemon to abandon his rights as a wronged master for obedience in the Lord. Paul knew that this forgiveness and acceptance would be extremely difficult in the flesh. He prayed that "the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ" would be with Philemon's spirit - that he would be given an extra measure of supernatural grace. 

What difficult situation(s) are you facing right now? Is God asking you to "give up your rights" in order to further the ministry of the gospel? I pray that "the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit" as you seek to honor God in this situation.

"Love is a Flame" by James Stuart Bell

A collection of stories about what happens when love is rekindled, Love is a Flame, is sure to encourage your heart. We all know "happily ever after" is only a fairy tale, but with hard work and dedication, true love can last a lifetime.

From the back cover: Over the years love may burn strong and steady, but sometimes it grows cold. However, it can be rekindled - and these stories show how. Be inspired by true accounts of how love was revived and rekindled. You'll discover that love can grow stronger and burn brighter through the years as you read more than forty stories from everyday people...

The true stories in Love is a Flame will teach you how to create a new spark in your own marriage and build it into a glowing flame.

Thanks to Bethany House Publishers for providing a copy of this book for review.

"Sixteen Brides" by Stephanie Grace Whitson

From the back cover: When sixteen potential brides step off the train in Plum Grove, Nebraska, the town may never be the same again! Join Stephanie Grace Whitson for this spirited tale of courageous women who risk everything for the dream of owning land and finding love on the prairies of Nebraska.

Sixteen Brides is a story of a group of war widows who have moved west to find new land and new husbands. Personally, I'm a huge fan of romantic historical fiction set in this time period. When you incorporate a Biblical worldview with historical romance, it's always a great read!

Thanks to Bethany House Publishers for providing a copy of this book for review.

God's Love is Greater!

Whatever you are facing today, God's love is greater.
...whether you are grieving over the loss of a loved one or celebrating new life, God's love is greater.
...whether you are fighting a spiritual battle or a physical battle, God's love is greater.
...whether life has you on a high plateau or in a low valley, God's love is greater.

Romans 8.38-39 reminds us that NOTHING can separate us from God's love - the love that is based in our Lord Jesus Christ:

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Whatever you are facing today, remember that God's love is greater!

This post is being linked to Company Girls Coffee 8.20 and Faithful Bloggers: Romans Road.

Support the Ministry w/o Spending Money!

Did you know that you can financially support AP Freewriting without spending a single penny?

• Sponsor Ads - On top of my right sidebar are a number of ads from people who are sponsoring AP Freewriting each month. Clicking on these ads and checking out their sites is a "free" way to support this blog. (The Google ads between posts and in my RSS feed are also free to click, and I get paid per click on the Google ads.)
• Swagbucks - Are you searching the internet with Swagbucks? Swagbucks is a free search engine that you can earn points through. Save up your points and redeem them for great products and/or giftcards. My "standard" reward choice is Amazon giftcards - only 450 points gets me $5 to spend on Amazon.com! They also have PayPal giftcards, Starbucks, Target, and more! When you sign up under me, I earn as you earn, thus you support AP Freewriting while earning points yourself!
• Cash4Books.net - Do you have books sitting around your house that you'd like to turn into cash? By signing up for a free account with Cash4Books.net through my affiliate link, you earn cash back for your books, and I earn a referral bonus. Another great way to support AP Freewriting for FREE!
• Sponsored Tweets - Are you on Twitter? A few times a week I tweet "#ad"s through Sponsored Tweets. Once again, I get paid per click, so clicking on these ads helps support AP Freewriting. (I promise to never tweet any ad I would be uncomfortable clicking myself.) If you're looking to make some extra cash by tweeting, you can sign up to tweet for Sponsored Tweets under me and we can earn together!

In addition to "free" support, you can also support AP Freewriting in a few other ways:

• AP Disciple's Cross - I have started selling my Disciple's Cross products online, through my own website and also on Open Sky through a number of sellers. The purchase of a Disciple's Cross helps to support the ministry here at AP Freewriting.
• Amazon.com - I will often include links to resources on Amazon.com, and I have a link to my Amazon Book Store on the top of the blog. Any purchases made using these links provides me with a small payment as an affiliate. 
• PayPal - If you would like to support AP Freewriting simply through donating a few bucks, you can send money via PayPal. I may decide to put up a PayPal "donate" button, but for the time being, you can email me for more details.
• Advertise on the blog - Do you have a blog or a business you'd like to promote on AP Freewriting? Ad space is available on a monthly basis - email me for rates and details!
• Groupon - Sign up for Groupon to get great deals at local venues - restaurants, shopping, spas, and more. When you sign up under me and make your first Groupon purchase, I receive a referral credit towards my next Groupon purchase.

While my primary focus at AP Freewriting is not to make a ton of money, I would like to be able to move the blog to its own domain and become self-hosting without incurring any out-of-pocket expenses. Also, as I view the blog as a ministry, I want to provide you with the opportunity to support the ministry here at AP Freewriting.

I appreciate any and all (financial, emotional, prayer, etc) support you provide me - I love being able to do life together through the community we're building here at AP Freewriting!

Living Life Together

Thanks to all of you who commented and/or prayed for me yesterday. I find so much encouragement in living life together!

My bad case of the "I don't wanna"s is slowly dispersing, and I've already accomplished a BUNCH of the tasks that I was avoiding yesterday afternoon:

• Dishes are done.
• Tub has been scrubbed.
• Bathroom sink is clean.
• Laundry is in the washer.
• Bed is made.
• My overnight bag is unpacked and put away.
• And my husband is working on the homework for our HBE class.

Sometimes, putting my to-do list in a publicly visible spot is all the motivation I need to get to work! (Of course the email we got last night from our landlord letting us know she is showing the house to a Realtor on Saturday added a bit of motivation to get the bathroom clean.)

How are you doing on living out Philippians 2.14 today? I chose to not grumble or complain today, but instead I chose to give thanks!

Wordless Wednesday: A bad case of the "I don't wanna"s

Books for my Bible Study on Prayer

Books I need to read and review

Homework for Home Buyers Education class on Saturday

Dishes - since Sunday

Dirty carpet - needs to be vacuumed!

Unmade bed

Unpacked overnight bag - got home Monday

Bathroom sink - needs to be cleaned

Bathroom floor - needs to be swept/mopped

Tub - grossness.

Laundry needing to be done

And I don't wanna do any of it. I'm struggling with Philippians 2.14: "Do everything without complaining or arguing."

How about you?

Top 10 Blogs I Love

It's so hard to pick my top ten favorite blogs - especially since I have more than 50 blogs that I will read every post every day (not all post daily, thank goodness!). My "Must Read" folder in my Google Reader has 20 blogs in it by itself, not to mention my "IRL" folder (for those blogs I personally know the author of), and my niche folder ("Writers and Speakers") that I add to weekly. So, if you don't make this list, it doesn't mean I don't love you!

These blogs are all in my "niche", and I love to interact with the authors. In no particular order:

1. Scripture Dig - I love the depth of the study of God's Word on this blog. It challenges me to go deeper.
2. Gather in Spirit - The community at this blog is incredible. I love the ladies behind the scenes as well as the other readers I get to interact with!
3. Inspired to Action - Kat really does inspire me to action. She shares from the Word of God and her own life to inspire moms to become better moms and women of God.
4. Faithful Bloggers - A new blog for me, but I love their focus on using your blog as a ministry tool.
5. Becoming a Christian Women Speaker - I have enjoyed becoming part of this great blog as I seek to work towards becoming a writer and a speaker.
6. Kristi Stephens - Kristi is a great expositor of Biblical passages. I know I can always find truth and application at her blog.
7. Closing Time - Erin was one of my first blogging friends.
8. Like a Warm Cup of Coffee - Sarah Mae has inspired me and helped me through her blog to stay balanced between the blogging/online world and my offline world. She is also one of the founders of the conference I'm headed to in October.
9. Faith Barista - This is another new blog for me, but I'm loving the similarities I see between our blogs and our blogging purposes.
10. Wildflower Thinking - Janet has challenged me to deepen my walk with God through her posts. Her style is similar to my own, and I enjoy reading her blog posts.

This was a really difficult list to make. Maybe I'll try again next week with a different "niche" list!

What are some of your "must read" blogs?

This post is linked up to Oh Amanda's Top 10 Tuesday.

Monday Morning in Michigan

Life has been a bit crazy and chaotic lately, as I mentioned in Friday's post. I often can't remember what happened during the course of a particular week, as all the events of the past few weeks/months are blending together in my brain.

While I enjoyed a "restful" July after a busy May/June, August has started with a rush of activity that doesn't look to let up for quite a few months - probably not til I'm done with school next Spring.

So what have we been up to? What do we have on the agenda?

• Spending a LOT of time with our families. The last three weekends (or maybe four - I can't remember) have been spent with at least one set of our parents, often with other extended family members as well.
• We've enjoyed showing off our new house to all our visitors.
• We've made two trips to Michigan in a two week period.
• We went to the circus last weekend w/ J's parents.
• Jenny got to ride ALL the animals.
• David and I rode an elephant, too.
• We're still in Michigan this morning, as the kids and I spent the weekend with my parents.
• We celebrated my dad's 50th birthday (tomorrow) yesterday.
• We're having lunch with my grandparents before heading home today.
• We've enjoyed spending time out at the building site, doing a little bit of work on the house, but mostly watching the work take place.
• This past week, we spent a morning out at the house doing a bit of "extra" work for some elements we wanted to have in the house, but didn't want to pay for since we could do it ourselves.
• J and I both "got into a fight" with some drywall that was leaning up against a wall (about 14 sheets of it) as we were trying to use our bodies as a brace in order to work behind it.
• We both took turns landing under the drywall.
• Let's just say that God was definitely looking out for us and we both managed to be able to walk away from the "fight" without any broken bones or serious injuries, though it should have been a lot worse.
• We'll be avoiding any un-hung drywall for awhile.
• The house is starting to look like an actual house!
• They put up the drywall on Saturday - I'm anxious to stop by this week to see how it looks!
• We're supposed to get siding this week, and the inside will start to get the finishing touches - paint, trim, flooring, etc.
• We're hoping to close at the end of next month!
• I start classes back up next Monday, so I've been getting my brain ready to work again.
• One of my classes this semester is an independent study that I've designed - Blogging as a Ministry.
• I'm really excited to take this class (I've already started some of the reading/listening) and apply it to my blogging and ministry goals.
• I'm also a bit nervous - I've never designed a class before, and I really want to do well with it, as the school is interesting in possibly starting to offer it as part of their online curriculum if I have a successful semester with it.
• My other class that starts next week is a writing class.
• You'll probably get to read a lot of what I'll be writing, as I'll probably have my assignments do "double-duty" and tweak them for the blog.
• I'm looking forward to growing my writing, working towards my goal of becoming a "real" writer.
• I've also been trying to work on my Bible study on prayer, though that hasn't come together as well as I had been hoping.
• I feel like I'm trying to force it, right now, and that I need to let God lead me as I seek to write and prepare to teach it.
• I'm hoping to be able to start teaching/sharing it on September 15, but at this point, it's not ready, and unless I'm able to make great strides on it this week (before my classes officially start), I may struggle to finish it in time.
• Would you pray with me about it? I want it to be something that God is leading me towards, not something I'm trying to force because I want to do it.

Well, that's my life in a "nutshell" (though a seemingly large one). I've got a lot going on, in addition to being a mom and a wife, and I'm finding it more and more crucial every day to spend time submitting all of it to God every morning before getting on with my day. I need to start making "to-do lists" again, letting Him guide my daily schedule.

What's on your plate?

Company Girl Coffee 8.13

I can't believe it's Friday already! This week has been crazy, chaotic, and exhausting. I honestly can't remember much about anything I accomplished (or didn't) this week - it's just been one of those weeks!

On the blog, though, we spent some time digging in the Word this week, applying the truths we found to our daily lives:

• Monday we talked about Running from Submission and you all blew me away with your responses. I loved hearing from you specific areas of your lives that you needed to submit to God on a daily basis!
• Tuesday, I shared my "submission list" - the things I've been working on submitting to God this week. I find myself hanging on too tightly at times, thus I need to spend time each day relinquishing my hold on these areas of my life.
• Thursday, we were encouraged by Paul to eat, breathe, sleep, and live spiritual formation - pressing on towards the goal by training unto godliness. Philippians 3.12-16 and 1 Timothy 4.7b-10 helped us to understand the importance of scheduling spiritual formation in our daily lives.

Thanks for making this a great week of community here on AP Freewriting. I love getting to know you all better and growing together as we seek to become more Christlike on a daily basis!

This post is being linked to Company Girl Coffee 8.13 on Home Sanctuary.

Pressing on Toward the Goal by Training unto Godliness

I'm not a big fan of the Olympics, but my husband is. So, I *get* to watch them too, by default. I've noticed, though, that whenever the announcers talk to any of the Olympians they seem to eat, breathe, sleep, and live their particular sport. Their entire life revolves around training for the goal of winning that gold medal. They get up early each morning to train, spend time each afternoon training, and fill their bodies with all sorts of nutrients to help them perform at their very best.

This focused training is exactly the same kind of training Paul was referring to when he wrote to the Philippians. They understood the context of the Olympics, as they were already taking place even in that day. Only Paul wasn't talking about a physical "race" but a spiritual one.

Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained. Philippians 3.12-16

As the Olympians' entire lives revolves around training for their sport, so should our lives as Christians revolve around growing spiritually. Spiritual growth needs to define our day - our focus needs to be on Christ.

Train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe. 1 Timothy 4.7b-10

As we train ourselves for godliness, there are a few things we need to keep in mind:

• Staying in shape requires constant training - we need to be participating in the spiritual disciplines on regular basis in order to stay in "spiritual shape".
• Our training is a long-distance training - small steps over time will help us get to the "end". We are "in it for the long haul".
• We're not going to see overnight change - training takes time and energy. We must be diligent to stay consistent in our training.
• We should, however, expect growth over time.

What spiritual disciplines are you using to train unto godliness?

Top 10 Things I Need to Submit to God

I was so encouraged by your comments on yesterday's post about running from submission. You all blessed me so much with your willingness to share the areas of your life that you need to submit to God, that I wanted to share the (current) areas in my life that I need to submit to God daily (these came from my quiet time over the past few days).

1. My Will - I'm stubborn and prideful. I want my will to reflect God's will.
2. My Time - I've been "wasting" too much time lately. I need to submit my time to God, letting Him guide me throughout the day.
3. Finances - We've got a lot of things going on in our life right now. I need to submit our finances to God, knowing that He will provide.
4. House details - I find myself stressing about the details rather than trusting God to work them out. He's worked out every detail so far, above and beyond our every expectation.
5. School for Jenny - I need to start working on the details for our homeschool journey this year, as well as make a decision about where she is going to go to school next year. I need to submit this to God, letting Him guide me.
6. My wants and desires - I need to trust God to fulfill my needs. I want to want and desire what He wants and desires.
7. My goals and plans for the future - I have a lot of big dreams and hopes for the future, including goals I've set for myself. I need to submit these to God, seeking His will and plan for my life.
8. A specific person - I am praying for a spiritual need in a life, and I need to submit that person to God daily, acknowledging that He alone can change this person's heart.
9. Relevant Conference details - I am so excited to get to go to Relevant, and God has already worked out so many of the details. I need to submit the rest of the details to His control, knowing that He has a plan in place.
10. Disciple's Cross - I have been a Disciple's Cross producer for over three years, but I just recently started trying to sell my products online. I need to submit this to God, trusting Him to guide me as I seek to add income for our family.

If you didn't share yesterday, I'd love for you to share today - what do you need to submit to God today? 

This post is being linked to Top Ten Tuesday at Oh Amanda.

Running from Submission

One of the biggest issues in our culture today is the lack of willingness to submit to any kind of authority - especially an authority that would cause me to no longer have control over how I live my life.

We are control freaks (most of us), and accepting that there is a God and that He is in control means we have to let go of the control we think we have and submit our lives to Him. It's a pride issue.

I struggle with it on a daily (at times hourly) basis, as I am a person who likes to have control over life and circumstances. But when I let go and let God, I find it much easier to accept whatever He brings my way. After all, He's in control whether I admit it or not!

Daniel said, "Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, For wisdom and power belong to Him. It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men And knowledge to men of understanding. It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, And the light dwells with Him. (Daniel 2.20-22, NASB)

The more that we recognize His rule and reign in our lives, the greater "the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension" (Philippians 4.7) is realized in our lives. What do you need to submit to God today?

"Prayers of an Excellent Wife" by Andrew Case

Recently, I was given the opportunity to get my hands on a free copy of Andrew Case's Prayers of an Excellent Wife. I took the book along on a trip to Michigan this past weekend, thinking I would spend a few hours reading and reviewing it. However, when I opened it up, I found little to "read", but much to "pray". This book truly is a book of prayers - prayers of an excellent wife.

The last month or so, I've been using Stormie Omartian's The Power of a Praying Wife to pray for my husband each day. I've read the book multiple times in the past few years, so I've just been focusing on praying the prayers at the end of each chapter for my husband each day. I have really enjoyed having this focused time of prayer for J, and I have been looking for more ways to pray for him. Prayers of an Excellent Wife is a book that was designed just for that purpose!

When we pray Scripture, we know that we are praying in accordance with the will of God. Prayers of an Excellent Wife is a book designed to help women pray Scripture over their husbands.

This book is meant to be a help and guide for that kind of praying. It consists of little else than the Word of God turned "more or less into prayer." And more specifically it is a means toward one part of prayer - prayer for the husband God has given you. We would do well to heed the council of Thomas Manton: "plead the promise of God in prayer, show Him His handwriting; God is tender of His Word." Many women have done excellently in this, but may you surpass them all. (From the preface - shared with permission.)

I look forward to implementing the prayers of this book into my regular prayer time for my husband, praying the Scripture-based prayers for him, praying on his behalf. Won't you join me in praying the same for your husband? You can either buy a copy of this book by clicking the picture above, or you can download the free pdf version at His Magnificence.

Thanks to Andrew Case for providing me with a free copy of his book. You can support AP Freewriting by purchasing your copy of the book through the links provided to Amazon.com. I earn 4% of all purchases made via the links provided on the blog.

"No More Christian Nice Girl" by Paul Coughlin & Jennifer D. Degler

From the back cover:

Tired of doing all you can for others while your relationships remain stuck in neutral - or are headed in reverse? Paul Coughlin and psychologist Jennifer Degler show how being nice can harm you and drain the life out of your relationships. They explore the keys to fulfillment at home, work, church, and even in the bedroom. You'll discover that emulating the real Jesus is the key to transforming from a Christian Nice Girl into an authentic, powerful woman of loving faith.

No More Christian Nice Girl takes me right back to our discussion on Wednesday about being focused on the goal (Philippians 3.14) and learning to say "no". It's okay to say "no" - in fact, it's a good thing sometimes! Our goal for this life is not to be "nice" - nice is only skin deep. Our goal is to run hard after Christ, being formed in His image - and sometimes nice doesn't cut it.

Grab a copy of this book and let me know what you think. Do you want to be a nice girl? Or do you want to run with abandonment after Christ?

Thanks to Bethany House Publishing for providing a copy of this book for review.

Creating Conversations and Connections through Comments

One of the things I've learned over the course of the past few months, especially in my experience with going to school online, is how to create conversations and connections through comments.

One of my goals as a blogger is to connect with each of my readers in a real way - to encourage each of you personally and to stretch you in your walk with God. When you leave a comment on a post, I then have the opportunity to interact with you on an individual level - this is what I love!

I use Disqus commenting system because I love that it allows me to respond to each comment individually. It also sends me and the commenter emails when comments are left on a post, so I'm sure not to miss any comments or responses to comments. It allows for better connection and conversation through the comments.

I also love to comment on other blogs, building connections with other bloggers. Here are a few guidelines I try to follow when I comment:

• Find a statement in the post that resonates with me. Copy/paste it into the comments and explain why it struck me.
• Thank the blogger for posting - explain how/why the post was beneficial to me.
• Ask questions or leave room for a response - this is key to starting a conversation and connection.

Since we're talking about creating conversations and connections through comments, I'd love for you to take a minute to leave me a comment on this post using one or more of the guidelines I shared above. Are there any other guidelines you use when leaving comments to create conversations and connections?

This post is being linked to Company Girls Coffee 8.6.

I'm NOT going to BlogHer'10

This weekend, bloggers from across America (and probably some from other countries, too) are gathered in NYC for the biggest blogging conference of the year - BlogHer'10.

I'm not going.

And neither are a bunch of other awesome bloggers. So those of us "left behind" are having a blog hop party, hosted by Robin at Pensieve. I thought I'd join in the party, meeting some new bloggers and getting to know some of you better.

If you're visiting for the first time, here are a few things you should know about me (in no particular order):

• I like lists.
• I like to read.
• I love God.
• I love my family.
• I'm a wife and a homeschooling mom of littles.
• I'm going to school for my Masters.
• I'm in the process of building a new house.
• I plan to become a writer and speaker.
• I love to encourage women with the Word of God.
• I have clutter in my brain that often needs to ooze out.

Those of you who have been around AP Freewriting, what would you like to know about me? The comments are open for questions of any kind (though I have the right to decline to answer and/or delete any I deem inappropriate), so ask away!

Want to connect with me? Find me on Twitter, Facebook, BlogFrog or subscribe to the blog via RSS or email!

Be sure to visit the party site by clicking the picture above to visit all the other bloggers not in NYC this weekend!

"Not a Sparrow Falls" by Linda Nichols

From the back cover:

Mary Bridget Washburn is tired of running, tired of being haunted by the empty shell her life has become. How in the world did the little girl she once was become a woman on the wrong side of the law?

Determined to make a new start, she escapes to the quaint city of Alexandria, Virginia, where she takes on her mother's identity and finds sanctuary in the shadow of a decades-old church. But a little girl's plea proves to be her undoing, and the reverend... well, someone's got to open his eyes before disaster comes calling.

Can Mary Bridget and her tainted past stay hidden long enough for her to bring hope to a family falling apart?

Written in 2002, Not a Sparrow Falls was a 2003 Christy Awards finalist in the Contemporary category. Nichols handles difficult topics to write about within Christian fiction with grace and confidence. The message of redemption through Christ is seen in the pages of the book.

Thanks to Bethany House Publishers for providing a copy of this book for review.

"How to Build a Life-Changing Men's Ministry" by Steve Sonderman

Before you ask me why I'm reading a book about men's ministry, let me beat you to the punch. My husband picked up a book awhile back called Why Men Hate Going to Church, and after he read it, he suggested that I read it.

I did. 


That book opened my eyes to a problem facing the way most Americans "do church" - one I knew in the back of mind existed, but I would have not had any clue as to why. Why Men Hate Going to Church opened my mind to the fact that a growing church must have a solid men's ministry. Thus, I was intrigued when I saw How to Build a Life-Changing Men's Ministry and wanted to read it.

Though I will never be involved in a men's ministry - after all, I am a woman - I am involved with the leadership at my church. And I have a husband who will probably be involved at some point in some form of men's ministry. Plus, some of the same steps needed to be taken for building a men's ministry could also be used in building a women's ministry.

From the back cover:

For nearly twenty years Steve Sonderman has been in the trenches week after week, working with men in his church and around the world. He knows what it takes to create a vibrant, enduring ministry to men. And in this book - newly revised and expanded - he reveals proven ways to reach today's men, including how to: *plan strategically; *build effective leadership; *develop healthy small group; and *motivate and mobilize your men.

Whether you are starting a men's ministry from scratch, or wanting to jump-start an established program, this book provides the inspiration and practical ideas necessary to take your ministry to the next level and beyond.

With specific actions to take in each chapter, this book walks men's ministry leadership through the steps needed to build a life-changing men's ministry. I would highly recommend it for all men's ministry leaders.

Thanks to Bethany House Publishers for providing a copy of this book for review.