Busy, busy, busy!

Please forgive me, dear friends!  I have been so busy over here that I have not had the chance to post here :)  I have a few posts mulling around in my head as well as the urge to catch up on Praying the Psalms and Multitude Mondays so I hope to be back to posting here early next week.  In the meantime, please pop over to Our Great Homeschool Experiment and say hello!

Somebody Stop This Ride...

I wanna get off!!!

Bloggy friends, I've missed you!  I always forget how crazy Spring is for us.  Both boys have birthdays.  Spring baseball starts.  School is winding down which means that end of year after-school events are winding up.  Since we made our big decision to homeschool next year, I have spent much of my free time researching curriculum.  And, for some unfathomable reason, I have had this drive to spring clean.  I mean really spring clean.  Like under the beds and in the attic, spring clean!

All this has left me little time to blog :(  I have so much I want to share here.  I have so much to catch up on on your blogs!  All this to say, I am not sure when I will have the time to do these things.  Hopefully a few days, a week?  Maybe a few weeks???  I hope not!

Either way, just wanted to pop into this space to say hello :)

Bible in 90 Days Goodness!

In case you are reading along, here is some encouragement and tips for the journey:

You and Me, Buddy
Using the Fruit of the Spirit
Week One Recap

I cannot believe we are on Day 10 and I've read all of Genesis, Exodus and Leviticus already!  And it really has not been that difficult to find the time.  I've been reading about half in the morning and the rest either in the afternoon or evening.  God is good!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

DaySpring Giveaway Part II Winner!

Well, I have had my big boy home all week with the flu.  And yes, he had a flu shot!  I only spent a few moments despairing over how I had to miss a shopping day with two friends that had been planned for weeks.  Instead, I have been choosing to see this week as an opportunity for my little man I to bond.  And it's been wonderful- just what the Doctor ordered for us!   We've played games and watched movies and baked cakes and snuggled and enjoyed one another.

But all this togetherness has also meant that I am behind on, well, just about everything.  So, here is the winner of the DaySpring giveaway I had promised to deliver yesterday.

Once again, we used the highly scientific method- pull a name out of a pot :) My assistant...

And the winner is...

Heidi!!!

Heidi, please contact me at onethingspoken(at)gmail(dot)com ASAP so I can forward you your coupon code worth $20 in the DaySpring store!

Thanks for entering, friends!

Bible in 90 Days

As I mentioned here, I am planning on Reading Through the Entire Word in 2011 as a part of my Radical Experiment.  I just popped over to Amy's wonderful blog to see if there was any new information about the group that begins reading in January and, lo and behold, I realized I never officially signed up using the sign up form!  I thought simply replying in the comments was signing up but it is not.  So I would post the link to the Sign Up Form here just in case you were planning on reading along and made the same mistake I did.  Finally,  you might want a handy bookmark with the reading schedule to keep you on track.  You can print that from here.  Let me know in the comments if you are joining Amy (and me) in this challenge!  I'd love to know :)

Bloggy Birthday Winners!

Mary and Shelli- you win!  No scientific method needed this time- you were the only entries for each item :)  I'm going to try to send the Blessings Paperweight and Insulated Coffee Cup (to Mary) and the Flower Pins (to Shelli) on Monday.  Please send me your address ASAP- onethingspoken(at)gmail(dot)com.

Your chances of winning on this little blog are very good so be sure to check out the DaySpring giveaway I posted about today!

Another DaySpring Giveaway!

You might remember from this post that this beautiful Memo Board and Easel from DaySpring's Ever Grateful line has found a home here.  DaySpring and (in)courage were sponsors of The Relevant Conference and set up a beautiful lounge for us with cozy places to connect with one another and lots of yummy, hot coffee and snacks available at all hours.  They were wonderful hosts and gave the attendees many wonderful items to take home as well as the opportunity to win some beautiful products.  One of the opportunities they offered was to choose an item to keep from their Jesus is the Gift collection in exhange for sharing about it with our readers.  I requested the 13.5" Serving Platter.

Isn't it beautiful?  And it's on sale now!!!  I can't wait to use it on Christmas Day!  I loved it so much that I bought the Oven Mitt and Potholder and the 16" Oval Platter.


And now, I have the joy of giving one of you the opportunity to win a coupon code worth $20 to use in the DaySpring store.  Shipping charges will apply.  All you need to do to be entered to win is check out the Jesus is the Gift collection and leave a comment on this post telling about your favorite item from the collection.  If you have not already liked One Thing Spoken, Two Things Heard on Facebook (see box on right hand sidebar of blog) you can do so for a second chance to win :).  I will leave the comments open until Tuesday, December 14th so you will have time to order and receive your item before Christmas.  

A Bloggy Birthday!

Photo credit

Today my little blog turns one!  To celebrate, One Thing Spoken, Two Things Heard has gotten a makeover.  I love it and I hope you do, too!  Please click on over to see the changes if you read in a reader!  And grab the button from the sidebar, if you'd like.

This blog has been such a blessing to me.  It has become one of the places where I work out my salvation by examining my life in the light of His Word.  The unexpected sweetness of this place has come from the encouragement and relationships that have been born here because of you!  I know how valuable one's time is in the hustle and bustle of life so I truly appreciate when you spend some here.  I can only hope that you also have been blessed on occasion as a result of visiting with me here.

I thought it would be fun to give you a gift on this bloggy birthday :)  I have a bag full of sweet things that were gifted to me at The Relevant Conference that I'd love to share with you!  If you'd like a chance to win one of these items, please leave a comment with the item you'd like to win.  (For another chance to win, like One Thing Spoken, Two Things Heard on Facebook via the box on the sidebar of the blog.)  I'll leave the comments open here for one week and draw the winners using our highly scientific method on Friday, December 10th.  I apologize in advance for the poor quality pictures!

Without further ado...

Gift #1: For the Fashionista

Two adorable, trendy flower pins!

Gift #2: For the Java Lover

An insulated, reusable iced coffee travel cup!

(It says Family Matters Blog on it.)

Gift #3: For the Home Decorator

A pretty paperweight to remind you of your "Blessings"

Gift #4:  For the Little Ones

A Box of Memory Verses to learn with your children- one for each week of the year!

Wooly the Lamb Plush Toy

Come back Tuesday for another DaySpring giveaway!  (Oh, and I promise that this place is not turning into a giveaway blog.  I've just been blessed with some gifts lately that I want to share with you!)

DaySpring Giveaway Winner!

Using the highly scientific "pull a name out of the bowl" method...

We've got us a winner of the DaySpring Giveaway!



Drumroll please...



And the winner is...

Andrea, look for an e-mail with your coupon code worth $20 in the DaySpring store.

And thanks for entering everyone!  I will have another DaySpring giveaway at the beginning of December so stay tuned :)

A Giveaway from Dayspring!

Ever since I saw this Ever Grateful Memo Board by DaySpring on Ann's blog a few weeks ago, I've wanted one.  Just look!  Isn't it beautiful?

DaySpring and (in)courage were sponsors of The Relevant Conference and set up a beautiful lounge for us with cozy places to connect with one another and lots of yummy, hot coffee and snacks available at all hours.  They were wonderful hosts and gave the attendees many wonderful items to take home as well as the opportunity to win some beautiful products.  One of the opportunities they offered was to choose an item to keep from their Ever Grateful line and share about it with our readers.  The entire line is beautiful but I knew right away I would request the Memo Board.

It arrived about a week ago.  The Scripture along the bottom reads "Let there be thankfulness to God" Ephesians 5:4 NLT.  The Memo Board now sits on the sideboard in our dining room- at the ready to record the gifts.  And it, too, has become one of them!  I smile and read the gifts recorded by little hands.  Some I can make out such as  "baskteball practice" and "my new Sunday School class" and others I cannot decipher but rejoice that He can.

And now, I have the joy of giving one of you the opportunity to win a coupon code worth $20 to use in the DaySpring store.  Shipping charges will apply.  All you need to do to be entered to win is check out the Ever Grateful line and leave a comment on this post telling about your favorite item from the line.  If you have not already liked One Thing Spoken, Two Things Heard on Facebook (see box on right hand sidebar of blog) you can do so for a second chance to win :).  I will leave the comments open for one week.  On Wednesday, November 17th, I will announce the winner!

Go read these...

So I Stopped Eating by Emily Wierenga

The Day I Broke Up with Fear by Kat Lee

A Christmas Card Drive of Epic Proportions by Lisa-Jo

Snippets from Relevant

I'm a little disappointed because I feel like I went from Relevant to Real Life in 5 seconds flat.  I've not had much time to process what God taught me there as I returned home to full days of work and mothering.  I have so much I want to share with those of you who were not able make it!  I pray God will give me time to do that soon.  In the meantime, I thought I'd leave you with some thoughts from the main speakers that were worthy of breaking out the highlighter :)  I promise to share more as God gives me opportunity.

These are the concepts I know God was speaking to me through these women:
From Crystal Paine of Money Saving Mom: What are your First Things?  If they are not your relationship with the Lord, your relationship with your husband and teaching and nurturing your children, your priorities are out of order. 
I appreciate a hard word spoken in love from a sister who has been there and triumphed.  Crystal's message, which opened up the conference, was just that!  I hope to share some of her wonderful tips for managing your time so that your priorities fall into His order.

From Sally Clarkson of I Take Joy:  Are you being faithful in your home?  Are you obeying God?  Are you being gracious and loving?  Figure out what season of life you are in and let God set your priorities.
Are you seeing a pattern here?  Yes, God showed up at Relevant and His message there was the same at a Christian women's blogging conference as it is anywhere else.  Be faithful in the little things, my children...


From Angie Smith of Bring the Rain:  Be careful of what you are reading.  Ask yourself does this blog make me want to run to Jesus or somewhere else?  Be careful of what you share.  Your readers are not always who they appear to be.
That one question about where a blog makes me want to run was monumental for me.  I will use it as I determine which blogs I will read regularly.

From Ann Voskamp of Holy Experience: Write for an Audience of One.  Speak God's Word and serve Him through your blog.  Be real and remember who might be reading- perhaps one who is one decision away from disaster.
I did not think it was possible for Ann to be as beautiful in person as she is through words on a screen.  But she is- even more so, if possible.  She is the real deal and her words always make me want to run to Jesus!  She is going to do a series on her blog based on her talk at Relevant called Blogging in the Upside Down Kingdom.  Don't miss a post.

Tomorrow!

Tomorrow afternoon, my IRL and online friend Andrea and I will embark on a road trip to Hershey, PA to attend The Relevant Conference!  I am so excited but also kind of nervous.  To use the analogy of Michelle from SomeGirlsWebsite, I am feeling like a 40 year old freshman right about now!  But it's too late to turn back now.  And I am looking forward to meeting some of my online friends and hearing from some of my very favorite bloggers!

Since I haven't packed a thing yet, I'd better not stay too long here :)  I have a post scheduled to publish tomorrow morning.  Outside of that I am not sure how much, if at all, I will be posting from the conference.  I'm sure I'll have lots to say about next week, though.  For those of you who are reading but will not be there, have a great weekend!

In the Spotlight

Not too long ago, Michelle and the sweet ladies from Gather Inspirit asked to interview me for the Gather Inspirit blog.  I was honored to be asked and happily accepted.  They posted the interview today.  

To whet your appetite:

My husband and I met in 1996 in Club Med. (I like to refer to this time period of our courtship as B.C.) We got married in 1999 and had our first child, a boy, in 2001. We both came to faith in Christ...

Won't you hop on over and check out the rest?  While you're there, learn more about Gather Inspirit's ministry to Christian women bloggers, too!

Spotlight on Natalie

That Thing in My Right Hand

My post on Saturday was mostly an exhortation to myself as I have been having trouble praying and climbing that mountain I mentioned here.  So, I took some time Sunday before church to print out my mission statement and some other verses and truths God has been speaking to me about lately (taken mostly from my notes from the Believing God study I am doing) to include in a binder I am making for my morning quiet time.  As I did this, I began to take my own advice and speak out in Jesus name and His Word against that mountain.  It felt good to move out of the corner the enemy has been pressing me in to lately.  It felt powerful to speak God's promises over me and believe them!


Later, as I made breakfast for the kids, I scanned the kitchen counter top for my phone.  And I heard God speak again.  (He sure does use my iPhone for that, doesn't He?  Maybe Apple should make a new slogan- The iPhone 3GS: God's Network. lol)  Anyway...

He asked me clearly, "Where does the use of the internet fit into to your mission statement?"

I thought and answered, "It fits in with my goals to be a well rounded woman and to be a loving and compassionate friend and family member." 
"Yes, ok." He responded.  "But those are your fourth and fifth priorities in life, right?" 

My response was yes.  And conviction fell right away.  Even the hours I had considered when writing my online mission statement seemed too many once He pointed that out.  I love my blog, my readers. I love many other blogs and writing comments to encourage others.  But, if I want my reality to match my stated priorities for this life, then I must cut back even more.  Better yet, I must let go even more- surrender it to Him. 


I found the iPhone soon after that and as I picked it up I heard: "that thing in your right hand is a lie."  Speaking of idols, Isaiah tells of the deluded man who cannot even see what has hold of him:

"He feeds on ashes, a deluded heart misleads him; 
       he cannot save himself, or say, 
       "Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?"  Isa 44:20

When I hold so tightly to the things that I enjoy (my blog, my online time, my QUIET quiet time), they become my idols.  But, praise God, I am not deluded.  I can see through Him- though it may and often does take me awhile.  So, I agreed, "Yes, Lord, it is a lie."  These things are not bad in their essence.  However, when they begin to interfere with my higher priority mission in life- to follow Him, love my husband and disciple my children- they become lies and idols.  


So I am reworking the online times sticky you can see on my blog's homepage and will do so again when school starts and our schedule changes.  I am continuing to pursue His will for my life, for the use of my time.  So, by His grace and strength, I will be holding even more loosely to some things.  I'll still blog, read and comment but only when I feel He is releasing me to do so.  

Thank you all who are following my journey here.  I pray my words bless you as your presence and your words bless me!

I'm a winner!!!

If you've been reading here for a while, you probably already know, I'm just a wee bit excited by a blog called Inspired to Action.   In her own words, the mission of Kat's blog is:

"practically helping moms develop the habits and skills they need to effectively manage their homes and raise children who are prepared to change the world."

Now who would not love that?   I know I can always use a little inspiration in this journey called Motherhood. 

As you can read from the many posts in which I have mentioned her blog, some of the things I have gleaned from Inspired to Action include our Summer Planning and Purpose, my Online Mission Statement and my Mommy Mission Statement (still in the works).  I've also read and applied many of her tips from her Maximize Your Mornings e-book. 

Each Monday, Kat posts a Motivation Monday in which she encourages her readers to comment if they have taken action that week- had a consistent quiet time, a date with one of your children or your husband, working on setting goals, etc.- gives you a chance to win a prize.  And last week, I won!  I can't wait to listen to the CD.

If you need some practical tips, encouragement or inspiration on your Motherhood journey, stop by Inspired to Action,  you'll be glad you did!  If you are in need of a push to get into a consistent morning routine, join my friend Michelle's Maximize Your Morning challenge- she is going through Kat's e-book with a group of ladies online!

Bringing Me Joy...

Anne of Green Gables Audio CDs:  I got an unabridged copy from our local library.  My boys quickly tired of Anne's antics but I've fallen hard for her.  Anytime I am alone in the car I lose myself in the goings on at Green Gables.  You can bet the DVDs are next!


The Cricket in Times Square (Chester Cricket and His Friends) Audio CDs:  All the kids enjoyed this one.  If we arrived at our destination at an important juncture in the story, my oldest would ask for us to stay in the car to continue!

Mission Statement for Moms
Kat at Inspired to Action was good enough to compile all her ideas for writing a Mom Mission Statement into a free e-book.  I downloaded it and just started working through it.  I've been meaning to do this since I wrote my Online Mission Statement and now I am!  (Kat also wrote the free e-book Maximize Your Mornings.  Michelle over at So, I Married a Mennonite will be hosting a weekly group to work through the book together so pop over there if you want join the fun.)


Not So Fast: Slow-Down Solutions for Frenzied Families
In an attempt to work on the goal of setting a slower pace to this life, I recently finished this book by writer and blogger Ann Kroeker.  I loved it so much a friend and I will be facilitating a book club discussion about it at church this winter.

I linked up to Imperfect Prose on Thursdays hosted by Emily of In the Hush of the Moon.  It was such a wonderful experience!  I really enjoyed writing my Imperfect Prose- that would have been enough really.  But the love and encouragement of those who stopped by to read it blew me away.  I encourage you to join Emily soon.

I hit publish on this post and then realized I HAD to share about Despicable Me.  The kids and I saw this movie yesterday and we all LOVED it!  I admit when I saw the previews in passing of this flick, I wrote it off completely.  I mean who takes their children to see a movie entitled Despicable Me, right?  Turns out the movie is really a beautiful story about the transformative power of unconditional love.  It made me laugh heartily as well as cry.  I highly recommend it.  I checked it out on Plugged In and Common Sense Media beforehand and you might want to as well.

Tomorrow, I am getting two hours to myself and I have determined to do nothing responsible- no errands, no appointments, no catch up phone calls.  I am considering a manicure and a pedicure followed by an hour at Starbucks with my Macbook.  That is, if I can tear myself away from Anne Shirley in the car ;)  What would you do with two hours to yourself???  


Also, please share what is bringing you joy these days!

WANTED: Your Bloggy Advice

Just wanted to mention something I added to the blog last week for those of you who read my posts in a reader or via e-mail.  If you are on Facebook and want to interact there, please click over to the blog and "like" the Page I created on Facebook.  Then you will get any pics or posts I add on FB in your Live Feed there.  It will be purely for fun- a way to interact and share a few laughs- as this place seems to be where I mostly share my "deep" thoughts :)  

Also, I need help trying to figure out a new commenting system for the blog.  I hate knowing that if you comment you will not see my response unless you subscribe to the comments of each post.  I know how often I forget to do that so I assume you might, too.  I already tried one system that I was not happy with- can't remember the name right now.  I was going to switch to Disqus and actually added it to the blog and deleted it right away when I realized it had deleted (temporarily, thank goodness!) the comments made through blogger from my last post.  If you have made the switch to Disqus, do you know if there is a way to avoid that?

Finally, I would love to get your thoughts and advice on something.  I've been blogging for 7 or 8 months now but have not shared this place with many friends and family that are very dear to me in real life.  It's starting to feel a little strange- almost deceitful- that some of those closest to me do not even know this blog exists.  My hesitancy to share it with some is that, as I mentioned earlier, I share some of my deepest thoughts/struggles/journeys here and I worry that they just won't get it.  (Many of these people are not believers.)  If you have worked through this already and would be willing to share your decision and reasoning, I would love to hear!  Feel free to share in the comments or via e-mail at onethingspoken(at)gmail(dot)com.

An Honest Look

It's been a week since I wrote my Online Mission Statement and posted my online hours in the sidebar.  On the whole, I would say things are much improved, praise the Lord!  Not perfect, but much improved!

I have been leaving my phone charging down stairs in the evenings as Andrea suggested, which makes it more cumbersome to go online while hanging with my husband.  I have been adhering to the hours I posted for the most part.  There were many days this week that I was unable to go online during those hours so I would allow myself small blocks of time, when the kids were otherwise occupied, to do so.  I tried to make sure I did not exceed the amount of total time online than I originally planned for.  While I did not tally it all up, I do think I spent considerably less time online than I had planned for this week.  I truly do thank God for these victories because, in my flesh, I would be (and had been) checking that phone every time I turn around.  

As you can see from my Pages links above, I read a lot of blogs.  So this week, I spent some time deciding on which blogs delighted and inspired me most and bookmarked them into days of the week.  This way instead of trying to read every single blog every day, I only read a few a day- leaving me some time online to blog myself!

The last thing I want to work on in this area is to try to make reading REAL, LIVE BOOKS an automatic subsitute for online reading.  There were a few times this week when the kids were occupied, all my chores were done and I had some unexpected "free time."  I automatically defaulted to checking Facebook or e-mails or Google reader.  So, I am praying that God will help me make that change as well.

Are you celebrating a victory this week?  Please share!  Even what one might deem a small vitcory like this, can make a huge difference in your quality of life!  Go out and live today :)