blog

Success.

Tue, 15 May 2012 22:04:22 +0100

Sometimes it feels like everyone is chasing The Dream. It's like a frantic ONE-DAY-ONLY sale at the mall just before Christmas. Adrenalin is pumping as people lose their minds to get huge deals on high-quality toys, clothing items and electronics. Except, the mad 'rush to rule' that I'm referring to runs nearly every day of the year. Losing sleep, pushing, pulling, grumbling, striving, fighting ferociously for the.......PRIZE? Hmm.

Twitter is exploding, blogs are mega-multiplying, LinkedIn is knocking, Branched Out is messaging, high dollar deals are going down, texts are beep, beep, beeping, smart phones are jingling, jangling, buzzing and SCREAMING for our attention...anxiety is high as the multitudes are grasping for the.....GOAL?

Yep, I confess. Some would say I'm an over-achiever or at least a workaholic. I've blogged, Tweeted, texted, emailed, written volumes, video blogged, sold books, produced webinars and spoken at numerous events over the years. Sometimes I feel on target, and sometimes I feel like I'm lagging behind...it's a rat race out there.

Today as I peruse the beautiful hand-written words on my Mother's Day cards, read the cyber-messages my hubby and sons and special friends have sent, linger over the flowers, jewelry, handmade soaps, and dark chocolates sitting on my counter, and consider the sweet phone calls, hugs, and relaxed time spent together over the weekend...everything sort of falls into place in order of priority within my heart, and I'm at peace with where I'm at. Success, once again, becomes clearly defined to me.

It occurred to me that many, many human beings on the planet might need to reconsider their definition of success and perhaps, even, re-define the term and chase a....slightly tweaked or even, dramatically-adjusted dream.

Yes, I want the PRIZE. I just want the right prize when I get it.

Yes, I want to reach the GOAL. I just want the right goal when I reach it.

I wanna be a legend, too. Just the right kind of legend.

Thanks for the inspiration, Jared.

Mother's Day approaching...

Tue, 08 May 2012 04:00:58 +0100

This year marks my 28th year as a mom. Although I hadn't 'met' him yet, and didn't know if he was a boy or a girl at the time, my oldest son was growing in my womb 28 years ago this month; what sweet memories I have of the beginning of my mothering journey. I felt I could hardly wait for his arrival! I was jubilant to be expecting...

God was so gracious to bless me with five sons. How grateful I am for His patience with me, His leading, His prompting those many years ago to help me to believe that children would be a blessing when I'd always thought of them as more of an inconvenience and liability rather than an asset before I'd had my own.

I don't think a worldly culture truly places proper value on little ones. My sense as a teen was "Oh yes, they're cute and cuddly and just right for a nanny or a daycare, or a public school classroom to handle for 8 hours a day, but parents have far too many important things to attend to than to nurture a simple child 24/7."

Of course, I hasten to say that this is a broad brush stroke against society's canvas, and many in our world would disagree with such a perspective toward children, but in general, that's my take on our culture's attitude toward succeeding generations.

But God put mothering in women's hearts. And if we allow Him to, he tenderizes and sensitizes us to our offspring in an unusual way. When we look to Him, we find ourselves far more attentive to our sons and daughters and the deepest of longings fills our heart to nurture them in every possible way a human can be cared for. A mother whose ear is toward heaven is a mother who understands and lives a level of supreme personal sacrifice in order to protect, comfort, shape, and develop her children's potential beyond the ordinary.

I was thinking about this topic as I sat in my cozy leather chair at the window yesterday morning. The fog was heavy upon the water situated below the hill where our home sits. So much so, that a fog horn droned on repeatedly (and annoyingly for hours) for the ships, ferries and barges that are always active on the sea. Hubby and I peer out upon the scene many times a day, watching eagles soar, seagulls sail and all manner of little birds dart and dash about the greenery around our lot. A waterfront draws so much life! And I've learned to enjoy patiently watching all the activity...

I looked in the direction of my neighbor's home, and there sat a lone robin upon the peak of their roof. This is one tireless bird. Rain can be pouring down and this doting mother doesn't flinch. There you'll find her hour upon hour, day-by-day, watching over her nest. She can't be lured away or distracted. Her life is now lived for those fledglings yet-to-come. She is single-minded. Her job is essential. No one else cares enough to guard those eggs from the many predators that visit daily. You won't find her sleeping on her watch.

How powerful to think that even among the animals, God's 'mother heart' beats. This fragile, little bird speaks to me. Happy Mother's Day!

Great update on our friend, Kelly!

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 17:49:01 +0100

(Here's a pic of Kelly on the left and the driver of their vehicle, Rebecca, on the right - we're so grateful God kept them!)

It seemed as if I no sooner posted the summary of Kelly's accident (see last post below) and someone walked in the door of our home with a wonderful update on her condition.

The story is that on Friday, she was still the same. Slowly regaining her understanding and memories and yet, operating at a level of understanding in much the same way a young child would. Suddenly and unexpectedly on Saturday morning she awoke to remember the accident, her age, and seemed to be 'back!'

We are simply jumping up and down in our hearts at this miracle from God. There is more growth and full recovery to come, but for now it's as if God fast-forwarding Kelly's progress IN A DAY!!! We don't take this marvelous news for granted.

Feeling very, very grateful for this report!

God's in the details...

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 05:11:31 +0100

I've had the Bad Flu since April 2nd. (No flu is the 'good' flu, but the 'O.K. I'll just survive this' flu only lasts 48 hours. This Bad flu is one of those nasty bugs who hangs on for dear life!) I remember distinctly feeling odd that day, yet pushing through all the duties of a wife and mom. Two of my boys were heading out for a week-long trip the next day so I had food to buy, food to pack, from-scratch muffins to make and a social engagement to attend with hubby that evening. I did all the above after my morning power walk and ended up in bed about midnight. I set my alarm for 6:30 a.m. in order to put together all the boys' food items and get them off to the train stop by 7:30. I got them all settled in, hugged them good-bye, and went home and right back to bed. I was finished. Two weeks later, after the worst flu I've experienced since being a young Midwestern mom in the 80s, I finally began to feel normal again.

So...I've been pretty scarce here on my blog, but I'm back! And...I wanted to share a story that happened just a few short days before my flu hit. It's about a dear friend of our family who needs your prayers.

I'll never forget the frightening phone call that came in recently. Three teen girls (Kelly, a 19 year-old who we’ve known for 15 years) and two of her track and field teammates and close friends, were in a high-speed collision on the evening of March 27th. Rebecca’s red Kia had come to a complete stop in backed-up traffic on a nearby highway, when it was suddenly and unexpectedly rear-ended by a jacked-up Dodge Ram pickup at a speed of 40-45 mph. Rebecca was driving, with Kelly in the back seat (where the trunk is now!). Two of the girls, thankfully, walked away from the crash, but our close friend, Kelly, spent several days in ICU pretty much unconscious, and is now at home with her family, recovering. The physicians wanted to send Kelly to a facility in Seattle to recover, a good hour to 90 minutes from her home, but her parents felt strongly that they should take her home to be with her family, in the surroundings she’s familiar with.

Kelly has had severe bruising to both frontal lobes of her brain. She looks perfectly normal, no broken bones or cuts-which in itself is an absolute miracle from God, but in her brain, much is taking place. As you look at the photo below of the vehicle post-crash, it's almost impossible to believe these girls survived--and without being mangled in the crash. We are so very grateful.

But Kelly isn't processing life and facts as a normal 19 year-old would. She is gradually comprehending those things that are daily realities of life for a young woman her age. It's as if her brain went on rewind to about 15 years ago and is having to daily catch up to now. And, thankfully, this IS happening. But, it's a process that could take several months for complete recovery.

The doctors are fully assured of Kelly's continuing recovery, based on x-rays and frequent examinations, but, you can imagine the trauma this has been for her 4 siblings and her dear, loving, dedicated parents.

I phoned her mom a few days ago and she was grateful that after 3 weeks, Kelly had slept through the night for the first time this week. Her Mama is tired.

If this dear family comes to mind, would you please pray for them? Thank you!

Easy, healthy snack idea for you and the kiddies...

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 02:54:24 +0100

Cindy Francis, my lovely assistant and treasured friend from South Africa, read and really enjoyed my blog post about feeding kids healthy snacks and sent me this recipe. Her daughter, Grace (see below), almost a year and a half, LOVES munching on these naturally sweet and delicious date balls.

It’s so much easier to introduce our children to new textures and flavors when they’re just starting out, but even if your kids are older, don’t be daunted when they wrinkle up their nose – be persistent for their health’s sake - it’s amazing what a hungry child will eat!

Date Balls

Equal quantities of:

Rolled Oats

Pitted Dates

Coconut (can be half the quantity of others) (I like unsweetened)

*Optional:

Handful of finely ground raw almonds

Handful of raisins

Place all ingredients in a food processor, add a little water to form pliable ‘dough.’

Roll the ‘dough’ into balls and dip/roll in either:

Coconut

Carob Powder

Sesame seeds

Crushed raw almonds

GREAT kept in the freezer for an 'anytime' snack!

I'm telling you, these are DELICIOUS!!!I SIMPLY CANNOT STOP EATING THESE THINGS!!!

Caution: Standard American Kid Breakfast

Sun, 25 Mar 2012 16:48:42 +0100

It was breakfast time. Hubby and I had just picked up our granddaughter for the day. We all walked into our nearby grocery store to grab a few items. We noticed a happy and friendly little boy, about age 8 I would guess, moving about in the lounge area. My granddaughter stopped in her tracks to observe him, and said aloud, "boy," as she watched him. She's learning so much just by her God-given instinct to notice what's going on around her.

He was animated and jovial and aching to interact with anyone willing. He was busy eating something, while he pounced about quietly, and upon further investigation, it was some kind of packaged snack bar. He opened another one and began to consume it as well, when he began to count the ones left in the box...

"I have 3 more! This is my breakfast! I had a donut, too!" he proudly exclaimed. He then bounced over to us and handed my granddaughter a packaged bar. What a sweet gesture. We thanked him for being so generous as he made his way back to his daddy, who was busy working on his computer. From time-to-time he would warmly acknowledge his son, give a little input, and go back to his work.

It appeared obvious that the father cared for his son, and their interaction was pleasant. But it was also obvious that the dad had no clue how to feed his boy...who never stopped munching his snack bars up until we left. He also began to cough an ugly cough, and my heart was aching for this boy who needs nutrients to build his young body, not candy to tear it down.

Here's what he was munching-looks like a great price! But, not a great deal...

Here's the label on that box of goodies....

The dominant ingredient on the lengthy list of scary words is sugar in many forms: high fructose corn syrup, brown sugar, corn syrup solids, just plain 'sugar' and repeat...

Is it any wonder Type 2 diabetes-a KILLER- is at epidemic proportions in the population of our nation's children? Is it any wonder so many kids are constantly sick, mommies are running to the doctor, and shelf meds are handed out like candy to our precious little ones?

Millions of homes need a revolution in their kitchen cupboards. A broad and sweeping change in their diets. Just by reading the ingredient list on the labels of grocery store products, most any parent can be informed. Educated. Better equipped to know what should be dropped in the cart and what should be avoided.

It's up to us parents to create a revolution in our homes for our sons and daughters. We don't have time to wait for someone else to do it, by then, it will be too late. Let's do it, folks.

One Bored Housewife...

Sat, 17 Mar 2012 19:48:27 +0100

When I was young, single and stupid, I used to wonder what stay-at-home mothers did all day. At the time, the prospect of becoming a full time (or anytime for that matter!) homemaker was one of the most depressing possibilities I could imagine for my life. 'Boring household industry' was a mystery to me. Now, I get it.

God has a way of...umm...doing whatever He chooses! And here I am, a woman who has been a full time homemaker for some 30+ years now. Somehow I've managed to fit in writing and speaking and pastoring lots of churches with my hubby and boys along the way, but I have to say, the homemaking part has been the most satisfying, rewarding and impactful endeavor I could ever have imagined.

Homemaking is most definitely a full time job. Full time and more. Now I'm also happily wearing the Grandmother hat, which is bringing me more explosive joy than anyone could have warned me about. LOVING EVERYTHING ABOUT IT!

Yesterday my day began with the alarm. My baby girl was due to arrive for the day and I had to grab the highchair, crib and rocker cushions from the garage and get the oatmeal on. Her mommy feeds her wisely and I want to do the same. No Pop Tarts for my girl! (or Fruit Loops or CoCo Puffs...) Then of course I had to slice the strawberries to go on top, once I'd flavored it with cinnamon and a little Greek yogurt...she gobbled it up.

Once she'd arrived, giggley and excited, she wanted my full attention...but first I was putting the Champion juicer together and peeling and slicing all the fruits and veggies (apples, oranges, lemons, kale, carrots, celery, ginger) for the fresh-pressed juice for 6 I was determined to make...AND I had a sticky note on the juicer to remind me to press the carrots first, so I could collect the pure carrot pulp for the fresh muffins little girl SO enjoyed the last time she was with us...I promised her another batch and I wanted to make it happen.

They're made of carrot pulp, crushed pineapple (this time I used banana), almond milk, walnuts, eggs, flaxseed meal, coconut oil, cinnamon, whole wheat flour, leavening agents of course and a mixture of honey and organic blue agave to sweeten them...so I pulled everything out and whipped up the batter and baked big and tiny muffins while we played. (I'll add the recipe below. I like these because they don't taste like cardboard, but they're full of goodness and a Nannie can feel good about giving them to her little granddaughter AND they passed the taste test with not only my sons but my hubby. Very big deal! They've sampled many of my 'healthy muffins' over the years and most weren't exactly YUM!)

In the course of all this I was doing loads of laundry, dishes, making coffee and planning our evening meal. Suddenly as we were playing with all her plastic food items, she declared aloud, "TOAST!" She's not quite putting full sentences together, but the fragments and words are becoming very clear. After she'd repeated "toast!" a few times, the light went on in my brain and we proceeded to go to the kitchen to fulfill her request!

I put her in the high chair with some fresh banana as I toasted the grainy, healthful bread. I spread some vegan butter, organic peanut butter and fruit-only jam across the top and cut it in little squares. She dug in and ate every single bite, while she sipped her fresh juice and water. I put a VeggieTale on for her to watch while she snacked. (It's kind of a late-morning ritual we have if we're stuck indoors. I enjoy the VeggieTales as much as she does.) Then it was time for rocking and stories before her nap.

We snuggled and read the Jonah pop-up book. It's bright and colorful and every time we get to the last page, she says, "aGAIN!" So after several re-reads, we went on to the missing cheese book with the flaps she gets to open, and the Elmo book. Her eyes were a little droopy and she gladly lay down in her porta-crib.

I hit the kitchen and decided NOW was the time to start dinner, while my little charge was resting. My 17 year-old meandered into the kitchen, too, to make his morning coffee, and he began to chat. He had an in-service day off from school, so he had slept the morning away. While I fried the Italian chicken sausages, and sliced the sweet peppers, onions, and mushrooms, I got to hear all about what he's learning at college. Cameras and audio equipment and song recording and people and places...for the next hour or two, this Momma was drinking in the details. He showed me the video footage he was working on for his school project and we talked about his upcoming travel to record more music with his brother...I love hearing my boys tell me about their lives, their dreams, their activities, whatever. As they get older, these times become fewer, so I don't want to miss my opportunities!

I put together a little snack plate for my granddaughter to have when she woke, since she's usually ready to nibble, while I put the pasta on to boil. I added 3 small squares of cheese and some multi-grain crackers to indulge her :)

Just then, I heard a little voice chattering from down the hall. Wow, time does fly. Hubby had been out and about and he texted to make sure I was up for cooking dinner as he knew my day was always busy when I was babysitting...he offered to pick up some spaghetti sauce from our favorite sauce restaurant so I wouldn't have to cook. So sweet. It would go perfectly with what I'd already been cooking...

I had the added joy of our firstborn popping in to pick up our granddaughter and we persuaded him to stay for dinner and to hang out a while. He's a busy guy, so it was nice to have him to ourselves. An hour or so passed when our youngest stopped in with a cluster of friends to snack and chat, too. I always enjoy connecting with our sons' friends. When they're grown, they each have a sphere of relationships that grows and grows and I don't always get to put names to faces. I love being part of their world. Then our daughter-in-law popped in from her dinner engagement with friends and we finally had a few moments to share our hearts. Her life is so full as a mommy and wife and I've been missing her.

By about 10, everyone had left. It was a good day.

I'm so glad I grew up to be an ol' bored homemaker. Enjoy the recipe!

Denise's Delicious Healthy Muffins
2 cups grated carrot or carrot pulp from juicer
1/2 cup crushed pineapple or 1 whole mashed banana
3/4 cup almond milk
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup organic blue agave syrup
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup flaxseed meal
Mix together. Batter will be almost the consistency of soft play dough. It doesn't pour. I pluck it from the bowl and place it in the muffin cups. Fill them, this doesn't rise a lot. Bake muffins for 40 minutes and mini-muffins for 20 minutes at 350. Sounds like a long time but if you pull them out too soon, they taste completely different. The batter is very dense and requires longer cooking time.

Our stuff.

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 05:13:44 +0100

I want a rocking chair. I need one to rock my baby granddaughter when she’s here. I find it delightful to spend time snuggling and rocking her just before or after her nap or when she’s spending the night and about to go to bed.

So, when I saw signs for an estate sale, I thought “why not? They might have a rocker for sale.”

I spent a bit of time locating the house, then found cars lined up on both sides of the street and cross streets. Estate sales are obviously a hot item. As I walked in, many people were milling about in every room and closet, touching everything, paying for their finds…it was a little sad, actually.

I couldn’t help thinking about the folks who had lived there previously. Did they ever imagine that complete strangers would be milling through all their drawers, bargaining on their furniture, digging through their garage, shed, and Christmas decorations? There were SO many useful items, in good shape, at bargain prices. How much hard-earned cash had these people spent buying, buying, buying stuff they hadn’t even opened yet or barely used?

How many people today are striving, working, and toiling for piles of stuff that keep them tied to jobs they hate, working untold hours a week, all for stuff someone else will buy for 50 cents in the end?

Just being there, observing, was a little sobering. Didn't find my rocker, but I did find some meaningful insight.

Babies know.

Sat, 03 Mar 2012 02:50:11 +0100

I was babysitting for my granddaughter earlier this week. I'd been out of town and hadn't seen her for a week-plus, so I was aching to get my hands on her! When I ran out to the car to grab her from the car seat, she was wildly swinging her arms up and down like a majorette, and screaming with delight to be at "Poppie's house, Nannie's house," as she declared aloud.

I find every little thing to be such a joy with this doll. I've got the bug for sure. Now that she's talking lots, it's even more fun to know we're really communicating beyond our hearts. She carefully puts words together like, "Nannie's chin. Nannie's hat," etc. She repeats pretty much everything and comes up with stuff you can't believe she's already grasped. Oh, how God has created our little ones to learn and grow and drink in so much, so young...

My youngest, now in college, asked when she would be awake from her nap, as he was missing her, too, and thought he might stop home for lunch between classes. He did! (She LOVES her uncle Seth. She always looks around for him, goes into his room to interrupt him repeatedly and rejoices when he gets home if he's been away.) And, he brought a classmate. Her name is Paris.

My granddaughter studied her carefully for about 2 minutes, then walked over to her, reached both arms up so that she'd pick her up, as my son and I watched in disbelief! It just seemed odd since they'd never met.

For the next hour, she designated Paris as her playmate, handing her toys, chattering away to her, holding her hand out, saying "come" to grab Paris' hand and tug her to the next room, to sit on her lap here and there. It was the sweetest sight.

Paris has a peaceful, kind spirit, and Jael picked up on that. Kids know, don't they? They are incredibly discerning. We think they only 'hear' what we say, but they observe and absorb SO MUCH MORE than that. We gotta be what we want them to be.

Catching up.

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 20:11:55 +0100

After a lovely, mostly sunshiney week away, mixing business and pleasure in a multiplicity of cities, it's good to be home. The kids must have read my notes (see my February 22nd post) because they're all still breathing, food has been rearranged in the fridge and the house appears to be intact!

I had to laugh when a reader emailed me the photo above. It's an actual tag attached to a garment. It's a little difficult to read, but if you look real close, you'll see along the top of the tag a row of symbols indicating how to launder the fabric. Underneath the symbols is this sentence: "Or, give it to your mother. She knows how to do it." I realized they know us moms well! How many times have I offered, at their request, my advice on laundering or spot removing to my grown kids?!

I'm busy working my way through a pile of laundry, a stack of mail, and one more writing deadline. Oh, and the groceries must be replenished. Us moms wear many hats. Be back soon. Make it a great week!