Top Ten

Yeah, so I’m going to be talking about Catalyst for a while I suppose.  Just to start I thought I’d make a list for you (but mostly me) of organizations that Catalyst promoted.  I’m planning to research many of them in depth that I feel called to but you might have a heart for a different ministry.  Here’s a quick overview.

1. Operation Christmas Child.  No stranger to many of us.  Fill a shoebox for a child for Christmas.
2. Compassion.  Definitely not a stranger to this blog or to you probably.  Sponsor a child for only $38 a month.  Catalyst had a graduate of Compassion there who is now sponsoring another child.  Do it.  Do it, do it, do it.  I LOVE Compassion.
3. CharityWater.org.  They reminded me a lot of blood:water mission who we are supporting through the Sisterhood of the Traveling Belt.  Very worthy cause to say the least.
4. A21Campaign.org – Helps women who have been a victim of human trafficking.
5. Street Grace – Atlanta based group that help children who have been victims of trafficking.
6. Tronie Foundation – Survivor led organization to support survivors of trafficking.
7. First Response Team – A group that responds to United States natural disasters to aid local responders do their jobs.
8. 143Million.org – Brings awareness to the 143 million orphans across the world that need adopted.
9. Project 7 –  A company that sells COFFEE where a part of it goes to charity.
10. aHomeInHaiti – They provide shelter to homeless Haitians.

Here’s the thing.  I KNOW that’s a lot.  But as Helen Keller said, “I may not be able to do everything, but still I can do something”.  Yes, I feel overwhelmed with all the ways we can help make a difference.  But not understanding all the ways doesn’t mean I can’t understand at least ONE way.

So pick one.

Do something.

Start a small monthly donation to one.  And then add another when you can.  Having any number of options should not lead us to no options.  Do something.

So I’ll start the thinking process for you…which one jumps out at you as you read the list?  Go ahead, put it in the comments.

For me, obviously Compassion is really close to my heart but sex trafficking has been heavy on my heart for weeks leading up to Catalyst.  A21Campaign, Street Grace and Tronie Foundation were a big bright neon sign to me.  I’ll be posting more about them in coming days.  Stay tuned!

Read more Top Ten Tuesday posts over at ohamanda.com.

I have enjoyed watching exactly ZERO TV this summer.  Yes, Friday Night Lights was on NBC but honestly that Friday night schedule didn’t work out for me too well.  I would really like to continue the no TV into the fall but I really do love these shows.  Many I will DVR and watch later but this is my list for now.

1. Monday – Lone Star

This is a new one with “Tyra” from Friday Night Lights.  I can’t NOT check it out and all the entertainment blogs are raving about it.

2. Monday – Hawaii Five-0

Former LOST star turned police officer?  I’m in. But I’ll ditch it fast if it’s not amazing.

3. Tuesday – Parenthood

Parenthood is funny and dramatic and real.

4. Tuesday – One Tree Hill

Well, duh.

5. Tuesday – Glee

This one honestly could come or go.  Even last season I was mainly watching from DVR and it’s another I’ll ditch if it’s not amazing.

6.  Wednesday – Hellcats

I have to check this one out at least.  I loved Bring It On and I love Ashley Tisdale.  Plus it has One Tree Hill alum Robbie Jones.

7. Wednesday – Modern Family

Not to be missed!  Hilarious TV!  Also one of of few shows Scott and I will watch together.

8. Thursday – Vampire Diaries

Going into this season, it’s one of my favorites.  Drama!!

9. Thursday – My Generation

This one is going to be interesting.  Two Friday Night Lights alums are in this and I definitely want to see what it’s about.

10. Thursday – Grey’s Anatomy

Um, hello?  I’m an original Grey’s fan.  Watch it.  Own it.  Love it.  Seriously.

And optionally Dexter.  I don’t have Showtime so I won’t be able to watch but if people start chattering about how good it is, I might have to break down and get it for a few months.

Obviously, I’m a drama fan!  With endless time, there are many more fabulous shows I would like to add (Lie to Me, Big Bang Theory, Chuck, The Middle, House, How I Met Your Mother) but 2-3hrs/night is already too much!

What’s on your must-see list for the fall?  What am I missing? I found FNL from a comment on my list last year!

Check out more top ten lists over at http://ohamanda.com

In light of our anniversary and some really special Karen Kingsbury books, relationships and marriage have been heavy on my heart this week.  It’s so important that we pray for our children and their future spouses, if God leads them that way.  I know my parents and Scott’s parents both prayed many of these.  It is now my turn to pray for my two girls and I thought I’d share some of the ways I’m doing that.  Pray that:

1. God would help you to lead your daughter to an authentic relationship with Christ
2. God would help the child’s parents to lead their son to an authentic relationship with Christ
3. God would lead you and his parents in the paths that would lead your children together
4. God would keep them pure, in heart and body, until marriage.  Specifically, that Satan would not deceive them about love, relationships and marriage and what they should look like.
5. God would help them raise their son up to be a spiritual leader and humble servant.
6. God would help us raise our daughters up to be a Proverbs 31 woman.
7. God would speak to and soften their hearts so they recognize each other when the time is right.
8. They would have a fulfilling, long and happy marriage.
9. God leads them individually and together in whatever ministry He has in store for them.
10. If God gives them children, that they would be praying these same prayers one day.

What else should we be praying for?

See more Top Ten Tuesday posts at ohamanda.com

Oh, I had written these as a regular post but it’s pretty perfect for Top Ten Tuesday…

Scott and I spent some time with a new friend tonight.  She’s older and wiser and we talked a lot about parenting and marriage.  Came away with the reminder that the basic stuff still matters and works.  I made a list for myself as a reminder and thought I’d share.

• Be up before or with the kids
• Fix 3 healthy meals
• Give your child your full attention, especially when he/she is asking for it
• Give one-on-one attention to each child
• Don’t send your kids off to an activity at every chance
• Have their playthings organized
• Make them clean up their messes
• Don’t back down when your kids buck your authority
• Don’t let the kids play you and your spouse against each other
• Money doesn’t make a difference whether you are a successful parent

OK, so that’s ten but I haven’t even gotten to the marriage part!

• Don’t emasculate your husband
• Don’t emotionally detach from your husband
• Husbands, lead your family and fight for your wife and kids
• The health of your marriage is a choice, one that both parties make
• Don’t give up

As you can see, a lot of these are quite convicting.  It’s easy to say, oh yeah, of course I do that but I know I fail a lot.  But the little stuff matters.  It really, really matters.  To those mommys and wifeys out there doing even some of these, give yourself a pat on the back!  You’re doing your job well!

Check out more Top Ten Tuesday posts over at ohamanda.com

I had another post planned today but I can’t seem to make myself publish it.  My heart is breaking for those in Tennessee.   I simply can not imagine losing everything to a flood.  So here’s 10 ways you can help even if you aren’t in the area:

1. Obviously, if you are able, go in person to help clean up.  Cross Point has a relief center and is sending people out to help.
2. Donate through Cross Point to help their efforts here and mark it as Flood Relief Fund.
3. Donate volunteer services through Hands On Nashville http://www.hon.org/
4. Donate money to Hands on Nashville here
5. Text REDCROSS to 90999 to donate $10 or visit Nashville Red Cross site and donate.
6. Donate to Second Harvest Food Bank HERE.
7. Donate to the Salvation Army.  Monetary donations are preferred and can be made online HERE or by phone at 1-800-SAL-ARMY.
8. The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee: In partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management, donate online to the Metro Nashville Disaster Response Fund and/or the Tennessee Emergency Relief Fund HERE (checks can be mailed to P.O. Box 440225, Nashville, TN, 37244)
9. Clear Channel Cares MidTN Flood Relief RadioThon. Call 1-888-540-5200 to donate
10. Pray! This is a huge life-changing event for thousands there and even across the country.

Here is a great post listing better opportunities, especially if you are in the Nashville area.

We can’t do everything but all of us can do something!

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday is a little different.  I blogged on the conference itself but we did get to do just a tad of visiting around Lexington.  I thought I’d share a few pictures.  It’s a good thing this is only a list of 10 because that’s just about all the pictures I took. 

May I just say if you cut Lexington open, it’s blood would run blue?  Everything was blue.  I’d like to say it was all because of University of Kentucky but I think it’s just living up to the name Bluegrass State.  But, seriously.  Everything was blue.

After God showed up

at The Uprising

     Scott and I headed for the highly recommended deSha’s. 

Do you see that?  That’s yummy blue cheese dressing and some seriously good corn bread back there.

The steak and potatoes were yummy, but uh, the beans looked just like that when we left.

Just on the other corner downtown Lexington proudly displays their fountain.  I had more than one local mention them.  We had a very random stranger take our picture.

Just a snippet of the fountains.  Charlotte actually has a very similar set of fountains.  It felt like home.

On the way back to the car I spotted this cutey, cute Prom number in a dress shop window.  I’m not sure I’d let my 16 year old wear it.   But it was cute.

Besides, a true Lexington girl would wear blue.

See?  Even the local police officers have the blue thing down.

Horses might be the other thing Lexington bleeds but sadly, I did not get any pictures.  But oh, the fences and pastures and horses and races and barns.  Lexington loves their horses.

Lexington treated us well (except for the crazy traffic!)

So tell me, have you ever visited the Bluegrass State?

See other Top Ten lists over at ohamanda.com

Last night 5MinutesForMom hosted a Twitter party and it was CRAZEE.  Over 16,000 tweets came in during an hour and a half period.  You won’t be surprised to find my eyes were almost watering trying to keep up.  But it was worth it!  I met several new Tweeps and got some great info while I was there.  I have several web sites open in my tabs to check out today and thought I’d share them.

1. I saw so many tweets shouting their love for Sarah Mae.  Somehow she’s not on my blogroll even though I follow her on Twitter ?!  I’ll fix it!!
2. BuildaBrand.com helps small businesses create and manage their brand.
3. ColourLovers.com helps designers choose color palettes when designing a site.
4. SayitFacetoFace.com is a web site for vlogging and vloggers to connect.
5. BlogFrog.com is a way to connect to other moms and a great way to get some blogging tips.
6. #MondayMingle is hosted here.  I’m so interested in this Monday meme.  Basically they post 3 questions and you answer them in a vlog.  I’m going to do this next Monday!
7. MarketMeTweet is a new product 5minutesformom.com is going to review
8. KindNotes.com was a product giveaway last night that looks so cute!
9. Ditto for FranciePants!
10. And I couldn’t talk about the Twitter party without talking about the Ultimate Blog Party they are having on their site.  I’ve participated before and am kicking myself for not doing it this year but I highly recommend you checking it out especially if you are new to blogging and looking to connect with some folks.

Make sure to check out more Top Ten Tues at ohamanda.com

It’s no secret that Scott is organized.  Ultra-organized.  I’ll-scream-if-it’s-not-in-the-right-place-organized.  And I am…not.  I once thought I was rather organized but no, compared to him I am not.  I was thinking about a few of his habits that I could probably (or have) learned from:

1. Close the cabinet doors as soon as you get what you need.  Growing up, you knew we had been in the kitchen by the cabinet doors left open.  You got what you needed and moved on.  I remember when we were first married, Scott was always on me about closing the cabinet doors.  I have to say, I’ve picked up on this one and now it drives me a little bonkers when I walk in a kitchen and see some open.  I feel like it makes the kitchen look cleaner and more organized, even if it isn’t.
2. Related to that, clean up the kitchen as you cook.  For years, I would get everything out as I needed it and leave the mess for later.  Now I throw away trash as I go and put stuff back as I use it. Well, this is in general.  Sometimes I still have a mess of flour and pots and pans lying around but in general, my ingredients are at least put up when I’m done.  It feels much less overwhelming after cooking!
3. Put your clothes in the hamper when you take them off.  This is Organization 101 right?  Not even organization 101, it’s more like Life 101.  Put your clothes in the hamper.  I am lucky in that I don’t have to struggle with a husband who leaves their stinky underwear on the floor.  Usually it’s mine!  But I find that if I try to put them in the hamper as I take them off, my room feels lots more clean!
4. Put remotes back in the drawer every night.  Without fail, Scott finds all the remotes at the end of the day and puts them back in a drawer.  I certainly haven’t mastered this one but I can’t even tell you the last time the remote was lost.  Also kind of sad?  Since leaving home I quit calling it the clicker. What do you call it?
5. Have a place for the keys.  This is definitely one I’m still working on but when Scott drives, the keys always go back in the same drawer.  If he drove last, I know right where to go to get them.  So easy!
6. Put similar papers in notebooks.  Scott loves him some notebooks and page protectors.  When he has a group of papers that he needs to keep long-term, they go in a notebook.  Mine are scattered in stacks everywhere!
7. Use plastic containers to group like items.  This is probably a Organizational 101 too but I’ll give you the best example on this that he did for me and it’s such a no-brainer.  He got me a plastic container with a lid for all my tampons.  Now when I get a new box, I just dump them all in one place.  Now I don’t have full boxes and half-empty boxes cluttering our cabinet.  And I just pull out my plastic box for the week and back it goes!  He does this a lot for things that came in many pieces in a box.
8. Use cord organizers for all your electronic cords.  This never bothered me much but Scott has to have cords grouped together and hidden.  The least amount of cord, the better.  And I have to say, I enjoy the organized cords.  I still leave this one up to him but it really does make a room look more organized.
9. Hang as much as you can on the wall.  This is really helpful in the garage.  Scott’s general philosophy about organization is if the floor is clean, the room is clean.  No lie.  So it’s no surprise that he’ll put a nail in the wall or a hook or make a shelf for just about anything.  But I have to admit, it does make the room look clean.
10. I came up with the first 9 on my own just by what I’ve noticed over the last 16 years but I just asked “the master” what his one piece of advice would be and it was “Put everything back where it goes when you’re done.”  And I suppose a lot of these fall under that but oh boy, does this describe him.  I’ll find my glass of water in the dishwasher before I get a second drink if I’m not careful.  But it works…when you’re done with it, whether it be shoes, a glass, notebook, remote, coat, pen, towel, hairbrush, if you just put it back when you’re done, you’ll be on your way to a cleaner house!

I just read the list to Scott and he said “very good”.  So there you have it, approval from a certified organizer!

Make sure to check out more Top Ten Tuesday lists at http://ohamanda.com/