Goal Setting 101

Okay--I'm a goal setting person. I really do believe some people are--just as the song says--born this way. I make lists on a daily basis, so it would stand to reason I would be one to set new goals at the first of the year. But--in my more mature years, I have learned a few things about setting goals. First, I've learned that goal setting isn't for everyone. Just as I seem to have been born to set goals, others are more "fly by the seat of their pants" kind of folks. And that's okay. Some of my dearest family members are this way and manage life beautifully. Secondly, I've learned that any goal that leaves God out of the equation isn't worth having in the first place. You might be thinking your goal to stop biting your fingernails or to lose weight isn't really about God, but experts say for a goal to really be effective one must seek the deeper value in it. So including God in your goal setting automatically gives the goal deeper meaning. Think about it. Even your goal to stop biting your fingernails--if your deeper meaning included that you want to represent God in every way, right down to your fingernails, you are more likely to follow through with accomplishing the outcome you desire. The same with weight loss--your desire to lose weight might include your desire to be around longer for your children, to be the mom God desires you to be in every way. In this way, you are giving yourself deeper reasons to meet your goal weight.
You might be afraid to set new goals this year, having failed to accomplish them in the past, but don't ever be afraid to begin again. God is all about new beginnings. That's what a new year is for! Put all those old fears aside, decide where you want to be in January 2013, and ask God to help you get there. Here's a great passage that will encourage you: Psalm 34:4-5
New International Version (NIV)

4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.

Never be ashamed to look at God and smile. He is NEVER EVER ashamed of you when you do! The action of looking toward Him gives you a radiance that will light your way when your path may seem dark.

Have a great day and Happy New Year!

Hugs, Chrys

Soup and Sound Advice

Don't do it! Don't let the marketing geniuses who make the decisions to put spooky ghosts on the same shelf as jolly Santas trick you into thinking you have to rush around to get it all done TODAY!

Relax, you have plenty of time to get presents wrapped and cookies baked. And, here's the good news, if you don't get it all done---SO WHAT?---Thanksgiving and Christmas will still be great.

Here's a recipe I found on Good Housekeeping that I'm definitely trying. It looks SIMPLE and YUMMY and will be great as the cooler days approach. Perfect for that Thanksgiving week when company comes in. It should only take 20 minutes from start to eating. Love it!


Herbed Winter Squash Soup

Ingredients

• 2 package(s) (12 ounces each) frozen pureed butternut or winter squash
  2 can(s) 14 1/2 ounces each, 3 1/2 cups, chicken broth
  1 jar(s) (16 ounces) unsweetened applesauce
  1 tablespoon(s) fresh thyme leaves
  1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
  1/4 teaspoon(s) coarsely ground pepper

Directions

In 4-quart saucepan, combine all ingredients with 1 cup water; heat to boiling over medium-high heat.

Speaking of thanksgiving, here's a great message from our brother Paul, who wrote to the Colossians. It's also a great message for us.

Colossians 2:6 The Message (MSG)

^6-7My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you've been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You're deeply rooted in him. You're well constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you've been taught. School's out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving.

We do live in trying times, but guess what?----Every generation has its difficult days. We need to take Paul's advice and start living our life with thanksgiving on our hearts. I love how the Message puts it—school's out! In other words, you have already been taught the importance of living this way—so do it! Good point, don't you think.

Have a blessed week.

Hugs, Chrys

A New Beginning

Hey moms! I know--it's been a while since my last blog, but--honestly---life just got too crazy. Are you with me??? I love this pic of my youngest grandson's team. I think it's how we all feel! Totally bonkers on some days!!!

I know you are all with me on this.

So, I'm going to try a new format with my once a week blog and see how that goes. Of course, your feedback is always welcome.

AND that brings me to my thought for the day--new beginnings. I've been teaching a parenting class this fall and it's been so much fun! I LOVE all my sweet moms--they are all ages, which is fabulous--great mentoring going on---plus they make me smile each week as we share our hearts about our precious kiddos.

This morning we talked about taking an honest look at our families and, when we realize we're not headed in the right direction in one or more area, it's time to STOP and start over.

We looked at this verse in Jeremiah 18:3, in The Message: "So I went to the potter's house and, sure enough, the potter was there, working away at his wheel. Whenever the pot the potter was working on truned out badly, as sometimes happens when you are workig with clay, the potter would simply start over and use the same clay to make another pot."

WOW! What a neat concept. When something you are working on (in this case, your kids) is not going in the right direction, simply START OVER. I love that. Maybe you're in a rut with begging your children to clean their rooms or allowing them to talk sassy or whatever--well, this is the day to stop it. Call a family meeting and say, "We're starting over and from this day forward you will....(fill in whatever you need to fill in)."

New beginnings are such fun and a way to refresh your life. Give your kids the opportunity to GROW by sharing with them, in an honest and kind way, the ways they are not living up to their God-given potential in their behavior.

Have a super duper great week.

Hugs to you all! Chrys

Washington and an Eventful Week

Wow, there's too much to talk about today. I'm mentally overwhelmed. So...I'll just tell you a little about the Washington DC fifth grade field trip I just got home from. First of all, every child had to have an adult with them and the adults had to sit on the aisle side of the bus and the kids sat by the window. Can I just say that's the way to have a quiet trip with fifth graders! I'm not kidding, there was virtually no talking. After all, who wants to talk to their mom, dad, or grandparents for ten hours!

We left bright and early last Monday morning from Madison, Alabama where my grandchild, Macy, lives. She attends Madison Academy where she is in the fifth grade. The first day was just traveling, but on the second day we were at Monticello, the beautiful home of Thomas Jefferson. We continued on to Jamestown and Colonial Williamsburg, then to Mount Vernon, home to George Washington, and finished up with two days in Washington DC. The DC part included the Capitol, the Supreme Court, the Holocaust museum, the many monuments, the Smithsonian, and the Cheesecake Factory :). I couldn't leave that visit off! It was a fantastic trip, full of the historical happenings of our early formative years as a nation.

What was very clear from every angle is our country was founded on a stong belief in God. From early documents, it's evident that a belief in God and a desire to live according to His principles shaped our foundational laws. It's sad to see how far we have strayed from what was once held in high esteem. I know there are still many of us who hold God's values close to our hearts and are doing all that we can to keep them alive in America. It remains our job to elect men and women to represent us in Washington who also represent God, just as our forefathers did.

On our last night, we learned of the death of one of the most evil men this world has ever known. Since it was late at night, each mom, dad, or grandparent was alone with their own child. How do you rejoice in the death of anyone and explain to a child that it was okay to kill him? As a mom and grandmother, I was concerned that this be handled in the best way possible. First I realized the twin tower incident seemed just as far away to my fifth grader as the Holocaust did. I had to explain to her what happened on a date that for the rest of us only needs to be referred to as 9/11 and the scenes of the incident begin to play in our head as if it were yesterday. We talked briefly about that incident and how evil exists in our world and how people who do evil things have to pay for their crimes. I told her that this man had been hiding from us for nearly ten years. Since that was really all we knew at that point, I left it at that, and we went to sleep.

We went to sleep. How does that happen? The news of Bin Laden's death wasn't the only thing these children had to handle the week we were gone. The second day of our adventure, we learned of the tornado that was tearing through Alabama, their home state and, in fact, it was heading right for their homes. We stopped what we were doing and prayed for God's hand to keep their loved ones out of harm's way, and spent the day with one ear listening to the tour guide and another listening for news from home. That night, we had heard from every family on the trip and there were no deaths or injuries among them. We went to bed thanking God for His protection.

Psalm 4:8 says, "In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety." I have to think that verse was quoted by men, women and children during such trying times as the Revolutionary War and the French and Indian War and the Civil War and the Vietnam War and certainly during the Holocaust---right up to today where we live in such uncertain times: where the price of gas threatened our budgets, where our young men and women are sent to defend other countries where people the freedoms we have, where natural disasters leave loved ones homeless, where politicians want more from themselves than they do for their country, and the list goes on and on.

Thank you, God, that in You and You alone we can find safety and rest. Just as our children will climb in bed with us when a storm is raging outside and quickly fall asleep, all we have to do is climb in bed with the one who loves us the most--our Heavenly father--and we will also find rest.

Have a blessed day.
Hugs,
Chrys

A Tribute to My Mom

My mother turned 80 this week. That would seem fairly old in most circles, but considering her uncle is 100, she's one of the youngin's--at least to him. She's a remarkable woman who continues to run her own company, dresses extremely fashionable, and regularly turns up at "grandkid" events. On top of all that, she's over-the-top healthy with a beautiful smile.

In her "old" age, she won't wear short sleeves AT ALL, refuses to sleep in front of someone else (even if she's at the hospital sitting for hours), and STILL would rather be the driver than the passenger any day.

Did I say she is remarkable? She dreams of snow skiing "one more time" and never misses a vacation to the beach, where she reads and cooks and smiles as she watches the great-grandkids play in the ocean. She loves to read and always has a audio book in her car ready to listen to as travels the state on business or pleasure. She also loves linen and a good pair of shoes and she loves SALES. She passed that trait down to all of us girls. We don't go shopping like we used to anymore, but we've got memories of driving home from Dallas with sacks of clothes wedged between us girls on our ride back home. She loves for her family to stop by her house. She NEVER acts like she has anything else to do except wait for us to appear, but we know that's not true. If she says she has nothing in her cabinet to cook, it won't matter because she can turn "nothing" into a feast as easy as Jesus fed the 5000. There's nothing better than a meal at Mamaw Jo's house.

As a child, I knew my mother to be a strong woman. She had a look and a snap that could get all six kids' attention right fast. She never let a morning pass that breakfast wasn't on the table and we were expected to eat it and not complain. After all, it is the most important meal of the day, she would warn. The same was true of the dinner table. Everyone was expected to be there, in our assigned seats, with pleasant faces and kind conversation.

When we were very young, our home was too small for such a large family, but no problem. With a fearless, "can do" spirit, my mom bricked in the garage to make us a family room, which came in handy when the out of town cousins came to visit. As we reached our teenage years, mom never wavered as the "in charge" person and no matter how tall you got, you looked up to her. She led with a kind, but confident spirit that left us children feeling loved and secure. Our home was always open to our friends coming over and she would rather have us there than any other place in the world. She had a smile and a hug for all of our friends, even those that she felt were not the best examples for her impressionable teens. You see, most of her six children were teens during the turbulent late sixties and early seventies. I've no doubt she and my daddy lost sleep, praying and worrying about one or two of us during those years.

During my college years, mom went from angel to super-angel as three of my grandparents needed assistance. All three ultimately moved in with my mom and dad and, with the same confidence and concern given to us six kids, my mom cooked, cleaned, and cared for all of my grandparents until their deaths. I know, I've already used the remarkable word, but what else can I say???

Now all of us children are grown with children and even grandchildren of our own, but she's still the mom. She continues to "check" on us with phone calls and text messages (yes, she's also very tech-savy. Did I use the word remarkable yet?), cook for us when we're sick, listen to us as we share our hurts and disappointments, celebrate with us when we report good news, travel with us to see the rest of the family that we can't get to stay on our street, join us in our ministry efforts, and never miss an opportunity to tell her six children, twelve grandchildren, and nineteen great-grandchildren and some super-special nieces and nephews that she loves them.

It's been almost three years since mom lost her best friend, our daddy, on July 2, 2008. We all miss him on a daily basis, but rejoice that he is resting comfortably or fishing or selling a house or whatever else God lets him do Heaven. Mom continued to be the rock for our family as we dealt with his illness and death, but we knew how very hard it was for her. Her example has made us all stronger and love her that much more, if that was possible.

Remarkable--indeed! Was I blessed to be one of her six children? Indeed!

Mother's Day is fast approaching, but who has to wait for that holiday to tell your mom how much you love her. I don't think I'll wait.

Love you mom!! You're the best.

Hugs,

Chrys

The Road Home

Last week a small portion of our family (there's lots of us, so having only 13 on this trip was small) spent the week skiing in Big Sky, Montana. It was a great week. Skiing, of course, was the goal, but it was joined by challenging card and domino playing, fabulous home-cooked-meal eating, necessary computer working, unnecessary, but fun facebooking, more-beautiful-than-you-can imagine scenery looking (including ooh and ah-ing), lots of picture taking and then more picture taking, Yellowstone National Park snow coach touring, and plenty of memory making. Of course I have several stories, but I'm going to share only one of the many adventures a week in the snow gave us southern folks.

After three days of ski school, our youngest skiers "had it down," so to speak, and joined us veteran skiers (not that we're a ton better, just more experienced) on one last run down the mountain. We were so proud of them. Will, who is nine, fearlessly tackled each run like a football player ready for a championship game. Bella, our skinny little eight-year-old, did the same. Her tiny legs dug into the snow like little snow plows as she worked hard to maintain control and keep up with crowd. They were skiing with such confidence that we were happy to let them lead the way to our ski house.

Apparently, we mistook knowing how to ski for knowing how to get back to our house. Clearly, we were also oblivious to another potential problem that comes with skiing—once a turn is missed, there's no easy way to fix it. Still, none of this crossed our minds until Will, who was in the lead, missed a turn. Okay, no problem—maybe. My daughter (Will's mom), Korie, quickly followed him. She's a great skier and I was confident she would get them home. The rest of us were now behind a fast-moving Bella who made a quick right turn when she should have turned left. My last visual of her occurred as she disappeared over a short drop off (about three feet) onto a road--a REAL road where a car COULD have been driving. Like any grandmother worth her salt (whatever that means), I followed her down the hill to that road, instructing everyone else to stay where they were. As I made my way down to Bella, I knew that the only way back to the path would include a WALK up the hill we just came down. In skiing what goes up, must go down, but the opposite is also true—after a wrong turn, that is.

Once I reached Bella and discovered she was okay, I took my skies off and instructed Bella to do the same, then we started the long walk UP the mountain. Can I just say—walking uphill, carrying skies and poles, in a high altitude, after a long day of skiing, wearing heavy ski boots-- is never a good decision, but it was our only way home. The good news, no, the great news, was Bella never complained. She stopped for breaks, but never cried or whined about our situation or asked me to carry her skies. I was very proud of her. Maybe it was my heavy breathing that told her this wasn't the time for favors. In any case, she was a trooper. We eventually reached the ski path, put our skies on and, with me in the lead, made it home. Safely inside, we asked about Korie and Will. They were still not home. After a frantic few minutes, we got a phone call telling us to send a car for them. They came in exhausted from their journey, but were safe. Korie was also proud of Will as she told us he never complained either. I truly believe that in serious situations like this was, children know they have no option. For all of us, when we do not have options in a difficult situation, we don't have the luxury of complaining. In those times, we're happy to do whatever is necessary to get out of the bad situation. The next day, no one argued when someone proposed that only grownups lead the way home.

These kinds of stories make for great dinner conversation, or good blogging material, after all the parties involved are safe and warm inside the house, but while you are "in the moment" they can be extremely challenging and scary. I couldn't help but think of our heavenly Father who so patiently follows us down some very dangerous trails and then gently leads and guides us back to the life-saving path when we're ready to go home. And when we're truly ready to find the right path, there will be no complaining or whining. We'll be so happy that someone loves us with such a mighty power that they would walk up a snow-covered hill with us and lead us home. I love this verse in 2 Corinthians 5:6-8. I especially love the way The Message translates it: "That's why we live with such good cheer. You won't see us drooping our heads or dragging our feet! Cramped conditions here don't get us down. They only remind us of the spacious living conditions ahead. It's what we trust in but don't yet see that keeps us going. Do you suppose a few ruts in the road or rocks in the path are going to stop us? When the time comes, we'll be plenty ready to exchange exile for homecoming."

Have a great week knowing you serve a God who loves you so much He will run after you and guide you home.

Hugs, Chrys

Bieber Fever, For Real?

It's tough to know what to blog about today as so much has happened since my last opportunity to blog. First of all, after caring for the sick grandkids, it was my turn and I spent a week feverish and sniffling. Needless to say, I had not scheduled being sick in my February 2011 date book.

But, that wasn't the worst of the physical ailments to creep into our household. My husband, after months of suffering stomach pain, ended up in the hospital on Monday, a week ago. After a diagnosis of an obstruction (thank you, doctors, we needed an answer), he had surgery on Wednesday. The surgery was a success, but the patient is still moving slowly. I did get him home on Sunday, which makes for a better Valentine's Day. Once again, none of last week's events were in my calendar book.

Then there was another ailment to enter our family. Although I did have some warning, I didn't know the extent of the affliction. It started with the two eight year old granddaughters and a few of the younger grandsons, but they're not willing to admit it. This ailment has been aptly named Bieber Fever. If you are not familiar with this crippling disorder, perhaps you need to turn on the TV or buy a magazine. Young and old alike seem to have become afflicted with Bieber Fever. It occurs when Justin Bieber's music, hairstyle, and "toothpaste-commercial-worthy" smile are allowed to infiltrate your heart and head. I have to admit—I'm now afflicted. I wasn't an early convert. For a year, I brushed Justin Bieber off like the crumbs from yesterday's cinnamon toast. I thought he was just another teen sensation and would go the way of The Monkeys and Herman's Hermits. But, after taking the kids to see his movie, I am in awe of this talented young man.

Justin Bieber's quick rise to fame is nothing short of miraculous in the "never say never" kind of way. He comes to the world from a small town in Canada and was raised by his single mom. His grandparents were also great influencers in his life (I love that!). Incredibly gifted, he taught himself how to play the piano, drums, guitar and trumpet and at a very young age, played for money in his hometown. The great part of his family story is they appear to be from a strong faith-filled family. Prayer was a large part of the movie, which was great to see. I love that my grandkids witnessed this as well.

One thing, among many, that fascinates me about his success is that it had its roots from YouTube. His mom would post him singing to share with family members in other towns. One day, by accident, someone in the music industry spotted a YouTube performance and the rest is history, as they say. This phenomenon could have never occurred at any other time in history as YouTube did not exist. For the last few weeks I have been trying to hear a song on the country station that my grandkids introduced me to at Christmas. It's now been 43 days and I'm still waiting. My grand's are so laughing at me, but I've told them I refuse to YouTube it. I'm trying to prove a point. I want them to see how we used to live before internet, YouTube, twitter, facebook, iPods, IPhones, IPads, and anything else that gives us information faster than a speeding bullet, a skill once enjoyed by only Superman. In the "old" days, if we liked a song and wanted to hear it, we had to turn on our transistor radios and just wait. That's what I'm trying to do with this country song. Clearly, I'm working on my patient skills. Justin Bieber became famous because of the availability of social networking. Now, that is not to say he didn't deserve it or wasn't talented enough for it, because he certainly has the talent and the work ethic. I'm just saying this new media allows for overnight sensations to really happen overnight. Overnight sensations of the past more commonly had actually taken five or more years.

Well, what's the lesson here? Let's see. God gifts us. Yes, that's true. God wants us to be patient. Yes, that's true. God would love us to use social media or any other means to spread the gospel. Yes, definitely true. Dreams can come true. Yes, Disney said that before Justin Bieber was born, so that's true.

As I watched Justin Bieber's story unfold in his movie (can you believe he even has a movie about his life at sixteen years old??), I was taken back to the scenes from the Beatle days when fans were screaming and fainting at just the sight of the fab four from London. I looked down at my granddaughter's who sat on the edge of their seats and sang every word with this cutie from Canada. Seeing young girls fall head over heels over a cute boy can be alarming to a grandmother. But, I am comforted knowing my grandchildren have people in their lives that will teach them that names like John, Paul, George, Ringo and Elvis and Michael Jackson and Justin Bieber will never bring as much meaning to their life as the name of Jesus will. With proper balance, enjoying the "entertainment of the year" is fun to do, but real joy and real success come from knowing the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior. I pray that Justin Bieber will be able to enjoy his star rising in the entertainment world and continue to live his life in accordance with God's will. So, Justin Bieber keep up the good work. Bieber fever, for now, isn't such a bad thing.

Have a blessed day. Give your kids a hug and tell them you love them.

Hugs, Chrys

Re-Solutions for a Better Life

Well, the New Year is in full swing, isn't it? The weather, which goes from 70 degrees to below freezing all in the same week, assures us that a new year has begun, in Louisiana anyway. If the weather doesn't alert you that a new year has begun, perhaps it's those innate desires to lose weight, quit biting your fingernails, stop drinking so many cokes, or read your Bibles more. Do any of those sound familiar? I hope they do. Not in the "I've made resolutions before and I have a hard time keeping them" way, but in the "Yes, it's time for me to take stock of myself once again" way.

Like any good business, it is important for each of us to take a hard look at ourselves at least once a year. My grandkids are always telling me something one of their teachers might do during a day at school. They know their mannerisms, their expressions, their clothes! As a former teacher, it scares me how much children pay attention to their teachers and not always in a good way! My point here is others will take a good look at YOU so YOU and I have to take a good look at ourselves also.

And it probably should be more often, but the beginning of a new year makes for a good time to start. It's February, so some of us (that's includes me) are already struggling with those "resolutions"? Let's break down that word and it might help us. The dictionary says a resolution is a definite decision; a solution. I really like that word---a solution.

Stores take inventory once a year to see where they are lacking; what area they need to reinforce; to stock up on. Then they take care of the problem area—they find solutions. Anytime we decide to take an inventory of our lives it should be for one reason; to see what areas we need to change and then, take the appropriate actions to make those changes.

Don't ever be discouraged because you started a resolution and couldn't keep it. Life has a way of interfering with the best of plans. As busy moms, our goals are often put on the back burner as we nurse sick kids or help them with homework or attend their many functions. But don't give up. Just do it again-re-commit to your re-solution! The first step is always an honest look at our life; our family, our friends, our personal and work habits, etc. Once we've done that, we can list ways to correct the things that need correcting or maybe, just need, enriching.

I love this quote by Grenville Kleiser, "Make your resolutions so clear and firm that nothing can lure you from your chosen path. Substitute doing for dreaming and achievement for apathy." With that quote, plus God's promise that you can do all things with His backing, you will find keeping your New Year's Re-solutions much easier.

Now, go for it. Have a great week and find a solution!

Hugs,

Chrys

Pipe Cleaner Bouquet of Love

Life has a way of changing our plans, doesn’t it? We can scheme, plan, map-out, prepare, devise, design and plot our future with great detail and attention, but we’re just one sickness, injury, or decision away from our prefect plan being sidelined.
Last week was one such week for me. It may have been for you as well. If so, I would love to hear about it. My week was supposed to end in Las Vegas enjoying some quality time with my husband and being with my daughter, Korie, as she and her in-law family participated in their industries trade show. I was really looking forward to this event as the past twelve years I have had the privilege of staying home with the youngins’ while Korie and her husband attended. THIS YEAR my husband has joined their company, so we were invited to attend. It was also a big deal as my daughter's husband was to be the MC at the event’s awards show on Thursday evening.
I had already decided to stay home the first of the week to help with the kids at least part of the time, but then I would fly out on Wednesday and join the fun. The first sign that my plans might not come to life came early in the week when Bella, the youngest, starting running fever on Sunday afternoon. Fever was followed by a sore throat and vomiting--neither good signs—but, no problem, I thought, by Wednesday, she should be well. But then, the second blow: John Luke, the oldest, came down with similar symptoms on Monday. I was beginning to see my chances for flying out on Wednesday as good as my chances at a poker table, which, by the way, I have never done. BUT, I was still hopeful. After $250.00 in doctor visits and medicine, I thought I would just move my ticket to Wednesday evening, giving them a little more time to correct the situation (like they had any control either).
I packed my suitcase with cute, Las Vegas-type, clothes (okay, not show girl Vegas, just cute Vegas). I got on the phone with American Airlines and rebooked my ticket. I re-wrote the kid’s schedules for my younger sister who was going to take over. Then, I waited for the fever to go down. But, as much as I wanted it to happen, it was not to be. SO, I got back on the phone with American Airlines. I unpacked my suitcase. THEN, I re-wrote MY plans for the week.
And what a great week I had. Canceling the trip allowed me to spend some quality time with my grandchildren. I know, I’m lucky, they live next door. But, trust me; we’re so busy that quality time slips away like make-up on a hot day in Louisiana. Since John Luke had missed so much school, he needed, for real, needed me to help him with his homework. This is very rare since he’s fifteen now. But, we had the best time, laughing our way through graphing and proportions. John Luke and Sadie had their sports banquet that we all were going to miss. Since I was now home, I was able to see our sweet young teens interact with their friends and coaches and be honored for their football and cheerleading accomplishments. John Luke also had his first EVER baseball game and Sadie had basketball games I was able to attend. Will, the nine year old, stayed well all week so I helped him study for his tests and was able to see how much he’s matured over the past year. And poor Bella, who stayed sick until Friday, kept me hopping with cards, movies, lemonade, games and eventually, homework (work always interferes with our fun, doesn’t it?).
Well, it wasn’t Vegas, it was better! I’ll share with you one more reward. One night John Luke and Bella stayed home while I went to Sadie’s game. After returning home, I hustled around checking everyone’s homework, cleaning the kitchen, passing out medicine, and getting backpacks and clothes ready for the next day. Finally, the kids were settled and I went to my bathroom to wash my face. And there on my counter was the most beautiful flower arrangement made out of red, green, and gold pipe cleaners and lots of love. John Luke and Bella had spent all evening crafting me a bouquet and writing me notes thanking me for taking care of them. I can honestly tell you that bouquet was well worth staying home for. I just thought I wanted to go to Las Vegas!
This was just one more reminder that always God has my back. Just when we think we have the best plan for our life, God might say, “I know the plans I have for you…” Remember that verse in Jeremiah. If you don’t, it’s Jeremiah 29:11. Look it up. You will see that God loves you and as long as you seek His will be done, not your own, He will plan your life, promising that you will prosper and have a future. It may not be something you see immediately, but ultimately, if we trust God and His power to “write our story” we will receive a bouquet out of pipe cleaners and love from our heavenly Father. His note will read, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” What a great day that will be!
Have a fantastic week knowing God is writing your story.
Hugs, Chrys

Lost and Found

Happy New Year! I'm sending New Year wishes even though we're already 18
days into 2011. How can that be??? Where does the time go? I've taken the last month off from teaching, writing, and radio-ing (is that a word?) to be totally occupied with family.

Our family has been through an almost family-wide sweep of the flu (praise the Lord, I didn't get it, so was able to help all the others). Then we had an amazingly fun Christmas celebration (ranks among our top five of great family gatherings) followed by a disappointing after-Christmas-cancelation of an eagerly awaited girl trip to New York. BUT after spending two days rescheduling, we left on Jan. 1 for a very fun week in New York. Back home, my husband spent some time in the emergency room and a short hospital stay, but is all better now. We followed that with a whirlwind weekend in Huntsville to see the grandkids play basketball and NOW, I am at home with two other grandkids that are sick and staying with me while their parents are out of town (never fails!). But, I am ready to resume my activities including my It's a Mom Thing Monday hugs (sorry, this one is going out on Tuesday because of sick kids), It's a Mom Thing facebook page and our Mom Thing radio show. We're still seeking God's guidance on the radio show, so I'll keep you posted.

Today I want to share a little about our trip to New York. Actually, it's just one incident, but it's a powerful one. First of all, we had four generations on this trip, which is amazing. My mom, my sister and I, my daughter, and her three daughters came together for some incredible generational fun. I love watching my grandchildren interact with my mom, their great-grandmother, while shopping, going to Broadway plays, and traveling. We have so much to learn from each generation and I'm so thankful to have opportunities like this to laugh and learn from each other.

As usual, the streets of New York City were very crowded. We had kept a diligent watch on Sadie, who is thirteen and Bella, who is eight. But, on one of the days, Bella and her oldest sister, Rebecca had ventured off to another store. At one point, Bella thought she saw Rebecca leave the store so she followed her out. What Bella didn't know was there are hundreds of young girls shopping daily in NYC who have long brown hair like Rebecca does. Consequently, the girl she followed was NOT her older sister. Once Bella realized this, she stopped walking and started crying. We are so thankful a kind man stopped and asked her if she was lost. He ultimately found a policeman to talk to Bella until Rebecca came frantically running down the street to claim our sweet little girl.

There are few things more frightening for a parent than losing a child on a crowded street, busy playground, large department store or ANYWHERE. And there are few things more frightening for a child than to look up and not recognize anyone around them. We have all tried to not go to that place in our head that lets us dwell on what could have happened to Bella and on how she must felt when she discovered her situation. It's too painful for us to think about and after Bella told us what had happened, she told us not to ask her about it again. You see, it's too painful for her to remember as well.

This is a new year. Thank you, God that we don't have to live in the past, but can use it to lead us into a better future. You see, our past, while sometimes unpleasant, is the thing that connects us to our future. Our past tells us where we don't want to go again, what we don't want to say again, how we don't want to feel again, things we don't want to do again. In turn, it helps us know, with certainly, what we want to say, do, think, feel, act and be again.

You may have lost your way in 2010 and are ready to tell someone you're lost and need to find your heavenly Father. If so, this is the day. Then, when you do, don't ever forget what it feels like to not be able to see His face and don't forget what it feels like to reconnect with someone who loves you very much. I have no doubt that Bella will remember this event for many years. My hope is her remembrance includes how grateful she was to see the face of someone who loves her and was searching for her. God is always searching for those who are lost and always has His arms wide open to welcome them home.

Have a great week knowing you serve a God who patiently keeps the door to His heart and love open.

Hugs, Chrys

Hold On!

Who can explain fears? I certainly can't. As a child, I wasn't a complete scare-dy cat, but being outside in the dark was an issue and spiders continue to be problematic and one or two other things give me the creeps. All in all, I'm fairly brave….I think. Even though I know people who don't mind the dark and love spiders, it makes me want to ask those people what is wrong with you?? It's true that some folks will shake while walking in the dark and others will relish the peace and quiet found there. There are other things that leave some people wide-eyed and sweaty--like public speaking. Some will eagerly jump on a stage while others would rather clean a toilet than stand in front of a crowd.

Fears are strange creatures--often times unexplainable and often times- life altering.

This past week, we spent the week in fantasyland with my son and his three children. The fantasyland was Disney World where everyone sings and dances and life is good… except, if you are a child who has a fear of adventurous rides. I'm pretty sure adventurous rides were in Walt Disney's game plan from the beginning and were never intended to scare a six year old to death, but my youngest grandson, Aevin, must have missed that memo. At six, he was the perfect age for Disney. We were so excited to take him and looked forward to watching this little fireball laugh and scream his way through all the Disney parks. After all, he has no trouble facing another football player twice his size. He's a tough little kid. But, to our dismay, at Disney, the place for kids, he was afraid of EVERY adventure Disney offered. Rides that have brought thrills and chills to children for the past 40 years had Aevin trembling like a leaf on a windy day. Okay, there were two exceptions—the tea cups and Dumbo's amazing flight—the two oldest Disney adventures--built before new technology. I know; it's sad.
We should have seen it coming. Looking back, there were a few clues. The morning we arrived we happily paid our $14.00 for the privilege of parking our car and then, gathered our belongings. We headed for our first ride—the shuttle. The friendly voice from the front of the Disney shuttle calmly reminded us that children should be seated between the adults. Aevin, who never misses anything, got this. He made sure he was between us and then asked, "Is this ride going to be fast?" NOTE--clue number one. But we didn't recognize this as a clue; we just knew this was new territory for him. So we told him it's not very fast and went back to our trembling---caused by the unusually cold weather Florida had the week we were there!! (WHO KNEW??) This seemed to satisfy him and we still had high hopes for him joining us on Space Mountain.
The next "ride" we faced was the monorail. If you have never been to Disney, the monorail is the magical ride into the Magic Kingdom. It has been this way since Disney opened its doors. My grandparents lived in California during my childhood, so we were riding the monorail at Disneyland back when we had black and white pictures. At that time we thought the monorail was the "wave of the future' travel. I'm still shocked that it's not how we get to work today. As a kid, I was absolutely confident this would be the mode of transportation in 2010. In any case, the monorail is completely safe and no body part is even out of the train. Still Aevin had never been on one. Here came clue number two. The crowds were not as they can be in the summer, but still the monorail filled up quickly and we scrambled to get our seats. Of course, we couldn't all get a seat and our polite men were left standing. Aevin noticed this and just before "blast off" he looked up at his 2-papa and screamed, yes, literally, screamed"2-Papa, find something to hold on to!" Our hopes for Space Mountain were pretty much dashed. Little Aevin's fears were destined to keep him from "enjoying the ride"—Space Mountain just being one of them.
Isn't this true for all of us? As I said earlier, our fears can be as different as snowflakes and only those who share the same fear can understand the impact that fear can have on one's life. As we approached each "scary" ride, Aevin would start complaining about his stomach hurting. He even said he might throw up. It's easy to think this is pretty dramatic unless you have been there and, I believe, most of us have, at some point, been there. No matter how unexplainable a fear is, it is real to the person suffering through it.
Life is a roller coaster. It's a ride full of ups and downs and twists and turns and is often very scary. But, it's a ride we all want to take. There will be days when our fears will threaten to keep us from being as "in the moment" of that day as we need to be. We will have days that seem too frightening for us to face. It may be the loss of a spouse or the termination of a job. It may be dealing with a child who is challenging or an illness that threatens our current abilities. Our stomachs will hurt and our hands will shake if we don't take Aevin's advice and find something to hold on to. Matthew 10:28 in The Message tells us that God holds our entire life—body and soul—in his hands! Isn't it comforting to know that God is already holding on to us? Even on those days when we are too weak or too scared or too tired, He is already holding us in His mighty hands.
Have a great week—hold on to the one who can give your freedom from your fears.

Holiday Hugs,
Chrys

God-Our A Spiritual Retainer

The past two weeks have brought two milestones to our family. First, our oldest grandchild got his LEARNER'S PERMIT to DRIVE—that's huge!!! My, oh my, where has the time gone? I can remember-- in PERFECT detail-- picking him up—him being first born grandchild, John Luke— from Mother's Day Out and purposely taking the back roads so he could sit in my lap and "drive" us home. He had such good driving skills then. He could turn the car on a dime. Backing out—no problem; parking—a breeze; right turn, left turn—easy! Propped up tall and straight, I trusted him completely. Yeah, right! What I trusted was my ability to control his little hands, making sure we stayed safely between the oncoming cars and the ditch that could potentially harm us. With me in control, I knew we would be safe. It's a different story now. He begs to drive everywhere we go and I reluctantly say yes. I told him the other day that I'm just nervous because I can't sit right beside him or with him in my lap. He smiled his sweet smile and patiently listened to me give him driving tips and say slow down a few hundred times.

Milestone number two. This same grandchild, John Luke, came over last night to reveal a smile so bright it could melt an iceberg. Well, if the iceberg were his grandmother (trust me, if you're not a grandma yet, it doesn't take much). He had just gotten his braces off. Most of you either went through the braces ordeal personally or with your children, so you know the excitement of getting them off. Remember that slick, smooth feeling your teeth now seemed to have? After my FOUR years of braces, I loved to run my tongue over my smooth teeth. What a great, freeing feeling that was!. Those poor teeth had been "controlled" for months. But would they stay that way? Could they handle their newfound freedom or would they ease back into their original crookedness?

Oddly enough, these two milestones have so much in common. You may be ahead of me and have figured it out on your own. Both of these milestones have to do with control and freedom. John Luke has reached the next stage in his life, just as his teeth have. With the twist of a wire or a well placed tiny rubber band, the orthodontist had the power to make John Luke's teeth straight or crooked. And, as I held John Luke's tiny hands tightly in my own, I had the power to make our car go straight or crooked.

Just as it is for John Luke, it is for each of us and for our children. Letting go is never easy, but the alternative isn't welcome either. There isn't a parent alive who would wish their child to stay in a state of childishness. Oh, we all cry from time to time at the swift passing of years. We sometimes look at pictures with a sense of melancholy, thinking it would be fun to hold our teens as a baby just one more time. But, in reality, no one wants their children to stay children. It's not natural. But, it's not easy giving over the control we once had and letting them make decisions—decisions that could determine whether their path stays straight or becomes jagged.

To keep teeth straight, the orthodontist fits us with a retainer. I'm sure you remember that as well. A retainer is important as it's job is to keep newly straightened teeth in place. It helps "control" shifting. Obviously, no two retainers are alike and the length of time needed will vary because every mouth is different. Hummm….that's a little like the learner's permit, don't you think? For a length of time, an adult will still have a little control. The newly trained driver cannot go out alone--yet. But, it's not permanent. A learner's permit and a retainer are only for a short time. Ultimately, our teeth and our children will be TOTALLY on their own.

That could be very scary EXCEPT, as Christian moms, we know that our children are never totally alone and niether are we. We have a loving Father who stands ready and is capable of holding our hands while we drive and acts as our "spiritual retainer" to guide our steps and keep us going in the right direction. I love how the Message says Psalms 54:4: "Oh, look! God's right here helping! God's on my side, Evil is looping back on my enemies. Don't let up! Finish them off!" Don't you love it?

God is right here, right now, right there for YOU and YOUR children!

Have a great week, leaning on the awesome God who loves to sit right beside YOU and "drive" YOU to Godly greatness.

Hugs, Chrys

Put the Thanks Back in Thanksgiving

Have you seen the cute commercials running right now advertising Disneyworld? The Disney marketing team has apparently found actual video footage from families who have told their children they are taking them to Disneyworld. I just love it! The kids are at first stunned and stare in disbelief, then they question the parents again, then they start jumping up and down on the couch screaming with excitement. So adorable!

When was the last time you got so excited about something happening in your life that you jumped up and down on a couch? I'm sure it's been quite a while. Even if you had an event that evoked that level of excitement, as adults, we rarely express it that way; right?

Well, we have an event coming up that you should be "jump up and down on the couch" excited about and that is Thanksgiving. "Oh…is that all?" you ask. IS THAT ALL! It's just the one day our entire country sets aside time to be THANKFUL. That's all! Now, think about it. We have a holiday that's only purpose is to exercise our vocal cords with two little words, "Thank You."

In one of the original Thanksgiving documents it reads "All ye Pilgrims with your wives and little ones gather at the Meeting House, on the hill… there to listen to the pastor, and render Thanksgiving to the Almighty God for all His blessings."

So simple. So sweet. You mean there was no mention of school being dismissed, booking your airline flights, stocking up on Stouffer's Stuffing Mix, making plans for Black Friday, looking up the recipe for pecan pie, designing a cute centerpiece made with little pilgrims and corn stalks, watching two or three football games, assembling a 1000 piece puzzle, gobbling up sweet potato casserole, catching the latest movies, snapping pictures at the school program, and settling in for the Macy's Day parade??? I can almost hear one of our forefathers saying, "I just meant for everyone to be thankful. That's all. Ye have taken Thanksgiving to another level!"

Yes, YE have! Somewhere down the line, apparently some people got "jump up and down" excited and started adding more and more "things" to our list as a way of celebrating Thanksgiving--all good and fun things, for sure. BUT the one most important thing may have slipped off the list—saying thank you and being thankful.

I love school programs and the Macy's day parade as much as you do, if not more, but we have to go back to our roots on this one and put the "thanks" back in Thanksgiving. Let's all be sure we include time in our celebrating to let our children EXPRESS their thankfulness to God for the blessings in their life.

Colossians 3:15 says it so well,"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." It really IS that simple.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving week. Give God the glory!

Hugs,

Chrys

What a Deal!

And the debate continues. Seasoned psychologists, educated child experts, experienced doctors, nervous moms, and sleep-deprived dads-- everyone has an opinion. Should or shouldn't children be allowed to come into their parent's room at night? Ask any child and the answer is "Yes, of course". Ask any parent who has had a wiggling, kicking, bed-wetting child in their bed lately and the answer is a resounding "NO!" Ask any grandparent who only remembers snuggles and giggles and the answer is "Sure, what does it hurt?"

For many, including people from other countries, they can't figure out what makes this topic so controversial. But for those who argue against the practice, we are warned that children could form an irreversible dependence on the parents or a child could be smothered as a soundly sleeping parent might roll over without realizing it. Truth be told, I'm guilty of having one or two grandchildren in our bed quite often. So, I'm not one to debate the issue. In fact, for the better part of the past two weeks, I have found my half of our roomy king size bed reduced to approximately six inches, give or take an arm or a leg.

While the debate rages on, I think most people would agree on why a parent's room is so enticing for children. In a healthy family environment, children come into a parent's room looking for safety, security and warmth. For a brief time, parents love this about their children. Often, the first night young parents hear the sound of tiny feet scampering across the room, they actually smile. They reach down and help their little darling, who isn't quite big enough to climb up yet, reach their destination. Then mom and dad settle in for what they believe to be a sweet, one-time, precious moment in parenting history. But, soon the joy of the moment is gone. The trip to mom and dad's room becomes a way of life and night, after night, the child wedges between mom and dad. He or she falls quickly to sleep, leaving the parents to spend agonizing hours trying to get comfortable with an extra limbs flailing around the bed. Yes, once this fun begins, children seem to set an internal alarm clock telling them exactly when mom and dad have dozed off and it's safe to go to their room.

A few years ago my son, who loves his children very much, found himself dealing with this issue. He had finally reached the breaking point and came to the conclusion most of us parents (that excludes grandparents) eventually come to--children have stay in their own beds! In an effort to put a positive slant on it, he took the route that I'm sure psychologists would find most appropriate---offer money. One night he sat his two little ones down for a little talk. They were three and five at the time, so I'm sure they weren't too happy about this conversation. But, he had a good plan. He told them that if they stayed in their bed all night he would pay them one dollar, but if they got into his bed that night, they would owe him 25 cents. Feeling rather proud and confident of his plan, he kissed them good night and put them to bed.

Awww….a night with no feet in my back, he thought. But, around 2:00 AM, the familiar pitter-patter of little feet was heard once again, only this time it was followed by a clinking sound and then a little warm body settled in for the night. The next morning my son discovered the source of the clinking sound as he found two dimes and a nickel on the nightstand beside his bed. A very smart five-year-old had decided it was worth the money to share his parent's bed, so he paid his way in.

Oh, what lessons our children teach us! Twenty-five cents was nothing to pay for the warmth, security and love one little boy needed during a dark, lonely night. What price would you pay for warmth and safety on a dark lonely night? Twenty-five cents? Twenty-five dollars? No price would be too high if the return was what you needed, would it? But the reality is the price has already been paid. I love the words to the song that says, "He paid a debt he did not owe. I owed a debt I could not pay." A long time ago, God put two dimes and a nickel beside our bed and said, "Climb in. I'm here to hold you tight and keep you safe."

Have a great week, resting in the arms of Jesus.

Hugs, Chrys

A Sweet Reward

Okay, I heard the sweetest thing last night. After a very busy "out of town" weekend, I rushed home to attend a church event. I threw some cookies in the oven, unpacked the toiletries, freshened up my makeup, grabbed the warm cookies and flew out the door. My suitcase was still to be unpacked and, since I hadn't had internet reception, emails were waiting to be answered. But I could get to that later in the night.

I picked up my daughter and her four children and we headed out to enjoy the fellowship of people we love. It was so fun getting to share some car time with my precious grandkids and listen to the things they had done for the weekend. But, that wasn't the sweetest thing of the night.

As I arrived at the church event, I was greeted by three more of my grandchildren. I had only been gone three days, but you would have thought it was three months. Each one jumped in my arms (even the ten year old—I told my back it was worth it), and gave me the biggest hug. But, that wasn't the sweetest thing.

Later, after we ate and fellowshipped with our church family, we went down to a campfire area where we sang songs of praise and worshipped under the stars. It was such a blessing to have three generations singing and praying together as we looked up into the clear, starry sky. It was amazing, but that wasn't the sweetest thing.

As the evening came to an end, the youngest grandchild, Aevin, began asking to spend the night. My brain was saying, "it's not a good night" but my heart and my mouth said, "Sure." After all, work can wait, but little children grow up way too fast.

So, home we came and, since Aevin had been outside in the dirt all evening, a bath topped our priority list. I ran some water as he scrambled out of his clothes and encouraged me to make it warm. There's nothing like a warm bath on a chilly night, even for us moms, right? Rare, but nothing like it!

As Aevin played with the bath toys and chattered about the things we did at the fellowship that night, I listened with one ear and unpacked my suitcase. Then he said, "I made up a song last night for daddy." Of course, that got my attention. "Well, then, sing it for me," I said. "You know that song, we sing about God? I changed the words," he said. I was intrigued and then came the sweetest thing.

"Oh, Dad, you are my dad and I will ever love you. Oh, Dad, you are my dad and I will ever love you, "Aevin belted out with a twinkle in his eye. How precious is that?

My son is a single dad who works hard every day to make his home one that is God-honoring and secure for his children. His journey has been a difficult one and I have certainly helped him, but I have not taken the job of raising his children away from him. He has risen to the challenge and I think this song of praise from a child to his earthly daddy is proof that he has been successful.

Many of you are living through difficult times, perhaps you're a single mom. Psalms 3:5 says "I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me." Many nights you may go to bed thinking you cannot handle another day, but you do because you know that God will sustain you. He will wrap you tightly in his arms just as a loving earthly father does and when you wake up, you will be renewed and armed to face a new day. Your rewards may not be monumental in worldly terms, but a song, a touch, or a smile from a child who loves you will tell you that you matter and make a difference!

Have a blessed week resting in your Father's mercy and grace.

Hugs, Chrys

The Silent Treatment

Recently, we were able to spend some time with good friends we have known for a very long time. When "old" friends get together, generally the conversation goes back to something that happened in the past that was funny or something that involves our children.

One friend reminded us of a story he had told us many years ago about his daughter. She was one of those challenging children. You know the kind—they LOVE to question everything a parent says and they think having the last word is their God-given right. She was definitely one of those and they spent many years molding and shaping her to be the sweet young lady she is today. But, on many occasions, she certainly helped them fine-tune their parenting skills. You may be in that position yourself right now.

Well, on one particularly trying day, this child had challenged and challenged until her mother had no recourse but to get right in her face and say, "Do NOT say another word and if you do, there will be severe consequences!" (Sound familiar? Yeah, it does to me too.) This normally patient mom was worn completely smooth!

Surprisingly for mom, the child ceased talking and the mom felt as if she had really made some progress. Hearing no sound coming from her normally very vocal daughter, the mom confidently walked away to continue making supper. But, dad, who was peeking from behind a newspaper, noticed what the mother could not see—the now silent daughter had her hand over her mouth guaranteeing no sound could come out, but her head shaking violently "NO."

Many years ago, a man named Art Linkletter bought stories of children who said, as he put it "the darnest things" to the American public's attention. In the above story, this child didn't say a thing, but her insides were speaking loud and clear—she was NOT on the same page as her mother.

There are many lessons to be learned from this child's response. One would be that even as adults we may be silent, but our body language sends messages to our husbands and children that may not be God-honoring. Another and a more important one would be concerning God. How many times do we silently let God know we are unhappy or disappointed or in disagreement with Him? We don't verbalize it, but our actions speak for us and those actions tell God that we do not trust Him to handle the situation.

Our God is a deliverer! It's that simple. What He promises to happen, will happen! And we are promised that if we put our hope in Him, He will take care of us.

I will leave you with the same message Paul gave the Romans found in Romans 15:13:

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Don't give God the silent treatment. Open your heart and let him FILL you with joy and peace.

Hugs,

Chrys

 

 

 

 

Put God on the Decorating List

Well, the rush is on. While pumpkins are snuggling down in the pumpkin patch, the Christmas trees pace the floor to gained the prized position. In fact, Christmas decorations no longer get their own season as the familiar green and red colors now share shelf space with scarecrows, pumpkins, and an assortment of pilgrims and turkey platters. No wonder time goes by so quickly these days. Marketing geniuses have us living three seasons in ONE! I find myself confused as to which holiday I'm supposed to be decorating for!

This marketing strategy is also partly to blame for the "stressed to the max" feeling we can get this time of year. What's a busy mom to do? Here's one thing we can do. Don't get distracted by all the glitz and glamour of upcoming holidays and forget about what is really important. Take a minute to breathe and remember the words to an old hymn, "I need thee every hour." Now, here's where another distraction could happen. Don't be distracted by the word "thee", which is "old school" talk to us today. Rather take a minute to think about what that hymn really says. I'm going to modernize the words for us all so we can eliminate one distraction. Read with me:

I need You every hour, most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Yours can peace afford.
I need You, O I need You;
Every hour I need You;
O bless me now, my Savior,
I come to You.

We do need God every hour, don't we? Sometimes we have him on our calendar book in terms of weekly or maybe daily, but in reality, we need Him hourly. In around 1968 hours, we celebrate the birth of Jesus, but we shouldn't let one hour pass without celebrating His greatness, goodness, and love. As the "stressful" holiday season is fast approaching, you can quickly de-stress by closing your eyes and praising God. Truly, there is no voice like His, no comfort greater than He can give, no joy that can measure up to what He can supply.

So, while you're out and about either looking for a candle to make your home smell as comforting as an apple pie on chilly day or new decorations so your home will look as festive as the White House at Christmas, remember to stop, look and listen for God. He's the decorator of all things beautiful and He never has to be put up in the attic.

Have a GRRRR-EAT day.

Hugs,

Chrys

Test Assured

Friday night football, backpacks, new clothes, homework, book reports, mediocre lunches. Does that list sound familiar? If you pretended you were on the game show The Pyramid and answered, "Things associated with school" you would have won the prize. Here I am on the first day of school with five of my ten grandkids.

Reading the "school" list may have sent fearful chills down the backs of some of you and others of you were smiling thinking back to the "good ole days!" Here's another word associated with school that will probably cause all of you to squirm just a little. TEST. There it is. Probably the most dreaded word in "school vocabulary." If that's true then I would guess the worst two words are POP QUIZ. I can still get butterflies if I think about it very long.

To be quite honest, I really had a love-hate relationship with tests during my school years. I hated a test that I didn't study for, but I loved a test I was totally prepared for. Are you with me? Remember how fun a "fill-in-the-blank" test was when you knew all the answers? I would write as fast as I could so I wouldn't forget an answer before I had the chance to put it on the paper. Now, educators are smarter than they used to be and most tests are of the multiple choice variety. We had them when I was in school, but they were the "easy" tests because the answer was at least on there somewhere and the choices weren't too hard.

But somewhere in the eighties, educators learned that memory work is the lowest form of learning (who knew?) and sought a way to measure higher level skills of thinking and processing information. Thus, the new multiple choice tests were born. They now include at least five choices, sometimes six, with two of them sounding alike, one totally opposite of the other five, one having nothing to do with what was taught, but you're not really sure, maybe you didn't hear her say you were to read that chapter, and then just for good measure they throw in "none of the above" and "all of the above". Those are the tests that cause you to walk out the door with a headache yelling, "I have NO idea how I did!" And you truly don't.

Yes, school is tough. Measuring a learned skill is tough. For most of us, those kinds of tests are now either happily tucked away in our memory banks or, if your had a very organized mom, in a plastic bin waiting for your own kids to discover and taunt you with later. In any case, most of us would rather not relive those days of studying and cramming information into our brains and are quite content to help our children get through the ordeal without ever mentioning our own "test" history.

But on closer examination, a test isn't always a bad thing. A good teacher uses tests to measure how well he or she was able to get across a new skill and a serious student does the same. Actually, testing can be a most effective tool for evaluating many areas of our lives.

II Corinthians 13:5 says, "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless of course, you fail the test?" Just as a serious student of math or history would need to be tested, we, as serious students of God's word, need to take the time to ask ourselves the hard questions. Not just the memory work, but the multiple choice questions that really make us think. And if we don't come up with the right answer, we need to study a little harder. Then be ready for a pop quiz or two, every now and then!!

Here's wishing you all a great week. Live this week and every week knowing God loves you!

Hugs,

Chrys

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

A few weekends ago about seventy friends and family members headed out to Atlanta to see the Braves play the Cardinals. Well, truth be known, some of us went to see the game, but the majority of us went to see my son- in-law, who is Willie Robertson, The Buck Commander and one of the stars of the reality show by the same name, sing Take Me Out to the Ballgame at the seventh inning stretch.

It was a much anticipated event and many have asked me since, "Is he a good singer?" thinking that is the reason he was asked to sing. My answer remains the same, "He does sing pretty good, but this wasn't about his singing ability, it was more about his celebrity in the hunting world and the fact that he is quite a character." Due to Willie's reality show, event planners had seen evidence that he could entertain the crowd of 40,000 plus that day.

They were right. It was successful from everyone's angle. Although just a beat behind the pre-recorded music, Willie led the crowd with gusto and finished with a strong, "For it's one, two, three strikes your out at the old ball game!" The crowd cheered and our little "drop in the bucket" seventy fans from Willie's hometown smiled at the accomplishment of our hometown hero.

I am rarely in a stadium that the scripture in Hebrews 12 doesn't come to mind. "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

The word "surrounded" is perfectly depicted in a stadium. Synonyms for surrounded are words like encircled, bounded, bordered and enclosed. A stadium is all of those words and Willie stood right on top of the dugout, surrounded by fans of both the Braves and the Cardinals, most who had never heard the name Willie Robertson before that day. But, they were all witnesses that day to his singing ability and his connection to the duck and buck hunting world.

Another question I've been asked is this one, "Was he nervous?" And I have to say, "Yes, he was." But, he threw off everything that could hinder him from performing this task which he considered a high honor and persevered in front of the fans, friends, and family who were pulling for him. The picture I posted with this blog is one of my favorites from that day. After he sang, his wife, children, and other family members encircled him and told him, "You did great!"

The previous scripture I mentioned is found in Chapter 12, but in Chapter 11 of Hebrews we are told the names of men and women who have walked this road of life before us and are witnesses to God's goodness and power. In verse 39, it says each of these men and women were commended for their faith.

Just as Willie stood, surrounded by a cloud of witnesses, we are also. Moses, Abraham, Sarah, David, Rahab and many more have gone before us and now say to us by their example, "You can do it! We've walked the walk you are walking and we surround you with our message of hope, love, grace, mercy, peace. Keep up the fight and, in the end, you too will be commended."

Just think, one day we will walk through the gates of heaven greeted, surrounded, encircled by those who have walked before us and they will say, "YOU DID GREAT!"

Have a great day. Live today God's way.

Hugs, Chrys