Faith Archives - Palmettos and Pigtails

The Bible Miniseries Giveaway

March 1, 2013 posted by Shara

Exciting news! Have you seen the commercials for the new mini-series on the History Channel? The Bible will be airing beginning on March 3rd, and will be a 10 part mini-series. The show will show events of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. It will also feature some of the lesser known {but equally important} stories of the Bible….such as the stories of Rahab, Bathsheba and Joshua.

Bathsheba and the Baby from The Bible Mini Series

In addition to the series on television, they also have corresponding musical soundtracks, Bible studies, children’s books and apps. The folks over at Grace Hill Media have been gracious enough to put together an awesome giveaway to celebrate this historic television event.

A Story of God & All of Us – Young Readers Edition

(Based on the mini-series, “The Bible”)

”A STORY OF GOD AND ALL OF US is a sweeping narrative that dramatizes some of the most important events and characters in the Bible. The young reader’s edition of the novel contains abridged action-packed versions of the Bible’s most fascinating stories, featuring Moses, David, Daniel, John the Baptist and Jesus. This edition includes an exclusive introduction by author Roma Downey and a photo insert including images from the companion epic TV miniseries “The Bible.””

I don’t know about you, but I am super excited about this mini-series…it’s been in my DVR queue for weeks now! And I will be so jealous of the winner, because this is a great way to relate the mini-series to kids!

Mary reaching out to Jesus

A young David throwing water

Want to see more? Check out the video clips!

Remember, even if you have already done any of the entries {i.e. you already “like” me on Facebook} be sure to click on that entry because it totally counts for you!! And please, please share this giveaway! (It ends March 8th!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Filed Under: Faith, Giveaways and Reviews, Promotions

Merry Christmas!

December 24, 2012 posted by Shara

Merry Christmas from my family to yours! I’m taking a few days off {away from the computer} to celebrate the holidays with my family! See you next week!

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Montreat 2012

July 24, 2012 posted by Shara

Well, we are finally back from Montreat, NC and slowly getting back into the swing of things. It’s amazing how even four days away can mess with your household! Unlike last year, it was a beautiful week in the mountains….not too hot and no rain! We shared my last post with the scrapbook photos with the high schoolers that Bets and Jay brought this year, and they loved it! They were completely amazed at how I used a disposable camera (no retaking those blurry shots!), and at how cool the three of us were back then! =)

So, to recap…Bets and Jay are our best friends from Maryland. They are our kids’ godparents, and their little Lulabelle is like our third daughter. Betsy, Jay and I grew up together in our church, which they are still members of, and now the youth counselors at. So they are continuing our church’s tradition of taking the youth group to Montreat each summer. And since Montreat is just a couple of hours from us, the girls and I try to meet up with them for a couple of days while they are up there. While the youth group stays in the lovely dorms at the college, the girls and I prefer the local Marriott!

And although Jayna did sleep in her own bed at night, this is what I awoke to each morning!

And since this trip was a first for Millie….I decided to bring and break in my brand new stroller. Can I just say that it is awesome! It has like 12 different sitting combinations, but the one we used was Millie in the front seat, Lulabelle sitting on the jump seat, and Jayna standing.

And Betsy pushing. Did I mention we were in the mountains?

We finally gave up on pushing all three girls, and put Millie in the front pack and made the big girls walk!

Jayna and Lulabelle were so stinkin’ cute together. Jayna was all about playing the cool big sister….and although she is great with Amelia, I think she truely enjoyed ~~manipulating~~ helping Lulabelle…from buckling seatbelts for her, to convincing her that she liked pickles, to teaching her how to hula hoop!

And every year, the scenery just takes my breath away. Lake Susan is like glass, framed by a baby blue sky and mountains.

Jay and some of the boys noticed huge fish sitting on some of the rocks at the bottom of the lake….tadpoles? Man, they are gonna be some HUGE frogs!

But even the small details had me appreciating the scenery. All of the buildings are stone, and they have gorgeous hydrangias around every corner.

I even caught this little inchworm hanging {literally} by a thread!

While the big kids were in small groups, we took the opportunity to spend some time with Betsy and Jay. There is this cute little park at Montreat that has great playground equipment, and then several creeks running through for the kids to play in.

And although they tried hard not to get wet…both girls ended up soaking wet and laughing!

It’s a good thing Jay was willing to get wet too…that mountain water was COLD!

Now we just need to get Dave up here!!

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Filed Under: Faith, Life, Travel

Attack of the Bunny Haters

April 10, 2012 posted by Shara

So I was perusing my bloggy friends’ sites last night and came across Jon Acuff’s posting about Easter. Now, I’m a bit biased since he is my BFF from Blissdom, but I really do enjoy reading his stuff. He just has a way of grabbing your attention, and pulling you in to get a really great message. In this case, here’s what grabbed my attention…and made me go to his site.

So at first, I was really afraid that this was Jon’s opinion about the Easter Bunny. But, as I read on, it turns out a friend of his had gotten this picture as a POSTCARD from a CHURCH as an INVITATION to their EASTER service. Hmmmm…as Jon pointed out, I really hope that the kids didn’t check the mail that day!

As a mom, I struggle with this concept as well. I mean, I would never wish ill-will to any four-legged friend (especially a bunny….because they are just so stinkin’ cute!!). However, how to integrate Jesus’ resurrection AND the Easter Bunny into one fun-filled holiday is a challenge. Especially when you have a precocious three-year old who has a lot of questions. Jayna and I had a little date yesterday afternoon.

We went to the playground and talked about Jesus. She asked me about his life, what he looked like and who he played with. We talked about how Easter is the celebration of Jesus going up to Heaven to live with God and how much he loves us. I told her that is the biggest reason we celebrate Easter, but that we honor Jesus’s life by celebrating all new life. Which would include all things spring….flowers blooming, baby animals, etc. We listed some baby animals, and she was able to make the connection between the baby chicks and eggs. So hopefully I did a good job at trying to integrate both Jesus and the Easter Bunny while still keeping the emphasis on Jesus. We’ll see, and I’m sure that with every year will come new questions!

But for now, Jayna knows how much Jesus loves her (which is the most important thing for her to know right now, I think) and we can continue to be Bunny Lovers in this house too!

How do you deal with Easter Bunny confusion each year??

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Spring in our Step

April 9, 2012 posted by Shara

Happy Easter! What a wonderful week we’ve had in preparation for Easter. My parents came in late last week to enjoy the Flowertown Festival and the beach with us. Luckily, the weather has been beautiful (some showers, but mostly cloudless skies and 80 degree weather), so we were able to spend a lot of time outside. Jayna has always loved the beach, and I think Amelia will end up being a fan as well!

Although we don’t usually decorate for Easter, we di add a few Spring touches around the house. Of course, there was the paper wreath I made, but I also added a Hydrangea and Easter Egg centerpiece in our dining room.

And despite our diet, I also made Zucchini Cookies (without the frosting, so they are healthier!!) And some chocolate covered strawberries for Jayna’s Easter party at school. Jayna did her part by bringing home some lovely Spring-themed crafts, including dyeing eggs at school!

I also have been busy finishing the bowling ball for Jayna’s Easter Bunny Bowling Set, and making a taggy pillow for Amelia.

And of course, the true reason for the season….Although they mostly just cover Jesus rising and the celebration in school, Jayna had a lot of questions about the cross this year. I didn’t really think I needed to go into too much detail yet, as she is so little and so sensitive. But I did tell her that the cross is a symbol of Jesus’ gift to us. He died so that we could live and be forgiven. She seemed to kind of get that….she said, “like when I am bad and then I say sorry, you forgive me and God forgives me.” So I left it at that. We went to the playground and got some sticks to make these little crosses.

But, little girls will be little girls…she was still really excited to see the Easter Bunny too! Jayna got to participate in three different egg hunts….one with her class at school, one with the church and one in our backyard. The church’s celebration also included a visit from the Mr. Bunny himself, and a delicious spread of cookies!

Jayna was very concerned about all of the gum and other choking hazards, so I assured her we would leave them for the Easter Bunny, who would swap them out for kid friendly candy. And sure enough, he left eggs filled with jelly beans all over our yard! He also left tracks all over our house!

After a heavy scrutinizing, we discovered the tracks lead to the girls’ Easter Basket! Filled with Bunny Bowling, Easter Veggie Tales, a taggy pillow, and a couple of Reese’s Peanut Butter Bunnies. Jackpot!!

What was in your Easter Basket?

Happy Easter!!

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Happy 3rd Birthday Jayna!

February 9, 2012 posted by Shara

Dear Jayna,

It is hard to believe that you are three years old today! I remember when you were born…you were such an easy baby! You smiled as soon as you were born, and Oh! Your hair! What beautiful hair you have always had!

You were so good to us newbie parents, sleeping through the night and eating well! I had people stop me all the time out in public to compliment you. You were the friendliest, most beautiful baby they had ever seen! (See? It wasn’t just me who thought so!)

And you have always been such a little ham! You remind me of Loo Loo when she was little. You love making faces, being silly and looking at yourself in the mirror!

Jayna, you already have such a kind soul. You make friends very easily, and have always been good at sharing your toys. You can be very sensitive though….you sometime will get upset just because someone else is crying! We still have to monitor what you see on TV very closely, because if a character is upset-you start crying too! And what a little tattle-tale you can be! You come home from school with stories of the “bad boys.” I know exactly who sat in time out, who didn’t share, and who had accidents in school each day!

I am so proud of your short little life already! You never cease to amaze me with your smart-alec comments that most would only think could come out of a 12 year old’s mouth! You are so smart, and are so independent….insisting on doing everything yourself. I can’t believe that not only do you know all of your letters, sounds and numbers…you can also copy almost all of the letters of the alphabet and write your name! And aren’t you a child of the times…you can work my smartphone better than I can!! And although we certainly have our “toddler” moments, you are truly a joy to be around (most of the time!).

I love how kind you are to your little sister….you always have her needs in mind and are quick to babysit her or help feed her. You are so gentle (most of the time) and so affectionate with her! I hope you two are always best friends and continue to help and love each other unconditionally.

Jayna, your love for God makes my soul so glad….although you may not know what it means completely, your heart is so pure! I love and admire how you crave knowledge about God and how appreciative you are already for all He has given you! I’m always so touched when I catch you praying with Elly, or when I see you helping a friend or showing your gratitude.

Long story short, I can’t believe you are already three years old….and I can’t believe you are only three years old! It has been such fun watching you grow so far, and I can’t wait to continue watching you turn into a kind, smart, beautiful little girl! Happy Birthday Buggy! I love you!

Love, Mommy

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Christmas Wrap Up

December 30, 2011 posted by Shara

Merry Christmas! I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday weekend. Our celebrations continue this weekend as we ring in the new year at not one, not two, but three New Year’s Eve Parties!

But first, I wanted to check in with you and tell you a little about our Christmas. The weekend began on Thursday afternoon, when Mom Mom and GP arrived from up north. After Amelia’s 4 month check-up, we met them in town and had a quick lunch before heading back to the house for naps. On Friday, Dave and GP did a little fishing on our pond, while us girls started on the baking. First up, Christmas cookies!

Obviously, Jayna did the majority of spoon licking and decorating. Eat at your own risk, Santa!! Next up was a gingerbread house. But not only do we not like gingerbread, we also shutter at the thought of conformity! =) We opted to try a rice krispy treat house instead. Adorned with mint M&M’s, sixlets and Mike & Ike’s stuck on the roof with melted chocolate, we discovered that rice krispies work just as well! The only disappointment was that our graham cracker roof just wouldn’t stay pitched…..so we opted for The Flintstone’s model instead!

After the girls went to bed that night, Loo Loo, Mom Mom and I stayed up late tidying up and finishing last-minute Christmas decor.

That’s right…you see more recycled pumpkins, and the two Christmas trees were handmade by yours truly, but I got the ideas here and here. Like I’ve said before, I’m not a very creative person, but I’m an excellent copycat!!

Saturday morning, 9am. Our doorbell rings with our first of many guests for our first annual Christmas Eve Brunch. Growing up, my family went to a friend’s annual brunch to gather with friends, do crafts, and put in last-minute requests with Santa. It’s one of my favorite Christmas memories, so we decided to duplicate it and start it as our own tradition this year. We invited friends and family from our Sunday School class, as well as our neighborhood. Although we anticipated mixed results being that it was Christmas Eve, we ended up with about 30 people coming for breakfast! The kids decorated foam gingerbread children and decorated our felt Christmas tree, while the adults mingled around coffee and breakfast casseroles. Around 10, the doorbell rang yet again, and Santa made a quick appearance for the children. After he head back to the North Pole, families headed out to spend the days together and participate in their own Christmas traditions.

Later that night, Sue Sue and Papaw joined us to fry a turkey for dinner and then we went to the early, kid-friendly church service. Our tradition on Christmas Eve is that the girls get to open one gift (from Ralph, our elf), a new pair of pajamas.

This year, Loo Loo must have thought the adults were going to feel left out, because she found us some new pajamas as well!

I won’t mention any names, but some of us were more comfortable in our footie pajamas than others!

Then, we all knocked off early…After all, everyone knows Santa can’t come until everyone is in bed! The next morning, Jayna was up at the crack of dawn (to be expected), but was more interested in watching Little Einsteins than checking out what Santa had brought. So we all took our time getting dressed and finally made it downstairs. Jayna’s first reaction to the bean bag chair she had wanted soooo badly? “It’s not purple!!” We’ll be talking about being grateful next week!! Nevertheless, the unwanted green color didn’t faze her…

And after opening an elephant shaped pillow and blanket (that matched Loo Loo’s), she was all set…no other presents necessary!

Jayna didn’t quite get the “open all of the presents” expectations. She would open one, take it to her playroom, and we wouldn’t see her for a good ten minutes…..its like she wanted to enjoy just that gift for a little while before opening the next! We had to beg her to finish opening so we could clean up and get started on fixing supper!

Even the panda slippers she received from Santa got a good ten minutes from Jayna (but she had to take off her footie pajamas in order to fully enjoy the pandas!).

It was a wonderful, laid back day…and the guys made Lowcountry Boil while the ladies drank coffee and nibbled on the ginormous fruit and cheese spread we had put out…not to mention the Overnight Coffee Crumble Cake I made (this recipe is a KEEPER!!!) Yum! Hope you enjoyed my quick synopsis of our weekend festivities….and thank you to our family afar for all of the lovely gifts! Here’s a little sneak peek of something you will be getting in the next week or so! Happy New Year!

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The Living Christmas Story

December 12, 2011 posted by Shara

Every year our church begins the holiday season by giving a gift to our whole community. They close the perimeter of the church for three nights, and transform the parking lot there into a living Bethlehem….what it would have looked like the night of Jesus’ birth. The cast members walk around and engage with each other, completely in character….ignoring the thousands of cars that slowly pass through over the three nights. Our town is practically shut down as traffic is re-routed to accomodate the 2 hour long line of cars waiting to drive through and catch a glimpse of the newborn king. Each year we participate….usually as villagers or shephards wandering through the marketplace or keeping watch over the live sheep. But this year was special. We happened to be one of the few families in the church who had an infant….so we were honored to play Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus in the Nativity Scene.

Don’t worry, Jayna wasn’t left out…she still got to be a villager with Sue Sue! For those of you who couldn’t see it in person, here’s some shoddy pictures I was able to grab while riding through during a break. Sorry they aren’t better!

Jayna sees the bright North Star (aka a ginormous spotlight), calling all of the Lowcountry to come see the story of Baby Jesus’ birth.

The census-takers count all who enter the town of Bethlehem.

Roman Guards stand at the gates to Bethlehem.

Gabriel tells young Mary that she will be expecting a baby, and to name him Jesus.

King Herrod hearing the rumor about the Savior being born.

Joseph and pregnant Mary rest on the side of the road.

An angel tells the Good News to shephards watching their flock.

The blacksmith and his apprentices in Bethlehem.

Women at the well gossip about a tiny king that was reportedly born in a stable nearby.

Families mend the nets and attempt to sell fish.

Calling villagers into the temple.

Women and children barter for rugs, fruit, bread and baskets in the marketplace….while trying to avoid the Roman Guards.

The Innkeeper and his wife turn villagers away from their inn…there is no room.

Mary and Joseph admire Baby Jesus, as the three kings offer gifts as the shephards and livestock look on.

The excited chatter of the village fades away as the cars drive past the Nativity and into the darkness. To the left is a silent, lit cross.

And to the right…an empty tomb….reminding us that Christ’s birth was just the beginning of the story.

Merry CHRISTmas!

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I’m in the Guinness Book of World Records!

December 4, 2011 posted by Shara

Now that I have your attention, it’s true! Technically, I participated in a successful attempt at a world record. However, considering the fact that there were 1,458 people involved…I’m guessing my particular name didn’t make the book. But that’s ok, because it was NOT about getting in the book. It was all about a brave little girl….

Photo courtesy of Ansley’s Blog…check it out here

Let me elaborate:

This past weekend was an emotional one for me, both as a mom and as a someone with several friends and family members who have and are currently battling cancer. I work as a liason for an organization called Camp Happy Days, which supports kids with cancer and their families. They send them to camp for a week in the summer, and throughout the rest of the year have events and fundraisers that help them create a community and support group for these families.

One of the families that they have been involved with is Ansley’s family. Ansley was diagnosed a year ago with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma after going to the hospital with a belly-ache. She has been through several surgeries and many rounds of oral chemo in the past year, but celebrated her very last round this past Saturday. Just in time to see her dream come true! A family friend wanted to do something to cheer Ansley up and support her journey. After finding out that she loved to draw, he dreamed up the idea of creating the world’s largest human mosaic…using one of Ansley’s drawings.

So, after sending the word out and getting some wonderful sponsors, thousands of people gathered on Saturday to help participate in creating this giant mosaic for Ansley….and also creating a new world record in the meantime!

Loo Loo and I volunteered with Camp Happy Days, and were offical “Line Leaders.” In otherwords, we were in charge of bringing a row of 27 people down to the field, getting them signs and making sure they stayed in a straight line, as they fell into place in the mosaic. There ended up being 54 groups of 27 people creating the mosaic.

Although most of the picture was a giant rainbow, after studying our groups of signs, we determined we were part of the hair of one of the people standing under the rainbow. (I was the edge of what I assume is blonde Ansley, next to the tree if you care to try to figure out where we were in the picture!) Although, as I was attempting to snap quick pictures with my phone of the masses around me, viewing just bits and pieces of the overall picture was quite puzzling to figure out what was what!

After about an hour, we got everyone lined up, and we were all instructed to sit down. In order for us to beat the current Guinness Record, we would need to have 1,458 people holding up our signs to complete the mosaic for ten minutes. So we sat, lined up all of our posters, and giggled under the massive poster tent we had formed. It was such a special process….knowing you were a part of something so huge.

Although I do not know Ansley or her family personally….and quite honestly, had never heard of her or her attempt until about a week ago….it’s amazing how participating in something like this (and sitting in wet grass under a sea of posterboards) can create a commrodery amongst large groups of people. As we waited with our arms in the air, people were singing Christmas carols, making jokes with the people around them, and chanting Ansley’s name.

Sure, there were a few little girls behind me somewhere complaining about sore arms, and the ”line leader” who stood in front of me that got tired of waiting and quit her post. But I was amazed at how such a large group of people who were all strangers to each other gathered half of a beautiful Saturday morning to support the bravery of one little girl, and to spread the news about her family’s new cause….The Journey House.

While battling her cancer, Ansley’s family recognized that many families who are fighting the same battles have no place to stay as they travel to specialty hospitals for treatment. So as their fight against cancer (hopefully) comes to a victorious close, a new passion to help families by creating a home away from home arose. So they are currently raising funds to build The Journey House in Charleston, since so many families travel there to seek treatment at MUSC (the medical university).

Hopefully you enjoyed my pictures and recount of the day, as much as I enjoyed participating! We also made the news, if you’d like to see the mosaic from a bird’s eye view! Please check out http://www.thejourneyhouse.org/ if you’d like to know more about Ansley’s new cause. And feel free to support her by finding out more on her blog:

Have a wonderful week!

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Thanksgiving Crazies

November 28, 2011 posted by Shara

Happy Holidays! Hope y’all are recuperating from all the festivities, as we are. We had a house-full of people (9 to be exact), to celebrate Amelia’s baptism and then they stayed through Thanksgiving. I also had (one more) birthday surprise, as Dave told me I had a package at the door….and I opened it to discover Bets and Lulabelle!! What a wonderful surprise! Betsy is a horrible liar, and knew I would be all over her after I found out she “couldn’t” come for Amelia’s baptism…..so she just avoided me instead! I hadn’t talked to her in about a week, and then she surprises me and flies down for the weekend!! We missed Jay as well, but understood that someone had to hold down the fort up north!! =)

All the family that arrived on Saturday was fortunate enough to be able to come to Buggy’s very first Ballet Recital! She and the 3 other little girls in her class danced to ”Bibbity Bobbity Boo” (all 48 seconds of it!) and did a wonderful job! Jayna was not always on beat, and not always facing the right direction, but she completed the whole thing and did a beautiful job! She even got a certificate at the end!

After the show, we celebrated by going out to dinner in town. Nana and Popop, Aunt Linda, Uncle Richard and Aiken all joined us, and we also met our cousins Alissa and Chris, and their daughter….who became fast friends with Jayna! They live right up the road from us, so we will definitely have to do some more family gatherings!!

On Sunday, Amelia got baptized at our church, and then we invited our friends and family over for a luncheon.

Amelia fussed a bit at the beginning, but as soon as she got wrapped up in our teddy bear of a pastor’s arms, she settled right in and smiled as he walked her down the aisle to meet her church family.

Although it was a little cloudy, it was a perfect day for some porch sittin’ and huggin’ necks. Good times!

The rest of the weekend was a blur, as we enjoyed Mom Mom and GP’s company, and tried to make the best out of every second with Bets and Lulabelle.

Jayna’s Thanksgiving pageant at school….lots of songs about turkeys, God and being Thankful. They had a video of the kids all saying what they were thankful for….”mommies and daddies”, “puppies” and “toys”. And then the occasional oh-so-honest responses! “For the animals that don’t get shot.” “For turkeys because they’re so cute!” “For stars and the moon.” Luckily, my kid was one of the ones who was thankful for her family!

Bets had to leave on Monday, but then Martha flew down from Canada for her very first American Thanksgiving!

And although my birthday was back in October….I got one more gift! Martha got us tickets to go see Lady Antebellum! It was an awesome show, with Eden’s Edge and Josh Kelly opening…..my favorites were the cover of American Girl and the encore of Friday Night. Marth and I dressed the part in our cowgirl boots!