Today however, the second Sunday of May, was designated by President Woodrow Wilson in 1914 (after lengthy campaigning by individuals in the United States) an annual national holiday called Mother’s Day.

This announcement caused 21-year-old Joyce Hall (founder of Hallmark Greeting Cards) to jump up and down with glee for decades while it plunged most good children into annual stress and angst, trying to conjure up ways to adequately appreciate their mothers by sundown on the stated day.

OK, let’s be honest, how many of us have paid Fed Ex the price of lunch for four, just to get that package to Mom ON TIME?!  Those of you who have Mom in town, well, you have no excuse and should just count your blessings every May. 

I’m a mother of 5 boys and by God’s marvelous grace I am loved every single day of the year, so Mother’s Day does not make or break the year for me.  My kids know there isn’t pressure to produce something more to make me feel special (they do that for me just by being who they are, loving and serving God, honoring their Dad and I, and being there for us 24/7 in their hearts, prayers and practical expressions - yes, on occasion even gifts!) but how many mothers across the earth (now that this holiday is celebrated everywhere) do you imagine have been bereft of spirit at the end of THE BIG DAY when they felt ‘forgotten’  by their offspring? 

I think I just want to take a moment to remind us not to allow our culture’s imposed customs to push us into their mold and cause us to somehow feel we don’t measure up, we aren’t valued or we didn’t do a good job based on what we get, don’t get, who remembers, who forgets, blah, blah, blah.  I’ve always tried to honor my mother and father on Hallmark’s special days, but I’m sure I could never measure up to society’s huge expectations.   I do my best with what I have, but more than that, I endeavor to do far more on all the other days of the year with my prayers, emails, calls and constant love. 

Here is a big yellow sunflower for YOU, Mom, who ever you are and where ever you live, and a hug to go with it.  Keep on doing all that you do with all your heart as unto the Lord and you will receive rewards so rich, Hallmark’s gold crown will pale in comparison.

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!…and remember, every comment you post on my blog during May will automatically enter you into our NO ORDINARY BIG MAY CELEBRATION DRAWING!  XOXO

I’m laughing OUT LOUD  - can anyone relate??? I could not resist posting this…especially since so many of us will be sipping our favorite roast this morning…Happy Saturday!

I’d love to hear your coffee stories and remember, every time you leave a comment on my blog this month, you’ll be entered to win some fun stuff during our BIG MAY CELEBRATION!

 All Christian parents……

long for tools they can use to help their children fall more in love with the Lord and His Word.  Everywhere I go, folks ask me, “what are some great resources for my children?”  That’s why Dan and Louie Audio Bible Stories are now an item we stock at our resource table when we travel, encouraging parents in their child rearing. 

These humorous, often hilarious and heartwarming, dramatic Bible stories  are priceless.  Imagine a grandfatherly ventriloquist chatting it up with a dorky, scheming and immature dummy (who actually has a heart of gold under all that stuffing) and you can begin to imagine the fun they have together as your children or grandchildren, nieces, nephews and friends listen in, trying to visualize these unique characters they’re listening to.

While our children were growing up - and even now on occasion as I’m raising cool teen-agers, believe it or not, Dan and Louie still take us on adventures to The Bible Storybook Castle.  Dan and Louie have been fixtures in our household for almost 2 decades - (am I that old???) and I know you’ll love them, too.

Simply post a comment annnyyyywherrrrre on my blog anytime during the month of May and you’ll be entered to win as many times as you comment!

I had the privilege of speaking at a Christian school faculty luncheon in the Sacramento area.  It happened to be held at an outdoor venue, which always sets me just a little bit on edge due to, well, the unexpected er…uh…well, let me tell you about yesterday.

I arrived at the location good and early to get a feel for the place, be ahead of any possible logistical issues that might arise, etc.  I had my fourth-born trusty assistant, Levi Aaron in tow, which was a pleasure.  We were led past the flowering bushes, wisteria vines and assorted beautiful garden decor to the back outdoor patio which was delightfully appointed, set up and ready for us - and who ever else wanted to sit outside, having lunch on the restaurant’s patio!  So…we wouldn’t be…alone…???  Hmm.  Will the unsuspecting restaurant guests…. SURPRISE!!! …desire to hear me chatting away about ‘the unpleasant-tries of our sin-sick nation, our need to arise to save the next generation, and our duty to serve our Great and Awesome God on a daily basis’ on the microphone while they sip their iced tea and munch their chicken salad, while attempting to visit with their lunch buddies? Well, I must not take that worry on, thought I.  I will remain focused.  (Perhaps they have an appointment with God that they weren’t aware of - ha! - double surprise!) 

Moving along…Once our group of educators were seated and formalities attended to, along with the other items on the agenda, it was my turn.  Now, keep in mind that I wore a two-piece suit, as is my habit when I address a group of professionals, and this happened to be a 90-degree day standing on sun-baked concrete .  Envision a beautiful, loud, fountain, flowing precisely behind the spot where I was to speak. Picture an active parking lot just behind me, customers flowing to and fro, car doors slamming, waiters buzzing about, latecomers sort-of-sneaking in discussing their needs with the waiters, birds flying…yes, so much activity and multiple distractions to compete with.  (Lord, I silently cried in desperation, help me capture their attention so they can hear what you brought me here to say!)

Now, imagine as I spread out my oodles of notes and illustrations before me on the music stand and little rolling waiter’s table I have arranged for just such a purpose (remember, I’m the bag lady who always brings more than she needs, just in case!) when I turn to adjust the microphone placement, suddenly a subtle gust of wind sweeps by, grabbing my freshly typed and highlighted notes, whisking them into the bubbling fountain! (see Exhibit A below)

In a silent panic, disguised of course with calm facial expression and with microphone in one hand, I reach into the fountain with the other (not a good idea, Mom always said, to mix electricity with water!) grabbing MY PRECIOUS from certain annihilation, (which, need I say, would leave this guest speaker in great distress!)  “That was so much fun,” thought Mr. Wind, that he began to tease me unmercifully, attempting to lift all my assorted papers from their resting places, thus activating much of the staff to grab paper weights in the form of whatever could be found laying around to anchor my papers securely to the surfaces I had arranged.

OK, this is war and  I refuse to lose.  Two can play at this game.  I recalled a text message my daughter Missy had just sent me earlier that morning, “BE BOLD!”

Those words strengthened me and I decided not to allow anything to hinder what God wanted to accomplish at this lovely event, honoring these impassioned Christian educators who were sacrificing so much to minister to their young charges, day-in and day-out.  “Let’s turn off the fountain, please,” I requested.  Done.  Good.  Now we can hear.  The gun blast sounded, we took off from the gate and  I had a blast! and I trust God worked and  now I can get a good laugh out of all those unexpected incidents at the lovely outdoor patio luncheon. 

Let’s never allow ANY little thing to get in the way of what God wants to do.  “Never, never, never give in,” is what Winston Churchill said.  I like that.

  These photos came from one of my son’s ‘moments of genius’ (see April 18th Post) with digital camera in hand .  Why five photos of the same blackbird with merely subtle variations in movement?  Because this is a boy with an eye for detail, one who truly appreciates and learns from God’s creation most every day.  A boy who has the privilege of an unhurried life, a lifestyle which allows him to STOP and ponder the brilliance in what others would consider mundane.  He is a very rich boy indeed; a boy whose innocence allows him to delight in simple pleasures.  I’m committed to protecting this aspect of his life for as long as I’m able, by God’s grace.  This is a precious thing.  

I’m suddenly reminded of Jesus’ words in Matthew 6 verse 23-26:  “Life is more than food and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens:  They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them.  And how much more valuable you are than birds!  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?  Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?????”

Hope you’re having an unhurried, pleasant, peaceful day; filled with God’s wonders.  If not, how ’bout tomorrow?

  by the contents in our LOCKED (ie., supposedly secure) mailbox.  My son innocently went to the mailbox (one of his daily duties) to grab the predictable armful of junkmail, bills and assorted papers.  As he transferred the load to me at the front door, my eye caught the latest Nordstrom’s ‘catalog’ -  “April 2008 Lingerie Book”. 

I lept into defense mode as I spied the sultry-looking bleached blonde beauty on the cover with the ‘come get me’ look on her face, her black lace almost-bra peeking out for the whole world to see.  She was the least of my worries.  When I opened this tool of hell, I was aghast that this little magazine hadn’t come in a secrecy envelope with a clear parental warning label across the front to protect the men in my household. I began to shred this 52-page packet of smut with a vengeance, as, page-by-page, I became more and more incensed by the presumptuous, greedy group of marketing execs who conceived this ‘catalog’.  I immediately Googled Nordstrom’s contact information, dialed their customer service number:

1-888-282-6060 and graciously, calmly removed myself from their mailing list, asking the operator to note specifically that this publication is in actual fact Softcore Pornography and is inappropriate for the men in our household, was unrequested, unmarked and UNWELCOME in our home, thank you very much.  She kindly informed me that this was not the first such call she had received, which was somewhat of an encouragement…if perhaps a flood of protest calls came in, incapacitating their system and threatening their profits, we would see change.

Along with this overt strike at our family, at least 5 obscene SPAM messages popped into my ‘inbox’ - a daily occurrence is 5-10 of these nasty devils - and that with strong filters downloaded onto my computer.  Then, after installing a computer camera for the purpose of talking for free via the internet, face-to-face with various friends across the earth, we were greeted with this pop-up message “Catherine has some sexy photos to show you - click here!”  All in one day.  Not to mention the alluring billboards we drive by on the interstate, the suggestive commercials we dodge on T.V. and the half-dressed strumpets strutting their stuff in our neighborhoods, coffee shops and grocery stores.  This is exhausting.

This is NOT O.K.  I won’t cry ‘peace’ when Sodom and Gomorrah are beating down my door for access to the godly men of my household and the millions of households in this nation! As I see it, this is a direct assault - a blow leveled against the purity of our lives, the strength and solidarity of our marriages, with the intent of corrupting the innocence of our children. I am angry.  This is war of another kind, and the enemy never plays fair. 

What man can stand against the deluge of smut thrown at him day and night in all its forms?!  Only a man fortified by close godly friendships, filled by God’s Spirit, marinating in God’s Word.  Plain and simple. I will sound the alarm until change comes.  I invite you to join me.    TO BE SILENT AT SUCH A CRUCIAL TIME IN OUR NATION IS TO INVITE DISASTER.

 EASY…HEALTHY…DELICIOUS!

Chinese Chicken Salad.  I promised you some great new recipes for health.  Throw a bag of broccoli slaw (available at any supermarket), chopped chicken breast (we used leftover grilled breasts), fresh cilantro leaves and  raw sliced almonds in a bowl.  Toss with Newman’s Own Low Fat Sesame Ginger salad dressing (improvise with another brand if you want).  Four ingredients.  The kids love it.  Daddy loves it.  Our bodies thrive on raw veggies and raw almonds - I go light on the chicken and dressing FYI.  For work:  toss everything but the dressing ahead and keep in the fridge - add the dressing at lunchtime.  Let me know how you like it! 

I recently received an encouraging email from Michael Farris, chairman of HSLDA www.hslda.org, announcing ‘Court of Appeal Grants Petition for Re-hearing’.  Here is a portion of that email…

…On March 25, the California Court of Appeal granted a motion for rehearing in the ‘In re Rachel L.’ case–the controversial decision which purported to ban all homeschooling in that state unless the parents held a teaching license qualifying them to teach in public schools.  (insanity along with severe loss of our freedom as parents, in my estimation)

The automatic effect of granting this motion (for rehearing) is that the prior opinion  is vacated and is no longer binding on any one, including the parties in the case. 

This is means for cautious rejoicing (”a great first step,” said Mr. Farris) in the battle for our freedoms as not only home schoolers, but as PARENTS.  Even if you don’t happen to home school, don’t think this doesn’t apply to you and your children.  One parent’s freedom is every parent’s freedom. 

“We are very glad that this case will be reheard and that this opinion has been vacated, but there is no guarantee as to what the ultimate outcome will be.  This case remains our top priority,” Farris added.

A huge thank you to each of you who signed the cyber-petition.  Your voice is a powerful tool as we Americans endeavor to maintain our liberties.

We just purchased a few items and they  came packaged in some really hefty, over-sized boxes.  My heart leaps when I see empty boxes - I LOVE BOXES - they’re just sooo…’filled’ with possibilities!  Well, my two youngest feel the same about these cardboard containers and immediately laid claim to their favorites.  They each hauled one up to their bedrooms that afternoon, and began to work away; planning, ’sawing’, creating.  The afternoon wore on, everyone said goodnight, and the day was done.  In the middle of the night about 2:30 a.m., I popped into my youngest’s bedroom to check on him and - gasp - the bed was empty and the bedding was gone…

  My eyes shot to the right, where his box sat, apparently intact…until I took a closer look and saw a line which appeared to be a slit in the side.  I pulled down on the sliced panel and a child suddenly sprung up, startled by the sound of the box being jolted. 

  It was him, of course. and here he is later - blankets, pillows and cushions for comfort; a handy little hole cut in the top so he can reach his hand through to turn his reading lamp off and on.  What a scream.  He’s been sleeping in his box for days.  Boys!

  And here’s my fourth born, loving every minute of his box time.  We were screaming with laughter as he displayed his comical antics in his new-found-playhouse.  He’s set up camp in his box, too.  One day last week I was going on about how much the boys love their boxes, when my husband said, “I understand.  That’s why I liked my camper so much - it was my box.  It’s a guy thing.”  Here he is in his box, enjoying a moment with his boys.

 Sometimes the most fun comes free, without electricity and “instructions for assembly”, doesn’t it?!  Bring on the boxes!

…eating all these vegetables!” exclaimed Seth Daniel, my fifth-born, as he munched his crunchy crudites at lunch the other day.  He makes us laugh.  Yep.  I’m gettin’ tough around here regarding diet, as I mentioned a few days ago.  Now, instead of a pile of potato chips next to the avocado, tomato, onion, cheese on  open-faced toasted melt, they find a nice little mountain of fresh veggies.  Instead of soft, processed ‘wheat’ bagels and tortillas and pasta, they get to eat the hefty sprouted grain kind (they say the bread’s heavy enough to be a weapon -ha!- they haven’t thrown one at me, yet!) and they’re suddenly finding beans in everything, now that I’ve been reminded of the super-power properties of these colorful little bite-sized wonders!

I was in a whirlwind in the kitchen a couple days ago, mushrooms flying out of their container across the kitchen while I whooshed everything away to the fridge…Seth looked down, then looked up with the biggest grin and said, “Yeah!!  Let the fungus fall to the ground where it belongs!!!” (He doesn’t like mushrooms - although ‘picky’ isn’t allowed around our house, I figure that if ’shrooms are the only vegies on the hate-list, then it’s no big deal.) 

Happy Saturday!  Off to take a long walk with the fam…