FREE Book! The Passionate Mom!

I stopped by my sweet friend Susan’s house today to pick up my AUTOGRAPHED give-away copies of her new book.

This your last chance to chime in for a FREE BOOK (from ME) for Mother’s Day, which I might add, is EVERYDAY!!!

The Passionate Mom Book from Family First on Vimeo.

I am a Passionate Mom!

I have been passionate about my children every day since I first smelled each one! Yep, that’s what started it for me! That YUMMY baby smell.

I can still remember the newborn smell of every one of my children.

My firstborn, Tim, came into my life when I was just a teenager. We grew up together. We are STILL growing up together Tim and me. That’s how we roll!!

“In those days” (as someone really old would say) Mommy’s, even when they were babies themselves, were all alone in the labor room and all alone in the delivery room and all alone when they saw their babies for the first time. I remember the moment I first placed my eyes and my hands on Tim. That moment changed my life forever. It was the moment I went from taking care of me to taking care of us. There has never been a moment since that day, when I have been unaware of the claim that Tim staked in my heart for him alone. We spent the first 3 years of Tim’s life, just him and me. He was my whole world.

The second time I became a Mom, my life was very different. I was older and wiser but felt no more “capable or worthy” to be a mother than when Tim was born.

My Andy, was a big 8 and 1/2 pound boy, who stole our hearts, mine, his Dads and his BIG brother Tim. This time, his Dad carried him over to my bedside and tenderly lowered him to my lips for my first smell and kiss. My seal of ownership. NO OTHER WOMAN would ever be called Andy’s Mom. Oh my, I remember that newborn smell.  I remember sobbing all over him. I remember the room and the people all around us. The truth is, my life was a bit of a hot mess when Andy was born, you can read that story here. I had been working so hard to try to figure out who I was and where my value was. Andy brought a change into our lives. I didn’t know it at the time but Andy’s life would usher in our familys’ new life in Christ.

A friend of mine was recently asked in an interview, if she could change the world, what would she do. If anyone ever asked me that, which they have not, my answer would be this one:

It would CHANGE THE WORLD if every child could grow up in a healthy God centered home.

Wouldn’t it be AWESOME if every child was born to a healthy (mentally, spiritually and physically) Mommy and Daddy.

Working at a crisis pregnancy center has shown me that is NOT the case. We give birth as HUMANS who are on a journey. We have faults, we have weaknesses, we have loss, we have pain and it happens WHILE we are being Moms and Dads.

My last fresh newborn smell was even more radical than the first two, this time God SURPRISED us. This time our “newborn”, our Julianna, was one month old before my face presses up against her TINY cheeks. This time I was settled into my life in Christ; my calling; my personal place of grace. This time, God made me a Mom through adoption. Here is her story:

Being a Mom is WITHOUT QUESTION, the most precious and priceless gift I have ever been given. I am PASSIONATE about my children and now I have staked a claim upon my daughters by marriage, Kim and Bethany and my Grandchildren–AJ, Jacob, Mikala, Kai and Bella (Now THAT”S a whole ‘nother blog!)

My beautiful friend Susan Merrill has written this brand new book about the passion of motherhood. Oh my. This precious friend has captured some of the sweetest words I have ever read to lasso the moon of mommy hood! I truly feel that her book will become a best seller. I know I’ll be buying one for all the Mom’s I know and love!

I am giving away 5 signed copies of her book over the next few weeks that lead up to her BIG LAUNCH on April 16th and she will be guest posting here on my blog soon.

Share in the comments HOW MANY CHILDREN you have (by birth, adoption or calling!) and be registered to win one of my give-away books!

Maybe NEXT my friend Susan will write about the PASSIONATE GRANDMA!!

Watch out world :)

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The Passionate Mom

The Passionate Mom Book from Family First on Vimeo.

I am a Passionate Mom!

I have been passionate about my children every day since I first smelled each one! Yep, that’s what started it for me! That YUMMY baby smell.

I can still remember the newborn smell of every one of my children.

My firstborn, Tim, came into my life when I was just a teenager. We grew up together. We are STILL growing up together Tim and me. That’s how we roll!!

Sunday is his birthday!

“In those days” (as someone really old would say) Mommy’s, even when they were babies themselves, were all alone in the labor room and all alone in the delivery room and all alone when they saw their babies for the first time. I remember the moment I first placed my eyes and my hands on Tim. That moment changed my life forever. It was the moment I went from taking care of me to taking care of us. There has never been a moment since that day, when I have been unaware of the claim that Tim staked in my heart for him alone. We spent the first 3 years of Tim’s life, just him and me. He was my whole world.

The second time I became a Mom, my life was very different. I was older and wiser but felt no more “capable or worthy” to be a mother than when Tim was born.

My Andy, was a big 8 and 1/2 pound boy, who stole our hearts, mine, his Dads and his BIG brother Tim. This time, his Dad carried him over to my bedside and tenderly lowered him to my lips for my first smell and kiss. My seal of ownership. NO OTHER WOMAN would ever be called Andy’s Mom. Oh my, I remember that newborn smell.  I remember sobbing all over him. I remember the room and the people all around us. The truth is, my life was a bit of a hot mess when Andy was born, you can read that story here. I had been working so hard to try to figure out who I was and where my value was. Andy brought a change into our lives. I didn’t know it at the time but Andy’s life would usher in our familys’ new life in Christ.

Today is his birthday!

A friend of mine was recently asked in an interview, if she could change the world, what would she do. She mentioned something about World Peace. My answer would be this one, that every child would grow up in a healthy God centered home. That would change the world! Wouldn’t it be AWESOME if every child was born to a healthy (mentally, spiritually and physically) Mommy and Daddy.

Working at a crisis pregnancy center has shown me that is NOT the case. We give birth as HUMANS who are on a journey. We have faults, we have weaknesses, we have loss, we have pain and it happens WHILE we are being Moms and Dads.

My last fresh newborn smell was even more radical than the first two, this time God SURPRISED us. This time our “newborn”, our Julianna, was one month old before my face presses up against her TINY cheeks. This time I was settled into my life in Christ; my calling; my personal place of grace. This time, God made me a Mom through adoption. Here is her story:

Being a Mom is WITHOUT QUESTION, the most precious and priceless gift I have ever been given. I am PASSIONATE about my children and now I have staked a claim upon my daughters by marriage, Kim and Bethany and my Grandchildren–AJ, Jacob, Mikala, Kai and Bella (Now THAT”S a whole ‘nother blog!)

My beautiful friend Susan Merrill has written this brand new book about the passion of motherhood. Oh my. This precious friend has captured some of the sweetest words I have ever read to lasso the moon of mommy hood! I truly feel that her book will become a best seller. I know I’ll be buying one for all the Mom’s I know and love!

I am giving away 5 signed copies of her book over the next few weeks that lead up to her BIG LAUNCH on April 16th and she will be guest posting here on my blog soon.

Share in the comments HOW MANY CHILDREN you have (by birth, adoption or calling!) and be registered to win one of my give-away books!

Maybe NEXT my friend Susan will write about the PASSIONATE GRANDMA!!

Watch out world :)

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Start the New Year Free with Me! Free Gift and Free YOU!

I have always LOVED the week between Christmas and the NEW YEAR!!

As the Christmas decorations come down, I find myself cleaning stuff out and organizing–all the while, DREAMING! DREAMING! DREAMING!! I love brand new calendars and the hope of fresh adventures and experiences. I  don’t think I am alone in that wishful thinking. Why else would there be so many Happy New Year Celebrations.

One thing I am VERY excited about for 2013 is hosting my very own–for the first time--Imagine Me, Set Free Woman’s Conference. 

Since I started the first Imagine Me Conference a few years ago, I have had 12 awesome events, all Sponsored/Hosted by someone else. Each one has been a BLAST! An amazing adventure. Each one has led us to new churches, communities and new friends. We have seen God do so many wonderful things as we work and worship to together to discover who we are in HIM and what He has designed and called us to do with our Past–Present and Future!

I have several Imagine Me Conferences booked for next year and a few in discussion but one we know will be VERY different and VERY special will take place:

March 22-24

at Epworth by the Sea in Historic St Simons Island, Ga (the Name alone should draw you in!!)

IMAGINE!!! Escaping to your own RETREAT!

IMAGINE Embracing Peace with the Past; Purpose in the Present and Passion for the Future!

IMAGINE!! Uncovering a new DREAM!

IMAGINE!! A ONE on ONE Personal ENCOUNTER with Jesus!!

IMAGINE BEING SET FREE–to dream; to experience; to complete what God Himself designed you to do!

Make it a 2013 New Years Resolution to do this for yourself and bring a friend, a sister or a daughter along with you!

I promise, it will be a weekend you will never forget!

Before I let you go, I’d like to kindly invite you to subscribe to my newsletter (in the pretty sunflower filled window to the right), which is full of exclusive content that you cannot find here on the blog. I don’t sell anything off of my list and use it solely to give you awesome information and ministry tips. You can unsubscribe at anytime, but I promise you will not be disappointed.

As a thank you, I would love to send you my to my very popular eBooklet “40 Days and 40 Nights–Celebrating the Presence of Jesus”. It is a great way to start the New Year off right–In His Presence!!!

Happy New Year friends!!

 

 

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Sweet Potato Casserole and Sweet Giveaways

I’m late and late, for a very important date…..and other such chatter.

I was supposed to do my “Smell Good Give-Away on Monday but the day just passed me by in a whirlwind of activity. Today has been no different and tomorrow promises to be FULL :) but I knew I would be in trouble with some sweet friends if I let one more day pass by before announcing a winner.

I have spent the morning cooking and preparing my home for tomorrow’s 20 family members and I have loved every minute of it. I truly enjoy Thanksgiving Day preparations. I love chopping and peeling and boiling and even cleaning. I love how my husband and daughter hang around the kitchen more than usual and help with some of the above :)

I know you may be up to your eyeballs in recipes by this time but I thought I would share one of my favorite Thanksgiving Day recipes just in case you need one more idea.

This one was passed down to me by my husband’s Mom. We have missed her so much for 10 Thanksgivings now. Her memory returns more often than just on Thanksgiving of course, but I can almost feel her in the room when I take this recipe out of the box each year in her honor. I always cook my casseroles the day before and just heat them up on T-day in order to save space in the oven. My kitchen smells so good right now!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is my 35 plus year old recipe card typed on her very own typewriter just for me and no other!! I have treasured it for many years. I pray that you Thanksgiving Day is filled with laughter; friends and family and lots of Thanksgiving and Praise!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As for me—

I always thank God for you every time I remember you. In all my prayers for you all, I always pray with JOY because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being CONFIDENT of this, that HE who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:3-6

AND—DRUM ROLL, Please :)

Congratulations to DEBBIE, the WINNER of my Sweet Smelling Scripture Share! Send me your email Debbie and look for your sweet stuff coming soon to a mail box near YOU!

Happy Thanksgiving Friends!

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Thanksgiving Give Away–My Signature Fragrance!

On a recent speaking trip I had the great honor of spending a few nights with a new ministry friend who graciously opened her home to me.

Her hospitality was especially precious as she too was flying in from some back to back travel. We actually drove to her home from the airport together. Hosting guests is a challenging enough process without adding not having been home yourself for 10 days.

As we stepped up to her front door a big FedEx box waited to greet us. My friend squealed with delight as she realized it was some perfume she had ordered online. “It’s my SIGNATURE scent” she announced. “They don’t carry it in stores much anymore so I have to seek it out and order it”. That particular scent mattered so much to my friend that she took the time to SIT and SEARCH and INVEST in wearing it.

I remember as a brand new follower of Christ I attended a Bible conference with a friend. At some point during the conference a woman who was seated behind me, tapped me on the shoulder and handed me a piece of paper with 2 Corinthians 2:15 written on it. She said, “The Lord told me to give this to you and to tell you that you smell good to Him.

Wow! I was stunned.

I was brand new to God’s Word and had never read this verse. It not only blessed my heart to think that Jesus thought I smelled good but that He TALKED to this lady!! I knew she must be somebody really special.

I still have that note marked in my Bible 30 years later.

I have learned so much since that day, about “smelling good” to Jesus and to others. I have learned that becoming and being “the aroma of Christ” requires many of the same things my friend experienced in securing her “signature scent”.

It requires taking time to STOP, to SEARCH and to INVEST in time with Jesus.

His Signature Scent is worth everything to me. 

Has there ever been a time when someone shared a verse of scripture with you that you STILL remember?

I am going to take a tiny blogging break to take some set apart time with the Lord this month to STOP-SEARCH and INVEST in the Lord.

While I am quiet, I would love to hear your voice!

I would LOVE to send someone my favorite store bought SCENT this month as an act of Thanksgiving. I will run this until November 19th! 

It is SO easy to have a chance to win!

Just share your favorite scripture and I’ll enter your name in my drawing :)

 

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Free Books Friday

As UNGLUED as my week has been, it has all worked out and NOW I get to give stuff away. I LOVE that!

I have loved reading your notes and emails. I have loved adding new friends to my mailing list.

Since we had so many sweet words and wanted to give some extra books away, we decided YES–Let’s Do it.

So, we have added 5 books to our original 3. That is 8 FREE BOOKS!

My Staff had fun choosing and praying for God’s blessing plan. I am THRILLED to announce our WINNERS for last weeks contest…TaaDaa!!!!

Grand Prize Winner!! B J Kinser : Unglued, God, Grace & Girlfriends, and Trusting God.

Caitlin Huffer : “Kates Song”

Susanne Shreeder : “Identity and Destiny”

Marilyn Lynch:  “40 days with Jesus – Celebrating His Presence”

Anita Grace:  “Guilty by Association”

Lori Frey: “The Merchant’s Daughter”

my wonderful Executive Assistant Alyssa will be mailing the books today.

Thank you again for visiting Living Free! Please come back and see what my next give-away is. You’re gonna want it!!

 

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Unglued!!

I want to cry.

I want to scream.

I want to say naughty words.

I want to POUND my husband!

Thankfully, I just closed the last page of my friend Lysa’s new book Unglued and her words are keeping me from acting out my feelings in ways I am INCLINED to act them out.

As I placed the book on the nightstand, in my GUEST BEDROOM (important point), I just shook my head, again, amazed by God. The way He works continues to amaze me.

I shared in my last post–Free Friday Giveaway, I received Lysa’s book way back in July before it ever hit the shelves of the neighborhood bookstore OR THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER LIST!!!! However, my travel schedule and other deadlines (like a book of my own :) have prevented my reading it until this last few days. I finally grabbed the book on Sunday afternoon–SMACK IN THE MIDDLE OF AN UNGLUED MOMENT– and started to DEVOUR it’s pages.

God Himself, placed that book on my GUEST BEDROOM NIGHTSTAND–where honey and I are sleeping this week.

I have been Unglued all week and maybe at some levels, all year.

I won’t go into all the nitty gritty details, since Michael Hyatt says a good post is only about 500 words and I have OH SO MANY WORDS about all that is going on in my house right now.

We are doing some UPDATES in our house this week, things we have talked about doing for years–new counter tops; painting; scraping off pop-corn ceiling–YUK; YUK; YUK! All that stuff is expensive, time consuming and messy but that’s not the main reason I am UNGLUED.

The main reason is the timing of all of this stuff fell–OF COURSE–right into the weeks of my BOOK DEADLINE and giving my Mom an 80th BIRTHDAY PARTY at MY HOUSE!! (not to mention planning 2 major events at my local ministry and leaving town for a week on Monday!) Maybe it’s ME who needs to get pounded!

So–here is my kitchen table.

 

Here is my bathroom floor.

 

Here is UNGLUED. Trust me. You want to get this book. Your day WILL COME!

In light of Lysa’s Blog Tour, that I am ALSO part of :) , I have decided to extend my give away until Friday, since well, I don’t have much else going on :)

Come back Friday to see if you won!

BTW–My next giveaway is by the adorable and precious Liz Curtis Higgs, The Girls Still Got It!! I’m reading that next! :)

Stay tuned!

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Free Books Friday

I feel good…lalalalalalala…like I knew I would….lalalalalalala (There are 7 lala’s in that song, I counted) :)

Yesterday at about 4:30 pm I wrote the last word of my new book A Surrendered Life.Yes I did!!! 

TODAY! it goes to the publisher!!

52,000 Words; 175 pages of blood sweat and tears! It will be in my hands (and I pray in yours!) bound and beautiful by the Fall.

Stay tuned for that :)  

I can’t even BEGIN to tell you how tough this book has been to write and how long this journey has been so I won’t try.

I’ll just celebrate and some lucky friend of Living Free is about to get blessed.

I recently had a blast of a weekend in Orlando with these amazing ladies and just so happen to have some autographed copies of their latest books.

 

Lysa Terkeurst (who just happened to be signing her new book on this day); Mary Snyder and Gwen Smith!

You may have heard of Lysa!! Her new book UNGLUED just released by my sweet little sister has just made it to the New York Times BESTSELLER list. I think she now has a place reserved there since her last book MADE TO CRAVE hit that big bell as well!

These ladies ROCK and ROLL and some lucky winner will is about to LOVE ME :)

Is it YOU???

It’s SO EASY to be entered to win! Just say hi in the comments below!

Also, if you sign up for my newsletter right there to the right→→→ We will enter you in the drawing TWICE :)

Have a Happy Weekend Friends. I know I will!

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You Are ALL Winners

Hi ladies, I have missed saying hello but I have been a bit of a traveling fool :)

I have loads of stories to tell and lots of fun to share but I’m leaving again on Friday for another Summer run.

In case you live around these parts, I’ll be with my wonderful Lifeway sisters at “You Lead” in Knoxville, Tn on August 9th and 10th followed by a Surrendering the Secret Leader Training at The Church at Brookhills in Birmingham, Al on August 11th. I would LOVE to see you at either one! If you leave me a comment below and tell me you’ll be there, I’ll BRING YOU a FREE BOOK!

I want to send EVERY ONE OF YOU a FREE book just for taking the time to say hello.

Cathy Davis

Carrie Bond

Leah Adam

Courtney

Sonia

Suzanne Howard

Melanie Grace

Please email my Assistant Alyssa at alyssas@awpm.net with your mailing address and we will send your FREE BOOK right away!

Thank you again for your support and friendship.

I have LOTS of books so if anyone is reading this who has not entered, JUST SAY HELLO BELOW and we’ll add you to the Summer reading fun.

Many Blessings :)

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Living FREE–Boatload of BOOKS!

Dirty Confession time here–I am in my laundry room typing with one hand while the other hand loads the dryer!

My travels have gotten a little “OUT OF HAND” (cute huh?) leaving barely enough time between events to keep my jeans clean.

Living out of a suitcase has it’s challenges but I have been very blessed to share the ADVENTURE of LIVING FREE from one coast to another with some pretty amazing women.

I just returned last night from the International Christian Retail Show in Orlando and came home with a BOATLOAD of FREE Books in my car!

Some have not even seen the bookstore shelves.

I made a pinkie promise to some amazing Authors like—-

Liz Curtis Higgs

Lysa Terkeurst

Carol Kent

Mary Snyder

Pam Farrel

Gwen Smith

Lynn Austin

AND Christine Cain that I would share their new books with YOU!!!

—so, tell me—-

What kind of books do you like? What’s the last thing you read? What kind of book would you like to win?

Leave me a note and I’ll check back after the next load dries :)

 

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