Being a Good Influence

Yesterday Blake and a friend helped lead the Hogs for Heaven meeting at school. It's similar to a FCA. He was prepared with a lesson but realized he didn't have enough time to execute the full lesson. He and the friend went to the teacher to explain and were encouraged to just speak from the heart. They began to share what their pastors had been teaching at church. Ours has been targeted to teens with regards to having a vision and purpose, with some instruction on friendships and dating. It was an excellent series and obviously Blake learned a lot from it. He said he was nervous and messed up a few times but overall he was bold and willing, in my opinion, to step up and talk about a potentially touchy subject with his peers. He is so much more courageous than I was in the 8th grade. I am proud that he is strong in his faith and unashamed to be a light for Jesus in his school.

"You are the light of the world- like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see." Matthew 5:14

in front of Cooper Library, Clemson University, Blake's 14th birthday

I love this boy! He can drive me to the brink of insanity at times, but I love him so much. God gave me Blake to teach me lessons, so many I can't even count.

~Tara

Just some Stuff

• Today I'm spending the day with my husband. We have some errands to run and we are hoping to finish Christmas shopping for the kids.
• I am hoping to take Maddie to see Frozen over the weekend. She has fallen in love with Olaf, the snowman.
• Every weekend from now until the end of the year is full of family gatherings. I'm looking forward to seeing family I have not seen in a LONG time.
• At lastly, we are being very diligent in keeping ourselves focused on what Christmas truly means to us. Talks with the kids about Jesus and being the kind of person that stands out in the crowd and being different because we follow Jesus have been nice to have.

~Tara

Giveaway Fun!

 I'm a new blogger so I'm still learning the ropes. I do love to read other blogs, though, and find lots of ideas and inspiration from them. I read Shay's blog and love that she is funny and relatable. She's having some awesome giveaways as part of her 12 Days of Christmas series. I entered to win and so can you, head on over to her blog and check it out. Good luck!