The Ameri Brit Mom

Five Minute Friday: Help

This week the topic for the Five Minute Friday link-up post is Help. What is a link-up? Essentially a link-up is when you join other bloggers and write on a similar topic. You share your blog posts with one another and begin conversations via a host site. You can head over to Kate Motaung’s page to check out other entries from inspired bloggers. Here’s my five minutes of uninterrupted, unedited writing on this week’s topic:

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Last night I had the privilege of helping a friend.

It had been a rough couple of weeks for her family and so my husband and I volunteered to watch their three children to give them some much needed Mom and Dad time. So, yes, last night we were outnumbered. Four little girls (ranging in age from seven months to four years old) to two parents. But it wasn’t chaotic. It was so much fun.

At first, the girls went for the box of dress up clothes–as they always do. Within minutes of their arrival we had a fashion show of ballerinas and princesses. The second youngest, who can only say a handful of words pointed at herself during her runway debut and said, “Anna” as she was wearing Princess Anna’s dress from the Disney movie, Frozen. And the older two fought over who was going to wear the light-up, high-heel, Cinderella shoes. Meltdown #1*.

After the fashion show we paraded to the park across the street. The girls played in the eighty degree heat, but didn’t let the dry, hot air slow them down. After a little meltdown from my own child (meltdown #2*) we decided to head back home for some frozen Popsicles and a bit of Sofia the First, per request of Princess Anna.

In the end, it was such a fun play date and I’m so glad we were able to give my friend and her husband a chance to breathe. As a mom I appreciate how important it is to come up for air every once in a while.

I want to challenge you to find a small way to help out this week. Find someone in your life who could use something and offer it without delay. Don’t put it off! Maybe they need help with mowing their yard, cleaning their house, paying for groceries, or watching their children. Whatever a friend in need is craving most do that for them. Be aware of those around you and fulfill a need this week. It will be fun and rewarding, I promise!

*Also, I must clarify that the meltdown count above refers to my own child. My friends’ kids were angels. My daughter is at that age where she struggles with sharing her toys and her parents. We had a few extra cuddles last night and a couple of lectures on sharing for the thousandth time.

Go!

As many of you know, I have been a part of the writing team at my church for several months. Some of the things I write for the church are articles for our quarterly magazine and content for our weekly home group discussions. This past Sunday was a pivotal one in the life of our church. During the message our pastor challenged all of us to GO. The method of inviting people to church isn’t as effective in our culture today because we are living in a post-Christian society. The number of people with no religious affiliation is growing. Our pastor nicknamed these people the Nones. They are called nones because these are the people that when asked about their religious beliefs would say “none”.

Aside from the call to GO our pastor provided a tangible opportunity for our church. He is getting ready to launch a nine month program to train a team of leaders to plant a church on the north side of our city. Any and every member of our church is fair game for this launch. The hope is that thirty individuals would train and GO with the new pastor of the church plant. As a pastor, he admitted that is a scary task to hand over some of the congregation. He knows that through this process he will lose volunteers and tithers, but it is far more important to him that he act in obedience to God’s Word. My church is so blessed to have a pastor who is so convicted and obedient to God’s Word and calling on his life and the life of our church.

Today, I want to share with you the small group (cLife) discussion that I wrote to accompany the message this past Sunday. It’s exciting to share with you the conversations that were happening all week in about twenty homes across Columbus. Our church is all about these weekly conversations. It’s in these small groups that we really see growth as a church. Sunday is just the start.

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7-10-2016 : We Can’t Stay Here

Lesson Goals:

To discuss-

God’s command that the church SEND and GO!
How God uses our mission to build the church and His kingdom.

Start the night by going around and getting to know people in your group. Spend some time hanging out, and find out what everyone has been up to.

Welcome/Ice Breaker:

If you could plan your dream vacation where would you go and why?

Pray before discussion

Intro Question:

If you can, describe a time when you shared your faith with someone outside of your family.

Word: Mark 16:15-16

Read:

In these verses, what does Jesus tell the disciples to do?
Why do you think Christians oftentimes neglect this command?
According to Pastor Travis, who are the nones and how are they most likely to be reached by the church?
As a group come up with some creative ways to reach the nones of Grove City/Columbus.

**1. Jesus tells his disciples to ‘go into the world and preach the gospel to all of creation.’

**2. Oftentimes Christians neglect the command to GO because they feel inadequate. They are afraid they won’t be able to answer questions about their faith or that they don’t know enough themselves to lead someone else to a relationship with Christ. Some also mistake that command for a calling to pastors or leaders only.

**3. Nones are the people of no religious affiliation. They will likely never step into a church of their own accord. These people will be reached by meeting them where they are not by an invitation to church.

**4. Examples: serving at places like Stowe Mission, talking to parents as your children play at a park, etc.

Read: 2 Timothy 2:2; John 20:19-21; John 16:7; John 14:12

What themes do you see in these four passages?
What does it mean when we say that our God is a Sending God?
Reread John 14:12. What does God promise for a church who steps out of its four walls to reach the nones on the outside?

**1. God has called and sent each of us to discipleship for the building of God’s Kingdom. We’ve also all been equipped by the Holy Spirit to give us the power to fulfill that calling.

**2. Nearly every time God speaks to men and women in the Bible He is sending them on a mission.

**3. God promises greatness when we GO!

PRAYER

My New Balange

It was time for something new. My hairstyle hadn’t changed in over a year and I was yearning for something fun and different. I had gotten so used to my old style and how to do it that it had become monotonous. Every so often a girl has to live a little and switch things up. So after hours on Pinterest and seeking out advice on social media I decided to go to my stylist with a Lucy Hale inspired balange. Balange was appealing to me because it was low maintenance. I already color my roots so I didn’t want to make a huge commitment to something that would take a lot to keep up. Below is a look at my request. I wanted the cut of the first photo with the color of the second:

Lucy Hale is my style icon. I love her on Pretty Little Liars (did I just admit to watching that show!?!) and I follow her in the fashion world on social media. Her natural hair color is similar to mine and her body type is also very close to mine. I find it very easy to fall in love with just about every outfit she wears and don’t get me started on her makeup. Always perfection!

I was so pleased with the way my stylist pulled off this inspired hair style.

I love that my hair is finally getting long enough to curl. I’ve learned how to do light curls using my flat iron and recently I purchased a curling wand that I’m still learning to use. I’ve never been great at styling my thick locks. My hair is naturally an unruly mess so it generally takes a lot of time and effort to style. This week I’ve played around with styling a little bit. One night we went to a movie so I decided to dress up my look. I did some of the light curls with my flat iron.

Another day I stayed close to home. I worked on some writing and did some painting with my daughter while my husband was out. I decided to go for a simple hair style and an artsy outfit that day. I straightened my hair with a little flip of the flat iron on the end to make the ends curl under.

I’m still looking for some new ideas and tips. It’s been a while since my hair has been long enough to do much with. But I love it and I’m excited. Balange is so much fun!

The Ameri Brit Mom

Seasonal Blocks

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I don’t get in crafty moods often, but when I do you better watch out. This weekend I decided to finish a DIY project I started over a year ago. This is something I saw at a craft show last Christmas and decided I would try to make for myself. It’s fairly simple and requires little time, money, and skill. And because I love to decorate for the seasons I decided to go with a seasonal theme. Here is a look at my finished seasonal blocks:

What you need to make these seasonal blocks:

-six wooden blocks of varying sizes

-white paint (or a paint color of your choice)

-4 seasonal pages of scrapbook or patterned paper

-1 black Sharpie (or letter stamps if you prefer not to free hand the lettering)

-Mod Podge

-paintbrushes

How to make these blocks: (Warning: It make take more than one day to complete this craft due to the amount of time it takes for the paint to dry. I started out just doing each season as it approached and over the course of the year finished it. However, it can also take just two days to knock out the whole thing.)

Start by painting the surface of each of the wooden blocks. I chose to paint my blocks white to match the woodwork in my living room, but you may choose to stain or paint your blocks in other colors to match your decor. I’ve seen this done with black blocks before and I think it looks really crisp and nice as well.
As the paint is drying, begin to cut out six rectangles from each of your patterned papers.
Once the rectangles are cut you can go ahead and write out or stamp the letters on to each piece of paper.
Once the paint has dried evaluate whether the blocks require multiple coats. Mine did. And so I really only got through the painting process in the first day of crafting.
After the paint is dry, you can begin with your first side of mod podge. Before you begin with the sticking you want to arrange your rectangles in an appealing way. If they are different sizes you will want to play around with how to organize them.
When you have organized the order of the blocks, you can begin with the mod podge. I always add a dab of mod podge to the block first to adhere the paper like glue. Then, once the paper is stuck onto the block go over the edges and the entire paper with the mod podge. At first it will look very gluey, but mod podge will dry clear. You want to make sure you have enough mod podge that the paper is secure, but not too much that the paper bubbles.
Repeat the mod podge process for the entire name of the season.
Then, before moving on to the next face or season make sure the entire mod podged face is dry.
Important: When adding each new season be sure to keep the letters in the order you originally arranged!

This was a fun little project. I plan to make some more in the future because it was so simple and I like the look of it. I know people who use a similar method to create Christmas calendar blocks counting down the 25 days of Christmas. I’ve also seen this as a popular gift for new parents who use blocks to either countdown to the arrival of their bundle of joy or to announce the time since their child was born in monthly photographs. I’m looking for some new ideas so if you have any other ways that simple blocks and mod podge could be used please share!

The Ameri Brit Mom

Book Review: The Heir

The following is a book review by The Ameri Brit Mom. This post expresses the genuine opinion and experiences of The Ameri Brit Mom and is in no way endorsed by authors, publishers, and outside influences.

Title: The Heir (The Selection Book #4)

Author: Kiera Cass

Publisher: HarperTeen

Copyright Date: 2015

At the end of the third book in The Selection series America Singer has been chosen as Prince Maxon’s wife out the pool of thirty-five women. Originally, these books were only written to be a trilogy with the wedding of Prince Schreave as the conclusion. However, author Kiera Cass found it hard to cap off the series with so much left to tell. Afterall, the wedding was only the beginning of the story for America and Maxon.

The Heir is set twenty years after Prince Maxon puts an end to the selection process by proposing to his true love, America. Maxon is now the King and his firstborn and only daughter, Eadlyn, is next in line for the throne. Throughout Maxon’s reign he has done so much to free the people of Illea. The caste system has been abolished and relations with other nations have improved. But it is in the wake of new rebellion in his kingdom that King Maxon strives desperately to maintain the loyalty of his people. After much diliberation with his beloved Queen, Maxon decides to ask Eadlyn to host a selection of her own. It is the hope of the King and Queen that watching the Princess fall in love will unite the kingdom the way their own selection did so many years ago.

Eadlyn is a headstrong and independent girl. She agrees to the selection only as an act to appease her father. Before agreeing to hosting thirty-five eligible men Eadlyn makes it clear that she is not interested in finding a husband at the end of the eliminations. She is perfectly happy to be single forever surrounded only by her three brothers who think the world of her.

As the selection process begins Eadlyn puts up a wall between herself and the candidates. Afraid of getting too personal or revealing too much Eadlyn keeps each of them at arm’s length. Illea watches as the callous Queen-to-Be treats the suitors like disposable goods, and the public soon turns against her.

Eadlyn’s story is one of learning to love and open up. The more time Eadlyn spends with these men the more she learns about herself. And it isn’t until tragedy strikes her family that Eadlyn learns just how important it is to find a soul mate.

So far, this was the hardest book for me to read in the series. It took twice as long for me to read this one than any of the others because it took a while to get used to another voice. The first three books are told through America’s perspective and I felt like I began to anticipate her thoughts and actions because I knew her so well. For this fourth book, the point-of-view was Eadlyn’s and it took some time to really get to know her. This was because she was so guarded, and once I settled in I was able to figure her out as well. This book ended on quite the cliff hanger. Luckily, my husband bought me the next book for my birthday. The Crown is the fifth and final book in The Selection series, and I’ll be reviewing it soon enough!

The Ameri Brit Mom

Read Everything: The Irresistible Novel

Here we are eighteen weeks into examining The Irresistible Novel by Jeff Gerke. So far, we have examined rules for fiction writing from various perspectives in order to help each of us to develop our fiction voice. This week, Gerke is stepping away from traditional writing rules to investigate a reading rule. The focus of this chapter is that in order to write fiction one must also widely read fiction.

Read Everything

Most novelists decide to become novelists because they love to read novels. However, there are writers out there who don’t actually read as often as one would think. There are many reasons why an author of fiction may choose not to read fiction often. For some, they may choose not to read because they don’t want the work of others to influence their own writing. They fear that subconsciously the voice of the author they are reading may come out in their own writing. For others, reading fiction is too much like work for them to choose to read as an act of leisure. And still others struggle to find the time to read and write so they choose to spend their time on the latter.

I relate with the other group of writers. I write because I love to read. My first love was reading and I’ve vowed to never let my writing overshadow my love for a good book. Yes, sometimes I’m hard pressed for time to read. Oftentimes I find myself having to choose how to spend my free time. I try my best to split that time between reading and writing, because I know that the more I read the stronger my writing will be. Because of this, I keep a book on my nightstand and at the very least I try to read for a few minutes before bed each night. I go through seasons where I read more than others, but to me to read is to strengthen my writing so I cannot imagine not being a wide reader.

My Current Project…

Instead of focusing on my current writing project today I want to look at my reading. I’m in the middle of a 24 Book Challenge. This was developed to help me read lots of different genres and to keep me consistently reading all year. In the process, I have fallen in love with The Selection series by Keira Cass and so have decided that every other book I read for the next couple of months will be one from that series. Currently, I am finishing up The Heir which is the fourth book in the series.

The Ameri Brit Mom

Five Minute Friday: Create

This week the topic for the Five Minute Friday link-up post is Create. What is a link-up? Essentially a link-up is when you join other bloggers and write on a similar topic. You share your blog posts with one another and begin conversations via a host site. You can head over to Kate Motaung’s page to check out other entries from inspired bloggers. Here’s my five minutes of uninterrupted, unedited writing on this week’s topic:

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I have a creative mind. I love to read, write, and even to doodle from time to time. Creating is the way I express my thoughts and feelings. There’s nothing better for my soul after a long day than to sit down at the table and write. I may choose to write about my day. I may choose to write a silly story. Sometimes I even dabble in poetry. It’s all about how I’m feeling and the way my mind processes the world at that time.

I’m not alone when it comes to possessing a creative nature. All of us are creative in some way or another. To create means to give life and each and every one of us has a desire to give life to thoughts, ideas, dreams, and more. We were all created in the likeness of the Father, who by definition is the First Creator. Therefore, within each of us is the desire to also create.

Creating is more than arts and crafts. Creating can be designing, building, dreaming, etc. Creating is life giving. We all need to remember that our souls long for time to create.

Take a few minutes today and create something.

Draw a picture. Write a song. Build a shelf. Tend your garden.

Do whatever creative act brings you joy.

The Ameri Brit Mom

The New Columbus Library

It’s been a long time coming, but the wait is finally over!

Over a year ago the Columbus Metropolitan Library Main Branch shut its doors to begin the remodeling process. Already it was the most beautiful library I had ever visited and I couldn’t imagine what type of work would go into this new construction to make it even better. It took over a year between the time the doors were locked and the reopen on June 25. Sadly, we were in England for the grand reopening, but earlier this week we were able to make the twenty minute trip to investigate all of the improvements for ourselves.

The good news is that it is still the same awesome library we said good-bye to last summer. The even better news is that it is now easier to navigate than before.

There are three floors:

Floor #1– Returns, Customer Service, Children’s Books, Gift Shop, Coffee Shop, indoor/outdoor seating

Floor #2– Audio books, Adult Fiction, Teen Fiction, Reading Room over looking a scenic park

Floor #3– Non-Fiction, Reference Materials, Meeting Rooms

All three floors are clean, spacious, and open. The grand atrium is breathtaking. And most of the place is lit completely by natural sunlight. Here is a look at some snapshots we took during our family trip to the Columbus Metropolitan Library Main Branch.

The Ameri Brit Mom

English Squash Drink

The English do drinks so much better than Americans.

One thing I instantly miss when I re-enter my homeland is the delicious and healthy quality of the drinks over in England. From the sports drink, Lucazade, to the delicious juice, Oasis, the British refreshments rank far better than the drink options here in the states.

But of all the quality drinks in England nothing tops a cool glass of squash.

I know many of you unfamiliar with the drink are completely grossed out. No, the British do not feed their children juiced vegetables. (Some might, but squash is not made from the vegetable squash.) Squash is actually a sugar-free fruit concentrate that when added to water is remarkable. It is the go-to drink in every household I’ve ever visited in England. Squash is so popular because it is cheap, easy to make, and relatively healthy. The American comparative is Kool-Aid, but I refuse to let me daughter drink that stuff. Kool-aid is basically sugar water and tooth decay in cup. But, after reading through the ingredients in a bottle of squash I have far less qualms about handing my daughter a glass.

There are a couple of ways to make squash. If you want to make a pitcher of the drink, you pour the desired amount into the bottom of the pitcher (it doesn’t take too much) and then fill the rest of the pitcher with water. In order to make a single glass of squash you just add a couple of drops to a glass and fill to the top with water. One bottle of squash can go a long way. Before we left England we purchased a couple bottles for £1 each at Tesco and they will each make up to 60 glasses of squash.

I really wish America would get on the squash train. Granted, there are some places in America where squash can be purchased, but in my experience it is never as fresh or delicious as buying it in England. Recently, I have noticed that Robinson’s Fruit Shoots have been sold in America and although it isn’t true squash, Robinson’s is one of the best squash brands in England. The Fruit Shoots do not have any added sugar (according to their label) so they are about as close to British Squash as you can get in America. I’ve even noticed that several McDonald’s locations in America give you the option to add a Fruit Shoot to a Happy Meal.

If you have ever found a British squash in America that you have been pleased with please share about the experience. I’m still looking for a place to buy it frequently so that I don’t have to go through withdrawal once my two bottles from England are depleted.

The Ameri Brit Mom

A Prayer For Me and My Nation

I’ve only been back in America for a few days and already my heart is burdened by its condition. So much pain caused by hate is having devastating effects on people. Like so many of you, I have found it hard to listen to reports about what is happening across the country. Senseless acts of violence plague the news, and social media is exploding with people pointing fingers in an attempt to deal with their fears and anger. As I’ve approached these issues personally I’ve come to realize that this sort of violence is reactionary. It’s a product of the condition of the hearts of people on all sides of the present arguments. And the only way our nation is going to see healing is if that condition of heart of the country changes. It isn’t guns or weapons doing all the killing. Hate is killing these people.

This Sunday my church pushed pause on the intended sermon message and we spent the service in prayer for our nation. During this time the Pastor led us through several passages then we were directed to pray and reflect on the state of our country.

This was such a moving time for me. It was in this intentional time of prayer that I realized that an issue I felt didn’t apply as much to me as others was really an issue that applies to everyone-especially me. The type of hate that has bred violence in our society didn’t come about because of race, gender, sexuality, etc. Rather this type of hate came about when we stopped loving everyone the way that the Lord commanded us to. I’m not sure about you, but that strikes pretty close to home. I’m guilty of not always giving grace and mercy to those who have wronged me. And more than a few times I’ve passed judgement on someone based on my own set of criteria and not based on anything Biblical. (Mostly because the Bible condemns a judgmental attitude)

It was in that moment that I realized that I was no longer just praying for other people fighting a battle that didn’t apply to me, but I was praying also for myself. When love leaves our hearts we allow so much of the world’s ugliness to penetrate it. My prayer is that we begin to realize this as a nation. But first as individuals of the nation.

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

(2 Chronicles 7:14)

I believe that God’s Word applies as much to us today as it did when it was originally penned. I believe the Word was inspired by God. It was even breathed by God. And because I hold so strongly to the truth of the Word I can’t help but be convicted by the words above.

If we want to see healing in our land, God has already provided us a framework for seeing that happen. It starts with those who are called by his names. It starts with Christians. And what are we to do?

-Humble ourselves

-Pray

-Seek God

-Turn from our wicked ways

And if we follow this truth God will forgive our sins and heal our land.

In the days to come I’ve committed to making this my prayer. Daily I must put on the armor of God and daily I must remind myself that I can’t just sit back and blame other people for the evils of this world. The battle to love others is personal battle. It starts in each of our hearts. And our nation will not see healing until the people who make up that nation humble themselves, pray to God for love to fill every part of their hearts and minds, seek God’s wisdom and truth, and turn from the wicked things that keep them from loving others and loving God.

The Ameri Brit Mom