Please Pray for the Chapman family

Left to right Will Franklin, Maria, Steven, Shaoey, Mary Beth, Stevey Joy, Caleb and Emily

MARIA SUE CHAPMAN, DAUGHTER OF STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN, DIES IN ACCIDENT AT FAMILY HOME

At approximately 5pm on the afternoon of Wednesday May 21st, Maria Sue Chapman, 5 years old and the youngest daughter to Steven and Mary Beth Chapman was struck in the driveway of the Chapman home in Franklin, TN. Maria was rushed to Vanderbilt Childrens Hospital in Nashville, transported by LifeFlight, but died of her injuries there. Maria is one of the close knit family’s six children and one of their three adopted daughters.

More than five years ago, Chapman and his wife MaryBeth founded The Shaohannah’s Hope Ministry after bringing their first adopted daughter, Shaohannah, home from China. The ministry’s goal is to help families reduce the financial barrier of adoption, and has provided grants to over 1700 families wishing to adopt orphans from around the world. Chapman is a five-time GRAMMY ® winner and 54-time Dove Award winning artist who has sold over 10 million albums and garnered 44 No. 1 singles.

The Chapman family is so grateful for the incredible outpouring of love and support at this difficult time.
If you’d like to meet Maria and express your condolences click here
By mail, send to PO Box 150156 Nashville, TN 37215.
In lieu of flowers, the Chapmans request any gifts be directed to Shaohannah’s Hope.

“The Kid in You” Photo Contest

This pic is of DD1 at City Museum in St. Louis, MO. This was a 3 story slide and was my favorite thing to do there! Some people wearing jeans didn't go down very fast, but I had on polyester slacks and I flew down! It was such a blast!
[you can click on the pic for a close up to see the sheer joy on her face]

5 Minutes for Mom is hosting another photo contest and they want to see "The Kid in You!"
See what you could win:
The Grand Prize: A Nintendo Wii
Second Prize: A piñata packed with Nestlé!

Entry deadline is Monday, June 2nd, 12pm EST. so don't miss out!

Win on the Web!

There is a big birthday bash going on at www.sevendogsandababy.com! There are lots of door prizes, so don't miss out!

Would you like to win a $50 gift card for Williams Sonoma?! I saw several things I would love to get, like a Mandoline and a great personalized doormat! check it out at http://www.bubbleandsqueak.biz/cleanplateclub/2008/03/bloggy-giveaway-williams-sonoma-gift.html

Stephanie at http://metropolitanmama.net offers lots of giveaways. And if you've got little ones, she always has something for them!

www.5minutesformom.com is also a great place for moms to check out. They are usually offering several giveaways and new ideas!

And don't forget about the The Bloggy Giveaways Carnival where more than 500 bloggers have joined in the giveaways!

Bloggy Giveaways Quarterly Carnival

The Bloggy Giveaways Carnival is in effect and there are so many great things being given away!
This is my first year to participate since I just recently started a blog!

Enter below to win the book Rattled by Trish Berg. Welcome to the Adventure of Motherhood...Clutter? Chaos? Exhaustion got you down? You must be a mom. And you’re not alone. Perhaps you thought you had it all together…then your baby was born and your world was turned upside down. If new motherhood has you filled with doubt, guilt, and confusion, Trish Berg wants to offer companionship, hope, and help–plus a lot of humor along the way. With practical advice and scriptural reminders, Berg presents two pillars of motherhood: Keep it simple and keep it biblical. Relax as you learn that every mom shares your stresses, challenges, and “Aagghh!” moments. In the midst of sleep deprivation and Cheerio dust, you’ll learn to savor the simple joy and privilege of mothering.

Mother's Day is coming up, so this would be a great gift to yourself, or a new mom you know! To win, just leave a comment by April 26th and tell how many children you have. I have seven! This is open to US residents only. I will draw April 27th and contact the winner, so if you post anonymously, please leave me a way to contact you :)

I have another giveaway that ends Wed the 23rd, so enter to win that also!

This is now over and AMES has won! congrats! please get your info to me :)

The Moody Pews Book Giveaway

I want to invite you to my first book giveaway!

The Moody Pews is a 52 Week Devotional for the Flower Child or Baby Boomer by Sandra L. Brown, M.A. It is an innovative book that reaches baby boomers and newer generations with the Gospel and encouragement to grow in Christ. It is done through progressive themes that are relatable through rock and roll titles, old TV reruns, and any other memory-enhanced theme that will draw people to the subject matter.

To win, just leave a comment by April 23rd and tell what old TV rerun is your favorite. My family's is Andy Griffith. This is open to US residents only. I will draw April 24th and contact the winner, so if you post anonymously, please leave me a way to contact you :)

Rene Gutteridge in person!

My book discussion group met with Rene Gutteridge (pictured front and center)... she was so great! We all loved how she was so down to earth and very friendly. She came wearing jeans and just seemed to be glad we invited her. She signed all of our books and answered all of our questions with a smile :)

She told us how she has been a writer all her life and her first book was published about 8 years ago when she was 26. She has written so many books and does at least 2 a year. There is a great group of authors that get together and are friends rather than rivals. It's great that they can encourage each other.

When she first started writing books, Rene felt like the Lord told her to write books for Christian who don't read Christian fiction. Most Christians read secular fiction because they don't want "another message". So even though her books are Christian fiction, they have a more subtle message.

We read "My Life as a Doormat." It is a great book and has lots of humor scattered throughout it. I could totally relate to the characters and really enjoyed the book. I encourage you to read it! Rene is the author of 13 books and her newest book Skid comes out in May.

Which books have you read by Rene?

Two Weeks of Toys Giveaway!

Life is short. Every day our kids grow a little bigger. So let’s seize the moment and celebrate the early years. Yes - it is time to PLAY!

For the next two weeks, we will be going toy crazy here at 5 Minutes for Mom. We will be featuring an assortment of toys for a variety of ages. We will have toys for babies, preschoolers and grade school kids. For the next fourteen days, the rule is FUN!

To enter the giveaways you just need to visit http://www.5minutesformom.com/