Fearfully & Wonderfully Made

I look at her face as we open the cardboard box that the UPS man carried to our door today. It's glowing with excitement and wonder at what might be inside. As I cut through the tape and pull the flaps back to reveal the new friend that's waiting inside, she erupts into giggles and one of the biggest smiles I've ever seen.

"Mommy, is that for... ME?"

Dweeber is just one of many cute and cuddly little friends available through DaySpring's U-Neeks line of products. 

She lifts him out of the box, we unwrap him and this is the first thing she does. See that smile? She just loves this little guy called Dweeber! I tell her that Dweeber is here to remind us that we are all special and unique... fearfully and wonderfully made, and that God loves us just the way we are. She smiles bigger and holds him tighter. I thank God for this box of goodies from (in)courage and Dayspring, this box of little reminders of God's love for us. 

I love that every time we use one of these notebooks, folders, or binders, we will see a special message, like the ones inside the front covers of the composition books... scripture and words that uplift and remind us that "we are never, ever alone in this world" and that we are cherished and chosen. 

Our school made a few changes this year, and one of those changes was that parents no longer had to purchase school supplies for their K-4th grade students. I didn't find out about the change until after we received the products, and since my daughter is in the 1st grade, that means she isn't able to use them at school. At first, I was disappointed, but then I thought about how we could use them at home. I decided to use a folder and binder to hold materials for the GA's class I am leading on Wednesday nights. I am using one of the composition books as a prayer/gratitude journal, and I am going to give the other one to my daughter for the same purpose. 

For those of you who have students who can choose their own supplies, and use these at school, they are the perfect way to share their faith with friends! (I would have sent them with my 6th grade son, but I don't think he would have appreciated hot pink notebooks or binders!)

Just a few days ago, I gave my kids the greeting cards to let them know that even when we are apart during the school day, they are always on my mind and in my heart, and that God's love is always with them, too. 

There are so many uses for these wonderful, beautifully made products! 

You can find them all at DaySpring, and through August 31, 2012, back to school products are Buy 2, Get 1 Free! I am linking up over at (in)courage, please visit their Inspired Deals page to link to more posts on these awesome products! 

*All products were sent to me by DaySpring for review. The opinions expressed here are my own, and no compensation was received other than the products themselves. 

Thankful Thursday...

Things I'm thankful for this Thursday:

#24 It's looking a little cloudy... I love grey days. There's something so peaceful and calming about grey, possibly rainy days. Call me Eeyore, I guess. :)
#25 The school year is starting off smoothly. No morning fuss so far!
#26 As always, my morning cup of coffee. (This morning, in my beautiful mug from the Holley Gerth collection at DaySpring.)
#27 Friendship. I've had a rough week, mentally and physically. It's nice to know that just when you need it most, God places words on the heart of a friend, and that friends places them in your path. Thankful for Brandi's post on Facebook last night... scripture I truly needed to read, right then.
#28 This blog. I may only have 13 followers, and they may not even be reading these words, but if there is even a remote possibility that something I say here might lift someone's spirits or speak to their hearts, then I am happy and thankful for that.

What are you thankful for today?

Happy Thursday! :)

Grati-Tuesday!

What am I thankful for this Tuesday, you ask? Well, I'm here to tell you!

#16. The kids had a great first morning of the school year! All smiles and happy faces!
#17. I discovered eleventhgorgeous. (Hey, this girl loves girly things. And so do these girls. Perfect match.)
#18. Turquoise and Pink Mani. (inspired by eleventhgorgeous) I did it myself, and it made me feel pretty and happy. Happy girls are the prettiest, right? :)
#19. The box of back-to-school goodies we received from DaySpring this week. The kids can't wait to use them, and I can't wait to share them with you.
#20. My always muddy when he's spent the day outside puppy dog, Marley. I can't be mad at him for tracking dirt and grime into the house when he looks at me with those big, brown puppy dog eyes. I'm in love with that little guy.
#21. Peace and quiet, the three cups of coffee I had this morning, and good (free) music on Spotify.
#22. Instagram.
#23. Just life. So thankful for each new day the Lord gives us. : )


A few of the things I'm thankful for, and proof of my Instagram addiction:

Oh... and I almost forgot! These went out this week, so I'm thankful for that, too! :) 

What are you thankful for today? Please comment below! Have a great Tuesday! 

Sneak Peek...

... linking up to (in)courage's (in)spired deals on August 17th to review these awesome back-to-school items from DaySpring! I can't wait to share how my family will be using these products and what they mean to us! 

(photo taken with Instagram.)

Feeling really "(in)couraged" today...

Have you visited the (in)courage beach house lately? There are some really exciting things going on over there, and I am hoping and praying that I will have the opportunity to be a part of the fun!

(in)courage is hosting an open call for community leaders, women like you and I, from all walks of life and all across the map, to partner with them in leading unique communities within the (in)courage community. Did this girl apply? Of course, I did! (Fingers crossed!) I would be so thankful, to be a part of something so wonderful! Real life, with real women, just lifting each other up and pouring love into each other's hearts... such a blessing! 

I will also be reviewing the Jesus is My BFF and DWEEBER U-Neeks sets, part of Dayspring's back to school line, as part of (in)spired deals. I'll be linking up on that page on August 17th, so be sure to visit here and check out my review, as well as the reviews of others who were lucky enough to receive these products for review from Dayspring. You can purchase them online and in select retailers. I saw them in our local Walmart just a few nights ago, and can't wait for ours to arrive. They will be fun little reminders of God's love, and I know the kids will love them!

I hope you all have a week full of blessings, and if your kiddos, like mine, are returning to school, that their first week back is wonderful!

Thankful for YOU,
Courtney 

The Pink Magnolia

I'm on Tumblr now, too! Please visit me at The Pink Magnolia! If you're on Tumblr, please leave a comment here letting me know that you are, I would love to follow you!

Hugs, 

Courtney 

Days like these...

Days like these usually start out on the right foot. Wake up, kiss the husband goodbye, scramble eggs and cook turkey bacon. Pop a few slices of bread in the toaster. Brew a pot of coffee. The kids take turns saying a blessing and thank God for each other and we enjoy our breakfast at the table as a family. Read a devotional while the kids play awhile. Check the posts on (in)courage. Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter. Then...

Madison (yelling) : "MOM!! JORDAN TOLD ME TO SHUT UP!"
Jordan (yelling) : "NO I DIDN'T! LIAR!"
Me (yelling) : "STOP BEING UGLY TO EACH OTHER! DON'T TELL YOUR SISTER TO SHUT UP! LEAVE YOUR BROTHER ALONE! GO TO YOUR ROOMS!"
Both (protesting) : "THAT'S NOT FAIR!" "I DIDN'T EVEN DO ANYTHING!" ...

Why are they always yelling? 
Wait... 
What? 
Why am I always yelling?
Maybe that's why they're yelling at each other...
I just don't understand why they always have to yell... 
Why can't we all just get along? 

Sound familiar? Surely, if you're a mother, you've been in this situation before. Your blissful coffee-and- scripture-filled morning suddenly becomes the scene of a battle, and even after the yelling stops and the kids forget why they were mad at each other in the first place, no matter how loud you turn up the volume on that Kari Jobe song you love so much, you can still hear the sound of your conscience nagging you.

You said you wouldn't yell at the kids anymore, didn't you? 
You're such a failure... so impatient, so imperfect... 
what kind of mother are you?

The human kind. The kind who makes mistakes, who will make plenty more before her children are grown. The kind who sometimes yells when she shouldn't, and knows she's done wrong and feels like she'll never be as patient or soft-spoken as she should be.

Fear not, there is hope for you yet.

Joyce Meyer says "If you've made mistakes, don't spend half the day beating yourself up. Sincerely repent and go on." 

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord. - Acts 3:19 (NIV)

Sincerely repent and go on. Be refreshed. 

If you truly recognize your mistakes and repent, don't worry about a thing... God's got this. God's got you. You're already forgiven. That's the wonderful thing about God's grace. We're covered in it always. Not just on good days, but on days like these, too.