$50.00 VISA Gift Card Sue. P.

$25.00 VISA Gift Card Jen Sarg.

Jeff Allen Comedy Video-Shannon B. and Amanda P.

Tim Hawkins Comedy Video-Dimitri N. and Katy

Dan and Louie Bible Story CDs - Caryn, Maria, Lindsey R., Jennifer Sar., Diane, Cristin T., Malisa P., and Tammy A.

 After double and triple checking the details of all of our Big May No Ordinary Celebration! drawing entries - each blog entry during May was worth one entry and every book order was worth one entry (ie., if you ordered a triple set of two-for-one books, you earned 3 entries), a neutral witness observed while the drawing began in our Impact Media Office.  And the winners are…

Our “No Ordinary May Celebration!” was a huge success because of YOU!  All of our drawing winners will be announced this weekend and winners will be notified by email that prizes are in the mail.

……………ROBBED!

Okay, so you got the special announcement about party favors, and 3 for 30 on the 30th and you’re thinking, “why would I buy 3 books for $30.00 ($10.00 per book includes shipping) when I can buy 2, 2-for-1 in May Specials and get 4 books for $35.98 ($8.99 per book includes shipping) ?!?!?!?

And you begin to….

while..uuhh…hm…yes, indeed, you’re jumping up and down alright, LAUGHING!  Okay, the joke is on us 2 dizzies in the office - and SURPRISE…..

IT’S 4 FOR $30.00 ON THE 30TH!!!

-Winston Churchill - Tribute to the Royal Air Force, House of Commons, 20 August 1940.

How appropriate a quote for us in America.  It’s come to mind so much, after wrapping up a 3-day weekend culminating with our national holiday on Monday called Memorial Day, a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s service.  A formal day to reflect on those whose blood was spilled to purchase my liberty to do, basically, whatever I wanted to do, wherever I wanted to do it, all weekend long.  Whenever I’m feeling the heat of some ‘persecution’, some light and momentary affliction, and all is not as I wish it could be, with the sun shining down on me, I remind myself:  There is no gun to my head and I’m not yet hiding from government oppression and I owe it to a relatively small number of men and women who paid the ultimate price for my freedom.  That’s a sobering realization, isn’t it? 

How did you spend your weekend?  Some of you took Friday and made it a 4-day weekend…that’s such a treat!  I imagine lots of you were working on the landscaping, painting the trim, maybe grilling some chicken with friends.  Our weekend was peaceful, but constant, as we’re in the middle of many projects and I’m the sort of person who always seems to be spinning a lot of plates.  Our boys were occupied with friends, plans and activities out-of-town, which left me lots of time to spoil my husband and also to catch up on study and crossing some major items off my to-do list  that have been lingering far too long.  We Americans are truly privileged people. 

Your orders have been pouring in and it’s been pretty crazy ’round here during our NO ORDINARY BIG MAY CELEBRATION!  Wouldn’t ya’ know - Murphy’s Law some say - here in the U.S.A. our shipping costs have just been raised by the United States Postal Service…again.

Well we’ve decided the U.S.P.S. is not gonna spoil our party.  So, for the next 7 days while we wrap up all the May festivites ’round here at www.denisemira.com and .blog every book going to Canada will be charged a flat rate of two dollars and fifty cents.  Yep, just $2.50.  That means you’ll have enough money left over to hit Tim Hortons for coffee and a snack

So…don’t just sit there with your jaw droppin’ - get those orders in…time is ticking!

(For those Canadian friends who have ordered recently and were charged more than $2.50 per book, it was due to the fact that your order was expedited, which is priced significantly higher by USPS than First Class) 

 Stop the whole wide WORLD, it’s Junior’s birthday!  That’s the message we’re getting here in America, anyway.  Yes, I love parties.  Who doesn’t?  And I adore my children.  Who doesn’t?  And I recently had the unexpected pleasure of spending the entire weekend hanging around my son Benjamin while we were in town for a ministry time, which happened to land on his 22nd birthday, as well you know. 

But, I’m really quite tired of birthday obsession and I’ve been wanting to chat about it for awhile.  Especially as it relates to our children.  This might sound bad, but I haven’t been in town for some of my children’s birthdays. Recently I was in Boise, Idaho, with my husband’s blessing, ministering all weekend long while my Seth Daniel turned 13. I chatted to Seth in advance to reassure him of my love and devotion, and reminded him of how God always brings him such happy surprises when it’s necessary for me to be gone on his special day. I had a couple of gifts wrapped and ready so Daddy would be prepared for THE BIG DAY. Wouldn’t you know it - a precious family from our local church invited him to their son’s birthday party and ended up spoiling my Seth and honoring him unbelievably. I couldn’t have planned that, now, could I?! Our Father in heaven knows just what needs to happen, if we could only trust him more. How many times over the years, have I heard a mother proclaim, “oh, no, never, no we couldn’t, absolutely not - we wouldn’t, we shan’t for it’s JUNIOR’S BIRTHDAY!  As if suddenly the earth must stop orbiting and time should stand still while we all:

-buy extravagant birthday gifts and coordinating plates and napkins and decorations and $5.00 cards and $6.00 bags and $40.00 cakes and…

-cancel all kingdom activities for the entire day since, after all, it’s a birthday…a BIRTHDAY - did you hear me????

-over plan, over spend and over hassle due to Junior’s BIG DAY!

Let’s not allow Hallmark, Chucky Cheese and Build-An-Expensive-Bear run our already chaotic, expense-filled lives.

STOP the insanity.  Inhale.  Exhale.  DON’T feel you must make ‘party bags’ for already over-indulged children who have way too much already.  They add up real quick $$$ and never quite satisfy. The kids get to come to your house, eat cake and play.  That’s enough.  Save your money.  Take them all to the park with a ball and jump ropes and water balloons and let ‘em run wild.  Keep it simple.  Your child can feel just as much love for half the price!

Now I don’t want to bring you into bondage by making you feel guilty over your creative party planning.  I want you to be truly FREE in Christ.  I’m grateful for the freedom I have to love my sons; to, yes, even lavishly express my love with extravagant gifts at the appropriate times…but if I’m feeling PRESSURE to create an event; if I feel huge expectations I must fulfill…then it’s probably not the way I should go. 

If something inside you is saying, “yes, this sounds right.  I need to scale back and relax on this birthday party thing-it’s gone too far,” then take practical steps that you’re comfortable with.  That’s often how change comes to our lives: step-by-step, little-by-little as God gives us grace.  We move from the ‘real’ that we’re living, into the ‘ideal’ that God has for us.  Perhaps you’ve got some victories in this area that you’d like to share with us.  We’re all ears (under the party hats!)

Did someone say “PARTY”??? Don’t forget, every comment you post ANYWHERE on the blog is an automatic entry in our May drawing!

It’s good to be home after 3 days of writing and study in Seattle, then a whirlwind weekend of ministry in Tacoma, Washington at Impact Church - we’re home and busy unpacking.    Below, Gregory and I are enjoying a pleasant and peaceful ride on a huge commuter ferry to the city of Seattle where we enjoyed spending the day with all of our precious children on our second born’s 22nd birthday.  Seattle was experiencing an absolute HEAT WAVE…I’ve actually come home with a slight sunburn.  However, it was raining as we headed for home.  Wow.  What a superb time it was in the Emerald City.  More to come - stay tuned!

…AND CONGRATULATIONS ON THE RELEASE OF YOUR FIRST WORSHIP CD!  Yes, they just arrived this week, so if you pre-ordered a copy, it’s being shipped out today - whoo hoo!  Soon, you can hear samples here on my website/blog. Ben is our second-born son, and has filled our lives and the lives of so many with God’s love, grace and truth. We are very blessed indeed to have been given the gift of our Benjamin 22 years ago today.  We have the happy surprise of spending the day together on this sunny and beautiful day here in the Pacific Northwest. Can’t wait to share Benjamin Greg with all of you!