Clever Characters

Mother's Day is sooo overrated. Perhaps this has not been the case for you but for several of my friends last Sunday's disappointment produced a flood of tears still trickling days later. I am not sure of all the reasons this day has become such a letdown, but it has for many. I know expectations play a role, then there is the whole confusion of who honors who, and how they should be honored. So I want to help you out with a few observations. Guys do not tell your wife, "But your not my mom." This will be met with a waterfall of tears. Daughters do not say to your mom, "What have YOU planned for Mother's Day? Remember this year I am a mom too?" And in general avoid statements like,"You're JUST a step mom do you celebrate mother's day?" And guys, we really do want to honor your mom but PLEASE do not make us feel like sloppy seconds or an afterthought. It hurts. After a few days to ponder this I think several forces are at play. First are...

Can I ask you a question? If I have heard that phrase once in my marriage I have heard it a thousand times. It has always cracked me up that Brad asks if he can ask a question rather than just firing away. Last night was no exception. He called me onto the patio to enjoy the beautiful night and he asked, "Can I ask you a question?" I replied with "Just one?" He grinned and said,"Why do I think I can make a difference in the world?" This question could easily come from the heart of any of us so I decided to share my response. You believe you can make a difference in the world because God told you that you could. When you were in your mother's womb God was with you. He was there for nine months. His spirit connected to you without distraction. It was as if the two of you were one. He was speaking your mission into you and wiring you for it at the same time. When God speaks....He creates.....a thought uttered by Him becomes a reality. So God spoke "m...

Wednesday mornings are sacred. I drive to a church in Argyle to meet with a group of ladies none of which I have much in common with on the surface. There is a bold grandmother whose husband is battling cancer, a sassy single mom of two girls, a spunky newlywed who has 9 children, a feisty single professional working with a start-up company offering mortgages specifically tailored for public servants, a generous grandmother whose husband is a non believer, a kind mom battling very painful physical ailments and a beautiful mom of two and ministry leader. We are supposed to be studying a book called Nurture by Lisa Bevere . Somewhere along the path we stopped studying nurture and became nurture. The allotted time has shifted. We share each other's lives more and discuss the latest chapter of the book less. I think Lisa would be proud because we are living out what she has written about. “Women –daughters and mothers- of all ages need to awaken and recover their capacity to nurture ju...

For as long as I can remember I have made a scheduled "to do" list. I am not sure all of the reasons why but this list makes me feel secure. Sometimes I actually add things at the end of the day so that I can mark a line through them. Weird I know. I am a strategic planner who very much enjoys the sense of accomplishment that rolls over me at the end of the day when I review my "to do" list. Because God does not have cable and enjoys a good sitcom I am married to Brad. When we first married Brad was quick to point out that the word list is a four letter word. Brad is spontaneous, impulsive, and wired full throttle for adventure. As a family we are in a very unique season. Transition is our current theme and we are seeking God's will for everything in our lives. So my "to do" list has only one item. 1.GOD: Listen and obey. As you can imagine this has been a struggle for me. I keep wanting to sit down the night before and make "the list" but I ...