Jeff & Angie

I know…you can hardly believe it! But it’s true.  I’m hosting a giveaway.

I have sort of neglected my writing-blogging for quite some time now, so much so that I feel convicted–so–kicking off the writing with a fabulous give-away!

I excitedly opened my mail the day this book arrived because I knew it had several powerful testimonies in it–Dineen’s and Lynn’s–and another young lady who is especially dear, my daughter, Tiffany.

Whether you are the parent of a prodigal or not, doesn’t matter–this book is a good read for anyone who wants to come closer to the heart of God.  When I began reading, I found myself grabbing my pencil to underline points right off the bat.  This would be a great book to use as a small group–parents of any age kids!

So, let the party begin!  The drawing will be held Sunday afternoon, December 1.  Not much time–but this would be a goodie to stick in someone’s Christmas stocking!  To read more about the book, scroll on down this blog and read the next two blog posts from Lynn herself!

To enter this drawing, simply post about Lynn and Dineen’s book on Facebook and/or Twitter; then come on back here and let me know you did–Tag the two authors (if you are friends with them on facebook) and get ready to enjoy a great read and grow in Christ (if you are the blessed chosen winner!).  The more times you post on Facebook about Lynn and Dineen’s book the more times you can enter!  Just be sure and tell me that you’ve posted and how many times.  I will enter you as many times as you post for them!

If you don’t want to wait, head over to Amazon.com and get your order on!  By the way, this is the SECOND book they have written as a team! The first one is equally a favorite!

Ready?

Set?

GO!

© Angie Knight- The Knightly News

The Home With The Open Door – Powerful Parenting–by Lynn Donovan
It started with a pound of hamburger.
Yep, I discovered a door of trust and a bridge to relationships, as well as a ton of laughter, opened up in our home when I was in the kitchen with a pound of ground beef. In the very early years of parenting both my son and my daughter, I committed to making my home a place where my children’s friends were always welcome. As my kids grew, and even now as my daughter is a senior in high school, kids unexpectedly show up at our house to hang out.

As the noise enters the house, I ask, “How was your day?” followed by, “Are you hungry?” The answer to the first question often varies, but the answer to the second is always a loud and exuberant yes!

Thus the hamburger, and twenty minutes later, we have tacos for everyone. I’ve become known in teen circles around my town as Mexican-Food Mama. The teens chide me as they walk in, asking, “Hey, are we having tacos?” knowing full well what the answer will be. I smile at their kidding around and thank our Lord that I am accepted into their highly stressful and culturally challenging world. I am a voice in their lives. And it all started with a taco. Who knew?

What I’ve slowly realized is that, almost by accident, I’ve created a soft place to land for my children and their friends. Over the years, while kids munched on tacos and tortilla chips, I lingered with them in the kitchen, participating in something rare and special. I became part of their world, learning about their friendships and their families. I joined in laughter as they relived some crazy antic that took place in the drama class, and I empathized with them as they conveyed their complaints about their school projects, their challenging teachers and their troubles at home. My daughter and her best friend included me as they talked about their fears and concerns for students who were choosing the troubled path of drugs, and they shared their concern and pain with me about a friend of theirs who had decided to have sex with her boyfriend.

Over time and with intention, I’ve built relationships with these kids. I’ve welcomed them to step through our open door, and I have loved each one of them. My token offering of a taco turned out to be a rich investment in a number of young people. I’ve developed relationships through love and acceptance by purposely leaving judgments about these kids’ clothes, music choices, sexual identities, hairstyles, etc. at the front door. I’m a safe adult in a world in which many kids don’t know what it feels like.

Being the parent with the open door actually reduces my mom-stress. I know where my child is, and I know whom she is with. The open door also allows me something far more important: it lets me know what to pray for my daughter and her friends as they try to navigate the difficulties of adolescence.

I think it goes without saying that friendships bear significant influence on our children’s choices, on how they process life and on how they react to the world around them. As a praying mom, I’m compelled to bring these teens before God in prayer, and more importantly, I bring my son and daughter before God with requests, concerns and hopes. I want God’s wisdom, power and love to influence and impact my children and their friends. So I pray words from a mother’s heart.

Having been a mom now for more than 30 years, I’m convinced that a mother’s prayer is one of the most powerful on earth. Read this passage from James with me: “The prayer of a righteous man (woman) is powerful and effective” (5:16). My friends, this passage is amplified when a mom whispers words filled with passion, seeking God’s protection, intervention and wisdom for her children.

It’s my hope that you will also be a mom who is the keeper of The Open Door. ~Lynn Donovan

In Not Alone, you’ll find encouragement and inspiration from Scripture and true-life stories from other spiritually mismatched moms. Plus, find practical tips for capturing teachable moments with eternity in mind, and discovery questions to help you grow as a parent.
This is a parenting book, but it’s much more. It’s a love letter to all mothers—a message that changes our homes, our kids and our lives. It’s about the Father’s love that impacts those around us and changes ordinary moms into women of extraordinary grace, beauty and wisdom.
You may sometimes feel you’re on your own when it comes to godly parenting, but Jesus promised to be with you always. You’re not alone!

Lynn Donovan is a women’s ministry leader, a retreat/conference speaker and an ordinary mom and wife who shares with audiences her everyday adventures of living in the Presence of God. Her delight is igniting women’s hearts with Holy Spirit fire. And to encourage women to step fully into their high and holy calling of marriage and motherhood with joy, laughter and God’s favor. She has been featured guest on The Miracle Channel, 700 Club Interactive, Focus on the Family, Dr. James Dobson’s FamilyTalk and FamilyLife Today. She is the coauthor of the award winning book, Winning Him Without Words and her newest parenting book title is, Not Alone. Lynn lives with her husband in Temecula, California and they have two adult children, daughter-in-law and a granddaughter. Visit Lynn online at mismatchedandthriving.com.

Ordinary Moms ~ The Legacy MakersPassing Faith To The Next Generation- by Lynn Donovan

A deer in headlights.
I’m sure that’s what my face looked like as I stared across the breakfast table at my husband who finished our conversation by stating flatly, “Our daughter will be attending public school.” His intense reply to my suggestion of a faith-based education caught me off guard, and that was the moment I began to fear my husband’s agnostic beliefs might impact my daughter’s faith walk.

That moment was years ago, and I’ve been raising my daughter ever since in a spiritually mismatched home. And I’m not alone. There are many of us who are living to honor our Lord and our spouse in our marriage. Right behind our prayers and concerns for our husband’s salvation, we fret and worry about our children’s faith. A lot!

Through the years of raising my daughter with my unbelieving spouse, I have discovered a few key principals which have impacted my child’s faith. Combine these truths with intentional effort and prayer and our children can grow into a mature and lasting faith.

First, model a vibrant love for Jesus in front of your kids. Allow your kids to discover you praying and reading the Bible. For example, my daughter would shuffle out of her room in the early morning, and find me on the couch where she curled up next to me while I read my Bible. She knew this morning time with Jesus was the most important time of my day. She waited patiently while I read and wrote prayers in my journal. I found my time with God had a great impact on her faith and I didn’t speak a word.

Kids learn that Jesus is important, because we make time for Him every day. It’s an amazing privilege to share Jesus with our children in this way.

Second, love Jesus “out-loud.” When you love Christ with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength that passion flows out of you. As God’s love is lavished upon you, it flows out of you and into your child’s life. This kind of love, sprinkled with kindness, laughter, joy, fathomless forgiveness and adventure, speaks louder than any amount of words. Kids are perceptive, and they recognize when mom is authentic. Share your love for Jesus at home, in the car and in every day, ordinary living. It’s irresistible over time.

Third, capture teachable moments. These profound moments when a child asks a question or offers you his or her full attention to talk about faith arrive sporadically and often at the least convenient time. They are fleeting moments of impact as attention spans wane quickly. So, when your child asks a question or you have an opportunity to share with your child about some aspect of living in faith, stop what you are doing, get down to their level and talk plainly. Reply to their questions with truth and with age appropriate answers. Your child has an open heart in these moments, and they will carry these truths with them into adulthood.
Pouring faith into our little ones is a life-long journey, but I’m convinced that if we do our part and love God with all of our heart, pray for our kids and model our love, God is absolutely faithful and He will relentlessly pursue our children.

Years ago I sat at my kitchen table fearing over my daughter’s faith as a young mother. And today after the many years of public school, my daughter is a believer. Earlier this year, I drove my daughter to college. And as I think back over her 18 years of living in a spiritually mismatched home, I fall to my knees with thanks because God has proven faithful. My daughter chose to attend a Christian college, BIOLA University and…… It was her choice.

As I ponder this journey of parenting in a spiritual mismatch, I marvel at how God honors a mother’s prayers. He encourages us through the years of being a spiritual leader, and He allows us to become Legacy Makers. Mom, you do your part and trust God to do His.  ~Lynn Donovan

In Not Alone, you’ll find encouragement and inspiration from Scripture and true-life stories from other spiritually mismatched moms. Plus, find practical tips for capturing teachable moments with eternity in mind, and discovery questions to help you grow as a parent.

This is a parenting book, but it’s much more. It’s a love letter to all mothers—a message that changes our homes, our kids and our lives. It’s about the Father’s love that impacts those around us and changes ordinary moms into women of extraordinary grace, beauty and wisdom.

You may sometimes feel you’re on your own when it comes to godly parenting, but Jesus promised to be with you always. You’re not alone!

Lynn Donovan is a women’s ministry leader, a retreat/conference speaker and an ordinary mom and wife who shares with audiences her everyday adventures of living in the Presence of God. Her delight is igniting women’s hearts with Holy Spirit fire. And to encourage women to step fully into their high and holy calling of marriage and motherhood with joy, laughter and God’s favor. She has been featured guest on The Miracle Channel, 700 Club Interactive, Focus on the Family, Dr. James Dobson’s FamilyTalk and FamilyLife Today. She is the coauthor of the award winning book, Winning Him Without Words and her newest parenting book title is, Not Alone. Lynn lives with her husband in Temecula, California and they have two adult children, daughter-in-law and a granddaughter.
Visit Lynn online at mismatchedandthriving.com.

We may be home again—but the memories are as fresh as if we were yet there.

Wowed again by the sweet faces we have grown to know and love.  It almost felt like we had been away only a few weeks—rather than 12 months.  Their faces, the moms of the little ones were wreathed in smiles.

My friend, Olivia, the chicken—here with my Bolivian friend, Lisa, met for the first time. Happy faces all around. I was so glad the guys from New Life were able to come and see the completed work of the labor of their hands from 2011.  God was so faithful.

Next stop, on Friday, was the school. 

Our eyes took in the playground which we had left money for—it looked well used.  Enjoyed.  The kids ran to show us just how appreciative they were.

After taking many pictures of them on the playground, we moved on to the class rooms and to give what we had brought—through YOU.  Many of you gave—mailed it to us, or brought it by the church!  With each gift offering of school supplies, my heart swelled with the love that I felt from our Father!  But nothing could compare me for what I saw as they watched us unpack them all.

We gathered in the principals tiny office—the translator, Jeff, myself, our children’s pastor, Bro. Chris, the principal and 2 of the teachers. 

As we began stacking crayons, markers, notebooks, paper, pencils and other items on the desk, I listened to their voices, “ooo”ing and “ahhh” ing over the items.  I watched as one teacher gently caressed a box of Crayola Markers as if it were a lost treasure. 

It may not have been lost, but it was indeed rare in her world.  We had shared supplies with the church we had just built so that they would have things to begin their new “children’s church” program with, but even with sharing, we still had 2 army duffle bags and one large suitcase full. 

They got excited over the packages of glue, erasers and pencils and composition books.  We discovered soon that they didn’t have a copier for the school—they had to go to town for copying (no printers), which was a good 45 minutes by the way we had arrived that morning.  (Yes, we already know what we are wanting to bring them next year.)

This school has over 500 kids—from elementary to high school.  They attend at various times of the day, beginning with elementary in the morning—and ending with high school being dismissed around 5:00 in the evening.  The majority of these kids walk. 

They are a beautiful bunch of kids.  Every single one. They sang for us, posed, and joked.  They laughed at “Olivia” and were thrilled for this short break from classes, just as our own kids would have been. 

You can tell by observing them—they live a different, yet same type of life as we do.  They have very little—many are in need of dental care—yet they love just as our kids do.  They want to be your friend.

Some may ask, “why go back?”  Oh, dear.  I cannot stay away.

When Jeff and I began discussing the  possibility of trips back next year—I have to be honest, I tried to think of ways I could go more than once.

Missions gets in your system.  Just ask my friends, Thomas and Rene.

It courses through your veins once you go on one trip.  You want another.  To see more of the world’s people.  Not only to see them, but to somehow touch their lives.

Missions is in my blood.  It’s coursing and pulsating with every beat of my heart.  I will go. 

Here am I Lord….send me.

For these….

Thank you for what you did in making it possible for us to go.  Thank you for helping by your donations of money or school supplies!  Every gift helped in some way.  It did not go unnoticed!

We cannot do missions without your help!  Your heart of love and compassion goes “with” us each and every trip!  What a legacy of faith you are sowing!  Thank You for allowing us to be part of that seed of faith and love for Christ—and the world.

Let’s do this again –real soon.