This...on Monday

Semi-regularly I'll be posting in these categories. Got something for me to consider? Send me a note!


This is what's inspiring me now: 


This blog: Kisses from Kate
Oh. My. Goodness. This girl felt a call from God on her life at 16 when she took her first mission trip and then an even bigger call at 18. She's now mom to 13 girls in Africa, where she's founded a missions organization and has written a book, all while homeschooling her babies. The stories she tells on her blog are truly inspiring. Want proof of miracles? Just talk to a missionary, or read Kisses from Kate. This will move you! 


This woman: Molly Barker
First, she founded an amazing not-for-profit organization that makes me want to be a middle school girl again -- but only for a moment! Girls on the Run is the best thing to happen to girls ages 8-12 EVER! Hands down. This curriculum includes everything from handling peer pressure and bullying to building a girl's self esteem and from emotional health to community service. After 24 sessions, the girls complete a 5k. The entire program is built around physical activity, and the culmination proves that ANY girl can run/walk/skip a 5k. 


But right now, Molly Barker is inspiring me for another reason -- her armpit hair. I thought my leg hair was atrocious until I read about her random search at the airport while wearing a tank top. She's one reason I am fasting from my razor, but she's given up so much more. Read about it on her blog. 




This man: Dan Denney
Where to start? My husband has been through SO MUCH this last year, but has his faith wavered? Not a bit. In fact, it's grown and led me to explore my faith in greater depths. He's faced many health problems (still is) and has grown closer to God through it all. He never loses focus on what's most important, and when I want to give up on or quit, he encourages me to stay the course. When I am questioning my own capabilities, talents, gifts, creations or work, he lifts me up with compliments and praise. When I need prayer, he's right on it. When the kids need him, he goes above and beyond. Every time. Despite the constant pain he's been in for the last year. He's amazing. But he doesn't have a blog, so I can't link you to him. I get to keep him all to myself...for now anyway!


This video: The Wayseers Manifesto 
Anything with "manifesto" in it scares me a little, but I invested nine minutes in this when I stumbled across it namely because in the first couple minutes I was thinking about my daughter. She doesn't "fit in." She's not easily pliable to the "establishment's" rules. While so many parents struggle to help their children succeed at school, we rarely ask why must they? Does it make them a failure? There's a lot of innuendo in this script, not to mention vague ideas and propaganda, but there are also some valid points. People, individually and collectively, should stand for something. Breaking the rules of society: not always a bad thing. I found this thought-provoking. 


This photo:

My daughter Abby has wanted a blog for as long as I can remember. We finally decided with lots of oversight, she can have one. We required her to develop a theme and a name. She came up with the name "Artistic Abby" to go with her theme that can encompass writing, artwork, fashion and music. But I was struggling with how I could bring her blog title to life. I showed her what I did to mine above, essentially writing on our chalk wall all the "mom rules" I could think of that I want for my kids and myself. She loved it, and I suggested she use the chalkboard wall to do something for her blog. She immediately got to work and in 10 minutes had finished this. 10 stinking minutes. Can I say I'm jealous of my daughter? I fret and fret over these things. And then I discover only after I've erased the wall for my blog header that my words run into each other in such a way that it says "Never Be you" in the middle. (Go check it and see...I'm too lazy to redo that right now!) So Abby just cranks this little creation out like nothing! If this is impressive to you as it is to me -- her most biased mom -- wait until we have it launched. Her writing is amazing! Maybe someday I can go to work for her!



This story: Holliday the new leader of the Cardinals? 
Dan gets the credit for this. He read it to me while I was washing dishes after church -- awesome story! I love the part about the 10-12 Cardinals getting together with their ultimate playbook -- the Bible. Excited to see where the Cardinals will go with the spiritual leadership of Mike Matheny and Matt Holiday in 2012. I'm not just talking about a win-lose record here but souls won for Christ. It won't be long, folks, and baseball season will be here. I can almost smell the hot dogs and peanuts!


Praying for you to have an inspired week!
{Amy}