After being asked by a number of blogging friends to share my “vlogging prowess” with them, I thought I would offer up a Top 10 Vlogging Tips post for my Top 10 Tuesday post this week.

{If you can’t see the video embedded below, please visit the blog to watch it.}

In summary, my top 10 vlogging tips are:

1. Plan what you are you going to say
2. Smile
3. Be yourself
4. Have good lighting
5. Edit
6. Practice
7. Be aware of background
8. Pretend your camera is a friend
9. Invest in a quality camera
10. Be succinct

Do you vlog? What tips would you add?

—

Link to video camera on Amazon: Panasonic TA-1 Ultrathin HD Pocket Camcorder Enabled with Skype and iFrame {affiliate link}

—

*A

Related posts:

Quotes of note…

“The heart is the source of everything you feel, think, say, or do.”

Definition of heart: “the causal core of your personhood.”

“There’s nothing that comes out of the mouth of a drunk that wasn’t in his heart when he was sober.”

“Lasting change in a human being always travels through the pathway of the heart.”

“Your words always reveal your heart.”

{from Session 3: Targeting the Heart, Getting to the Heart of Parenting, Dr. Paul David Tripp}

These quotes were all part of a lesson on parenting. Why? Because we need to stop trying to control and managing our kids’ behavior and start working toward changing their hearts. Heart change deals with the source, whereas behavioral change deals with the symptoms of a “rotten” heart and can only be controlled so long as the individual is in a controlled environment.

Everything a person says and does is a result of his {her} heart overflowing. Whatever controls his {her} heart will shape his {her} behavior.

The problem with targeting heart change is that it takes a lot more time and effort because heart change is progressive – not instantaneous. As parents, we tend to be lazy and selfish, looking for quick fixes to our kids’ behavioral issues, often settling for temporary fixes {via threats, manipulations, and/or guilt trips} in lieu of delving into the heart issues behind the behaviors.

As Christian parents, we must seek progressive long-term change in our children – this is the goal of parenting.

—

Hiding God’s Truths in My Heart

{If you can’t see the video, please visit the blog.}

If you’ve hidden God’s truths in YOUR heart this week, be sure to link up below.

—

1000 Gifts…

#61 – Miraculous Moments for Moms {2.5 hours of free childcare}

#62 – God-given direction and guidance for my next eBook

#63 – two hours of uninterrupted writing time

#64 – our local library

#65 – making connections with potential for growing my platform

#66 – Starbucks dates with my best friend during AWANA

#67 – a friend who watches David on Wednesday nights during AWANA

#68 – my DVR

#69 – having a Christian college in our “backyard” = quality babysitters available

#70 – a husband who is as excited about the adoption process as I am

#71 – last minute openings that fit our crazy schedule

#72 – peace in the midst of a potential crisis

#73 – said crisis being a non-issue

#74 – Skype

#75 – long car rides that grow my patience

#76 – safety in travels

#77 – good times with family

#78 – a mommy who I can still cuddle with and share my heart with {even though I’m 27 years old, married, and have kids of my own}

#79 – a beautiful celebration of a Christian marriage

#80 – not getting carsick when I read in the car

#81 – my husband being willing to drive so I can read on long trips

#82 – hearing “Thank you for dinner!” and not being taken for granted

#83 – the gift of music

#84 – a wonderful body of believers with whom I gather each Sunday

#85 – praise and worship songs that lead me to the throne of God

#86 – gifted speakers that are able to fill the pulpit to give our pastor a break

#87 – an opportunity to get to know friends better over food and fellowship

#88 – a “restful” Sunday afternoon

#89 – downtime with my husband

#90 – cuddles with a sleeping little man

—

Link up your Hiding God’s Truths in My Heart Posts:

—

*A

Related posts:

{From the Publisher}:

Though she had planned to spend the summer in Vermont, Abigail Harding cannot dismiss her concerns over her older sister. Charlotte’s letters have been uncharacteristically melancholy, and her claims that nothing is wrong ring false, so Abigail heads west to Fort Laramie, Wyoming. When her stagecoach is attacked, Wyoming promises to be anything but boring. Luckily, the heroics of another passenger, Lieutenant Ethan Bowles, save the day.

Abigail plans to marry when she returns to Vermont, just as soon as she attends to her sister. As the summer passes, she finds herself drawn to this rugged land and to a certain soldier determined to persuade her to stay. When summer ends, will she go back East, or will she find her heart’s true home?

{My Thoughts}:

Twenty-four hours after finishing this book, I’m still thinking about the story, finding myself lost in the world of Fort Laramie, WY, in the summer of 1885. This was the first book that I’ve read by Amanda Cabot, but it will definitely not be my last. Summer of Promise had me hooked early on, and I found myself more and more engrossed in the story the more I read.

A mystery, a history, and a romance in one, Summer of Promise is the first in the “Westward Winds” series by Amanda Cabot, and in my opinion, it is a great read. I loved the way the author built up the story, taking her time to develop relationships between characters, allowing the characters to face several conflicts during the course of the story. It was only the ending that seemed a bit rushed and abrupt. I’m hoping that the Abigail and Ethan’s story will be “resolved” in the next book in this series.

I give this book five out of five stars, even with the abrupt ending.

—

Thanks to Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, for a copy of Summer of Promise for review. Pick up your copy today from your favorite bookseller!

—

*A

Related posts:

I was getting ready to write this post “late” last night {it was only 9:30, but it was late for me to be on the computer} when my computer CRASHED. No warning, no previous symptoms. And it didn’t even shut down – the screen just went BLACK and my monitor claimed there was no video signal.

At first, I didn’t freak out, thinking it was just my monitor acting up {it tends to do that occasionally}, but after unplugging the monitor and plugging it back in, the computer shut itself off and wouldn’t load Windows when it came back on.

I still wasn’t TOO worried, so when the computer rebooted, I pulled up the boot command screen to take a look at what was going on behind the scenes. It was there that my husband noticed that the computer’s core temperature was reading at 104 degrees Fahrenheit. It was at this point that I started getting a bit concerned, especially since the computer hadn’t been on all that long and it didn’t feel warm to the touch.

I decided that I would leave it off for the rest of the night – this post could wait until the morning – and I prayed.

God, I would REALLY like my computer to work when I turn it on in the morning. Sure, I could go computer shopping tomorrow, but I’d rather not. Plus, I have quite a bit on my hard drive I’d rather not lose {pictures, documents, etc.}. Whatever happens, though, I know it’ll be OK because You’re in control.

Know that there was a possibility my computer wouldn’t turn on this morning really didn’t phase me. I didn’t particular want to go computer shopping and/or deal with the potential loss of my hard drive, but I could still function. All my work files were on a remote server and I could borrow my husband’s laptop until I was able to figure out what I was going to do.

Well, it turned out to be a good thing that I didn’t stress and fret all night long because my computer turned on and loaded Windows without a hitch this morning. It was a blessing, but the bigger blessing was that I didn’t lose sleep over a situation that “could have been.”

—

{If you can’t see the video below, please visit the blog.}

How is your week going?

Get my eDevotional, Reflections on Matthew, FREE when you subscribe to my weekly newsletter: LIFE by Ashley Pichea – Weekly Newsletter!!

—

Check out where I link up…

Related posts:

A song popped into my head as I pondered where the word tender would take me this morning. The problem is that I can’t remember the words!

“…, tenderly, Jesus is calling. Calling for you and for me… Calling, dear sinner, come home.”

And immediately, Romans 5.8 pops into mind: “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Does this make ANY sense? Christ GAVE HIS LIFE for the ones who wanted to TAKE HIS LIFE.

Is there a picture that shows tender any better than that? He loved us SO much, even when we despised Him, that He gave His life in order that we might one day have a relationship with Him.

—

Have you experienced the grace and tenderness of Jesus? Have you accepted Him as your personal Savior – entering into a relationship with Him?

—

I’m joining The Gypsy Mama’s Five Minute Friday: Tender. Won’t you join us?

Related posts:

I’m joining a group of bloggers blogging through 1 Peter: Finding Encouragement in Troubling Times {An Inductive Bible Study} by Sue Edwards over the next nine weeks. This blog tour has been sponsored by Kregel Publishing, and I was provided a free copy of the Bible study book in exchange for my participation in the blog tour.

See all my posts in this series: 1 Peter.

As I studied 1 Peter 2.4-10 this week, I was reminded of what it means to be a part of the holy and royal priesthood that Peter describes in this passage.

“You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” {1 Peter 2.5, NASB}

As a believer, I am a living stone in the spiritual house that is being built in order to offer spiritual sacrifices to God.

The only way these spiritual sacrifices are acceptable is because I am in Christ!

Romans 12.1 helps me to better understand what this spiritual sacrifice looks like: “present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”

The spiritual sacrifice that is acceptable to God, and which I am to be offering as part of the holy priesthood, is a life of service and worship of Him.

Hebrews 13.15 says that I am to “continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.”

1 Peter 2.9 explains that being part of “a royal priesthood” is “so that [I] may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called [me] out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

What an incredible blessing and privilege it is to live a life that offers praise to God and points others to Him!

—

*A

Related posts:

I’d heard of Slugs & Bugs on other blogs I read, but I’d never taken the time to learn about them, so when Megan {from Slugs & Bugs} contacted me about sharing their newest CD with you, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to get to know Slugs & Bugs.

Slugs & Bugs is fun and silly music for parents and their kids. It was started by Randall Goodgame, who has also written songs for Veggie Tales. Slugs & Bugs just created a new album titled Slugs & Bugs Under Where?.

The music consists of songs that are just fun and silly but, also includes songs that have meaningful messages behind them. You can learn more about “behind the songs” at our blog. Randall created this music not only for children but, also for parents to enjoy as well.

Slugs & Bugs will be at the Great Homeschool Convention this April in Memphis, TN. Slugs & Bugs has been a great success for homeschool parents and children, MOPS groups, and children’s ministries.

Yesterday afternoon, I listened to the newest album, Slugs & Bugs Under Where?, while I was working.

To be honest, I didn’t really like the album. It was a bit over-the-top for me – and honestly, it was pretty annoying after the second or third song {I’m not really a “hoe down” fan, and most of the songs have a “hoe down” feeling to them}, but I can definitely see where kids would thoroughly enjoy it! There were definitely some songs that made listening to the album worth the time invested – ones that were less “silly” and had a meaning message that I would love to share with my kids.

One song that I did really enjoy was “I’m Adopted.”

Maybe it’s because we are in the middle of the adoption process ourselves, so I’m much more aware of adoptive messages, but I really enjoyed this song.

I love what the artist shared about this song:

I wanted this song to be a celebration.  Our stories are marked by trouble and grief, but the light of Christ chases away the darkness and his love makes strangers into family.

We all have been adopted – into the family of God – if we have accepted Jesus as our personal Savior. I know this is a song I’ll listen to again and again!

—

And now, I have the privilege of sharing Slugs & Bugs Under Where? with one of you!!

{If you are reading this post via email or in a reader, you’ll need to visit the blog to enter.}

a Rafflecopter giveaway

—

I was given a free download of Slugs & Bugs Under Where? in exchange for my honest review.

—

*A

Related posts:

I don’t get dressed for the sake of being fashionable but in order to set the tone for my day and my family. Without the accountability of this weekly post, I’d probably live in sweats. In order to live each day with intentionality, I start by intentionally getting dressed…

This week I “lost” a picture {seriously, I have NO idea what happened to my Thursday picture} and most of my pictures turned out pretty blurry. So, we’re going to be focusing more on the fact that I got dressed than what I actually was wearing!

—

{Wednesday}

What I Wore: oversized green sweater, jeans, slippers

What I Wrote: What I Wore & Wrote Wednesday {01.18.12}

{Thursday}

{no picture}

What I Wore: {I honestly have NO idea!}

What I Wrote: 1 Peter 1.13-2.3: Respond like a Bone-Dry Babe

{Friday}

What I Wore: purple tank-top, gray buttoned long john shirt, jeans, slippers

What I Wrote: Caffeinated Conversations {01.20.12} & Our Homeschool Week in Review {01.20.12} & Five Minute Friday: Vivid

{Saturday}

What I Wore: blue tank-top, Barakel sweatshirt, jeans, snow boots

What I Wrote: Social Media and Blogging Weekly Roundup {01.21.12} {on SavvyBlogging.net}

{Sunday}

What I Wore: gray tank-top, purple sweater, bangles, jeans, black flats

What I Wrote: Where Wildflowers Bloom by Ann Shorey {book review} & Unhallowed Ground by Mel Starr {book review}

{Monday}

What I Wore: purple v-neck top, jeans, black flats

What I Wrote: Masks, 1 Corinthians 6.17, 1000gifts… Monday Musings {01.23.12}

{Tuesday}

What I Wore: red tank-top, blue button long-john shirt, jeans, slippers

What I Wrote: A Day in the Life of Ashley Pichea

—

Be sure to see where I link up!

Related posts:

I was going to wait until I was back to “normal” before recording the events of my “normal” day, but let’s face it – this is my new normal.

FRIDAY {01.20.12}:

8:45am – Heard the kids up and playing. Went back to sleep.

10:00am – Jenny asked if they could go downstairs to watch cartoons and eat breakfast. I said OK and went back to sleep.

10:45am – J got up {he is off on Fridays}, so I did too. I checked my email on my iPhone, clearing the clutter from my inbox and leaving the few emails I needed to act on.

{Just Woke Up}

{10 Minutes Later}

11:15am – I’m dressed, our sheets are in the washer {it’d been a few months – eww}, and I decided to fry up a few eggs for my breakfast.

While the eggs are cooking, I decided to make some French bread for dinner tonight. I pulled out the ingredients and put them in the bread machine.

The kids end up eating half of the eggs I made {I made four} and my eggs are cold by the time I get to them.

11:45am – I head to my office and turn on my computer. Since I didn’t do my GMG Ephesians study yesterday, I did two days worth of SOAP notes before checking my email.

After a quick check of email, taking action on the emails that required my action, I checked Facebook and Twitter {via HootSuite} to see if I needed to respond to anything.

I had a giveaway to pick a winner on, two posts to promote via Facebook and Twitter, and a number of linkups to join.

I took a few minutes to comment on and promote a few other posts at the various linkups while answering requests from my kids and husband.

The laundry was done in the washer and needed to be switched. I folded the towels in the dryer, grabbed the pile of sweaters waiting to go upstairs, and put them all away. While upstairs, I decided to strip the sheets and blankets from the kids’ beds to wash.

12:30pm – Back in my office, I set the timer on my iPhone for five minutes and write my post for Five Minute Fridays. After finding a picture on Flickr for the post, I publish it, link it up, and start browsing the other posts linked up.

The kids have started asking for lunch {even though they’ve already had three mini-meals in the last three hours}. I distract them, and Jenny decides to practice her piano songs for a few minutes.

1:45pm -  Since we’ll be eating dinner in four hours or so, I decided they probably didn’t need another meal, so gave them some animal crackers for a snack while I made myself a chicken salad sandwich.

2:00pm – I sent David off to his room for naptime, and Jenny and I headed to the office to do some school. I stopped in the laundry room to switch their bedding to the dryer.

We did a few worksheets together and she worked on a few on her own while I responded to emails and started this post.

{During school, Jenny works independently while I work at my desk. I try to use this time to respond to emails, write upcoming blog posts, visit other blogs, and other blogging stuff – nothing too involved so I’m available to help her as she has questions.}

3:15pm – I took a break while Jenny was working on her worksheets to work on dinner prep. I whipped up a box of brownies and preheated my bread pan.

{Normally, dinner prep either happens while making lunch – crockpot meals – or at dinnertime, but we had company coming for dinner, and my lasagna needed two full hours to cook, plus I needed to bake brownies and bread.}

3:30pm – Jenny’s starting to lose focus, so I have to take a more hands-on teaching approach to help her get her schoolwork finished for the day.

4:00pm – Leave Jenny working on a math worksheet to put the lasagna in the oven, form the loaves, clean three bathrooms, set the table, sweep the floor, and assist with math as needed.

4:45pm – Collapse into my desk chair to check email and social media.

5:30pm – Last minute dinner preparations {i.e. bake the bread, finish setting the table, etc.} – friends are scheduled to arrive any time now!

6:00pm – Friends arrive for dinner.

7:15pm – Remake the kids’ beds and put them to bed.

7:30pm – Rejoin friends for a movie (Courageous).

9:30pm – Our friends leave, so J helps shovel them out {we got four inches of snow while they were here} while I clean up dinner and the kitchen.

10:15pm – Check email and social media before bed.

10:30pm – Remake our bed, change into my pajamas, and settle in for the night (read and watch tv for a bit before sleep).

And that, my friends, is a day in the life of Ashley Pichea.

—

When I originally planned to write this post, I’d planned to either take pictures or vlog throughout the day, but life happened. The photos in this post were actually taken on Tuesday {01.24.12} at 12pm when I finally crawled out of bed.

This truly is representative of my life at this point – unless I have outside obligations in the morning, I’m doing well to be out of bed before 10:30am. Definitely something I’m trying to work on.

—

*A

Related posts:

Masks:

Yesterday in Sunday school, we were talking about raising our kids. It’s a marriage and family class. We’re currently watching Dr. Paul David Tripp’s series on Getting to the Heart of Parenting, and though last week seemed a bit “obvious” to me, yesterday’s lesson still has me evaluating and pondering and trying to figure out what this parenting thing I’m doing is supposed to look like.

I’ve been trying to come up with the words to describe what I’m chewing over internally – but the words have yet to come together to make sense of the concepts. And if you know me, that’s saying something. Almost 36 hours later and I’m still stuck to verbalize what I heard in a succinct manner.

First, we talked about how the family is a learning community – specifically, the part of this week’s lesson that I’m struggling with {what it looks likes} was on how the family is to be a redemptive learning community.

Some points I picked up from the video:

• Our standards for our family ought to create tension in our children – they ought to recognize that can’t live up to the standards.
• Without a recognition of sin {failure to live up to the standards}, we can’t accept God’s grace and forgiveness.
• We need to raise children who understand and acknowledge their need for Jesus.
• We’re too good at raising self-righteous children, not unrighteous kids in need of a Savior.
• There needs to be a sense of dependency on God, EVERY DAY, for grace and forgiveness in our failures.

Basically, we need to stop creating a church full of kids who can quote the Bible and look good on the outside but who have no love for God on the inside. Instead of creating cookie-cutter mini-Christians, we ought to be setting our kids up to fail, so that they can learn from their failures – learning to trust God and love Him with their all.

After watching the video, we began to discuss what we’d learn/gleaned. And it wasn’t long before the topic of masks came into our discussion…

First, we agreed with Dr. Tripp’s analysis that the church is good at producing regurgitating, self-righteous kids.

We teach kids how to put on the mask of the “good Christian” when they come to church, so that they will “fit in” and everyone will cheer for them as they “live for Christ.”

Then, we identified that too often we take our masks home from church with us.

• We tend to hide our wrong-doings from our children, not allowing them to learn from our example of repentance and seeking grace. They begin to see us as “super Christians” – a standard they can never live up to.
• We set standards for our kids to live up to, but we don’t leave room for failure – no grace learned and experienced. We “force” them into a mold that we have set, and they quickly learn to hide their imperfections behind the mask of the mold.

As parents, we need to first be willing to take off our own masks – at church, and especially at home, in front of our kids. We need to set an example of daily dependence on God in order to live up to His standard, being quick to admit our failures and asking forgiveness and accepting His grace. This needs to be done in such a way as to teach our kids what grace truly is.

Secondly, we need to set our kids up for failure – we need to have a standard that is in alignment with the Word of God, and we need to hold our kids to it. Let them know up-front that they will fail to live up to it – but that when they do, you will be there to love and support them as they learn from their failures and seek God’s grace.

We need to create an environment of openness and honesty – our kids need to be able to come to us with their failures and weaknesses, knowing we will be there to love and support them as they face the consequences of their actions. Our children should never be afraid to tell us when they’ve fallen short of the standard – they need to know that Romans 3.23 is true about their parents as it is about them!

Like I said in the beginning – I’m still processing all of this… it’s very much still a work-in-progress in my own heart and head.

I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback on this topic… how have you been intentional about creating a redemptive learning community in your family?

—

Hiding God’s Truths in My Heart

{Be sure to link up your Scripture memory posts below!!}

—

Counting My Blessings…

#36 – a BEAUTIFUL sunshine-y and snow-y day!! {seriously – this made me so giddy}

#37 – Jenny’s ability to make breakfast and lunch

#38 – independent and semi-self-sufficient children

#39 – emails from the DCS office {about our adoption process}

#40 – the ability to be “on-call” as a babysitter for our friends

#41 – a solid week of homeschooling in the midst of being under the weather

#42 – a weekly coffee date with a good friend

#43 – having the opportunity to play volleyball arise the day after realizing how much I was missing it

#44 – having said volleyball match cancelled due to weather {my back wouldn’t have appreciated me playing}

#45 – discovering that there’s a free mom’s time out program next door to our neighborhood

#46 – reconnecting with a friend via Facebook and text messages

#47 – having friends to dinner

#48 – watching Courageous with our friends and being encouraged by it

#49 – being able to be certified in CPR in under two hours

#50 – playing in the snow with my kids

#51 – a great Sunday school class

#52 – incredibly Christian growth and living resources

#53 – lots of babies in the nursery at church {so I can get my “baby fix”}

#54 – cell phones & texting

#55 – lunch with friends

#56 – small groups at church

#57 – Sunday afternoon naps

#58 – good books to read

#59 – authors who encourage and challenge me through their stories

#60 – Chinese take-out

—

Link up your Hiding God’s Truths in My Heart Posts:

—

*A

Related posts: