Our weekend travels....

Happy Monday Everyone!!

We were so blessed to be invited down to the Show Hope Banquet this weekend! Lori and I left Friday evening around 5:30 pm on the six hour drive to Franklin, TN. The Lord blessed us with safe travels, and I must say that we were pretty giggly and slap happy by the time we arrived! Since we drove down in the dark it was awesome to wake up Saturday morning and take a look around...I have no word to describe the area other than BEAUTIFUL!!

Saturday morning we spent time reading in Proverbs, praying and just enjoying fellowship time together. We made prior arrangements to meet Mary Beth around 11:45 to deliver the lamb bundles. We arrived at the Marriott Hotel there in Franklin to to meet up with her after a meeting she was attending. Everyone was so friendly!! Everyone you met had a smile on their face and a kind word coming from their lips! It was refreshing! We walked in the conference room and were like two little wall flowers... =) The meeting was over and everyone was visiting with each other, so we waited our turn and finally met Mary Beth!

We left the bundles in my vehicle so in true Baby be Blessed tradition it seems...we went out and had our parking lot exchange! This makes me smile because when we delivered the lambs for the compassion trip it was also a parking lot, out of the back of my suburban doll deal! =) I wish we would have gotten a picture that time, but I made sure we grabbed one this time! Here is Lori, Mary Beth and myself with the lamb bundles that will be heading to China...

I praise God and give Him all the glory for this opportunity! May He use these lambs mightily to show His love, compassion and truth to others!

After we made our delivery, we wanted to find The factory where the Show Hope Banquet was being held later that evening. When we arrived there was a farmers market outside...yum! Lori over heard someone say..."Man you could eat your way right through this place!" Lori and I did with some delicious double chocolate chip bread! Did I mention Yum!! We then went to take a peek inside...I was so surprised to find what was in there!!

We are walking up the side entrance looking for the Banquet Hall....

WOW...it was like a little shopping mall inside!

Here is the Antique Mall there...

Many Artists! I took this picture for my Natalie, she loves horses!

We also found some really nice people! This sweet gentleman though was trying to whisper sweet nothings into my ear...By the look of the picture it was working! =) But no worries Keith!!

Lori kept us in line! Here she is telling this gentleman that it is a sin to try to pick up married women!! =) Sorry, we were still giggly!

Lori and myself!

Oh, and Show Hope has their offices here!!

Miss Lori...

They have a second hand store! Lori found some pants that matched her shoes she wore to the Banquet! Love it!!

Here is a little shop in which you can pick out and paint your own piece of pottery and they will fire it for you! My kids would have LOVED that!!

So after running around and having fun all afternoon, we went back and got ready for the Banquet. We arrived PLENTY early, since honestly Lori and I do not know how to read a fancy invitation...seriously. But better early than late! I had a little trouble with my camera due to the lighting, but here are some photo's.

Here we are!

The tables, oh and check out the centerpieces.

Took my breath away!

We sat at table #57.

Real butterflies!

It was so beautiful!

Here is a picture of the International Children's Choir...they were so awesome! I could watch them all day!

Lori and I again...
The whole evening was wonderful! To hear them share what work God is doing through Show Hope is simply amazing! Thank you Lord!!

On a final note....we each found a little treat on our chair! What a blessing to receive Steven's new Beauty Will Rise CD!!!! Around it is tied a little butterfly seed paper which you can plant in dirt and wait for little sprouts to appear!!

But guess what?!

I'm going to give my copy away to one of you!!!
Are you excited?! I am!!
So leave your contact information under this post and on Friday, I will pick the lucky winner!!

Thank you so much for all your prayers this weekend for Show Hope and also for Baby be Blessed! Hope you enjoyed the little snidbit of our weekend travels!!

Have a wonderful and blessed week!!

Tina

Maria's Big House of Hope!

We're heading to Show Hope this weekend!!

As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever. Amen

1 Peter 4:10-11

I really have no words to describe the praise in my heart! Many many hands, feet and hearts came together to make these lambs for the children at Maria's Big House of Hope!!

May God be glorified!

Please pray for all the children that will be receiving these lambs!

May they feel the love and hope we have in Jesus Christ!

~Tina

A new beginning...

Don't forget to check out this weeks video at

The Jesus Storybook Bible!

http://www.jesusstorybookbible.com/index.php?option=com_video

Much love~Tina

Paxton David West

This is little Paxton David! He is our Give a Blessing recipient this month. What a sweet sweet boy...and how God has already used him in the lives of others. Here is a little bit from his mommy....

"My husband and I have always wanted a big family. There is nothing better than a house full of screaming, laughing, happy children. So far we had been blessed with two, beautiful healthy children, so we decided it was time to add to the brood. After sixteen weeks of pure joy, I went in for what was meant to be a regular doctors appointment only to find out our third baby had died in utero, four months along. It was a shock and a long road to recovery, so when I found out we were blessed this past January to be pregnant again I was elated and terrified. I did not allow myself to plan or prepare until around 30 weeks "just in case." I vividly remember at 30 weeks, my husband and I making the trip to babies r us to shop for our baby (the sex was unknown at the time because we LOVE surprises) I stopped in the store and began sobbing, my husband asked me what was wrong, and I said "We made it." This baby made it and is going to be ok. I was so scared of losing another baby that I could hardly believe this child was only 8 weeks away from being in our arms. Then, at 33 weeks what was meant to be another routine check up, an ultrasound showed something was wrong with our babies heart. She kept the probe over our babies beating heart for all to long that I knew and my stomach dropped. This is where it all began...."

Read more of their story HERE

Most of you know that the whole point of Give a Blessing to is encourage and bless another in a Christ glorifying manner. It will be different for all of us.

If this blog post is crossing your eyes...there is a reason and God wants to use you!!

PLEASE pray, be still and seek the Lords will!!

Now this isn't all about making a donation. Yes, we would love the Lord to provide for this family financially through all of you, BUT our main purpose is PRAYER!!

PRAY for sweet little Paxton and his family! Pray for them daily! Pray for them every single time the Lord places them on your mind! Prayer is powerful and God is so faithful!!

For current updates, please visit their blog HERE

My heart aches for Paxton's Mommy, Jen right now and she really needs all of us to send her a word of encouragement! Let her know how many prayer warriors are out there for her son and family! Let her know that God has this in His mighty hand and share the scripture that God places on your heart!!

We love all of you! May God use you mightily today!!

Praising God for the hands and feet of His church!

Much love~

Tina

Too Cute...Tuesday!

Princess Danielle!!

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Do you have a picture for Too Cute...Tuesday??Have you sent a picture that I haven't used yet??Let us know!!Please email babybeblessed@gmail.com

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love oneanother,even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.By this all men will know that you are My disciples,if you have love for one another."John 13:34-35

The Jesus Story Book Bible

{Scroll down and pause blog music}

I heard of The Jesus Storybook Bible a while back, and considered buying it. Well it slipped my mind and I didn't really take a second look at it until yesterday. The book caught my eye and I immediately remembered that I was going to dig in and see if it would be a good storybook Bible to purchase. When I went to their website...I was blessed. They have a weekly video of one of the stories in the book.

I wanted to share it with all of you.

Go grab your babies and hit full screen to watch this this wonderful story!
http://www.jesusstorybookbible.com/index.php?option=com_video

BE BLESSED!!

(ps~ I did buy it...so I'll let you know when we get it ;)

Living Proverbs 22:6

"Train up a child in the way he should go,
even when he is old he will not depart from it."
Proverbs 22:6

How do you encourage your children?

Do you praise them and encourage with your words and attitude?

Are you a bold witness to them? Lifting them up and building their spirit?

Are we doing this in such a manner that even when discipline is being reinforced, that it is done in such a Godly way that they are built up and not torn down?

I know that is my hearts desire. You know, it's easy for us to do this when things are running smoothly. When the day is running perfectly to plan and we have had plenty of sleep and have started the day with God's awesome word and a quiet cup of coffee (or diet coke for some of you =). Everything is just falling into place....ahhhhh...just the thought of it. It's easy to encourage and discipline in a Godly manner then right?

BUT...

But what about when real life kicks in. When things go Topsy turvy and crazy? When kids are screaming and everything is crumbling around you. When there is rush-rush-rush, and I forgot, or it wasn't me- I don't know - MOM yelling from every corner, phone ringing, vomit upstairs and poop down...oh and add a few pets in the mix. Then what?!

=)

I know I feel defeated and my flesh kicks in. My old self reactions bubble to the top, and they are ugly. Those attitudes and responses seem to add fuel to the fire and more times than not, when things calm back down, many regrets of I should have handled that better occur.

We absolutely can not do it ourselves. I feel that to get completely rid of our old self and reactions we need God to train US with better way to handle things. How can God train us?? By first and foremost asking Him. Then trusting Him. Not just speaking words, "Lord help me with my attitude or anger" but really feeling it in your heart. Allowing Him to teach us through His word. Being obedient to His calling. Daily picking up our cross and making the choice to follow Him. It is easy to just give up and fall back into old attitudes, but to really glorify God and live out your faith...choosing to do it His way, even though so badly you want to really justify yourself and how you are feeling at the moment. It's hard. I fail daily. Praise God for His grace that picks me back up and dusts me off. I pray that each day I get rid of a little more of me and put on more and more of Him!! This is a very hard job! Only through the strength and direction of Christ can we do it!

I desire to continually praise, encourage and lift up my husband and my children. I desire to do this no matter what is going on around us. To see my husband built up and encouraged, to see the faces of my children when they are filled up... *sigh*....I have no words. When they are filled, I am filled and God's will is fulfilled!

Here are a few scriptures (out of Proverbs of course =) that the Lord has brought back to my mind in those crazy moments lately. I smile when the Holy Spirit brings them into remembrance and I have been holding on and obeying them. THEY WORK!

"A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger." Proverbs 15:1

"A soothing tongue is a tree of life, But perversion in it crushes the spirit." Proverbs 15:4

"A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, But when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken." Proverbs 15:13

These are just a few that I have noted from chapter 15, but the pages are just bursting with God's awesome wisdom. We have the most wonderful manual for living at our fingertips. We just have to pick it up and apply it to our lives.

What are some of the way's that you encourage and exhort your husband and children?

Please share with us what God has taught you along the journey.

How can we encourage each other as woman to stay on course and not give up?

With much love~Tina