Moments with MarLo

Everyone loves a good sale, Right? We'll let me tell you about a great one: It’s a Hearts at Home Black Friday after Black Friday Sale Dec. 7-11 Did you sleep in on Black Friday? Did you drag yourself out of bed, but still miss out on some awesome deals because you were standing in line too long at one store? Do you still have shopping to do, but dread the crowds, traffic, and cost? Let Hearts at Home help! Their Black Friday sale has been extended to the week of December 7-11. Shop in the convenience of your own home and receive an unprecedented 25% off all of Hearts books and merchandise. They have great gifts for everyone in your family. Find gifts for friends, teachers, bible study leaders, bus drivers, and everyone else on your list. You may even find something for yourself. This is a great time to stock up on all those Hearts at Home books you’ve been wanting to read. Let your family know how much you would love a Hearts at Home gift certificate so you can use it for your...

Welcome to those visiting from Hearts at Home! I would love to know you stopped by. Leave me any comment, even to say "hi" and I'll put you in my drawing to win Jill's newest book, "Real Moms, Real Jesus." For those of you who are reading my blog today and aren't familiar with Hearts you can learn more about this wonderful organization for moms by clicking here . You may also wonder why I'm talking about Thanksgiving on November 5! Well, today this article is being featured on the Hearts at Home blog so I wanted to share it with you as well! Have a blessed Thursday! How often do we think of miracles during Thanksgiving? Aren’t they typically associated with Christmas? Twelve years into our marriage my husband and I decided to take a leap of faith and add to our family. The decision took so long because it required infertility treatments. We said yes though we still didn’t know how we would pay for it and we had less than a thirty percent chance for s...

I have yet to personally meet Mary DeMuth although I know of her through my work with Hearts at Home where Mary contributes to the organization's blog. But I don't have to know her personally to enjoy the pleasure of reading an advanced copy of her newest book, A Slow Burn due to release on October 1. I devoured, Daisy Chain , the first book in the trilogy on my way home from the Proverbs 31 She Speaks conference this past July where Mary was a speaker. And not being one who waits patiently I was ecstatic to learn I could get an early copy of book two by participating in Mary's Social Media tour. I quickly signed up! So here I am having read books one and two and now not-so-patiently waiting for the final book. I'm also pondering what Mary has captured within my conscience in A Slow Burn . Though there is much to take in throughout the book, it was near the end where a key insight leapt off the page. A main character is seeking answers to happiness and turns to a d...

I admit it, I’m a football fanatic! I grew up playing football in the backyard with my brother and his friends. In high school I was quick to play in the girls Powder Puff team. I always played Quarterback recognizing the position offered the opportunity to always touch the ball and to call the plays. My favorite was long and left but I also enjoyed coming up with sneaky plays. I was pretty good, my teams won often, and I can still throw a decent spiral a good distance. I wasn’t always graceful though, I once broke my finger playing catch with my then 13-year-old stepson; I wore my splint as a badge of honor. I also sport a nice dent in my shin from where I was running with the ball and attempted to leap over a picnic table in a church scrimmage game only to catch my leg on the bench and go tumbling over it instead. May scrimmage days are far behind me but football is still one of the few reasons I turn on the TV. I love fall not just for the changing colors and the cooler temperatur...

Finding out class assignments is one of those moments as a mom that causes me to become anxious as once again I long to always protect my little girl. We’re blessed to send Lydia to a private Christian school where the teachers are caring, the staff loves the students and the atmosphere helps her to grow academically as well as spiritually. Still, there is always a pause within my heart as we approach a new school year. The time where I find out how God has answered my prayers for her to placed in the right classroom for her. This year was no different as we drove towards the school, two bags of supplies in tow. Lydia was hoping to get the teacher she most desired and worried she wouldn't have any friends in her class. I was hoping she would get her wish while preparing for the worst by focusing on what I could possibly say to help the transition if she was disappointed. Both teachers are really good they just have very different personalities. I was certain either one would be gre...

Last Sunday near the beginning of church service the worship leader asked the congregation to leave the church and walk the neighborhood for the next 15 minutes to specifically pray for the families in the community. I loved the concept and eagerly set about the task. I stepped outside into the warmth of the sun and glanced around for a direction others weren’t already heading. Typically I love groups but this particular morning I felt the need to go it alone. As I began walking a smile spread across my lips. I enjoyed the vision before me of so many congregation members out walking around. It felt like communities of the past where families strolled together around the neighborhood. There was a sense of camaraderie knowing we were all out there to pray blessings over each home we passed. One of the first homes I began praying for had a length of black chain fas hioned around the front of the small yard. As I looked at the chains I was struck with how many of us live in bondage. We str...

Who would have thought a drive-thru meal could teach me a lesson on serving? Eating meals are an everyday act of service from which the whole family benefits. Still everyone who knows me eventually comes to realize I don’t cook. At least, I try all I can to avoid it. I’m not bad at it and yes I do enjoy the satisfaction that comes with providing a home-cooked meal to my family. It’s just to me cooking is an art and not something I’ve mastered. It’s the timing I get lost in. What do you start when so it all comes together without being undercooked, burned, or too cold? I’ve watched two amazing cooks growing up, my mom and my grandmother. Now these two ladies can COOK! In fact, if there was a Cooks Hall of Fame I would nominate both of them. I’ve seen them master the nuances of both big and small meals with a finesse that puts Paula Dean and Rachael Ray to shame. Lucky for me when it comes to my family’s meals I still rely on my amazing mom and her culinary talents. And when she’s not av...