Dog update

I have had several of you email me and ask me the status on the dog. Since my blog is not locked, anyone can pop on and see, I don't have alot I can say at this point.

What I can tell you is that an email was drafted and sent to the owners of the company asking them to reconsider their position. That email was sent on Monday afternoon. On Tuesday afternoon, we received a response that a call was being held Thursday with their "HR Legal Staff" and someone would contact us. As of now, we have not heard anything.

I can also tell you that all the prayers that have gone up about this issue have been felt. Steve and I have absolutely been at complete peace about the situation and have not worried about the answer to come. We know that if this is God's will, it will work out. And we do have options should things not go as expected.

Thank you for your prayers. As we continue to wait, I ask you to keep us in your prayers.

Pray

We just sent an email response to Steve's boss. If I can be so bold as to ask that you take just a second and pray, I’d appreciate it.

We’ll keep you posted.

Our day and WINNERS!

What a good Valentine's weekend! Last night, Jenna went to Sock Wars at school (which is like a parents night out) and we did our annual trek to the Melting Pot. Yum yum! This morning, we slept in a bit and then got ready to meet our friends Sami and Carrie at Red Robin for lunch. After that we headed out to see Micah and Gage at her new house. It's a cute little house and she has it decorated up so nicely. I was really impressed. The pictures were taken while we were there. My baby boy is growing up so fast! He'll be two in about a month!

After we got home, we fooled around playing Guitar Hero and watching TV. Tonight, we went to dinner at a new BBQ place in our town. It was good. Now we are all just relaxing on the couch.

I know you are all waiting on the winners of the books I had reviewed last week, so here goes...

EVERYONE WINS! I had enough books for everyone to win something. I'll be contacting you soon to get you the books...YAY! Thank you for entering...and please, forward my blog address on to anyone you think might be interested in winning books. I have another one coming up in March.

Happy Valentine's Day!

We are about to go spend time with our friends Carrie and Sami (and maybe Z too!) and Micah and Gage...I'll post our winners for the book drawings later this afternoon!

They said "no"...

I'm writing you all today because at this point, I don't know what else to do except to vent to my readers and ask you to pray.

As you know, we have just completed fundraising for Steve to receive his much needed Diabetic Service Alert Dog. If you don't know what I'm talking about, click here.

Today, Steve emailed his boss (one of the owners of the company) and offered to talk with him about his training and the changes surrounding having a service dog. Basically, the email he received back said they were sorry but they could not allow a service dog at his workplace.

The email went on to explain in detail, all the reasons why they couldn't allow it (most all are humorous they are so ridiculous). We think they are wrong. But as you can imagine, this has really hit us hard. And we are angry.

SO

VERY

ANGRY

Deep down, we both know that if this is God's will (and we believe it is) that He will take care of it. But right now, we are so infuriated, we can't even see that far ahead of us.

May I ask you to pray for this situation? So many of you have been reading long enough to know all the dangers that Steve has encountered with his diabetes. I'd really like my husband to stay around long enough to see his baby girl grow up.

We covet your prayers. And know that I will keep you posted.

Oh, and by the way, if you know a really good attorney, let me know. :) Free is good too! HA!

Yet another book review...

So, obviously, I have overloaded myself with book reviews/blog tours...but this is the time of year that you can find so many good books to enhance your marriage...I have a gaggle (can you call a bunch of books a gaggle?!) of books to review for you today...

The first is:
I Do Again

With their professional success and adorable twin daughters, Jeff and Cheryl Scruggs looked like the perfect couple. But their polished facade concealed a widening chasm between two people unable to connect on an intimate, soul-deep level.

After years of frustration, Cheryl’s desire for emotional fulfillment led to an affair and, finally, divorce. Yet, incredibly, seven years later, Jeff and Cheryl once again stood at the altar, promising to “love, honor, and cherish” one another. A new and vibrant love had risen out of the ashes of this family’s pain.

I mean, SERIOUSLY. Who wouldn't want to read this book?! As couples, isn't this your greatest fear? That your spouse would have an affair? Well, this is real stuff...and their marriage survived...and marriages survive worse than this every day. I haven't finished reading this book yet, but I can highly recommend it already.

"I Do Again" details the fascinating real-life story of a couple whose relationship seemed shattered beyond all hope until a spiritual awakening led them to reconsider their definitions of “happily ever after.” A riveting account of the power of prayer and redemption, this remarkable book offers renewed hope for even the most troubled marriages—and reveals why the rewards of restoration are well worth the wait."

"Love As A Way Of Life" Devotional

"In his book Love As a Way of Life, best-selling author Gary Chapman shows readers how to cultivate a new lifestyle built around the seven characteristics of authentic love. Now in a companion devotional, he provides ninety inspirational readings to help Christians consistently live out the characteristics of love in every relationship.

Each devotional entry showcases biblical truths that guide a life of love, offering fresh insight and practical guidance in how to make love a lasting habit. Over the course of three months, readers will learn to follow God’s lead as they practice the characteristics of a loving person: kindness, patience, forgiveness, courtesy, humility, generosity, and honesty."

Um, hello? Dr. Gary Chapman? I love this man! The first book I read was before Steve and I got married and I read his Five Languages of Love book. FABULOUS! And this is a devotional book...so, you can use it in your quiet time...I obviously haven't read it because it's a 3-month book but I think the author says lots about this book. AND...if you don't need a devotional, this book will make a perfect gift for any occasion (like an ANNIVERSARY!)

And finally...
"For Couples Only" Box Set

"Since their debut, these revolutionary guides have sold well over a million copies, been translated into fifteen languages, and sparked much fascinating water-cooler conversation around the country. Now together in the For Couples Only boxed set, these books provide the perfect resource to help you understand what you never knew about the woman or man in your life.

Each volume is based on input from more than a thousand members of the opposite sex—including an unprecedented nationwide survey and hundreds of personal interviews. This innovative approach yields candid and surprising answers about everything you don’t “get” about your significant other—even what that person deeply wishes you knew. It also produces simple but groundbreaking awareness of how you can best love and support the one who is most important to you."

All these books are totally awesome! And you can win any or all of them. If you are interested in any of them, leave a comment with your name and which books you are interested in. I'll draw on Friday for these 3 and the Intimate Issues book...and you can enter for as many of these books as you want. There's no limit to how many you can win! As always, you can also email me at sandras_junk@charter.net to win...

And if you don't win, you can find these books by clicking their names above and that will take you right to their Amazon site for purchasing!
Good luck!

Deadline for the book below...

One thing I forgot to mention on the book giveaway below...I'll draw this Friday, so get your name to me before then.

I'm hoping to post my other book review tomorrow and if I do, I'll draw for both on Friday...stay tuned...

It's Time for Another Book Review!! Intimate Issues...

Intimate Issues answers the twenty-one questions about sex most frequently asked by Christian wives, as determined by a nationwide poll of over one thousand women. Written from the perspective of two mature Christian wives and Bible teachers, Intimate Issues is biblical and informative: sometimes humorous, other times practical, but always honest. Through its solid teaching warm testimonials, scriptural insights, and experts’ advice, you’ll find resolution for your questions and fears, surprising insights about God’s perspective on sex, and a variety of practical and creative ideas for enhancing your physical relationship with the husband you love. With warmth and wisdom, authors Linda Dillow and Lorraine Pintus speak woman to woman: examining the teachings of Scripture, exposing the lies of the world, and offering real hope that every woman’s marriage relationship can become all it was intended to be in God’s design.

I have personally read this book and it's a great book. There's not alot of books out there about the "S" word written from a Christian perspective, but this one is! And the cool thing about it is you don't have to read it straight through. You can pick the question that most interests you and read about it and then jump around throughout the book. You don't have to be having problems in your love life to read this. It's a perfect gift to give yourself this Valentine's Day. And best of all, it's FREE...because I have 2 of them to give away to YOU! (But if you really want to BUY it, you can find it here. Or here. Or even here. :)

Because of the sensitive nature of the topic of this book, you can either leave a comment here that you want to be in the drawing or you can send me an email (totally confidentially) at sandras_junk@charter.net. I won't announce the winners on my blog so you don't have to worry about that. Oh and one other thing...you can enter and win even if you've won before. But. You can't win if you don't enter, so leave me a comment or email today!

Stay tuned...another book review and giveaway THIS WEEK!!!

Another Loss...

Not the kind you are probably thinking of, thank goodness.

On Tuesday afternoon, when Steve picked Jenna up, he found that she'd lost her other front tooth at school. I was excited for a moment, then I realized that her tooth wasn't THAT loose. When the story was explained, it was more like her tooth had been KNOCKED out, she didn't actually pull it out.

Apparently, she was in aftercare and had picked up a cone in the gym and was using it as a megaphone. Some 3rd grade boy came up and decided to jam a basketball in the big end of the cone while it was still at her mouth. Well...that's all it took. It rammed into her mouth, knocking her little tooth right out. Of course the boy got into trouble and she got taken to the clinic for a little ice and TLC. The tooth fairy did come for a visit and all was well...

Other than that, I have very little to report in the way of Taylor news. Steve has had some stomach problems and has a UGI on Tuesday of next week. The doctor thinks he might have an ulcer. No surprise there. It's a wonder we all don't have one.

For those that are interested in such things...Beth Moore will be in Memphis in October and so Rachel and I have already bought out tickets! I've never been to a Beth Moore event, but I am stoked! It'll be a quick weekend, but well worth it! Tickets sell out fast, so if you are interested, I'd suggest you go out there now. We already booked our hotel room too. :) YAY!!!!

I've got 2 book reviews coming next week, so be sure and check back for more giveaways!

Happy Birthday!

I'm giving a shout out to my friend, and niece, Beth today! It's her birthday and she's 25! She reads my blog and I know I've never given her a shout out, so today is the day.

Here she is with her husband Bob. Don't they make the best looking couple ever?

Beth is part of the Taylor-clan and she is also a big part of why I'm part of the Taylors. I met her before I met Micah who was the catalyst for Steve and I getting together (though she may regret that now!). Beth's mom, (Steve's sister) Deanne, was very encouraging to me when Steve and I first started dating. Remember, Steve was 15 years old than me and I was only 20 when we met. So, we kept it on the down-low because we knew what people would think and say about a 35 year old man dating a 20 year old girl. Because Steve lived with Beth's family at the time, I spent quite a bit of time getting to know them before knowing the rest of the Taylors.

I have watched Beth grow from a little 10 year old girl into the woman you see in the picture above. Totally amazing. I love these Taylors like crazy!

Happy birthday Bethie. I hope this is just the first of MANY wondering years.