So…I thought perhaps it would be a good time to share one more AMAZING tip that you are gonna love me for!  Now this is great for travel, but actually at our house, we use it regularly when we don’t want our clothes to look like they sat at the bottom of an overloaded clothes basket for 3 days when we were too busy to fold them!

This stuff will change your life!  Downey brand wrinkle releaser;  it’s just about the only ‘ironing’ we do anymore at our house. Just hang the top, pants, shorts - whatever - across the back of a chair or on a rack, lightly spray across the wrinkled spots, smooth out with your hands - pull here and there to make the fabric somewhat taut, and let air dry.  Voila’ there you have it - a perfectly acceptable article of clothing to wear in public!  (We use this mostly on our cotton blends.  But check out the label, as I’m sure it will list fabrics it could damage or it isn’t effective on.)

Downey has wisely adjusted their travel size to be 3 oz. (my last brand-new ‘travel size’ was 4 oz. exactly (1/2 oz too big for carry-on) and  was immediately nabbed by airport security, much to my dismay).  You know, they really have to look out for us 40-something blondes with Downey wrinkle spray as they pursue could-be-terrorists!  You just can’t be too careful.

Anyhoo…I buy the large economy size for home use.  We all LOVE the stuff!  If you try it, keep me posted, no pun intended, although….just to let you know: YOU CAN POST ON MY SITE NOW.  I’d enjoy hearing how you like it.

Pre-prayer meeting at church begins in 28 minutes and you need 15 of those to drive to the building.  O.K….You can feel it in the air….TENSION!!!  Brett can’t find his left shoe (surprise, surprise :)), you probably should have woken the kids earlier, but they were up a bit late last night (again)…Daddy seems on edge because the clock is ticking and he hates to be late…the younger two didn’t have breakfast and you can’t locate a healthy snack to grab - darn! - you knew you should have picked up that box of healthy granola bars when you ran into the grocery store yesterday…lunch won’t be for AGES….rats!  You’ll have to do your make-up in the car yet again…”Stop fighting!”  you yell to the middle two as they bicker over a stupid plastic toy from last week’s Not-So-Happy Meal….

AT THIS MOMENT THINGS COULD GET WORSE OR THINGS COULD GET BETTER.  IT’S UP TO YOU, MOM.

• Praise God.  Verbally and in your heart.
• Stay positive and put it all into perspective.  Jon won’t die if he eats a handful of mini-wheats and a piece of cheese on the way to church.
• Keep your mouth shut as much as is possible.  We gals can stir up stuff quicker than a snap of the fingers, if we’re not careful.  Bless, bless, bless.
• Look at the bright side…at least 1 million other families across the earth and going through the same motions at this moment!  You’re in good company.
• Plan for success for next week.  Stock up on what is a reality breakfast for Sunday morning.  Make the kids pick out every single item they’ll need for dressing for church Sunday, on SATURDAY NIGHT before they watch the movie.  Might not be a bad idea for you to do the same, Mom, if you’re anything like me!
• Go to my January 13th 2008 post:  The Power of the Local Church and remind yourself of why you’re doing what you’re doing!
• Happy Sunday!

As the week winds down, my fridge is usually filled with odds and ends, bits and pieces and the makings for all sorts of tasty tidbits.  I am also ready for a break and really don’t want to decide ‘what to make for dinner’.  This little exercise will test your kids’ creativity and maturity, and they better pass the test or they’ll go hungry!  If you take inventory and can honestly say that any intelligent human being can create something relatively nutritious from the ingredients your cupboards and refrigerator/freezer contain…then proclaim it an “Every Man For Himself Dinner Night”.

A FEW TIPS FOR SUCCESS: 

• Scribble a list of what you see that can be created from what you have on hand.
• Give a specific older child responsibility to prepare something for a specific younger sibling (never assume :).)
• Give everyone a time limit and nutritional boundaries, ie., fruit roll-ups are off-limits and popcorn or French bread with butter does not qualify as a meal (at least make a fruit smoothie and a peanut butter sandwich on wheat bread to go with the popcorn), and, the meal will be eaten and cleaned up by 7 p.m. or you don’t eat.  (otherwise they’ll put if off because they’ll get lazy and be hungry at 9:30!)
• Each child is responsible to clean up the details of their own preparation and meal mess.
• Assign each older, capable child a final task such as sweeping kitchen, cleaning surfaces, scrubbing sink….so you can walk into a ‘clean as a whistle’ kitchen later.
• DO prepare something for hubby because he’s your man and you love him and want to serve him and he worked hard all day, too!  Unless of course he offers to take you out, then - whoo-hoo - it’s party time!  Or perhaps a really good-cook-of-a-child would serve Pops well, then by all means, ‘assign’ Daddy’s meal to that kid!
• DISAPPEAR…to your room, to the patio, or to the yard to read, to write a letter or to make a phone call to a friend for a nice catch-up-chat.
• THEN….when ‘time’s up’:
• Interview the brood and find out what they prepared for themselves and their younger siblings.  Admonish the brutes who starved the little ones and bless those who who took the charge seriously and did their best, even if it wasn’t your best.
• Check the chores to make sure they were done.

BUT DENISE….

Perhaps you’d say, “Doesn’t sound like much of a ‘Vacation’ to me.”  But I’d say, “if you train ‘em right once, you’ll have bought yourself many more pleasant ‘Every Man For Himself Dinner Nights’  to come in the future!”

*This is a Mini-Vacation with lots of bang for your buck:  A fair amount of emotional investment ONE TIME ONLY; after that, they’ll be a breeze!

I think you’ll agree that one extremely pleasant and often hilarious slice of time can be spent browsing the greeting card section of a well-stocked stationery shop, grocery store or discount ‘department store’.   If I know I’ve got 30 precious minutes alone, time stands still for me as I peruse the copious amounts of paper cards available to buy.  A hidden camera would find me, all by myself, throwing my head back and cackling uproariously one moment, then suddenly, two steps to the right, furrowing my brow with compassion…..and finally, ooohhhing and aaahhhing with appreciation across the aisle.  The huge variety to choose from makes the hunt especially fun.  I love cards! 

Perhaps it’s because, although abundant,  they’re really quite rare.  It seems as if the extent of our communication has become more like sound-bites.  A text here, an email there.  Or, we play all day, the most common adult game:  phone tag.  I leave a voicemail for you, you leave one for me, vice versa and business gets done.  Hmmm.  I think we all mourn, to some degree, the lost art of letter-writing.  What a serendipity in our day, to go to the mailbox and actually find something more meaningful than food coupons and advertisements, along with our predictable bills.

So…after I’ve chosen a few perfectly delightful cards, I find it to be such therapy to sit down at a table, on a park bench, my patio or simply on a grass lawn and write a few lines to someone who’s been on my heart.  Some good reasons to write a great card:

Someone has blessed you in a practical way.

Someone has enriched you in a spiritual way.

Someone has taken a special interest in your children.

Someone needs encouragement during a bleak season they’re experiencing.

Someone had a real impact in your life, and you never really told them!

Someone really blew it and they need to know they’re loved.

Someone went the extra mile and they deserve to be honored.

*Very affordable mini-vacation/pricier if you tuck a $20.00 bill inside the card to upgrade the greeting!

I’m determined to chat with my kids.  It takes an effort when we’re all pretty high-energy, easily distracted by life and stimulated by our surroundings - but I can’t bear to simply be ’ships passing in the night’ 24/7, which can easily happen in our chaotic culture. I wanna talk.  If I want them to talk, then I have to ask them something pertaining to what they like to talk about.

Mom:  “What is your absolute number one favorite meal?”

Seth: (without batting an eye)  “Garlic mashed potatoes with fresh Brussels sprouts and green beans cooked with a little bacon and New York steak marinated and grilled to perfection, a little red in the middle.”

Other questions:

• “What was the highlight of your day?”
• “What’s your dream job?”
• “What’s your favorite sport to watch?  Play?”
• “Tell me about a person you love to hang with.”

Setting….

Where do you get a conversation going?  Sometimes you gotta get them alone, or at least next to you, getting their attention, to get them to talk.  Even when it’s difficult.  Let’s say they’re feeling like ‘hermit-ing” which you are not willing to allow them to do regularly.  Some teens would prefer this habit and some personalities could live in an 8 X 5 foot room, curtains drawn, for a lifetime, I’m convinced!  If their bent is to be alone, then it’s time for an ‘intervention’. 

Mom:  “Jack, come to the kitchen and help me cook dinner.”

Jack:  (grumbling, huffing, puffing, groaning) “Aw, maaa…I wanna read my new book (which he already read 4 times this month).”

Mom:  “Be down here in 60 seconds or I’ll starve ya.”

Jack:  (visibly distraught, long-faced and dragging his feet, he pops into the room).

Mom:  “OK, you chop the tomatoes, tiny please and then grate this block of cheese.  I’ll get your brother to clean the cilantro and crack the eggs.  When that’s done, I’ll tell you what’s next.”

What I find is that while we’re working away in the kitchen, Jack is trapped and he forgets he’s ‘miserable’ and pretty soon, a somewhat tense moment turns into laughter, discussion, dreaming together and forming our godly worldview through all sorts of verbal exchanges.  Some of our happiest and most meaningful moments have been around one of my salsa-making schemes, a smoothie-making moment, pancake prep, or during the pre-barbecue preparations on Friday afternoon.  I love to get my boys in the kitchen: slicing, dicing, chopping, frying, shaking, measuring and creating something really tasty to eat while I get inside their minds and hearts.  Not only will you ‘find’ one another, you’ll cut your work time in at least half by engaging the help of your youngsters.

Let’s remember to STOP and CONNECT with these precious ones we care so much about.

Coulda’ been something real little…might have been something real big, but you are feeling the heat. Beating yourself with the mental bat. Up in the middle of the night, rewinding the tapes so you can ‘fix’ it and re-do it, at least mentally. Say different words. Don’t say ANYthing. Drive a different route. Cancel the appointment. Don’t press ‘send’ on the computer button. Don’t buy a computer! Pretty soon, this becomes a mountain that insures more defeat.

Stop it.

You gotta put down the bat and tell yourself the truth:

You love God.

God loves YOU and is for you and ready to help you, NOW.

You’re doing your best to serve Him and to fulfill His purposes for your life, your family’s lives and those in your sphere of influence.

He who never takes a swing, will never hit a homerun.

Most people are going through the motions, but you’re trying to ‘up the ante’ and really make a difference. Of course you’ll encounter setbacks.

This will keep you humble, which is vital for future success.

This will be a turning point, a defining moment and you’ll never be the same.

This pothole will provide encouragement for others when they fall down.

Soberly evaluate just how big a deal it is and how far-reaching the consequences are.

Will Oprah televise your failure to millions of people anytime soon?

Don’t forget - In God, there is always hope. He specializes in messes and He can redeem it.

Today is a new day, with new possibilities. 

Receive God’s grace!

So, your husband isn’t all you dreamed of, and come to think of it, he’s a real disappointment at the moment…the kids aren’t ‘responding well’ (to put it lightly) to the standards you’re trying to implement; in actual fact it seems that conflict abounds…the bank account is nothing short of lame, and you quit your job to be busy at home…you have been busy gaining 5 pounds even though you’re trying hard to eat right…the neighbors you’re trying to evangelize just aren’t ‘getting it’…where’s the beef, Lord????  You feel like giving up, or at least giving in…

“Be patient then brothers, until the Lord’s coming.  See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains.  You, too, be patient and stand firm, because THE LORD’S COMING IS NEAR!” (James 5:7-8)

Even in a ‘lull’ when nothing seems to be as you would like it to be…

GOD IS AT WORK BEHIND THE SCENES!

He is working on something valuable; something worth waiting for.

The farmer can’t see the seed growing under the dirt.  He can’t see the rain that will surely be coming from heaven -  YET.  He can walk around the field every single day, stomping his foot and grumbling, wishing to see the little green plants pushing up through the soil, but his fruitless activity won’t speed things up.  If he believes his eyes, then all his labor has been in vain and he has nothing to look forward to.  BUT A FARMER KNOWS BETTER.  He is convinced of what’s going on under the surface of things.  He sees beyond the natural and is aware of the organic life of God bubbling beneath the top layer of dirt.  He knows he will reap precisely what he has sown, if he continues doing the right stuff.  All in good time with some nurture, some water, some fertilizer and a whole lot of patience…he’s gonna get far more than what he planted.

Keep sowing, keep praying, keep believing, keep hoping, keep standing firm on the promises of God’s Word as they apply to your situation, because THE LORD’S COMING IS NEAR!

How many times do our kids come to us and say, “Mom, I need a button sewed on!”…or, “Mom, the seam in my pants split!”…etc., etc.  Well, just to let you know, our boys sew on their own buttons and repair their own seams by hand and you only have to teach them ‘how-to’ once and after that - they’re on their own and you have equipped them with a very valuable life skill.  I’ve had 16 year-old girl babysitters who couldn’t sew a button on.  Will they hire this work done for themselves when you’re no longer there to do it for them?  Hmm.  Here you see Levi Aaron, working away.  I think he kind of enjoys it now!

  Celebrating 27 years at Bodega Bay with Gregory, the love of my life. (technical difficulties on yesterday’s post, so here’s the photo I referred to.)

BLONDE WARNING:  This little catching-you-up-diary makes the most sense if you scroll down to FEBRUARY 1 and read bottom to top, which brings you to today!  I KNOW…all my organized, techie friends out there are shaking their heads and groaning right now.  Sorry!

FEBRUARY 13

Back to the airport to pick up our friend, Matt, from Seattle who’s visiting for the next 2 weeks.  I took a wrong turn while chatting it up with my kids and their buddy and……almost ended up L.O.S.T…thank God for cell phones!  P.S.  Daddy is feeling better every day, but what a tough bug this flu is!

FEBRUARY 11-12

Back to the homefront where Daddy has been holding the fort, (well, actually more like ‘running a tight ship’) as he is one amazing leader and like I always say, “he can run this house with his eyes closed better than I could any day”.  The gift of administration goes a long way at home and I learn from him every single day.  Sidenote: This is a

great example of how he operates.  See Exhibit A above.  I returned home from errands one Saturday afternoon and my son had a friend over.  They were at opposite ends of the dining room table, playing ‘football’ with these little paper doo-dads they’d created because Daddy had said, “No electronics”.  They were having a blast, pulling this game of paper football out of ancient history (I remember my brothers playing this 40 years ago!)

Okay, back to my post-Boise trip: My homecoming meal was rosemary-lemon chicken breasts by Seth Daniel, Mashed potatoes, Corn-on-the-cob and lots of love!  But, unfortunately, Daddy has come down with the bad flu - so I simmered a big, fat, free-range chicken, chopped a pile of vegies and the house smelled almost heavenly as a big pot of homemade soup sat bubbling on the stove.  Exactly the medicine he was needing. 

FEBRUARY 8-11

Out the door at 4:30 am…Didn’t get lost going to the airport, but did park in the wrong lot (oh, well.  I’m blonde and some days - all the way to the roots.  Come to think of it, I hadn’t had my coffee yet.)  Boise, here we come!  Church of the Harvest (these guys are serious about evangelism and discipleship!), where Mark and Dee Dee Bryan lead, really came out to meet us.  My second-born, Benjamin, met me there, which was the icing on the cake since he now lives 12 hours north of me, in Seattle, WA. (here’s Ben chatting with Mark Bryan after the Parenting Seminar Friday night).

The Friday-Saturday Parenting Seminar was nothing short of an absolute blast - an audience of hungry hearts, ready for anything…and the two morning meetings on Sunday were wrapped in God’s grace.  The photo below perfectly sums up my long weekend in Boise-an absolute BLAST!

I luuuuvvv the local church!!!  I love seeing parents passionate about their kids’ destinies!  I love watching God work!  And I must say, I fell in love with Boise, a place I’d never had the pleasure of visiting.  Get this, Boise is crowned:

• #1 Most secure places to live with 500,00 or more residents by Farmers Insurance 2006
• #8 Best places to live by Money Magazine 2006
• #3 Best places for business and careers by Forbes Magazine 2007
• #9 Hottest cities for entrepreneurs by Inc.com 2007
• #6 Urban environment report card by Earth Day Network 2007

• Not to mention, beautiful, charming and surrounded by snow-covered mountains the weekend we were there - Boise rocks!

FEBRUARY 6-7

…catching up on laundry, home-cooked food and lovin’ my boys.  Then it was ‘unpack, pack and prepare’ for a big weekend comin’ up.  You can see my fashion prowess above as I work in the kitchen in my latest eclectic loungewear set (bottoms by Cosctco/top by Goodwill :)  Yep, this is how my dining room looks just before I come talk to you (see below).  I clean it all up before I leave for the airport, though, I promise.

FEBRUARY 2-5

After taking a wrong turn and going 40 minutes out of my way to the airport - how do these things happen to me when I’ve been to that airport more times than I can recall? - I took off for Hobbs, New Mexico, to speak to folks about the dynamic potential of their amazing children at Cowboy Junction Church where Ty and Heather Bean lead.

  It was a planes, trains and automobiles day as I departed Sacramento, landed in Phoenix, once more to Albuquerque and finally to Lubbock, Texas - careful on the loop -  one more wrong turn!  Then my friend Cindy and I drove the last 2 hours to Hobbs - the oil capital of New Mexico and home to lots of gifted rodeo professionals.  Well, let me tell you, it was worth every mile and minute it took to get there.  We were overwhelmed by the warm Southwest welcome, hospitality (great Superbowl party Sunday night!) and generosity, but especially by the hungry hearts of men, women and children, longing for all God has for them.  CJ all the way!

Well, February 1st was my birthday and my fabulous 50s smoking-hot friend Kathy and I went shopping because I do not shop, do not like to shop, cannot figure out the ‘fashion thing’ (see eclectic loungewear above) and do not have the time or energy to do so.  Well, she is extremely gifted in all these areas.  It seems that if I’m supposed to go talk to people about kids, especially people I have never met -  my clothes have got to match.  So she bravely ventured out with me for a few hours and helped me get  coordinated, God bless her.  Shopping with me is nothing short of hard labor!

Here’s Kathy  with her hubby and best friend forever, Rick, in San Francisco recently.

Okay, I’m coming up for air!  I know, I know, take me to the blogger woodshed, deprive me of my morning Starbucks, pour apple juice concentrate on my kitchen floor while I’m sleeping, hide my Cover Girl under-eye concealer…I REPENT! ‘Momming’, studying, creating, loving,  planning, teaching, writing, travelling…not to mention - TAXES! - got the best of my blogging this month.

But I’m back and it’s one of Hallmark’s favorite days of the year-the 14th of February - Valentine’s Day and this is the

love of my life, Gregory, as we drink in the beauty of Bodega Bay while celebrating our 27th wedding anniversary back in late November 07. (note: technical difficulties on the photo-see tomorrow’s post!) But today you won’t find us opening Valentine’s Day cards, eating chocolates, going out for a special dinner (guaranteed worst night of the year to eat out along with Mother’s Day-bad service-too many people) or ordering flowers.  We aren’t really too driven about most of Hallmark’s happy days (I do love Christmas, but then Jesus started that!) because in God, every single day is a day to celebrate!  Happy days are a regular occasion.  I came home from a ministry trip February 5th and found a big, fat, supportive (am I getting old?!), cozy, first-ever-brand-new better-than-the-rest office chair sitting in my work spot- Happy Day to me from hubby!!!  Then we went out for Mongolian Barbecue…talk about spoiled rotten.  So…while everyone else is caught up in the frenzy of pleasing people, buying last-minute gifts and feeling guilty - I’m free!

I’m gonna catch you up on all the fun I’ve been having for the past 15 days….stay tuned.