Luv'N Lambert Life

A blog about living with Epilepsy, IBHS, Homeschooling and so much more

God

God Had Other Plans For Me Today {Thoughts From Me}

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I woke up this morning with a list of things to do that was a mile long.  I had ever single intention of getting it done.  I truly did.

But God had other plans for me.  Not one single thing on that list got done today.  Not one.

But you know what?  That’s okay!  God had better plans.

Three friends came to me with needs today.  They needed a friend and sometimes that’s just what we need to be.  A true friend to others in their times of need.

Today, I helped a Momma figure out how to start her journey with homeschooling.  To me, that’s just awesome!  I can hardly wait for her to start this journey.  She and her children are going to absolutely love it.

Today, I helped a friend who is heading for divorce.  Her heart is broken.  God is carrying her daily. 

Today, I helped a friend who is being harassed.  She’s upset that women would try to destroy her credibility and ruin her good name.  Bullying doesn’t stop with high school, y’all.

Today, I listened as a friend complained that their job is challenging and their life is in shambles.  They just needed a listening ear.  Someone to care for that moment.

This is the list God had planned for me today.  Nothing that was in my plans got done but everything in his is.  And I hope, I pray that I helped each one in the best way that I could.  I listened. I responded. I prayed. I was a friend.

How has God changed your plans recently?  What did you get done with His guidance that wasn’t on your list?

How To Stop Believing The Lies {Book Review}

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This week, two of my favorite people online collaborated to write a book and release it.  Shawnee Penkacik and Dana Adams have been an important part of my life and journey for many years now.  They’ve been two of my biggest supporters and cheerleaders through some of my most difficult life choices.  Now I get to cheer and support for both of them.

How To Stop Believing The Lies Of The Enemy And Start Believing The Truth Of God’s Word is written by two amazing women who use God’s word to guide their lives each and every day.  It is their mission to help others do the same.  Through this book and their personal testimonies, God shines.

Image borrowed from Sunshiny Thoughts.

This book reaches to the heart of the hurting woman to change their personal thoughts, to help them stop believing the lies that today’s society makes us think is the only way to believe.  Lies like you are ugly, I’m not worth it, I can’t do this and am not talented.  Lies like our lives are too broken, I’m a failure, my life is too messy.  These lies that really hurt us as women.  
Image borrowed from Sunshiny Thoughts.

We try to fit into this world when really the only place we need to fit in is in God’s World.  This is not our home or our final resting place and these lies are not ones that God has ever wanted any of us to believe.  We fall into the trap that is Evil guiding the way, trying to tear us down.  God wishes for us to see ourselves and our lives differently.

Through How To Stop Believing The Lies Of The Enemy, we learn to not fall prey to these lies.  We learn the Biblical verses that help to restore our faith and our personal beliefs in God.  We learn that these lies have no hold upon our lives.

Shawnee and Dana have succeeded in creating a guide that brings these lies to the forefront and helps us to destroy the thoughts they create within us.  They are currently working to create videos and a study to go along with this book to further help women like you and me destroy these beliefs in ourselves.  Their ministry is already helping to change lives and will continue to do so as time goes on.

Image borrowed from Sunshiny Thoughts.

You can grab your copy of How To Stop Believing The Lies Of The Enemy And Start Believing The Truth Of God’s Word on Amazon today for Kindle  at the introductory price of $1.99.  You can also order the physical book for $16.99.

I promise this book will change you and help you see that you are not a failure, that you are not a broken and that God has a purpose for your life.

You can find Shawnee at Sunshiny Thoughts Blog or on Facebook at Sunshiny Thoughts.

What It All Meant {Thoughts From Me}

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Soon I’m going to take the big step to move us over to WordPress and off this current format for blogging, so this past week, I’ve been going through old posts and making a few changes that will make this easier for me.  I’ve also been correcting a few things I didn’t know I had been doing wrong with my coding.  (Blogging is a daily learning experience.)  It’s a lot but it will be well worth it in the end.

Going through old posts means taking a step back into the past.  This hasn’t been easy.  There are things I wish I could erase.  There are things I have deleted just because I don’t want to be reminded they happened even with this blog.  Nothing I’m ashamed of, just things it’s time to let go of.  I know I can never change the past, and I never would because our past is what makes us who we are today.

I have deleted a few irrelevant posts.  I’m not sure what I was thinking when I wrote those.  They were just filling space.

I also took notice that my life was going in a certain direction back then but somewhere I got off that track.  It’s a road I’d like to find again, and I will in time.  See, life sometimes hurts so much that you lose yourself and you become someone who covers  the pain with a fake smile or a positive word that deep down doesn’t mean a thing. Sometimes the abuse is so hard that you want to pretend it just doesn’t exist, so you do pretend and you paint a picture that all is right with the world, even when it isn’t.

I took notice that my ex was rarely mentioned in my previous posts.  He was in my day to day life and frequently mentioned on my social media while we were together but not here.  He didn’t want to be part of my life and he let me know it so often that I just left him out as much as I could.  I wanted him but he never wanted me and honestly, I’m okay with that now.

I see now that we were not right for each other and God has blessed me more than I could ever have imagined with my husband, Don and our beautiful family.  I see now that God had a bigger and better plan for me.  The experience with my ex was something that was forced and something that was unwanted by one side but  it was an experience I learned greatly from and one I can go forth and share my pain with others like me who need someone to understand.  Having Don in my life gives me hope and strength and love where once their was none.

My blog used to be Christ centered, and though God is still here in my writing,  I wish to find Him again, to share encouragement and love, to spread his Truth through my own testimony for God gave me a great one to share.  I wish to help others, to inspire them, to show them that a better life is ahead, not to give up and to fight for what their heart desires, for it will come.  With God all things are possible and our dreams will come true.

So here I am, finding my way again, working on bigger things that will come about in time.

Until then…

Dana

An Author Interview with Lori Wildenberg {Author Interview}

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Last week I did a review of Messy Journey by Lori Wildenberg.  This week I invited Lori over to our blog for a brief interview for her to share more about this wonderful book she has written.  Messy Journey is a book that truly speaks volumes to all who have been blessed to read it, including myself.

Messy Journey deals with the sticky situations we as Christians sometimes find ourselves facing and although this book was written to be a guide for Parents, I found it helpful for my own life.  As I mentioned in our review of Messy Journey, as a person who has lived in Sinful situations for many years of my life, I’ve often felt judged for my choices by other Sinners even though today’s world if filled with constant sin. I’ve often wished there was a book that explained to me how to ask Forgiveness and to forgive myself with God’s help despite my sins and the judgments against me.  Messy Journey provides that.

You can find our review of Messy Journey here.

Reading Lori’s responses to these questions, I found that we have a lot in common.  Lori always wanted to be a teacher and a Mom, just like me and through God’s plan for her life, and mine as well, we both are blessed to be doing these things in our lives.
Lori has also struggled with the unexpected in her life but she’s been able to overcome these struggles with God by her side, just as I have.  We are nothing without God’s guidance in our lives.  Lori shows this daily in her outreach to others, both through her books and through her presence online and in person.

Now onto the interview, you’ve so patiently been waiting for:

1. How would you describe your writing in general to someone who hasn’t read any of your books?
My books are written for moms and dads in the trenches of parenting. They are for parents who are looking for another way to raise kids other than simply behavior modification or natural consequences. If families seek to encourage grace, responsibility, and interdependence my parenting books will provide faith-based, practical, and easily applicable help and support. My mission is to help families build connections that last a lifetime. My parenting philosophy is not only to encourage desirable behavior but to raise kids in a way that encourages character development and spiritual growth. It is best to work from the inside out rather than the outside in; grow the heart, adjust the behavior.


 2. What inspired you to write Messy Journey: How Grace and Truth Offer the Prodigal a Way Home?
Life doesn’t always go the way we expect. As parents, we can do everything “right” and still have a child who veers off the expected path. With my daughter’s permission and input, I share our journey— the struggles a prodigal child brings and how to live life in the middle of the mess.


3. How would you describe this book to someone in a 30 second blurb?
Messy Journey: How Grace and Truth Offer the Prodigal a Way Homeis for parents walking the difficult road with a wayward child. This book is filled with stories from dozens of Christian parents and some prodigals. It includes my personal journey with my same-sex attracted daughter. The book is vulnerable and honest. No matter why a parent has a prodigal (or if you love someone who does) this book will bring comfort, help, and encouragement.  Practical grace- and truth-filled ways of navigating a relationship with a detoured child who is rejecting faith, dabbling in sin, or wholeheartedly embracing sinful behavior are given. There is hope.    

 
4. How did you research or plan your book?
Both personally and professionally I have experienced the messy journey. I have personally lived-out the journey and walked alongside many families who are heart broken and weary because their child has taken a detour.

5.  Who is your intended audience and why should they read your book? 
Messy Journey is for the wounded and weary parent and for those who love them. It is also a resource for counselors, pastors, and support group leaders.  This book offers biblical truth, helpful strategies, prayers, and hope for the hurting and often lonely parent.


 6. What sparked your interest in this topic?
This is a book I didn’t want to write. Having a child who has gone astray not only causes heartache it can be isolating and shaming. No one wants the hurt, the pain that a prodigal brings. But as only God can do, in my grief He tenderized me and moved me to reach out to bring comfort and encouragement to other families facing major struggles with their child.


7. What do you hope readers will gain from the book?
My prayer is that the moms and dads reading this book feel encouraged and less alone. My hope is that by reading the stories of others and implementing the suggestions presented they feel empowered to get through the day and to never give up.


 8. How did personal experience impact writing this book?
My personal experience provides the overarching feeling of connection from the reader to author. Even if the reader’s struggle looks different from mine there are common threads and truths when one is the parent of a prodigal.


 9. How much of your own life goes into your books?
This book isn’t only about my daughter and me, it is filled with many parents and their stories. The prodigals’ substance abuse, sexual sin, and/or rejection of faith are all topics that are addressed. As society normalizes sin, Christian parents feel as if they are constantly fighting the culture. But we have a God who always wins and never gives up!


10. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I always wanted to be a teacher and a mom. I am thankful I have been able to wear both hats. I am passionate about helping parents be the moms and dads their kids need. I never considered becoming an author. In the first parenting course I developed and taught, a few of the participants told me I should put the information in a book. I told them I was too busy raising my four kids, they could take notes. Messy Journey is my fourth parenting book. God can do the impossible, even with a resistant and rebellious heart.




I truly hope you enjoyed this interview with Lori Wildenberg and that Messy Journey blesses you as it has me.  We are none perfect and are all walking in this imperfect journey together.  Messy Journey aims to make that struggle a little easier to get through and understand, showing that we are not alone and that Forgiveness is what matters most.

Messy Journey is available for purchase on Amazon for $13.48 in Paperback or $9.99 on Kindle.




A Little More About Lori Wildenberg:

Lori Wildenberg is passionate about helping families build connections that last a life time. She is a licensed parent-family educator and co-founder of 1 Corinthians 13 Parenting. She has written 4 parenting books with Messy Journey: How Grace and Truth Offer the Prodigal a Way Home published by New Hope as her most recent. She is a parent consultant, national speaker, and lead Mentor Mom over at the Moms Together Facebook Community Page. Lori is a contributor to a number of on-line magazines. Every Monday you can find her blogging about faith and family at loriwildenberg.blogspot.com . Mostly, Lori is wife to Tom and mom of four. The Wildenberg’s home is nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. A perfect day in Lori’s world is a hike with her hubby, four kids plus a daughter-in-love, and Murphy the family labradoodle.




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God Knows Best {Thoughts From Me}

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I started this week with the best of intentions.  I had planned to share with you all of the great sales going on this week.  I had planned to set up posts ahead of time and have them all ready to go.

But…

Life happened.  Other things had to be done.  I haven’t had the time to do the things on my to-do list at all.

It’s been a hectic week but even though I haven’t been able to get my plans done, I was still able to get a lot done.  Other things have fallen into place.  Sometimes God makes changes we don’t realize and for a reason.  His plan is always better than our own.

So even when life happens and things don’t go as planned, remember that God’s always there, always making plans for us that are best whether we think so at the time or not. God’s always leading, always loving us and always choosing what’s in our best interest.  Even when we don’t, He knows the way.

God bless,
Dana Lambert-Hodge

God Loves Mommy & Me {FrontGate Review}

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God Loves Mommy & Me is a beautifully written and designed book for young children.  Bonnie Rickner Jensen has gone beyond to share the story of God’s Love for us and our children.  Laura Watkins has created some of the most beautiful images that truly speak to your heart.
God Loves Mommy & Me is a soft cover board book designed to be easy to hold and read together.  The pages are glossy and easy to clean but thick enough for your little one to be able to easily turn the pages.  Each page features the beautiful artwork of Laura Watkins, sharing the Mommy and Baby Rabbits and how God loves them no matter what they do.
This book teaches forgiveness, prayer and love from morning to night.  My children and I truly loved the imagery and story shared within this book.  It was easy for us to relate to the loving moments and discuss how Baby and Mommy Rabbit felt.
You can purchase your own copy of God Loves Mommy & Me online for $7.54.

You can join in with the Harper Collins Children’s Books Giveaway for this book as well.