Monday, April 29, 2013

(in) Real Life

This past weekend (in)courage hosted their annual (in) Real Life conference. This conference was such a blessing to me! It suits my energy levels perfectly. The (in)RL conference is the conference that comes to you. You don't have to get on a plane and fly across the country. You don't have to buy an expensive conference ticket. The (in)RL conference is free, and you can watch at home while wearing your jammies! Which is exactly what I did on Friday night. :)

If you follow me on twitter, you might have seen me tweeting up a storm on Friday as I was watching the (in)RL conference webcast. It was so much fun to watch the conference videos with online friends and connect through twitter. I went to sleep that night excited for the next day.

On Saturday for the (in)RL conference, we step out of our homes and travel to local meetups. This year there were 6,000 women who attended (in)RL. There were 590 meetups in 20 different countries! Women all over the world were stepping out from behind their blogs and meeting up in real life.



I grabbed a friend and we went to a meet up hosted by Kristin. She opened her home to us and prepared delicious food. We enjoyed talking, eating, laughing, and watching the Saturday conference videos. I came home that afternoon exhausted, but refreshed, blessed, encouraged, and very grateful for our time. Thank you, Kristin, for opening your home to us!

I had considered hosting a meetup for (in)RL this year, and I was going to invite ladies from church and from my town. I ended up deciding against it, however, because I knew I was going to be at the Mayo Clinic only a few weeks before. It was likely that I would be too exhausted from my Mayo trip to be able to plan and prepare for having women into my home.

I decided against hosting, but the conference was so good that I do want to share it with more friends. I have purchased the (in)RL conference DVDs, and I am planning to invite some friends over for an unfashionably late (in)RL party!

Thank you, (in)courage, for hosting this conference. I am already looking forward to (in)RL 2014!

I am linking up today with (in)courage sisters who are sharing about their weekends.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Love Mercy



 "He has shown you, O man, what is good. 
And what does the Lord require of you? 
To act justly and to love mercy 
and to walk humbly with your God."

Micah 6:8


Hello Friends! I have something very special to share with you today! I want to tell you about The Mercy House, a maternity home in Kenya founded by Kristen Welch.

In 2010 Kristen traveled to Kenya with Compassion International. Through this trip the Lord burdened her heart for the girls in the slums of Kenya. When she saw the slums firsthand, and later heard of the horrible circumstances the girls face, she knew she had to do something to help.

These are just some of the issues these girls face in Kenya (as listed in a Mercy House brochure):

  • Annually, 21,000 women are hospitalized from having an illegal, unsafe abortion in Kenya.
  • 13,000 Kenya girls are kicked out of school for being pregnant.
  • Every 30 minutes a woman is raped in Kenya.
  • Mothers often force their daughters into trading sex for food in the slums.
  • More than 20,000 children are sex trafficked in Kenya.

Kristen founded the Mercy House to provide a safe place for young moms and their babies. The Mercy House provides prenatal and postnatal care, good nutrition, counseling, education, and Bible teaching. They also teach girls skills, such as jewelry making and sewing. The girls and their babies are given a safe and nurturing home to live in while they learn and heal. There is also a graduate program to continue to care for the girls once they leave The Mercy House.



Last year (in)courage created this video to tell the story of Mercy House. Please take 6 minutes to watch it. I promise it will be well worth your time! If you are reading this in an email, you may need to click over to the blog to view the video.

I love the work that Mercy House is doing. I have been following them through Kristen's blog and through their facebook page. It has been so encouraging to see the moms' smiles grow, to hear stories of how they are coming to know Jesus as Savior, and to see their babies grow and thrive.

Kristen recently spent a week visiting Mercy House. You can read about her trip in these posts on her blog:


Would you be interested in helping to support Mercy House and the girls there?  Mercy House has an online shop featuring jewelry and other crafts that are handmade by the young mothers! Do you need to stock up on items in your gift closet? Shopping at Mercy House would be a great way to add some unique items to your gift closet and bless the girls at Mercy House in the process. Are you looking for a unique Mother's Day gift? If you order this week, you should receive your items before Mother's Day.




They have a beautiful Mother's Day card.




These Mother/Daughter necklaces are lovely. Are you a mom with a little girl? You can treat yourself for Mother's Day! The necklaces can be purchased as a set or individually.



One of my favorite items is this rolled art with the Africa mat. You can also buy this with a mat in the shape of Haiti, China, or a cross.

If you don't need to go shopping, but want to support the ministry of Mercy House, you can do so here.



Rachel wearing a necklace made at Mercy House

Mercy House sent me a blue Large Funky Paper Bead Necklace in exchange for hosting a virtual party here at Cranberry Tea Time. Isn't it such a fun necklace? And I love the fact that it was made by one of the girls at Mercy House. It is a tangible reminder to me to pray for the girls and for the ministry of Mercy House.

Mercy House is offering a $25 gift certificate to one of my readers! To enter the giveaway, please visit the Mercy House Shop. Then come back here and leave a comment to let us know what your favorite item is! A winner will be chosen next week on May 1st.

* This giveaway is now closed.

Monday, April 15, 2013

Joni and Ken: An Untold Love Story


Joni and Ken: An Untold Love Story book cover

Ken and Joni Tada, along with Larry Libby, recently wrote a book about their 30 years of marriage. Joni has been a quadriplegic since the age of 17 when she broke her neck in a diving accident. She also suffers from severe chronic pain, and she recently battled breast cancer. Ken and Joni know what it is like to suffer and struggle through marriage with a disability, and in this book they share about their struggles and triumphs. It is rare to find a book that talks about marriage and disability and to now have one written by Ken and Joni Tada is a treasure.

In this book, Ken and Joni give us a glimpse into their life as a married couple. It is a beautiful story of how God brought them together and what He has done in their lives and in their marriage. Ken and Joni have faced very difficult times in their marriage, and have come through it stronger, more in love with each other, and with a deeper love for Christ.

Ken and Joni share about their testing years, during which Ken was very depressed. Joni’s quadriplegia was wearing on him. The day in, day out struggles of living with someone with such a profound disability had taken its toll. “Somewhere along the way, the never-ending demands became abrasive, scraping away at the romance of their marriage, grinding down perilously their resolve to go on” (page 84).

In 2010 Joni was diagnosed with breast cancer. This was on top of quadriplegia and on top of chronic pain. Life was going to become even more challenging, but God had been preparing Ken to walk through these hard years with his wife and to faithfully care for her.

Throughout the cancer treatment, Ken and Joni became stronger together and in their relationship with Christ. “This cancer was turning out to be a severe mercy.  A bruising of a blessing, and a blessing out of brokenness” (pg. 154).

Because of the trial of cancer, Ken and Joni fell in love all over again. Ken’s loving care for Joni increased. Joni’s respect for her husband grew and grew. Ken says, “Joni and I have talked about it, and I don’t think a lot of couples get a chance at a love like this, at closeness like this. It’s like all this has been a gift God has given us” (page 156).

Joni agrees, “It’s like a wedding gift all over again. I would never thought this journey through cancer would have given us so much” (page 156).

Catching a glimpse into Ken and Joni Tada’s marriage was a blessing and an encouragement. They are godly examples of love and faithfulness in marriage. This couple has faced hard times, and they have come out stronger and more in love. God has used the suffering in their lives to sanctify them and make them more like Christ.

If you haven’t read previous books by Joni, or aren’t familiar with her life, then the book Joni and Ken might be a little bit confusing. It doesn’t give the details of Joni’s accident or her ministry, Joni and Friends. Reading her first book, Joni: An Unforgettable Story, will fill in more of the story of her life.

When I reached the end of Joni and Ken: An Untold Love Story, I found myself wishing that it was a longer book! I wanted to know more, wanted to glean more wisdom from their years of marriage. This book is a treasure!

If you are struggling through a marriage with a disability, or if you want to read an encouraging book about marriage, I recommend this book. You are not alone in the challenges you face. Let Ken and Joni encourage you to press on and remain faithful, even when marriage is hard.

Would you like to learn more of Joni and Ken's story?

Purchase their book here:

Watch the video of Joni speaking at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention.

Friday, April 12, 2013

Here

Today I'm participating in 5 Minute Friday with Lisa-Jo Baker and her delightful blogging friends. We write for only five minutes; this is quick and easy blogging! This week's word is "here."



One year ago today we arrived here in southwest Minnesota after three long days of driving. The king and queen of Minnesota were here to greet us.  



Grandparents and puppies were here to greet us.

After a year, we have settled in, made friends, and become very involved in church. We are at home here.

It has been a good year. We have been to parades and participated in the county fairWilliam was baptized. I said hello and goodbye to a dear friend

The winter season was a hard one for me physically, but I seem to be pulling out of that for the time being. I am looking forward to spring and hoping for some better days ahead.

Will continues his work as an associate pastor. The church has been so good to us, allowing Will to have a very flexible schedule that suits my needs. We are so blessed to be here serving the Lord!

This is the sixth place we have lived in only 10 years of marriage. I hope to be here for a long time to come!


Five Minute Friday

Thursday, April 4, 2013

The Purple Bullet

A little over 8 years ago I bought my first wheelchair. I felt such relief when it arrived because the wheelchair gave me more freedom. It enabled me to go on shopping trips and go to church more easily. It helped to get me out of the house. 

Six years ago I bought my second wheelchair. I didn't feel relief when it arrived; I felt disappointment. I was sad that I needed another wheelchair. I hadn't gotten better like I thought I would. I was only getting worse.

Now I'm on my third wheelchair. It arrived this winter, and I am so excited about this new wheelchair! I've gotten (mostly) used to the idea of being sick for a long time, so I'm totally having fun with my wheelchair this time around! I chose a purple wheelchair with light up wheels. I'm probably the only 32 year old in Minnesota with light up wheels, but who cares? I'm having fun!




Because I have help from insurance and a medical supply store this time, I was able to get a very good wheelchair.  It is sturdy, has nice wheels, and it rolls oh-so-smoothly!  It's an ultralightweight, which makes it easier for me to roll on my own.  I still need to do some wheelchair adjustments to get it to fit me just right, but overall I'm pleased with the chair. 



Will has named my chair The Purple Bullet because it can roll so quickly.



My color choice was Electric Plum.



My favorite part?  The light up wheels!

I chose light up wheels mostly for fun. After 8 years, I'm ready to have fun with my wheelchair.  No more black wheelchair blending into the background.  It needs to have a little pizzazz!

There is also a purpose for the light up wheels that goes beyond just fun. My hope is that the light up wheels will make me and my wheelchair more approachable. Wheelchairs can be awkward and make people feel uncomfortable. It can be hard to get to know people from in a wheelchair, but light up wheels might be an ice breaker. Hopefully others will notice them and realize that I don't take myself too seriously.

My insurance company doesn't actually cover light up wheels, but the kind people at Sanford Home Medical gave them to me for free. They've been great like that. :)



See the light up wheels in action!
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