Book Club: Did you know that a rabbi in Israel who lived in this century said He had a vision of the Messiah? Go here to read the book about this rabbi.

Compassion Update: We have 3 appointments scheduled! Yay! Do you want to schedule a free/reduced-rate counseling appointment? Go here to do that 24/7/365. Our Ribbon-Cutting will be this Wednesday at 4:30 pm at Oakdale United Methodist Church, 2675 Overhill Drive, Stephenville, TX 76401.  Go to this Facebook page to RSVP for this public event. We open this Thursday, January 15th, 2015 at 9 am!

Today is the DD’s 25th birthday! Difficult to believe that she is a quarter-century old, but alas, she is. She will spend most of her day working with kids, which has been a favorite pastime for her since she was 2 years old. Have a wonderful day, Sweetie!

Last week’s WOW was regnant. Both my niece and DD had a pretty good idea about this one! Merriam-Webster Online says that the definition of regnant is: exercising rule or having the chief power or  of common or widespread occurrence. The aforementioned smart chicks felt it had to do with being regal royalty and they were right!

This week’s WOW is anodyne. Here are my ridiculous attempts at this one:

anodyne (ˈa-nə-ˌdīn): 1. annotating a dynamic sign 2. a sign indicating “No Dining” (which means I’d never see the sign, because I believe in dining everywhere) 3. the diode of anode

What’s your definition for anodyne? Go here to tell me.

Wednesday’s Post: # 8 and # 7 …

You Might Also Like: Word of the Week: regnant; Word of the Week: parvenu; Word of the Week: meed; and Word of the Week: soigne

Book Club: What does an 108 year old rabbi say about the Messiah? Go here to find out.

Compassion Counseling Center Update: We officially start on 1/15/2014! Thanks to a “tribute gift” of $ 1000, Compassion begins counseling in 16 days! A tribute gift is a donation made in honor of, or in memory of, someone special to the donor. Go here to see the beginning of the Tribute Gift Page and go here to honor or memorialize someone special to you! Since Compassion is a 501(c)(3) charity, all donations are tax-deductible.

Also, Compassion will have a Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony on Wednesday, January 14, 2015 at 4:30 pm at Oakdale United Methodist Church, 2675 Overhill Drive, Stephenville, TX 76401. YOU are invited! We will have refreshments and tours for all those attending. If you would like to attend, please go here to let me know. Yes, family and friends are welcome! I just need a “head count” for the sake of ensuring enough refreshments for everyone attending.

Book Club: This Friday’s post will be the Slow Reader Friday discussion of Christine Caine’s Unstoppable. This book is quickly becoming one of my favorites!

Compassion Counseling Center: We have $ 760 to raise by 1/15/15. If you would like to help people in our area get much-needed counseling, please go to the link to the right and donate. Memorial/Tribute gifts can be given in honor of a special person in your life and organizations can become a Compassion partner for a contribution of at least $ 500. Our partners and our Tribute honorees will be published on our web site. Compassion is now a 501(c)(3) public charity and U.S. donations to Compassion are tax deductible.

The 12 Days of MIP:  Beginning this Wednesday I will start revealing my favorite blog posts for this year. Do you have favorites? Go here and tell me about why you liked a particular post!

Book Club: Once again, a book comes into my life right when I need it! Have you started reading Unstoppable by Christine Caine? Click here for more details.

Compassion Counseling Center Update: We had our first fundraiser for Compassion this past Saturday and it was a lot of fun. If you wished you could attend, but didn’t, there is still time to participate! Debbie Noel will allow all of us to buy gifts for our family and friends until December 10th (and yes, they can be sent directly to your gift recipient in time for Christmas!) and give her commission and 15% of the sales to Compassion! In addition, she is offering great bargains to all participants. Debbie fought off the flu to make fabulous food and fun for all who attended. Please at least visit here to see the products she offers. Thanks!

Fast Five: I will be posting about the final short book of the Bible–Jude. (Why does a Beatles song always “play” in my head when I see that name???)

Howdy, Word Lovers! One of the counselors-in-training for Compassion Counseling Center said she looked up malversation last week and that I was really close on my 3rd definition guess. Here’s Merriam-Webster’s definition: misbehavior and especially corruption in an office, trust, or commission or corrupt administration. Since my 3rd guess was “a discussion between Congress and President Obama,” I’m putting this in my “win” column on Word of the Week.

This week’s WOW (Word of the Week) is refulgence. Here are my guesses for refulgence:

refulgence (ri-ˈfu̇l-jən(t)s) 1. the gastric response to too many refills 2. reefer indulgence 3. the lovely smell that remains on your hands when you overfill your car gas tank at the gas station

What’s your guess for refulgence? Go here to submit your guess.

Wednesday’s Post: Hey, Jude…

You Might Also Like: Word of the Week: malversation; Word of the Week: adscititious; Word of the Week: infix; Word of the Week: opusculum; and Word of the Week: knackered

Book Club Members: This Friday is the Slow Reader Friday review of Beating Goliath by Art Briles. I will also announce the November MIP Book Club Selection on Friday. Tell me what you thought of Coach Briles’ book here.

Children of the Day Posts: This Wednesday will be the last Children of the Day post. We’ll be starting a new set of posts called “Fast Five” after that. Stay “tuned” for details.

Top Mommy Blogs Update: We Christians aren’t supposed to covet, but I still covet your rating at Top Mommy Blog. Click the button to the right of this post, please! Thanks!

Good morning, Word Lovers! Last week’s Word of the Week (WOW) was billingsgate. No one had a guess for this word. So, let’s consult Merriam-Webster Online: coarsely abusive language. Maybe that’s why my readers didn’t know it? None of us engage in billingsgate???

Today’s WOW is fantod. Here are my guesses for the definition of fantod: 

Book Club Update: I don’t think like Art Briles, but I wish I did. Ready for more of Beating Goliath!

Children of the Day Survey: In a few short weeks, we will be done with Beth Moore’s Children of the Day. If you are participating in this study, please go here to tell me what you would like to do next. It’s only 6 questions and they’re all multiple-choice. Thanks!

My Favorite Things! Last Friday I started a new feature on MIP. Go here to see it!

Top Mommy Blogs Update: If you are enjoying my posts, would you be so kind as to click on the Rate My Blog button to the right of this post and rate MIP? Thanks so much!

The guessing by family members continues for Word of the Week. This week my father-in-law contributed what he thought froward might mean: A presumptious attitude or action. Putting yourself out in front. So, let’s see if Merriam-Webster Online agrees: habitually disposed to disobedience and opposition. Pretty darn close and if we added in connotations to the definition, I’ll be the the father-in-law is right. Did you guess correctly, too?

Book Lovers: Do you have your copy of Beating Goliath? If not, now’s the time to download it on your e-reader. Go here for all of the details.

Have you missed a few sessions of Children of the Day? Read all of my Wednesday posts to catch up. Go here for the first one!

If you like this post, please consider clicking on the Top Mommy Blogs button to the right of this post and rating my blog. It helps MIP get noticed! Thanks!

Happy Monday, Word Lovers! Last week’s Word of the Week (WOW) was inkhorn. The hubby said an inkhorn was an inkwell for a quill pen and he was right! I knew I married a smart man!

This week’s WOW is bonnyclabber. And yes, I do sometimes pick WOWs that are just too much fun to play around with and bonnyclabber certainly fits that description! My guesses are as follows:

Book Club: I’m reading all about the new Baylor University football stadium. Have you started reading Beating Goliath? If not, go here.

Howdy, Word Lovers! Last week’s WOW (Word of the Week) was truckle. Merriam-Webster defines truckle as: to act in a subservient manner or to submit. If so, then I’m truckling tonight as I start on a brand new venture. Yes, you’ll probably hear about it here sometime.

Today’s WOW is inkhorn. Why do I have a feeling that some of you know this one???

inkhorn: (ˈiŋk-ˌhȯrn) 1. writing with a cow horn 2. when a unicorn is drawn in a children’s book 3. when a publisher is called on the telephone

Are you one of the people that knows inkhorn? If so, send me the definition (or a guess) here.

Wednesday’s Post: Lessons Learned from the Dallas 2014 Women of Faith Conference

You Might Also Like: Word of the Week: truckle; Word of the Week: fissiparous; Word of the Week: cock-a-hoop; Word of the Week: recondite; and Word of the Week: collimate

Book Club: This Friday is the Slow Reader Post of The Way Home by Belle Calhoune. Also, the MIP October Book Club Selection  will be announced!

Last week’s Word of the Week (WOW) was fissiparous. Merriam-Webster defines fissiparous as: tending to break up into parts or divisive. Therefore, I think it’s safe to say that Congress is rather fissiparous these days. Would you agree???

Today’s WOW is truckle. Here are my definition guesses for truckle:

truckle: (ˈtrə-kəl) 1. a truck driver’s act of chuckling 2. a true cackle (I sense a theme here!) 3. a belt buckle that’s the size of a semi (That basically includes all belt buckles in Texas).

What’s your definition guess for truckle? Send it to me here.

Wednesday’s Post: Children of the Day Reflection Time!

You Might Also Like: Word of the Week: fissiparous; Word of the Week: cock-a-hoop; Word of the Week: recondite; and Word of the Week: collimate

Book Club Lovers: I have already finished The Way Home by Belle Calhoune. How about you? This is the first book of a series. Are you ready for the next one?

Children of the Day Update: Are you studying Beth Moore’s Children of the Day study on Thessalonians? If so, you may enjoy my Wednesday posts about what I’m learning in this latest study from her. Go here.

Redesign of MIP: If you’re a chronic reader of MIP, you probably are noticing that some things are redesigned today. Do some exploring–you’ll find some old information in new places and some things redesigned just to make MIP a bit more eye-appealing. Thanks, DSL, for wowing me again! And no, not in the Word of the Week sense.

Last week’s Word of the Week (WOW) was the questionable cock-a-hoop. I’m also scared to look this one up on Merriam-Webster Online. But, the “Bible” for dictionaries says that cock-a-hoop means: very excited and happy about something done;  triumphantly boastful; exulting. I am exulting over the fact that MIP is slowly being noticed more and more by people I haven’t yet had the privilege of meeting!