Cara C. Putman's Blog, page 111

Lessons In Discipline from the Mini-Marathon

Saturday, Eric and I ran in the Indianapolis mini-marathon. At times (about mile ten) I am absolutely convinced that we are CRAZY to think training and running a mini-marathon is fun. Really it’s scheduled torture. But each time I run, God reveals more about what it means to run the race He’s laid out for me.

Paul often used races as metaphors in his writings. Here are just a couple examples:

I Corinthians 9:24 - Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!
1 Timothy 4:8 - for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
Philippians 4:13 - I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Hebrews 12:1 - Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
1 Corinthians 9:25-27 - Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
2 Timothy 2:5-7 - An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

There is discipline required to run the races in life and to chase God. There are days I don’t want to run. There are days I don’t want to get up early to spend time with God. There are days my body aches from activity. There are days my soul hurts from the cares of this world. There are days my body is under fueled for the race. And there are days my spirit shrinks from approaching God.

But when I discipline my body to train for a race…when I place a checkmark next to each day’s assigned exercise, my body is strengthened so that I can complete a grueling race. My body is equipped to go faster when I push it. The race is easier because I’ve done the work.

When I am disciplined in my spiritual life, my emotions are moderated. Life is viewed through an eternal lens which gives perspective for the journey. My heart is connected to God’s, my desires meshed with His. My ears are better prepared to hear His whispered direction and His heart.

The View from the Pedestal

Every get the sense everything is teetering around you? Then you glance around and notice it’s because you’re on a pedestal. Not one you sought, not one you wished for, but there you are.

Some days my life feels that way. There’s the Pedestal for Mommy to four. There’s another Pedestal for the Homeschooling Momma. Then there’s professor, attorney, writer…the list literally never ends. Ever.

Hand me my Wonder Woman bracelets now. Better yet, give me my invisible jet so I can get from point A to point B.

Too many days, I spend time doing exactly what’s in this photo…five more minutes…just give me five more minutes. And then those five minutes turn into fifteen, maybe more.

My friend Nicole O’Dell and I were talking the other day about whether we were really Super Moms or if it was a label applied to us. We were on her radio show ParentTalk, and I loved that she admited she was in sweats and I had just finished running. You did not want to see…or smell…me. Trust me on this — I did not look like a Super Mom. But that’s not the point.

The point is to do what God’s called me to do. Right now, that feels an awful lot like chaos. But you know what I’m being reminded of? It’s in the chaos…the utter chaos…of my life that I have to dive into God. I don’t have the strength to do everything on my plate right now. The list can overwhelm me when I focus too far into the future.

So I’m choosing to focus on what has to happen today…maybe tomorrow…but no further. All right, most of the time! I am still me. Maybe I’ll get make-up on. Maybe I might even find clean clothes for my kids to wear…at the same time, the 2 year old may be in his pajamas. He likes them, and I’m okay with that.

That’s the view from here.

Duchess: Another Rich Read from Susan May Warren

Susan May Warren is a gifted writer who easily transports readers into a fictional world. From the first pages of Duchess, I stepped back in time to the roaring twenties and the jaded world of Rosie Worth. She’s thrown so much away in the pursuit of success and fame. Yet she still hasn’t found peace or admitted who she really is…a process many of us can relate to. The deep emotion of the writing keeps the pages turning in this historical that straddles the 1929 crash.


ABOUT THE BOOK
Book Three in the Daughters of Fortune series.

When her country needs her, will she have the courage to surrender her glittering world and her one true love?

The golden age of Hollywood is in the business of creating stars. Rosie Worth, now starlet Roxy Price, has found everything she’s wanted in the glamour of the silver screen. With adoring fans and a studio-mogul husband, she’s finally silenced the voices—and grief—of the past. Her future shines bright…until the fated Black Friday when it all comes crashing down. When Roxy loses everything, she finds herself disgraced and penniless. Her only hope is to join forces with Belgian duke Rolfe Van Horne, a longtime film investor. But Rolfe is not who he seems, and he has other plans for Roxy and her movies—plans to support a growing unrest in Europe, plans that could break her heart and endanger her life. Find out more about the series by clicking on these links. Heiress. Baroness.

Purchase a copy here.

Susan May Warren is the bestselling, RITA Award–winning author of more than forty novels whose compelling plots and unforgettable characters have won acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. She served with her husband and four children as a missionary in Russia for eight years before she and her family returned home to the States. She now writes full-time as her husband runs a lodge on Lake Superior in northern Minnesota, where many of her books are set. She and her family enjoy hiking, canoeing, and being involved in their local church. Several of her critically acclaimed novels have been ECPA and CBA bestsellers, were chosen as Top Picks by Romantic Times, and have won the RWA’s Inspirational Reader’s Choice contest and the American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year award. Five of her books have been Christy Award finalists. In addition to her writing, Susan loves to teach and speak at women’s events about God’s amazing grace in our lives. She also runs a writing community for authors. Visit MyBookTherapy.com to learn more. For exciting updates on her new releases, previous books, and more, visit her website at www.susanmaywarren.com

 

Heiress of Winterwood: FANTASTIC Regency Debut

Julie Klassen convinced me that I loved Regency novels (those set in England during the 1810s), and Sarah Ladd’s debut novel The Heiress of Winterwood is a wonderfully compelling addition to this timeperiod. I was swept into the story from the earliest pages. The plot tightened as it proceeded until it practically spiraled to an ending I literally could not put down. The characters are compelling and richly drawn. The setting is one that makes me long to hop on a place to England and explore a castle or two and Liverpool. And the romance is absolutely perfect. Add in a wonderful spiritual thread that had me nodding as the heroine and hero discover more of God’s character and nature and the book left me wanting more when I reached the end. I cannot wait for the next book!

{MORE ABOUT THE HEIRESS OF WINTERWOOD}

Pride goes before the fall . . . but what comes after?

Darbury, England, 1814

Amelia Barrett gave her word. Keeping it could cost her everything. An heiress to an estate nestled in the English moors, defies family expectations and promises to raise her dying friend’s baby. She’ll risk everything to keep her word—even to the point of proposing to the child’s father—a sea captain she’s never met.

When the child vanishes with little more than an ominous ransom note hinting at her whereabouts, Amelia and Graham are driven to test the boundaries of their love for this little one.

Amelia’s detailed plans would normally see her through any trial, but now, desperate and shaken, she’s forced to examine her soul and face her one weakness: pride.

Graham’s strength and self-control have served him well and earned him much respect, but chasing perfection has kept him a prisoner of his own discipline. And away from the family he has sworn to love and protect.

Both must learn to have faith and relinquish control so they can embrace the future ahead of them.

Purchase a copy here.

{MORE ABOUT SARAH LADD}

Sarah E. Ladd has more than ten years of marketing experience. She is a graduate of Ball State University and holds degrees in public relations and marketing. “The Heiress of Winterwood” was the recipient of the 2011 Genesis Award for historical romance. Sarah lives in Indiana with her amazing husband, sweet daughter, and spunky Golden Retriever.

Find out more about Sarah at http://www.sarahladd.com.

Step into WWII in Sweet Sanctuary

Sweet Sanctuary is the latest offering from beloved historical author Kim Vogel Sawyer, but this is her first (and hopefully not last) foray into WWII novels. The story starts with Dr. Micah Hatcher accused of something he didn’t do, so he heads to Boston to set the story straight. When he arrives he falls in love with a little boy and finds himself drawn into the plans to protect the boy from his drug-addicted father. As the heroine is introduced through the doctor’s eyes, I wondered at first if I could like her. Then the reasons she’d made the decisions she did spilled onto the pages, and I found myself rooting for her. She would do anything to protect Nicky. There’s a hint of suspense. A whisper of love that grows. And a historical setting that I adore. A great read!

A Story of Hope and Love Set Against the Backdrop of World War II

Lydia Eldredge longs to provide sanctuary for her young son, Nicky. But a constant threat comes from Nicky’s drug-addicted father, who wants the boy and seems willing to do whatever it takes to get him.

Dr. Micah Hatcher faithfully serves the immigrant population of Queens, New York. But under cover of darkness, he has a secret mission that challenges everything he thought he wanted out of life.

When Lydia and Micah’s paths cross, they are suddenly wrapped up in each other’s callings. Together, they seek a refuge of safety–for Nicky, for themselves, and for the needy people God puts into their lives. Amid turmoil and discord, can hope and love prevail?

Purchase a copy here.

Read an excerpt here.

3 Tips for Picking a Curriculum that's Right for Your Students

One of the hardest things to do as a homeschool mama is pick the right 











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“Sara,
you’re beautiful and smart… and you have Jesus in your heart!  Now go be
the light of the world