Friday, May 19, 2017

LOOOOK! Personalized Plans!



Add YOUR child's name and photo to The Plans I Have for YOU!
I didn't think I could love this book any more, but now, they've gone and done it.

NOW, you can have your very own personalized The Plans I Have for YOU! with your very own name and photo throughout! 

Or maybe your child's name, if you must. ;) 

Or maybe BOTH!

And right now, FaithGateway has a $5 off coupon when you order one (code: 5OFFKIDS). Of course, they're offering this on other books, too, but you know which one is my favorite. ;)




The Plans I Have for You is absolutely perfect for graduation or milestones or really for any day or age at all. I personally believe that this is a message that we all need to hear!


Kids (and adults!) now more than ever need to hear that God has BIG plans for them. And now, with the personalized option, they can hear that message stronger than ever. 


Get your own personalized copy here! 



Friday, May 12, 2017

Happy Mother's Day! (Hold the glitter.)

I spent a good hour in the greeting card aisle yesterday. I'm fairly certain I read every. single. Mother's Day card there.

Some were funny. ("For all the times you could have smacked me, but didn't...) 

Some were flat. ("You're a good mother." Seriously. Save the six bucks.) 

Some were over-the-top. And most were covered in glitter and/or were in tribute to "the Queen." (What.) 

Exactly three of them expressed the appropriate sentiment (sans glitter). And I bought them.

It made me wonder if any of the people writing these cards were mothers--or even ever HAD mothers. (And if you treat your mother like the queen, please adopt me.) 

Motherhood is beautiful and painful and the most difficult and rewarding thing a woman will ever do. Ever. In all fairness, how could you encapsulate that in a poem (and still leave room for all the glitter)?

As I was wandering through my blog posts today, I found some pretty accurate portrayals of motherhood. So in celebration of Mother's Day--and every day on this journey--I thought I'd share them with you.



From a mama who's been there and survived (so far): Happy Mother's Day! 

Those three words will never be enough. <3





Monday, March 20, 2017

RELEASE DAY! Thank You, God, for Grandma & Grandpa



It's release day, friends! And some of you have been waiting for these two for a long, long time.

When Thank You, God, for Mommy and Thank You, God, for Daddy released in 2011, I expected sales around Mother's Day and Father's Day, with little attention in between. But you have been screaming, "WE LOVE THESE BOOKS," with your purchases all year long--year, after year, after year. 
You've also been screaming (at book signings, at conferences, at family get-togethers ;), "WE WANT GRANDPARENTS BOOKS TOO!"

So now--thanks to you and your screaming, dear readers--HERE. THEY. ARE.

And they are the cutest.
Early sketches from the amazing Rosalinda Kightley
When writing these books, when seeking out all of the amazing attributes of grandparents, I had so many real-life examples to choose from: my own parents and grandparents, my husband's parents and grandparents, and even summers spent with my great-grandparents while they were still here. These books are written just for them--for ALL of them--for the Nanas and Papas and Grandmommies and Granddaddies, with their legendary love for us and our own children. 


Some early scribblings from yours truly :)
We often buy books like this for the same reason that we buy greeting cards. They capture an emotion so precious, so sweet, so deep down in our hearts that we often can’t put the words in place to express it. And I hope that in these little board books, you'll find just that: precious illustrations paired with that message you’ve been longing to say. . . . 

“Thank You, God, for Grandma. Thank You, God, for Grandpa. Thank You, God, for the hours they spend with my children. Thank You for the long stories that Grandpa tells. Thank You for Grandma’s secret recipes. Thank You for the gift of their presence, their legacy. Thank You, God, for the memories that they leave behind."

You can find them all here:
Thank You, God, for Grandma
Thank You, God, for Grandpa
Thank You, God, for Mommy
Thank You, God, for Daddy




Friday, March 3, 2017

Review of the Week: "Super bible for kids!"

The Plans I Have for You Holy Bible released last month, and I've been tickled with the response it's received . . . 

Including this review from Meredith:

 Super bible for kids! March 1, 2017
I just gave this to my daughter (after being sent a copy for review) and she is thrilled to have a "big kid" bible [that] has pictures of kids and looks fun. I'm a huge fan of Zondervan for hitting this mark so well--still taking faith seriously while making the study of it engaging for kids. Super bible for kids as they grow and learn!




The Plans I Have for You Bible includes:
* 50 Big Plans pages 
* 25 Promise Prayers
* 100 highlighted verses
* And, of course, the full text of the New International Version

So, if you're looking for a gift for Easter, baptism, or just want to introduce your child to God's big plans for them, then this "super Bible" may just be the one for you!

Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Striving to Remember



The following post is a guest blog from Amy's intern--ME! I am thrilled to be spending time with her this semester, and grateful she is giving me a chance to occupy her blog for awhile. For those who are consistent readers, friends, and family, you KNOW she is a delight! I hope you harvest some truth from my stream of thoughts.
In Him,
Lauren Holley 



No, God, I can’t…I won’t.

In the depth of a prayer, have you ever uttered these defiant words? Have you felt that tug—the pull of what you know God is telling you that you need—but you tighten your grip around the thing that you want? We all have tendency to approach God with an attitude that is somewhat like: “Hi, God.  So, here is what I want. Your will be done…within reason.” Silly, right? How can we train our hearts to fully surrender our plans—not just in a pragmatic “God-is-good” way, but in a “I-have-joy-in-God’s-divine-intervention” sort of way?

When I was a sophomore in college, I encountered God’s intervention in my desires. As a budding undergraduate, I was eager to answer that looming question: “What’s your major?” I knew what I wanted. So, I chose: Leisure, Sport, and Tourism Studies.  

What? 

Yup. It was a major in outdoor recreation leadership: a dreamy prospect. For two summers, I had immersed myself in the realm of recreation leadership at a camp for girls in Alabama. I was smitten. I loved everything about camp: the relationships, challenges, teachable moments, being outside, the planning, and the teamwork involved. So, naturally, when faced with a decision to choose my major, I convinced my parents that this was it. The one. The only. Reluctantly, they gave me the reigns, and I cheerfully steered my educational trajectory onto the trail of outdoor education. This was what I wanted… but God had something else in mind.  

God whisked me away to work at another camp in Colorado. Prior to Colorado, a tiny acorn of doubt had seeded in my heart. For six months, it had been growing into a sapling of noticeable discomfort. A voice was breaking through the stubborn soil of my resolved decision. 

Change.
My.
Change.
Major.
Change my major.
Change my major?  

Should I change my major? I couldn’t change my major. No, I thought. I’m halfway through, and if I switch degrees, I will be in school an extra year, which would mean a heaping helping of loans to compensate for ended scholarships. Nope. No, no, nope. It doesn’t make sense, God.  

I was counting fears, and they deafened my spiritual ears. One night before I left for Colorado, God and I had a little meeting. 

Okay, Lord, if you want me to change my major, you MUST push me. Flat out, full on, PUSH. You must give me peace, or I won’t do it. I can’t. I absolutely can’t. 

Three weeks passed, during which I completed my training in Colorado. One night after training, I was sitting outside of my cabin, reflecting on my fears and doubts. Then, in a single moment, God pushed me: a flat out, full on, PUSH. The sapling of discomfort in my heart had somehow morphed into an oak tree of peace: I needed…no, I wanted to change my major. Whaaaaaat? God had graciously prepared my heart to desire this change. I had no fear. I felt God pressing on my heart to be an English major. This had been suggested to me on multiple occasions by different people, but I had ignored them. It was obvious, really: I loved reading, thinking, and writing. Of course: God was leading me into something I enjoyed and had been gifted in. 

But He wasn’t done rerouting me. While I was in Colorado, I got a call from my best friend (and roommate), letting me know that the YMCA (where we worked, and which had so graciously allowed me to leave for the summer) was closing. “And there’s more,” she said. Uh oh.
Through a series of events, our housing situation had dissolved; following this dissolution, the Lord had called her to Washington state. 

Oh, okay God. Wait…no, not okay! What are you doing? 

So, not only was I potentially facing a new major with an extra year of college and student loans, I was facing unemployment and no housing. And the cherry on top? I wouldn’t be back to Tennessee until August, so all my searching would have to be done over the phone or internet. 
 
Through the miracle of Facebook and word-of-mouth, August greeted me with a nanny job, an adorable house, and two roommates (whom I hadn’t met). Things were looking decent.  Good, even. Close call, God. But he had one more curveball for me.  

The day I arrived home from Colorado—a Monday—I received a text from my anticipated employer saying she had willy-nilly hired someone else. My heart sank. I had to sign my new lease on Friday. 

Lord, we have four days. FOUR DAYS. GOOD GRIEF. Work a miracle. 

Tuesday, I walked into my favorite coffee shop to put in an application, mentioning that my nanny job had fallen through. The girl tilted her head and said, “I know someone looking for a nanny. Do you want me to give her your number?” And no sooner than I had walked out of the coffee shop,I received a text asking if I could interview for that very nanny job. 

I interviewed on Thursday. 

Holy cow, you are cutting it close, God.
 
Friday at 4:20 p.m., I received a text: “You’re our nanny if you want to be!” 

I called my new roommates. I had a job. I could sign the lease.

As it turned out, I thrived in my new home, fell in love with the children I nannied, adored my newfound roommates, and am graduating ON TIME with no extra loans. My diploma will note my English degree with a double minor: Theater, and… Leisure, Sport, and Tourism. God is so faithful, ya’ll. His provision exceeded my expectations. 

I still manage to forget God’s faithfulness, though. Like…everyday. Don’t we all? But I've learned that instead of pleading with God in uncertainty, stubbornness, and doubt, I must remember his past provisions: they are my signposts, like Passover's blood on the doorframe and the rainbow in the clouds. 

And what about the Sabbath? It is a blessed day—a sign from God for His children—to remember His strength and provision in their life, and to rest in His goodness. And don’t forget the Last Supper, when Jesus called his disciples and future believers to remember by breaking bread and saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me” (Lk. 22: 19). Each of these signs held physical and spiritual implications of deliverance, saving God’s people from Earthly destruction and pointing them toward a heavenly hope. 

There are things in my life I never would have chosen (or would have originally wanted); but God is bigger than our preferences. In fact, 1 John 3:20 says God is bigger than our hearts – “and he knows everything”!! He does not always fulfill desires in the sense that we would anticipate; that is, giving us what we want. Rather, in His sovereignty, He takes our hearts, listens to what we want, and gently replaces it with what we actually need. He is gracious to deliver us from our misguided desires and lead us into the Promised Land of His perfect will.  

So let us strive to remember—with our baskets full of “gimme gimme-s”—God’s hand full of blessings. Let us step stone-to-stone across the shallows of life’s uncertainties, asking for grace to accept when things don’t go our way, peace to embrace change, and joy in newfound, God-given desires. Stop counting fears. Open those clenched fists (and those baskets) so the Lord can put His gifts into them--and give you JOY in His divine intervention.

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”
Psalm 37:4

Tuesday, February 7, 2017

RELEASE DAY: The Plans I Have for You Bible!!!


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0310758823/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=amyparcom-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0310758823&linkId=849fada5298b66a710e9c47fd2c17024

You know how authors like, oh, Max Lucado and Sarah Young and Dr. John MacArthur have their own Bibles? Like Bibles with their names on them? Yeah. So when Zondervan emailed me about a Bible based on my Plans I Have for You series, naturally, I said, "Sure. Whatever." 

HA. NO. NO, I DID NOT. I believe my exact words to my agent were, "What in the world? WHAT in the world? WHAT IN THE WORLD?!?!?" And yet, here it is, for the whole world to see: The Plans I Have for You Bible (in both hardcover and a cool, leather-like cover). 

Only God, y'all. Only God. 

When I told my mom (still in freak-out mode), she answered calmly, as only my mom could, "Well, if you think about it, what else is the Bible but God's plans for us?" 

And that's the only way I can explain it. 

So, without further ado, the full-text NIV, The Plans He Has for You, with lots of fun inserts from yours truly. Releasing today!

If you haven't seen the rest of The Plans I Have for You series . . .



Check out the full trio, including the picture book (and board book), journal, and devotional


     






Friday, January 13, 2017

Review of the Week: "Love love love!"


I promise I didn't pay this lady. (Although someone did send her a free book . . . but still. ;)

It absolutely tickles me and gives me added purpose in life (no, seriously.) when I read reviews like this. Someone--and not just anyone--some precious, growing, searching girl is reading this devotional and learning from it and loving it. If that isn't my ultimate goal as an author, I don't know what is.

Okay, enough blubbering. Read it for yourself (Amazon).




Love love love!
By Jane Maritz

I received this product for free in exchange for a review. This is one of my favorite review products ever! I keep wanting to steal it for myself! Seriously, it’s absolutely perfect for the desires I have for my kid at this point in her life, where she’s starting to imagine the future and her role in it.

Sectors include:
I’ve Got Big Plans for YOU!
I’ve Given YOU a Purpose
I Don’t Do Things Small
There’s Nothing YOU Can’t Do!
Find That ONE Thing
What I Created YOU To Do

Focus. Kids are born self-centered. I’ve been trying to fight it, but it’s natural. This devotional/journal taps into that self-centeredness, making it appealing to kids, and uses it to shift the focus to the power of God and what He can do in you and through you.

Bible-Rich. Each day’s devotional includes a Bible verse or story, and the focus is on that Bible reference. Both the devotional and journal invite the child to contemplate what God is saying to her through that passage.

Illustrations. Love love love. Everything about both the devotional and journal is just visually appealing. The devotional is full color, while the journal is muted to allow the child to add the color. It compels the child to spend longer thinking through the Bible passage.

Journal. You absolutely need the journal to go along with the devotional. This is my favorite part! The very first page is perfect for my daughter, who is all into secrets and locks on diaries at this point, with a request: “…if I don’t know you are looking at at my journal, put it down and go get your own. Please. And thank you.” Verses are repeated from the devotional, with awesome illustrations that invite the child to draw, doodle, contemplate, and think through how the verses are relevant to her.

This is an absolutely terrific, hopefully life-changing gift for the tweens in your life!


So, don't take it from me--take it from this awesome mama. If you're looking for a devo for the new year or anytime at all, give The Plans I Have for You Devotional a try. And pick up the journal too!