Plugged In Online

Here is the websight I have recogmended to help you decide if a movie is appropriate for your family. Plugged In Online
http://pluggedinonline.com

Why talk about it?

I know I may need to go back to some dark places to find a new way out...

Super Family

A fun dinner time discussion went something like this:

My children decided, after watching "The Incredibles" that we are also a family of Super Heroes.
I even told a lady in the bathroom at the movie that our costumes were Medieval, since we like to go to Renaissance festivals . She only gave me a wary smile and walked away.
Today at the breakfast table we decided on our super identities. My daughter was the instigator, while wearing a sparkle shirt which said "Daddy’s Girl" is now ‘DADDY’S SUPER GIRL’. Her brother, whose quote of the century is,
"Here it comes...(flaaaaaarrrppp!) That felt goood."
Well, we’ll just say that passing gas is his unique talent. As a family we decided a while back that we do not believe in killing, so we have always found ways to turn cops in robbers into to a fun chase that leaves the offenders incapacitated for a time just long enough to call 911. Then we send them to jail, to receive their just reward. Brother’s "gas" is just the thing to accomplish that.
Daddy has the manly ability to belch a whole is things. It was a little harder for everyone to agree on an appropriate persona for Mommy. I first suggested that I be "Super Spender" to which daddy replied, "Yeah." But "Daddy’s Super Girl" aptly asked, "What can you do?"
"I spend a lot of money, of course" I said with great pride
"Thats’s not helpful." she replied wryly
"That’s what Daddy thinks." I said, with my characteristically boisterous and explosive laugh.
The shocked look on peoples faces and the tendency for Daddy’s Super Girl to plug her ears made me decide that this is it. A truly God-given skill I possess, and something that, I’m proud to say has made it on several "Things I like about my mom" lists. I have laugh so unfettered that I have even had to apologize for it. It tends to garner unwanted public attention from adjacent diners,( which my husband HATES.)
"Sonic Laugh!!" I exclaimed, which brought a chorus "Yeahs"

A Cluttered mother's vindication

"Studies are piling up that show that messy desks are the vivid signatures of people with creative, limber minds (who reap higher salaries than those with neat “office landscapes”) and that messy closet owners are probably better parents and nicer and cooler than their tidier counterparts."
This quote is copied and paste from an article in the New York Times called "Saying Yes to Mess". I found it... encouraging or at leaste satisfying to know that others justify our disorder as well as I do.
Check it out at, http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/21/garden/21mess.html?em&ex=1166936400&en=00238cd5e983e54a&ei=5087%0A

Free gift for you

First Amazon review

Stopping an Evil Cycle, December 20, 2006
Reviewer:
D. R. Sudduth - Knowing up front that this story was an allegory greatly buffeted my ability to enjoy it. While not an arduous read, this book will best be read several times. The lessons are that important. All of us have faults and imperfections we would like to have swept under the rug. Maybe bringing these faults to light and learning from them is the best way to stop future generations from suffering the same fate. Perhaps since many have their own tattered gowns, this story will be uplifting. Ms. Henderson shows us that we should not forgive and forget, but forgive, heal, educate and prevent.

Finally someone actually wrote review for me on my book at the Amazon websight. Please join him, good or bad any comments help.

Gathering

The Gathering Place had the inaugural Tea Event- a Mother/Daughter Blessing Tea on Saturday, Dec 16th. I planned for 24 but in the final count, 2 seatings totaling 12 was more than busy enough. There were many laughs, a few flying tea sandwiches, and even a squirting cream puff, but the tears of love and joy were the most telling sign that the event was a success. The turkey tea sanwiches and orange scones offered up by Bobo Cuisine and the Peach Tea from Brownlow were the favorites. I hope that all who came were as blessed as I was. Thank you for all your patience and time.

KJV New Testament Greek Lexicon
1. Strong's Number: 1997

Parts of Speech
ep-ee-soon-ag-o-gay'
Noun Feminine
Definition
1.
a gathering together in one place
2.
the (religious) assembly (of Christians)


Hebrews 10:19-25
19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness
1. F33 to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated F34 for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21 And having an high priest over the house of God; 22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. 26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.


Jamieson, Fausset, Brown, Commentary
25. assembling of ourselves together--The Greek, "episunagoge," is only found here and
2 Thessalonians 2:1 (the gathering together of the elect to Christ at His coming, Matthew 24:31). The assembling or gathering of ourselves for Christian communion in private and public, is an earnest of our being gathered together to Him at His appearing. Union is strength; continual assemblings together beget and foster love, and give good opportunities for "provoking to good works," by "exhorting one another" (Hebrews 3:13). IGNATIUS says, "When ye frequently, and in numbers meet together, the powers of Satan are overthrown, and his mischief is neutralized by your likemindedness in the faith."

Moloch

I have been studying about the Amorite God known as "The god of unnatural cruelty" People were reported to have sacrificed their infants in fire to him and committed the older ones to his service by making them pass through the fire. Wow, how unfelling those parents had to be...or at leaste deluded. Are we so different? I see many kids who seemed to have been sacrificed to the god of Hedonism, selfishness and self gratification. A father who leaves his wife and 2 boys for a young "entertainer". Children kicked out of the house so they wont mess up the decorations. Parents who wont take their kids to church unless they ask, and not even then.


Moloch in medieval texts. Like some other gods and demons found in the Bible, Moloch appears as part of medieval demonology, as a Prince of Hell. This Moloch finds particular pleasure in making mothers weep; for he specialises in stealing their children. According to some 16th century demonologists Moloch's power is stronger in December.It is likely that motif of stealing children was inspired by the traditional understanding that babies were sacrificed to Moloch.

In modern Hebrew language the expression sacrifice something/someone to the Molech means to give up something valuable or harm someone for an utterly worthless cause.

Sounds a bit like the Forest of Forgotten to me (from The Gown)

Do you have a Vision for God's plan for the ones you Love?

Proverbs 29:18
"Where there is no vision, the people perish; but he that keepeth the law, happy is he." (King James)

"Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law."
Proverbs 29:18 (NIV)
no vision--instruction in God's truth, which was by prophets, through visions, as in 1 Samuel 3:1). People perish--(Compare Margin), are deprived of moral restraints. keepeth the law--has, and observes, instruction (Proverbs 14:11,34, Psalms 19:11).
By Jamieson, Fausset, Brown commentary

I am praying for the vision and the ability to help cast a vision for a generation of moms who seemed to have given up on their responsibility to raise passionate, prepared and purposeful children. Join me in my prayers. deb

My little missionary

I knew my Maddy had the heart of a missionary at a very young age.
Soon after she asked Jesus into her heart, she turned her concerns to her younger brother.
Nathan could not have been more than 2 when Maddy prayed earnestly "Dear Heavenly Father, Come into Nathan's Heart"
I patiently attempted to explain to her that it had to be at Nathan's request.
Jesus would make his home inside a person's heart only when he is asked by that person.
This did not daunt her in her quest to save her brother's young soul from the flames of eternal hell.
She turned purposefully to her brother and commanded "NATHAN, say 'Jesus, come into my heart!'"
Nathan, involved in some intense play, just ignored her...

Secrets Revealed

I believe that what happened with Ted Haggard, all the "predators" caught on TV and My Space and every other "Secret" sin will be revealed as early as by the end of the year. As a watchman on the wall I am obligated to warn, every secret place, hidden sin, stolen item, deceptive action or hypocritical comment is a seed sown and the season harvest is coming soon. "God will not be mocked" You will reap what you have sowed! The seeds are almost full grown now and the reaping will be with weeping. Many kingdoms will fall, many households devastated, fortunes lost... But there is still time. If your come clean now, you can remove the power of the secret. It will still be a bad thing, but it will not have the punch and power to ruin your life that it will if you wait till someone else reveals it. Walk back into the daylight, it may be bright and sting your eyes for a while, but it is also warm and happy and free.

Good Gifts

"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in Heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!" Mat. 7:11

Do I know how to give good gifts to my children? Is it as easy as not giving them a snake if they ask for a fish, or not giving them a stone if they ask for bread? What if they ask for the snake, or something else more malicious and dangerous like A... Gun, or a violent video game or a TV with cable in their room? Is giving "good" gifts just giving them what they want? Or is it only giving them good things if they ask for them? What if they don't ask for good things?....

Just a few things to ponder as we head into the "Gift Giving Season".
I have always relished getting everyone the "perfect" gift, one they love even if they would have never thought of it themselves. I never cared much about what they asked for from Santa. I felt the real trick is to get them to ask for what I was planning on buying them. I have been seriously reconsidering my gift giving lately, not only in the light of our "Too much Stuff" but because of the opening of The Gathering Place" I am investigating an idea I call Destiny Blessings. It is about the spiritual and emotional meaning behind what we give, not just the "hot item" on everyone's list. A Destiny Blessing is exquisitely- personal and full of deep thought-out meaning, for the hopes, dreams and prayers we have for our loved ones. How can all that be included in a simple gift? How can I help people find a way to give those kinds of gifts to the ones they love? Do people want that? I guess I'll just have to try and see. Come to our open house on Nov 18th in the Courtyard Mall(next to KK's Craft Mall) and see. We are now open Tue-Sat. 10-6. Drop by any time to see what great things God has brought me to share "Destiny Blessings" You might even find something that will bless you too.

Hedonism or Altruism

I have been praying lately about why so many people never seem to make it to a higher level of existence. You know the place outside of ourselves where altruism lives. Not a Zen state of being where we meditate all day and try not to offend anyone, but the place where saints in the form of everyday people see that "It is not about me". In a college class we read a book about stages of faith, it moved me and got me thinking about people I knew, the faith of my family and where I wanted to go in my own. We learned that as in physical development there is a natural progression starting at birth and moving up to adulthood. The difference is that many people never make it to the final stage. The potential to continue to growing is present til death. Where or why are some arrested while others life Mother Teressa, Bonhoffer, Martin Luther continue beyond themselves? Is it an accident of circumstances out of ones control or is it a conscious choice? If you know me, you know I believe most of life is a choice.
Hedonism-
1. Pursuit of or devotion to pleasure, especially to the pleasures of the senses.
2. Philosophy The ethical doctrine holding that only what is pleasant or has pleasant consequences is intrinsically good.
3. Psychology The doctrine holding that behavior is motivated by the desire for pleasure and the avoidance of pain.
Altruism

1 : unselfish regard for or devotion to the welfare of others
2 : behavior by an animal that is not beneficial to or may be harmful to itself but that benefits others of its species
I truly desire that I continue out beyond myself or even my family and passionately pursue unselfish love. ">Link

Modern Samaritan?

My middle son, Nathan, entertained us at supper last night by sharing a Good Samaritan story with a modern day twist.
He felt like he was the traveler, emotionally beat and, left by the side of the road, when his sister and brother enjoyed games with the next door neighbors while he felt left out. He, being emotionally sensitive, went to a corner to hide his tears. Some moments later the girls noticed that his eyes and nose were red and commented "Nathan, you don't look good. You should go inside." (Thinking he may be coming down sick, I'm sure)
As he continued to share the story at the table his eyes welled again as he declared, "They were like the Pharisees, passing me by."
Sister looked confused as she tried to remember the events.
"Then my brother ignored me and he was like the Levite. So, I wanted to be by myself, and I went to the back yard. There I found someone who was will to take the time to bandage my wounds and take care of me..."
We waited with baited breath to see who our son's mysterious rescuer was. "It was Princess!!" He declared with a glowing smile.
Our hyper-active Jack Russell Terrier?
Wow, what a biblical (if not melodramatic) imagination.
We may have a future Billy Graham on our hands.
Here's hoping that you always have someone who is willing to Lick your wounds....blessings,deb

Royalty

Today, out of the blue and much to my surprise I received my first royalty check from Tate. It wasn't much, $25.00 actually, but it was a nice surprise. I thought I would have to wait til the first quarter(Jan) to receive anything. I also discovered in my daily check of my rating on Amazon that I went from 800,000 something to 300,000 something in my sales rating. I'm not sure what that means but a jump of 500,000 has got to be good!!! How everyone had a safe and fun "Fall Fest" however your family chooses to celebrate. We had a fun time at the Godeke Library as the "Guest storyteller and her merry band of troubadours". I read my favorite since Maddy was 4 "The Princess and the Kiss"Even Rich got into the act and read "The Squire and the Scroll"(both by Jeannie Bishop) while the kids acted it out. Fun was had by all. Blessings, deb

A cord of Three Strands

"And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him, and a cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart." Ecc 4:12

I have been taught, or maybe I heard it in a sermon once that the 3 strands represents a husband, wife and God. My kids surmised that it is the Trinity that is meant here. These are both good and even Godly answers but is it what I need?
As I asked God in prayer, what are the three that make something, someone "not quickly torn apart" a familiar verse came to mind "And these three remain: Faith, Hope and Love. But the greatest of these is Love" I Corinthians 13:13

Faith, what is it? (other that the substance of things hoped for)
In the frame of parenting, My Faith is my religious beliefs. and for me they include my spiritual heritage. Faith of our Fathers, if you will. I need to share faith stories, not just those from the bible but also of my and my husband's faith walk and even that of our parents and grandparents. This part of our history is often omited because it is so personal but I believe it is pertinent to a child's spiritual maturity to know our struggles, strenghts and weaknesses and how we came to know God and continue to grow in Him. If a parent isn't confident enough to share that with their children, who will?

Hope, as my daughter put it is God and Jesus, not just that I have hope to go to heaven when I die but that God is a benevolent God who has good things planned for me "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans for hope and a future" Jer 29:11 I know this verse got me through some pretty hopeless times. I need to speak and demonstrate this hope to my children. I need to walk this talk. Do I act like God is on my side? Do I ask Him for those good plans? Do I speak the good destiny to and over my children in their hearing? They need to hear that, daily, weekly, yearly, every chance you get. Bless them with the hope we have for them to grow into the overcomers we know they can be.

Love - This one is simple for me What is love? "God is Love." I John 4:8
Be His love to your kids, love them silly. Love them enough to fight the hard battles. Love them enough to sacrifice our comfort but most of all love them enough to train and discipline them, even when they fight us.


A cord of these three strands were the life line that my parents wove for me before I ventured out into the big wide world. I hope to also do the same for mine...

Preparing a Princess

Two new princess movies are out this Fall. One night with the King is a film rendition of Tommey Tenny's story of Esther titled "Hadassah" It is about a young, orphaned beauty, raised up out of a persecuted minority to become the most influencial female in the land. It is not only an inspiring story taken from the pages of the bible and history but also stunningly acheived with state of the art cinematography and visual effects. Then there is the story of Marie Antoinette who is raised as royalty betrothed to a wealthy French King at 14 and goes on to become the most infamous female figure of the French revolution, beheaded by the enraged mob for her "let them eat cake" ingnorant attitude for the starving poor.
The contrast of the simular situation of these queens points to the salient issue of parenting in America today. How you might ask? Well, we are all familiar with the Princess culture we have created. All little girls are inundated with princess stories, Disney, fairytale and otherwise from toddlerhood on. But even though true royalty is not at issue here, the little tyrants it creates are. I want my daughter to feel lovely, special, and like a little princess, that is not the problem. I tell my kids, by the worlds' standard, if you live in America, you are rich. I want to train my little rulers to reign as benevolent royalty, seeing the influence they can have as a calling "For such a time as this" like Esther, not as a spoiled tyrant like Marie. How?... What do you think?

In the News...

This last two weeks have been very busy. I got my first interview and news paper write up. It was in the Lubbock Avelanche Journal, Friday, Oct 20th. You can search the Gown at Lubbockonline.com. You may have to sign up to get on. I also agreed to have a signing event at Barnes and Noble on Nov 12th 2:30-4:30. They offered to send out invites. Send me your address if you wish to be put on the list.

Mardel signing a fun event

Many blessings this seventh day of October, when the Royal Hendersons plus Princess Hines(next door neighbor seen at Maddy's birthday party right) paraded down to Mardels, gaving out princess rings and book marks. We even sold a few books too. For all those praying for us, thank you. For those who missed the event, we have several more events this month.
1. Next weekend, we will be at the McMurry Homecoming and a book signing is scheduled Saturday Oct 14th 10 am at the Theta Chi reunion in the lobby of the newly renovated Martin Residence Hall. My longtime friend and suite-mate, Josephine will join me.
2.Then, on Oct 21st, at the Odessy bookstore on Broadway in Lubbock I will be signing books and offering dream interpretation. Why, you asked? Because the first chapter of the book is a biblically inturpreted dream of a re-current nightmare from my own childhood. Cool, huh?
3.Monday evening, Oct 30th, the Godeke Library, (off Quaker near the loop) will host the Royal Hendersons in a Medival Castle party, featuring a Veggie Tale movie and readings from books of my choice. More info to come soon.
We also are already scheduling November events. Blessings deb

First Event

Maddy and I Kick off our Book Promotional Month by getting all dressed up and doing a story time at the Mahon Library with 4 and 5 year olds. It is Wednesday, Oct 3rd form 10-11. Join us if you can.