Hearts at Home Dates

Mom, do you know how valuable you are?

Do you want to be inspired and encouraged?

Are you in need of refreshment or rejuvenation?

Do you want to laugh?  

A Hearts at Home conference gives moms the unique opportunity to pause along their mothering journey to refresh, refocus, and renew themselves. The 2010 National Conference, Mom’s the Word, is being held at the Bone Student Center of Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois on March 12-13.


See what others are saying about a Hearts at Home conference:


“I attended the conference this year for the first time. I enjoyed it immensely. I was lifted up, instructed, convicted, encouraged, and brought to tears, sometimes all at the same time.”

“I loved it. I feel so full of information. I need to sit and read my notes and just process it. It was really encouraging to hear all the speakers and be with all of those moms. Thanks so much! “

“This past weekend was awesome and life changing. This was my first Hearts at Home Conference and I am telling everyone about it. “

“I want to thank you all for keeping these conferences going each year and for making them so refreshing for women at various stages in their parenting.”


Hearts at Home wants all mothers to know how valuable they are! Check out this video for a small dose of encouragement from Nicole Johnson and be sure to join us March 12th-13th for more!

Featured guests include Nicole Johnson, author & motivational speaker, a favorite at Women of Faith, Jill Savage, author, international speaker, CEO & founder of Hearts at Home, and Christy Nockles, Dove Award nominee & formerly of Watermark.

Visit www.hearts-at-home.org for more information.

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And if that weren't enough - I am here to announce the Hearts at Home International Events 2010

Budapest, Hungary – Moms Evening Out - April 20, 2010
Location: Kelenföldi Evangéliumi Gyülekezet • 1119 Budapest, Etele út 55
Time: 6:00 – 9:00 pm
To Register: No pre-registration required.
Cost: 1000 Forints
Translations: English translated into Hungarian.
Topics and Speakers:
“Have You Had Your Vitamin Glee Today?” by Sally Baucke
“Leaving a Legacy” by Sue Heimer
Questions: Contact Beth Van Bebber at bvanbebber@entrust4.org


Villach, Austria - Moms Night Out - April 22, 2010
Location: Life Center, Karawankenweg 2, 9500 Villach
Time: 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm
To Register: Contact Esther Aitkuliev at theteam@vision-austria.net or 43-664-357-6557
Cost: 7 Euro, registration fee includes one main session and one workshop session, tea/coffee break.
Translations: German. English translation is available upon request.
Topics and Speakers:
Keynote: “Being A Power Mom-ger!” by Sally Baucke
Workshop choices:
“Have You Had Your Vitamin Glee Today?” by Sally Baucke
“When You Feel Like Screaming! Help For Frustrated Mothers!” by Sue Heimer
“One Size Does Not Fit All!” by Connie Johnson

Vienna – Moms Day Out – April 24, 2010
Location: Leebgasse 34, 100 Vienna (Corner of Quellenstrasse)
Time: 8:30 – 5:00 pm
To Register: hahwien@googlemail.com. Register before April 17 to get a hot lunch and tote bag. Registrations after that cannot guarantee lunch. Moms can register through money transfer (online banking) by adding the name of the registrant (s) and an email address for payment confirmation! Raiffeisenbank Baden (30 Euros) Account 0000 1033 265, BLZ 32045 OR Send your name and address per email (hahwien@googlemail.com) or by telephone (43-699-1100-4554). *Note: Registration fees are non-refundable, but are transferable to another mom. Transferring registration is the responsibility of the original registrant!
Cost: 30 Euro, the registration fee includes two main sessions, two workshops, hot lunch, tea/coffee and conference materials (tote bag with goodies, program,...)
Translations: German and English
Topics and Speakers:
Morning Keynote: “Being A Power Mom-ger!” by Sally Baucke
Afternoon Keynote: “Leaving a Legacy” by Sue Heimer
Workshop 1 choices:
“Have You Had Your Vitamin Glee Toay?” by Sally Baucke
“When You Feel Like Screaming! Help For Frustrated Mothers!” by Sue Heimer
“One Size Does Not Fit all!” by Connie Johnson
Workshop 2 choices:
“Much To-Do About Nothing” by Sally Baucke
“When Teens Rebel” by Sue Heimer
“Prayer: More Than Just Words” by Connie Johnson
Questions: Contact Nikki Loernitzo, nikki9@aon.at or Claudia Rhoton (43-699-1100-4554)


Amsterdam, Holland – Moms Night Out – April 27, 2010
Location: Van der Valk Hotel Den Haag-Wassenaar
Zijdeweg 54
2245 BZ Wassenaar
phone # 0705119344
Time: 7:00-10:00 pm
Cost: 15 Euro
To Register: contact Sheyla Karman at heartsathomenl@yahoo.com
Language: English
Topics and Speakers:
“Much To- Do About Nothing” by Sally Baucke
“Leaving a Legacy” by Sue Heimer

grace alone

My posting has been slow this week.  Not because I have nothing to say (as if) but rather because I have been busily working on some other stuff.

For the first time in 13 years (that makes me sound pretty old) I am taking a college course.  Thanks to the internet (do I need to thank Al Gore personally for that?) I am "back to school".  I have always loved school and this has proven to be the case once again.  Don't get me wrong though...this is tough.  I haven't written term papers for a lllloooonnnnggg time & it's wwwwaaaaaayyyyy harder than I remember it being.  And I'm only taking ONE class.  TWO measly credits.  Can't imagine the load I used to carry in the college years.  Of course, there wasn't much else going on in my life in the college years.  What's that saying?  "We went to class just to pass the time."

"So, what are you taking?" you might be asking (or not, but I'm going to tell you anyway)  I am taking Principles of Biblical Interpretation from Northwestern College (in St. Paul, MN).  It is EXCELLENT.  In fact, there is part of me that believes that anyone who claims that the Bible is true and relies on it as the basis of their faith, should read the book that is required for this course.  AMAZING!  The book?   A Basic Guide to Interpreting the Bible by Robert H. Stein.  Really, really good stuff.  Really.

The beginning is pretty dry, teaching about meaning and who gives a text it's meaning.  But now we're looking at the different types of "genres" in the Bible and how to understand what's being said in light of the style of writing.  Things like poetry and parables, narrative and prophecy, proverbs and laws.  It is incredibly interesting and enlightening.

Today I learned something that I never even considered - God gave the Law after he had entered into a covenantal relationship with the Israelites.  "The exodus (Exod. 20:3-17) preceded the giving of the law on Mount Sinai (Exod. 20:3-17!"  (page 195)  The Law was not given as a stipulation for entering into a relationship with God, it was given after the covenantal relationship was already established.  From page 188, the "stipulations are not conditions for enterning the covenant but for remaining true to it."

"So what?" you might be thinking.  Well, this is true today as well.  The laws are not required to be followed in order to enter the covenantal relationship with God.  We cannot keep the law to earn salvation.  We cannot even keep the law, once we are in relationship with God, to maintain that relationship.

One last quote:

"Even in our best moments we fail to keep the laws of God perfectly.  Thus, we must recognize that we need forgiveness and grace.  The law seeks to show us our need of God's grace.  If we stand outside a covenantal relationship with God, it drives us to repent and seek God's saving grace.  If we stand within that covenantal relationship, it shows us that time and time again we fail to keep the divine stipulations of the covenant and that we must confess our sins (1 John 1:9) and pray, 'Forgive us our debts' (Matt 6:12).  We enter into a covenantal relationship with God on the basis of grace alone, and that relationship is maintained on the basis of grace as well."

"well, yeah"  you might be thinking, as I was when I initially read this.  But do I live this?  Do I know with all that I am, that I am held in the hands of God, not by anything that I do or don't do, but simply by the grace of the one who holds me?  Do I live this?  And because of this amazingly ridiculous offer to be held by God, do I choose willingly to do my best to follow His rules, simply because I am overwhelmed by His grace?  Grace alone!

money Monday - great site

I found a great site for money matters with a Christian perspective.  Click here to check it out:Christian PF

I especially enjoyed this article: 5 Bible verses about money every Christian should know.  (looks like I'll be adding to my memory verse list *wink*)

I really found many of the articles helpful and many of the resources useful.

From Budgeting to Getting Out of Debt, from Saving to Organizing & Simplifying.  If it's about money, it's here and with the added Biblical perspective.

Enjoy!

the right recipe

It's Chili Night at the Weed house tonight.  A nice, delicious, obnoxiously mild, chili.  And my southern roots (a girl can pretend) dictate that with chili must be corn bread.  Not a cheap Jiffy Corn muffin pack bought at Wal-Mart for $0.33.  No, the real, made from scratch recipe from my Grandma cooked up in a heavily buttered cast iron skillet.  delicious!
I know, from years and years of enjoying this cornbread just exactly how it should taste.  Crispy on the outside, moist on the inside and not too sweet.  In order to make sure that my cornbread comes out just the way I want it, I have to put the ingredients together exactly the way that the recipe tells me to.  Too much sugar= too sweet cornbread.  Too little baking soda=flat, heavy cornbread.  I can't just willy-nilly throw a bunch of ingredients together and hope it all works itself out in the oven.  It's all about putting each piece together correctly to achieve the desired result.
*
Ah, life.  How's this "cornbread" supposed to taste?  It seems I remember a verse about the fruit of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience (ooo, that one's tough), kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control.  My life, as a declaring follower of Jesus Christ, should "taste" like these things.  What my life cooks out day-after-day-after-day should be these traits.  But, how?
*
It's all about the ingredients.  What am I "throwing in the mixing bowl"?  Too much flour, not enough sugar?  Too much world, not enough Truth?  If I want my life to be the way that Jesus tells me it should be if I'm following Him, then I have to intentionally add the ingredients that will produce those results.  I can't just willy-nilly throw a bunch of stuff in and hope it all works itself out in the oven.  I have to carefully add the correct ingredients.  But what?
*
I'm no expert, but I think that putting  whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable into my life, would be an excellent starting point. (Phil 4:8)  Of course, that requires purposefully not putting in stuff that isn't those things.    But to get delicious "cornbread", it's vital to follow the recipe.