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Access

April 9, 2013 By sami

Have you ever seen a picture of random celebrities together and thought, “They have no business knowing each other except that their both famous!”

I have.

And then the next natural question becomes, “How did they even happen to get to meet each other?”

There is a very simple answer: Access

A singer likes a certain TV show, so his people call their people and boom, he gets to meet the stars. Perhaps they’re both presenting at an awards show together. Or maybe they’re both hanging out in the same VIP lounge at Target (surely Target has a VIP lounge the rest of us normal folk don’t get to see, right???).

(From Dierks Bentley on WhoSay…P.S. If you can name all the people in this picture, I’m impressed – I couldn’t!- though Dierks, if you’re reading this, you are the ONE country singer I’d like to meet…but I digress)

So I may have a skewed view of celebrity and fame, but the answer stays the same: Access.

I remember a time years ago when I was absolutely convinced that Rachael Ray and I would be best friends…if only we could meet! This wasn’t when everyone knew her name and loved her, it was just me….well, just me and my then toddler. I remember feeding a newborn baby in my arms and having my 19 month old jump up and down at the TV screen saying “Wachael Way! Wachael Way!” As someone who didn’t consider themselves a pro in the kitchen (and still doesn’t!), I resonated with her humility and quirkiness.

I had a dream that we happened to be getting our hair done next to each other and my hairdresser said to her hair dresser that she thought we should be friends and POOF! That was all it took…but the dream never became reality. In fact, as is typical of my life, once everyone else starts liking something, I usually back away from it. So, alas, the world will never know the powerhouse duo that Rachael and I could have become.

But do you know who we do have full, unlimited access to? God
“For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household” ~ Ephesians 2:18-19

When I worked at the Olympics in Atlanta back in 1996, I had an infinity level pass. That meant that even when I wasn’t working an event, I could pretty much get in wherever I wanted: the floor level of the gold medal women’s gymnastics event, the back halls of the tennis venue, even next to the Vice-President of the United States during the closing ceremonies (well, I think that one was a fluke, but once I was past the metal detector, I was in!).

I think that gig had something to do with the fact that I was young, diligent and spoke French (or just a brilliant stroke of good luck for me and my friends who also got the gig). Do you know what it takes to get an infinity level pass to God? Faith.

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we[b] boast in the hope of the glory of God.” ~ Romans 5:1-2

It’s that simple. When you put your faith in Jesus Christ, you gain an infinity level pass to His kingdom for eternity! How cool is that?

There’s not test. You don’t have to be famous. And God knows you don’t have to be perfect!

That’s the beauty of it. With faith comes access to God’s grace, mercy and unconditional love.

So the next time you feel like you’re being left out of the coolest VIP lounge (hint, hint Target…), just remember, we all have the potential for infinity level access to the ultimate heavenly lounge.

All you have to do is ask…

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. ~ Hebrews 4:15-16

Filed Under: Devotions, Faith, Faith in Action Tagged With: Access, devotion, Faith, god

A New Year in A New Light for our Kids: Tommy Nelson Blog for Jan 2013

January 2, 2013 By sami

Every New Year is a chance for us to re-evaluate: our goals, our dreams, our habits, our health, our lifestyle… I could go on.

But for some reason, I feel like those goals need to be even more relevant to my day to day living, especially when it comes to my kids.

In light of the tragic events at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, I’m reminded even more how fleeting life can be.

It is a stark warning to me in this New Year that not one minute of our lives is guaranteed. Not only do we need to hold our own lives out to God with open hands, but even more so the lives of our children.

I can’t help but think of Matthew 6:34, which says:
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

This was one of my first favorite verses after coming to know Christ because it reminded me that I was not in control. Today, this verse is just as poignant, but in its own way.

God’s promise is that He will never give us more than we can handle and that He will be there with us through it all (Hebrews 13:5).

I don’t have any good answers as to why the Sandy Hook shootings happened or why God allowed them to be. But I do know that our God is sovereign and omnipotent.

As you begin this New Year, perhaps more cautious and guarded then you have begun any other since you have become a parent, I would suggest you consider these two things…

(Read the full post over at the Tommy Nelson Blog…)

Quick! Before you head over to read my 2 suggestions for parenting in the New Year, why not enter my giveaway for two of the resources I mention are key parts to our day as a family: Jesus Calling and Jesus Calling for Kids?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Of course, if you can’t wait, you can click on the link above, enter code SAMI20, and you’ll receive a 20% discount from any title on the Thomas Nelson site!

I’m here for you as you parent! Don’t be a stranger…

Filed Under: Articles, Faith, giveaway, Parenting, Tommy Nelson Tagged With: christian, Faith, Kids, new year, Parenting, tommy nelson

Radiant Glory

October 24, 2012 By sami

IMG 6471 225x300 Radiant Glory

So often we brush right past people that God put in our way for a reason. If God created everything, and everything He created reflects His glory in some way, then we should be able to find that radiance in every person we encounter!

This is one of the most difficult concepts for me personally as I truly struggle with understanding how to be genuine with people I don’t get along with. (Can I get an Amen?)

However, I once approached our pastor’s wife at our former church with this quandary, since she seemed to get along with everyone.

She confessed that her spirit was not always that way, but that her husband (our pastor) taught her that there is always something positive you can find in everyone and to simply focus on that until you can develop a relationship that leads you to uncover something else.

“For I was hungry and you fave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. ‘The King will reply, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’”
~ Matthew 25:35-36, 40

God commands us to love one another as He has loved us (John 13:34). Therefore, by loving our fellow man and looking beyond the external, we are loving God and giving Him glory!

We need not be quick to judge based on external appearances. Instead, we ought to learn to recognize the radiant glory of God and look for it in everyone we meet.

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. ~ 1 John 4:11-12

Filed Under: Devotions, Faith, Faith in Action Tagged With: christian, devotion, Faith, glory, radiant

The Activity Dilemma: Tommy Nelson September Blog

September 22, 2012 By sami

Only a few short months ago I was struggling to come up with a summer schedule that would optimize fun while still continue the learning process for my kids.

Now we’re already back in school and instead of worrying about how to keep them occupied at home, I’m wondering how to keep them at home!

It’s true, not only do I have two kids in school full time now, but for the first time this year, we found activities for them both to participate in.

To be completely honest, I have mixed feelings about the activity dilemma. As a child, I was VERY involved in sports & activities…to the point where I don’t remember eating very many meals with my mom at the dinner table. She was typically shuttling me back and forth between tennis or swim practice and show choir or dance rehearsal with a tupperware container for me to eat in the backseat. On a recent road trip, we stopped at my aunt’s house and even found all my own trophies, much to the delight of my young son:

My husband, however, had a more subdued childhood when it came to extra-curricular activities, but actively remembers playing outside with cousins and friends and the like. Of course he can also recite verbatim almost every meal his mom cooked too

So where is the happy medium? I’m learning I have to stop getting ahead of myself.

Through it all, I’m learning two things:
1. It’s not about me
2. Nothing is guaranteed

While this might strike fear in the minds of some parents, for me, it reminds me of God’s sovereignty and grace in each and every moment.

That’s why I love Max Lucado’s “Grace for the Moment: 365 Devotions for Kids“. It reminds my kids that grace is God’s best idea: More than we deserve … and greater than we imagine.

More importantly, it reminds me to apply the same principles to my own life and Christian walk as I read it with them!

Do you struggle with deciding what and how many activities your kids should be participating in? How do you make those decisions in your family?

READ THE WHOLE BLOG POST AT TOMMYNELSON.COM

Filed Under: Articles, Faith, Tommy Nelson Tagged With: activity, blog, christian, dilemma, Faith, Kids, Parenting, tommy nelson

Disappointed Parenting

April 4, 2012 By sami

Ever have one of those days? I did yesterday and I think the term “Disappointed Parenting” sums it up best for 2 reasons:
1. Because I found myself using the term ‘disappointed’ a lot with my kids &
2. because I ended up disappointed with myself at the end of the day

Let me set the stage for you just so you get as accurate a picture as possible:
It’s Spring Break, but we’re staying home (as any self-respecting frugal girl would do when the rest of the country is traveling The kids would like to sit around in PJ’s all day alternating between watching Disney Junior and PBS Kids; I on the other hand, want to finally gain control back over our home after the traveling we did all last month.

So the battle begins.

It started out innocently enough. Kids wake up. Kids watch 1 show. Kids eat breakfast. Kids fight over daddy’s cut up t-shirt designed to help them look like Doc McStuffins….

Daddy intervenes. Daddy gets frustrated. Mommy gets frustrated at daddy for getting frustrated. Daddy walks away and says no one can play with the ‘doctor’s jackets anymore. Kids get sad and talk back. Mommy puts kids in chair to sit and stare at the wall in silence for 5 minutes.

20120404 073950 230x300 Disappointed Parenting Mommy talks earnestly to children. Mommy expects great change of heart and earnest apology to daddy, but gets average attempts at both.

…thus started my day…

We proceeded to start organizing Britton’s room, which essentially turned into a battle over the label-maker.

We tried to take naps, which again turned into a debate over why we couldn’t have quiet time instead.

They asked the same questions over & over again and didn’t seem to hear anything I said…which, once, again, made me disappointed.

But then I actually remembered two things:
1. Philippians 3:1b NLT, which says: I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith.

2. I once heard that ‘disappointed’ wasn’t a term used ever in the Bible; it’s just a dumbed down parental way of saying we’re ‘angry’ – Ouch!

It’s true. I was angry. I was angry that I had given up all my meetings and plans to be at home with them over Spring Break, but that they weren’t appreciating my efforts. I was angry that they weren’t remembering things I had taught them all these years. I was angry that they wanted snacks all day long…

Well, duh…they’re kids, they expect you to be home with them. They expect you to play with them. Believe it or not, they actually expect to be fed regularly too (who knew?)

But what really got me was that verse in Philippians. In the NIV Paul writes: “It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you…”. Am I not willing to safeguard my children? And who am I to think that I actually remember things the first time they’re told to me?

Sure, by now you’d think they’d remember to turn out their lights, brush their teeth and bring their plates to the sink after a meal. But they are only 6 & 7 after all, so if I freak out about these little things, chances are they won’t come to me when they’re 13 & 14 with the bigger issues they’re facing. Who am I to stifle a future conversation about smoking or sex, all because I over-reacted to a conversation about putting their shoes away in the right spot?

So at the end of the day, instead of being a disappointed parent, I was disappointed in my parenting.

But I had to remember that the same grace that Paul talks about in Philippians is not only extended to each other in the family of Christ, but to me from Christ as well.

So today I have another opportunity to do it all again. Chances are nothing will have changed with the kids overnight, yet I have the opportunity to change my attitude today.

I don’t have to be perfect, I just have to be real.

Have you had any parenting mishaps lately? Where do you need encouragement in your own parenting?

Filed Under: Faith, Parenting, Real Women, Self Control Tagged With: disappointed, Faith, Kids, mother, Parenting, philippians

I NEED you to do this, Lord

March 17, 2012 By sami

image courtesy of www.sxc.hu

It’s not often that I asked the Lord for insanely practical things.

In fact, I hate to bother him with things that seem so trivial in light of all the world’s problems. But He does in fact want us to include him in all aspects of our lives and I was reminded of this in a very tangible way today

You may know that our min-van is currently stuck at home after breaking down Thursday night, so we are left having to share our 2001 Camry. Since my husband is typically the one that drives this car, I had forgotten some of its idiosyncrasies.

Case in point:
After finishing up at the radio station, I was on my way to drop the car off at his work since he has to be here late tonight. Our kids spent the day with friends, so Kristen was meeting me here to pick me up and take all of us back home.

Since I hadn’t had lunch and knew I wouldn’t be able to stop at the store today, I made a quick detour to get some chili in the Wendy’s drive thru. I knew the windows hadn’t been working well, but I had just witnessed my husband use them successfully the day before, so it never even crossed my mind to avoid this pitfall.

Yet sure enough, in the middle of a storm, the window went down perfectly fine, but did not respond at my attempt to roll it back up after paying. I dodged rain drops to get to window #2 and worked fervently to fix the wet situation.

No luck.

Knowing I couldn’t very well hang out in the Wendy’s drive thru for longer than 3 extra seconds, I jetted out and wildly went the wrong way into a neighboring bank’s drive thru (luckily, it was closed at the time).

Thankful for the dry oasis. I turned off the car and decided to let it “reboot”, so to speak (can you tell I spend too much time on a slow computer?). After another five minutes of trying every Jedi mind trick I could conjure up, I finally stopped, closed my eyes and prayed for God to help me in this situation.

After finishing the prayer, I opened my eyes, paused to take a deep breath and then said in my most convincing voice possible:
“Lord, I NEED you to do this.”

I waited a few seconds just to make sure He heard me and then turned the car back on to try the window again.

IT WORKED!

Without over-spiritualizing the situation, it reminded me that all too often I try to do things on my own when God is ready, willing and very able to help…if only we’ll get over ourselves long enough to ask!

I was reminded of the story of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22 that essentially teaches us that when we simply trust God, He will supply all our needs, from the most critical to even the very trivial.

Our mini-van may not be operational yet, but at least we’re not left with a very wet interior for our one vehicle that does work!

Is there anything you need to ask the Lord for today?

Filed Under: Devotions, Faith, Faith in Action Tagged With: car, devotion, Faith, lord, need, rain, window

Something to Look Forward To: Tommy Nelson Blog March 2012

March 3, 2012 By sami

I’m back on the Tommy Nelson Blog this month with a post that I hope challenges you as much as it did me when it comes to remembering that nothing is guaranteed…

You know that feeling when Christmas is just around the corner or you have an upcoming vacation to look forward to?

We act differently. We think differently. Our priorities are different. We have a sense of hope and expectation unlike our normal day to day routine.

In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly. ~ Psalm 5:3

The problem is, nothing is guaranteed: not our plans, not our jobs and certainly not our days here on this earth.

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
~ 2 Corinthians 4:18

Read the full post on the Tommy Nelson Blog…

Filed Under: Articles, Devotions, Faith, Tommy Nelson Tagged With: christian, Faith, forward, guarantee, Kids, tommy nelson

Tommy Nelson Blog: The Best Valentine’s Present: Your Presence

February 6, 2012 By sami

I’m over at the Tommy Nelson Blog again this month with a post featuring what else but…LOVE! I would argue that the best Valentine’s present you can give your kids is your presence, but with that, it’s easier said than done.

I’ve learned a lot of things about my kids in the short seven and a half years that I’ve been a parent.

Some days I think I’ve got it all figured out; but those are usually followed by days where everything I’ve thought to be true backfires on me.

Other days I stand in their darkened bedroom after they’re asleep, watching their chests rise and fall with each breath, and simply marvel at these little lives God has blessed me with.

Still on some days, I struggle simply to get everyone out of the door on time and then collapse into tears in the car line after shoving them out the door 30 seconds before school starts.

And yet in all those instances, over all those years and in every circumstance, there has only been one piece of parenting advice that I’ve found to be universal: Pay attention – it goes too quickly.

Read the full article on the Tommy Nelson blog…

Filed Under: Articles, Devotions, Faith, Tommy Nelson Tagged With: "valentine's day", blog, christian, Faith, Kids, presence, present, tommy nelson

Kids Prayer Poster

January 1, 2012 By sami

Cone Kids Prayer Poster

If you’re looking for a tangible way to help your family pray together on a consistent basis in 2012, consider making a Kids Prayer Poster.

When I first became a Christian in my 20′s, I quickly realized I couldn’t possibly pray for everyone all the time. So while I knew there would always be spontaneous and continuous prayer in my life, I also knew I needed to get some sore of system going to make sure there was consistency in my prayer life, especially surrounding the people and causes I care for.

So I created categories I would pray for each day, week by week. Again, that didn’t mean that I couldn’t verge from or ad to my prayers, people and categories, but it simply gave me a nice template to structure my prayers around. Which made me think, why couldn’t I do something similar for my kiddos?

Since they don’t carry a planner or smart phone around yet (thankfully) and are more captivated by pictures than words, I though a prayer poster would be the best solution. Plus, I had also been trying to devise a way for them to remember extended family that we didn’t see very often, so this fit the bill perfectly!

Here are the step by step directions for our kids prayer poster (you’ll want to supervise, but make sure your kids do as much of this as possible so that they know it’s theirs!):

1. Take a plain old sheet of white poster board and turn it horizontal.

2. Have the kids write a title across the top and then skip a space and write the days of the week across under the title.

3. Under the days of the week, write the category of what/who you’ll be praying for that day.

4. Find and print pictures to represent those categories/people, so you have a visible reminder of who/what you’re praying for.

5. Display the prayer poster in a prime area and reference it during your designated family prayer time (before school, before bed, before nap, etc)

You can come up with your categories any way you see fit, but for a point of reference, here is what/who we pray for each day:

Sunday: Church (including pastors, missionaries, non-profit causes we support, etc)
Monday: Work (our jobs, co-workers, etc) & School (teachers, classmates, etc)
Tuesday: Our Family (this is just our nuclear family)
Wednesday: My husband’s extended family
Thursday: My extended family
Friday: Friends (including other couples, kids’ friends, etc)
Saturday: Our nation (and issues surrounding our government and culture)

Again, this is only a template, but it works for us. It’s also been fun to have the visible reminders and go down picture by picture to pray for individuals, especially extended family and long-distance friends.

Does your family do anything like this? What categories for prayer would you add that I missed?

Filed Under: Faith, Faith in Action, Family Tagged With: christian, Faith, Family, Kids, poster, pray, prayer

Family Prayer Shield

December 31, 2011 By sami

Cone Prayer Shield

I’ve been getting asked about our family Prayer Shield a lot lately, so I thought it only fitting to share about what it is, how it got started and how we plan to refine it for 2012.

I first learned about having a prayer shield from one of my mentors and colleagues, Catherine Hickem. Though I know we are to called to cover each other in prayer, it was the first time I’d seen someone be so intentional about rallying others in protective prayer on a consistent basis. While she asked others to cover certain areas of her ministry in prayer, I thought it fitting to do something similar for our family.

Thus the Cone Prayer Shield was born! What we decided was to find someone (or a family we knew, loved and trusted) to commit to praying for our family on the same day of each month. In return, we would commit to pray for them and their family on that same day every month.

It’s as simple as that. We sent an email out (this was before Facebook) asking if friends, family, co-workers, etc would be interesting in committing to do what we described above for one year; that’s right, we asked for a 12 month commitment. I also promised to send out an update at the beginning of each month with what happened in our family in the prior month and what we coveted prayer for in the coming month (something I’ve been woefully behind in doing and hope to get better at in 2012).

We then filled out the names of the parties who agreed on a form and posted it in an easily visible, highly trafficked area (for us, that meant the fridge, as seen above). I also made smaller copies of the shield for me to carry in my purse organizer and put in the car (though I may now make one for my iPhone in 2012).

I’m also purposing in 2012 to contact the people we’re praying for in some way on the day we pray. I’m not pretending to think I’ll be able to call them each time (since I’m a horrible phone person), but it may be a text message, Facebook wall post or a quick email.

I’ve gone so far as to create a very basic (VERY basic) family prayer shield for you all to get started as well, if you wish. It’s simply a Google doc, and some of you would be able to create something much prettier on your own, but for those of you without computer software or know-how, I wanted you to have something you could simply and quickly print out today.

You would be amazed at what can happen in your life when you know your family is covered in prayer each and every single day of the year. it doesn’t cost you anything: only faith and commitment. So what’s stopping you from starting today?

Download your free family prayer shield

Filed Under: Devotions, Faith, Faith in Action, Family Tagged With: cone, download, Faith, Family, month, pray, prayer, shield