Soul Searching & $25 Lifeway Giveaway

Have you heard of CNN's Finding Jesus: Faith, Fact, Forgery?  The upcoming second season of Finding Jesus: Faith, Fact, Forgery premieres on CNN Sunday, March 5 at 9 PM ET/PT.

The first season of this hit series captivated audiences as well-known Pastors, theologians, and archaeologists examined famous religious artifacts and brought to life the places, pilgrimage sites, and people from the Bible and ancient world.  In this second season, one of the episodes focuses on Jesus' disciple Thomas, otherwise known as "doubting Thomas."  There is a lot to his life story.  His journey to overcome his doubts and fears and to redeem himself by spreading the Gospel far and wide is truly inspirational.

When I have doubts and challenges in my life, leaning on my faith is crucial.  It has been almost a year since A and B were in a tragic homeschool accident that left them badly burned.  It has been a hard year full of changes and challenges.  I have had doubts - about everything!  Am I making the right decision homeschooling my kids?  Could I have prevented this tragedy if I wasn't?  Am I spending enough time with my kids?   Are we doing too much as a family?  Are we not doing enough as a family?  You get the idea!  And yet, God has been right there with us every step of the way.  He has blessed us in so many ways and used so many people in our lives in the last year that I had never experienced before.  And for that, I am truly thankful.  It's encouraging to remember that God uses us - everyday, ordinary people - even people with doubts.  How do you lean on your faith when you have doubts and challenges in your life?

Check out the Finding Jesus Trailer below and be sure to enter the giveaway below.



Ready for a giveaway?  One of you will win a $25 Lifeway e-gift card!  This is the perfect gift card for Easter or for anyone wishing for a devotional or something inspirational.

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Disclosure:  I received my own gift card in exchange for this post.  All opinions are 100% my own.

Queen of Katwe Was An Unlikely Champion & Giveaway

Queen of Katwe releases nationwide in theaters tomorrow, September 30th.  You may have seen previews of this movie, it looks so good!  Disney's Queen of Katwe is based on the inspiring true story of Robert Katende and Phiona Mutesi.  Phiona grew up in the slums of Katwe, Uganda.  One day she stumbles upon Katende and a group of children playing chess in a makeshift church.  Through Katende's guidance and the game of chess, Phiona is encouraged to believe in herself.  She begins to compete in local chess matches and wins international competitions.  Robert and Phiona's story celebrates the fact that champions can come from the most unlikely places.

Do you have an "unlikely champion" in  your life or community?  I just have to take a moment to give a huge shout out to one of mine, Kim Frey.  You guys, this woman is amazing and I have been lucky enough to call her friend.  D has had her for one of her teachers for the last two years in our Friday homeschool Co-Op.  She adores her and learns so much from her.

  Here is Kim in her co-op class last year.

 D in Kim's class this year - photo taken by Kim!

Kim has had more surgeries than anyone I personally know.  She has been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, degenerative disc disease, osteoporosis, celiacs disease, mutated MYHFR gene, kidney disease, fibromyalgia, a pituitary tumor, thyroid disease, diabetes and Multiple Sclerosis.  Yet she is a Warrior!  She encourages so many on a daily basis.  If you have a moment would you please pray for her.  Kim you are amazing!

Please watch the heartwarming featurette below for more information on Queen of Katwe.



One thing you will learn from Queen of Katwe is that champions can come from anywhere!

Ready for a fun giveaway?  How about a $25 Target gift card?  Just enter below and good luck!

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Disclosure:  I received my own Target gift card in exchange for this post.  All opinions expressed are my own.

GREATER, Dreams & Walmart Back To School Giveaway

Have you heard of the new movie coming out in theaters this Friday, August 26th called GREATER?  I was privileged to be able to see an advanced screening of the upcoming movie.  GREATER is an inspirational movie based on the life of Brandon Burlsworth.  It follows his dream of playing football for the Arkansas Razorbacks.  Nothing about football came easy to Brandon, except his desire to play the game.  He was uncoordinated, ridiculed and written off by many coaches and teammates; yet, he continued to work harder than anyone.  Eventually his determination paid off and he was given the opportunity to walk-on and play football for the Razorbacks - becoming a great.

Check out the trailer below!




After watching the film, you cannot help but start dreaming yourself.  What are my goals and dreams for this year?  What about my kids?  As I have been preparing for our upcoming school year I have thought about this a lot.  Cummins Academy currently has a 7th grader, 5th grader, 4th grader, 2nd grader, Kindergartner, toddler and a newborn enrolled - that's a lot to keep up with! 

I think my biggest goal as we enter this upcoming school year is to achieve more than completing our curriculum and academics but to continue fostering a love of learning and to really enjoy this time I have to spend with and teach my children.  I have been preparing curriculum and I really look forward to tailoring the subjects to the needs of my children and adapting to how they respond.  One challenge with homeschooling is being able to say no to things that come up.  Like Brandon Burlsworth in the movie GREATER, we frequently have many choices of different things we can do.  All of these choices aren't necessarily bad things but they can deter you from your primary goal.  I need to make good decisions this year about activities that we are a part of - and keep focus throughout the year.  I want to say yes to the things that are really helpful!

One thing you will learn from Brandon is to never give up!

Ready for a fun giveaway?  How about a $25 Walmart gift card?  Just enter below and good luck!

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Disclosure:  I received my own Walmart gift card and advanced screening of GREATER in exchange for this post.  All opinions expressed are my own.

New Purex Crystals Aromatherapy Review & $10 Gift Card Giveaway

It's about that time again!  The time for me to tell you about one of the latest Purex products.  As a Purex Insider I was able to try the new Purex Crystals Aromatherapy scent infusions.  Purex Crystals Aromatherapy comes in three different scents - Well Being (fragrance of fresh blossoms), Energy (citrus) and Serenity (gentle scent of water-lilies). 

I am using the Energy scent which is great because I love citrus!

 My first load with these Crystals.

How do you use Purex Crystals Aromatherapy?  Simply add your Purex Crystals into the washer's tub at the beginning of the wash to supplement your laundry detergent.  The Crystals will permeate your clothing with an aroma that will last much longer than a few days, more like weeks!

You already know that I have six children and as a family of 8 we generate a lot of laundry.  Sometimes I feel as though our dirty laundry breeds :).  I know it doesn't but it sure feels like it.  I have been using my new Crystals for the last several weeks in at least 30 loads of laundry.

So, what do I think of them?  I really like the smell or aroma.  I thought it might be a bit strong at first when I added them to my first load but it wasn't.  The Energy variety is not overly citrus but I can smell the citrus vibe.  My clothes came out fresh and clean with a nice aroma - not overpowering but strong enough to notice.  I really like that the Purex Crystals are safe to use on towels, active wear, sleepwear, etc.  And I found the aroma to last longer as stated.  Now, I am not really sure if it lasts weeks and weeks because remember we are a household of 8 and our laundry doesn't sit around without use - we use it!  I am extra excited that these are safe on my work out gear and my towels always seem to need extra refreshing so this is perfect.

Ready for a quick giveaway?  I was given 3 free product coupons for Purex Crystals Aromatherapy to give out.  However, since their expiration is 11/31/14, I decided to give those to friends and I am giving a $10 gift card to one of you to try Purex Crystals Aromatherapy for yourself!  Winner's choice of Walmart or Target gift card.  All you have to do is enter the form below.  Good luck!

Want to check out the latest Purex news?  You can connect with them on facebook, twitter and instagram!

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Disclosure:  Thanks so much to the Purex Insiders program for allowing me to be a part of this campaign and providing me with a sample of the New Purex Crystals Aromatherapy for my review along with coupons to give out!  As part of this campaign I am eligible to win prizes!