GIVEAWAY: God's Whisper Manifesto

I was raised in the country, with acres and miles of quiet farmland to explore. My childhood was filled with tree climbing, running, bicycle riding, games of tag and hide and seek, bleating goats and century-old farmhouses with creaking floors.

When I reminisce about my childhood in rural Pennsylvania, I think of peace. The same word comes to mind when thinking about Andi Cumbo’s book, “God’s Whisper Manifesto”. While a short e-book, it chronicles Andi’s dream for her farm in Virginia—a peaceful farm.

Many times while reading this book, I wanted to stop and take notes. Her sentences drew me in, one after the other. Less than halfway through the book, I felt a longing to visit the farm and experience it for myself. It will be a wonderful getaway spot for a couple, a family or single people alike. Andi uses her words to paint a visual picture of the farm, a place where people can retreat, eat off the land and enjoy God's nature around them. It chronicles a vision of community, something that I long for frequently. The farm will be a place put together by hard work, love for each other, and free from judgement. I can in no way replace the eloquent way Andi writes about her farm, so I suggest grabbing ahold of her book yourself!

Andi's e-book is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble

Check out her website or follow her on twitter @andilit

For a chance to win a free copy of Andi's book, enter below! Contest will run through Sunday, March 24th. 

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Content

As I sat in Starbucks last night working on both of my Bible studies, I had to smile- at my life, the company I was keeping, God’s timing, the lessons I’ve been learning of late.

A year ago, you probably wouldn’t have found me at Starbucks,
or working on Bible Study homework,
or even with either of my friends I was sitting with last night, Em and Bets,
or making birthday plans over Twitter with two of my awesome Bible Study gals, Jen and Mindy.

A year ago, I didn’t hang out at Starbucks (Emily, pick your jaw up off the floor). I wasn’t in one Bible Study, let alone two. I had met but wasn’t really friends with Em or Bets yet. I hadn’t even met Jen and Mindy yet! Gosh--- how a year does change things!

After a moment of quiet thanksgiving prayer to God for bringing all four of the ladies into my life when He knew I needed friends like them, I turned to my Bible Study and immediately my glance fell to a sentence in Karen Ehman’s book, Let.It.Go –

“Catching up with the Joneses is a never-ending run on the treadmill of dissatisfaction.”- Pg. 186

It’s not a long sentence, but the impact of it still hit me. In my Thursday night Bible Study, we were discussing how years ago, our grandparents/great-grandparents were not constantly influenced by Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/blogs. They didn’t exist. Sure, maybe they saw their friends once a week at church (or hey, Bible Study!) and caught up on each other’s lives. It’s different today—every day, for most of us, we are reading and looking at a constant stream of what our “friends” (c’mon, admit it…you are not in-real-life-awesome friends with EVERYONE on your Facebook friend list, are you?) are up to.

Where so-and-so is on vacation.
What huge tv someone just bought.
Someone from college getting married.
A friend announcing a pregnancy (their fourth baby, if I’m counting).

It’s everywhere. It is SO easy to compare- after all, the grass is always greener, right? If I allow it to, all of this wonderful news for my friends can make me green with envy! And while I’m being honest with you, I’m a jealous person when it comes to friends. I try not to be, but all I’ve ever wanted to be is a mom- of many kids, from nations around the world. A mom, raising kiddos—like almost ALL of my friends from college are doing, by the way. Is that too much to ask for, God? After all, friends 1-200 on Facebook from college are married with kids. Why not ME?!

As I moved on to my study guide, I knew immediately why not me. The question asked what God may be trying to teach me that I wouldn’t be learning if God suddenly plucked me out of my current situation and into the one I had picked as perfect for myself…

Well…I’ll be shaken a bit by God—wake up, girlie!

If I married out of college, I wouldn’t be sitting in Starbucks with two of my best friends, now would I? Probably not, since it would seem extremely unlikely that I’d know them! The same for Jen and Mindy- I met them through a Bible Study last fall, a Bible Study I joined to help me get through a long, cold, possibly lonely winter because I don’t have a husband and those kids I dream about yet.

I love my life most of the time. I am happy. I am busy. I enjoy work and the kids I babysit for.

And most of all?

I am so, very, extremely thankful for the friends God has brought into my life in the last year or so. A life that is crafted for me, by God- placing me in the city, in the job, in the lives of people I am to be in contact with. A life that is one-of-a-kind and exclusively crafted for me to be content and happy with, because it is part of God’s plan for me!

My Cute Little Valentines

Immediately after ringing the doorbell, I heard the screams and yelps of joy.

“Bethany’s here! Bethany’s here!”

A towheaded little boy face appeared in the window- so tall now, almost three years after we first met. I saw him through his terrible threes and fearsome fours, guided him into his thankfully calmer fives before leaving their family. His younger brother appeared beside him, arms extended, babbling on about “two” (his age), “choo choooo” (trains, his favorite pastime), then bidding his mother goodbye- dismissing her from the house although she had no plans to leave. Their older sister arrived by the door, her years of dance classes I drove her to evident by her prancing feet and bouncing hair. She pressed a chocolate Valentine mouse into my hand, announcing that all three of them had worked on it together, for me.

Three kids, all different and yet all so close to my heart—after all, they were a huge part of my life for almost two years, so many bus stop runs (always running after the bus, that is), skinned knees, stern discipline talks, giggly fits of laughter that I can’t even begin to count.

As I introduced myself to the new nanny, now a good six months into the job, little A proclaimed, so excited he was literally bouncing,

“It is so nice that I get to see BOTH of my nannies in the SAME DAY!”

We spent an hour reminiscing about our multiple trips to the zoo, library story times, science center visits and park picnics with our friends. The two boys took turns in my lap, hugging tightly, letting go and then peering into my eyes, playing with my hair in between bites of pizza. The phrase “remember when?” must have been spoken at least twenty times before it was time for me to leave, off into the night. As I climbed into my car, warm tears welled in my eyes, so thankful for a night with my cute little valentines.

Christmas Cheer

Is it to early to talk about Christmas? I always make myself wait until Thanksgiving week to listen to Christmas music, and here is why. I listen to it welllll into the new year-- I'm talking February, easily. I know, I know. It's a bit excessive...but it's so cheery!

The other day, I was talking to my friend Em. Em and I are a lot alike-- we call each other "samesies" multiple times a week as we discover more and more ways we are alike. Anyway, Em's family was putting up their Christmas tree and I decided I needed a little Christmas cheer in my life as well. I love, LOVE sending out Christmas cards (seriously. Would you like one? Send me your address! I don't know why I enjoy sending them so much...but I do!)

So, this is my little corner of Christmas cheer. As Christmas cards arrive in my mailbox, they will be added to the small amount of decor I have.

Have you decorated for the holidays yet? Will you?

The Return

(shopping with the nephew)

I’ve begun many blog posts over the past few months. With a full time job and then job searching most of the summer on top of it, blogging hasn’t been a priority in my life. I will be honest, in the beginning I didn’t miss it much at all- but as the months went by I’ve felt drawn back to it.

What to write though? Lots has changed, and yet not much at all. Friends have been made, and lost. Trips have been taken, new family members have been added, there is a new job and new babysitting clients. Summer passed and fall is almost at its end as well. Winter can be such a dark, gloomy season of life for me and it is likely that I will spend more time at home—so I’m back, for the time being. I considered scrapping this blog for good, beginning another one, but the past few years of my life are chronicled on this blog, why leave that behind?

With that said, here are some cute baby pictures for you. In April, I became an aunt when my sister had baby Joseph. He is now seven months old and still adorable. He lives out of the country, so I don’t see him as often as I’d like to—because let’s face it, I could visit him every day and not grow tired! However, I was home for Thanksgiving last week and so were they, so I gobbled (haha, get it? yes, I’m a dork) him right up.

Here’s to back-to-blogging, maybe?

Instagram

I haven't been blogging (no time! job ended! had an interview! got offered a job! going on vacation tomorrow! etc...) 

But I've been instagramming, pretty much daily. I've always been a photo fanatic, and it's quick & easy from my phone...

Tonight's photo courtesy of the sunset at my babysitting gig :)

I love summer! Please don't leave...

Blogger Meetup!

Last Friday, I was clicking through some blogs I'd found through Kelly's Korner's regional link up a few months ago. On one of them, I noticed a button advertising an Ohio blogger meet up, so I clicked on it, thinking it was likely a past event. Instead, it was happening in two days! Now, I've been blogging for almost 6 years in some way, shape or form, and although I've met people through blogging, I'd never taken part in an official meetup, so I decided to go and emailed my super-late RSVP. 

Leigh Anne did a great job getting us all twelve of us together and we enjoyed a delicious meal at The Cheesecake Factory, which just happens to be one of my favorite places to eat. Yum!!

We all had a great time getting to know each other and talking blogs, jobs, tv shows, twitter, pinterest, and other random things. I look forward to the next meet up!!

Borrowing a picture from Leigh Anne's blog--

Left to right (back row): Michelle, Abby, Brittany, Whitney, Shane, Caitlyn, Jen, Bethany (Me!), Lindsay
(front row): Leigh Anne, Katie, Holly 

So fun!

Villages of Guatemala- Part II

The second village we visited in Guatemala was a unique one. Of the four we visited, this one was the most exuberant! As soon as our feet touched the ground after leaving our bus, we were showered, and I do mean SHOWERED, in confetti. I have never seen so much confetti in my life!

In addition to the confetti, we were also treated to a parade on our way to the local CFCA center. We ended up joining the parade as music was played and children cheered, danced, and clapped for us. They were excited to have visitors!

Once we came to the center, we were treated to more confetti inside and even MORE inside. We had it everywhere—even days later it was found in our hair, in our clothes, all over our bus!

This center was where we felt the most heat. I’m pretty sure I sweated more the day of this village visit than the rest of our time in Guatemala! They set us up at a long table in front of the stage- as in most of the villages, the residents sat behind us…we felt like undeserving celebrities!

We were treated to dances and songs from the local kids and definitely experienced more of the Mayan culture in this village. I don’t really know how to explain it, other than it had a different cultural feel! There were dances with masks and animals, something we didn’t see anywhere else.

 

We heard from the mother of this little boy, who (if you can believe it!) is ten years old. He’s suffered with leukemia, if I remember correctly. Through CFCA he was able to get treatment and is doing well.

  

We were also able to witness as a young boy and two elderly people received a wheelchair and walkers, respectively. The elderly lady, oh bless her heart! She kept thanking us for her gift, over and over—even though from what we could tell, she has arthritis badly in her hands and may struggle to use it.

  

We danced a lot, and then the mothers came out in mobs as they wanted us to take pictures with their children. When we asked one of the leaders why this was, since we wouldn’t be able to send each family copies of the pictures, they told us the moms want to make sure we remember and pray for their children.

There are our faithful police followers- told you they were with us all the time!

Until next time…

To New Beginnings!

The last time I resigned from a job I had previously loved, a job that had been a part of my life for three years, it didn't go well. My boss at the time brusquely walked out on me at a meeting, stating that she hoped I had no plans to try and get a recommendation from her. To say I was shocked is an understatement, and a couple years later it's still a bit hard to think back on!

With that said, yesterday began with the same plan in my mind- it was the day I would resign from my position as a full time nanny. A lot of thought, prayer, and confirmation from family & friends went into the decision, so even though I knew it was the right thing to do, it was a stressful day because I knew what was going to come at the end!

August tenth will bring the end of one chapter of my life, and the beginning of a new and unknown chapter!

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Peace

Photo from here

When my mom, my close friends, and the logical side of my brain are all telling me to make the same decision, it's probably the right one, but that doesn't mean it's easy!

Tomorrow will likely be a rough day, but if all goes as planned I will end it with a sense of peace that the right decision has been made...keep me in your thoughts and prayers!!

photo from here