My blog–well, quite frankly it has been abandoned. Over the last few months I have not had the energy or the time to keep up with daily posts. I’ve been a little busy overseeing a preschool ministry at church, being a wife and mom, moving and working on a little writing project that has invaded every area of my life.

Truly, I have wanted to return to blogging but have said a thousand times to Bruce, “I just feel so empty on the inside. I have nothing left to write about.”

But what should pull me out of an 8-month blog hiatus?

The death of Maurice Sendak.

Sounds sorta morbid huh? Just hold on, I promise to take a strong upward turn here and move onto more uplifting subjects.

On Thursday night, I read an article about Sendak’s death. I was flooded with tons of emotions. Immediately I was transported back to Where the Wild Things Are.  And the beautiful sets for the Pacific Northwest Ballet company’s version of the Nutcracker that Sendak designed.  His stories and art transported me–and untold numbers of other young children–to places our imaginations were incapable of taking us on our own. Reading his stories and looking at his art, it was like Sendak was sitting beside me giving me a little nudge to go ahead and enter into a world full of excitement and wonder.

I am the beneficiary of a mom whose love of books and written word led her to a degree in library science. She was one of those moms who had strong opinions about a lot of things. One of her firm beliefs is that children should read. And, read a lot because books are overwhelming superior to television and film.

So strong in her opinion about this that it caused her to make crazed decisions.

At the beginning of each summer, my sisters and myself were assigned summer reading lists. No big deal right? As soon as the summer reading list was posted, the crazies kick in. My mom unplugged the TV, removed it from where it was perched the previous spring and flung it in the closet. The TV was not to be returned until summer was over.

No amount of begging or whining ever returned the TV during those long, hot summer months.  So we read.

Children’s book launched me to the classics. I still remember exactly where I was when I discovered that Reverend Dimmesdale was the father of Hester Prynne’s baby in the Scarlet Letter. I have read that book at least five times since. And the day I discovered that Pip’s benefactor was the escaped convict he graciously helped years earlier, I let out an audible gasp. I was shocked. Dickens had me hook, line, and sinker. I hung on his every word and still had no inclination it was the seemingly despicable character that was, in fact, the most charitable. Dickens turned my world upside down. I have read Great Expectations more than a dozen times.

And don’t even get me started on Jane Austen.

Thank You, Mom, a thousand times over for flinging that TV where it needed to be flung.  And marching me to the public library to open up a world of wonder.  Your love for the written word developed my imagination.

In honor of Sendak and in celebration of my Mom, I did what was only fitting. I curled up with my little girl and we read all afternoon.

We read The Snowy Day and Hi, Cat. We read Blueberries for Sal and Make Way for Ducklings. We read The Little House.

And in my best rhyming cadence we read:

In an old house in Paris

that was covered in vines

Lived twelve little girls

in two straight lines.

In two straight lines they broke their bread

Brushed their teeth

and went to bed.

They left the house at half-past nine—

The smallest one was Madeline.

So Gwendolyn, let’s go on a journey with Jack Ezra Keats, Robert McCloskey, Virginia Burton, and Ludwig Bemelmans. They will usher you into a world of excitement and wonder. And once inside that world, thank your Grammy. Because of her, I take you there.

Today’s guest blogger is my sister, Caroline.   The following is a letter she wrote to the editor of the Paris (Texas, that is…) newspaper.

Dear Editor,

Sometimes my days are measured in small achievements, the laundry, the dishwasher emptied, a dinner cooked, or even children bathed and fed.  I have a five month old baby and a three year old son.  But today, I took my children and stood on Clarksville Street as the procession of U.S. Marine Sgt. Jay M. Hoskins passed by.  I was moved to think of his widow, expecting their second child.  How will her days be measured, knowing that no one will come home at five o’clock?  In small achievements or in just surviving another day, minute, or second?

What can be offered for such a sacrifice?  Like so many citizens of Paris, my presence was all I could offer today.  But, I believe my one small achievement on this particular day was to teach my sons to show honor and gratitude to the memory of one who has offered his life for my personal freedom.
Thank you, Caroline W.

Thank you, Caroline, for the gracious reminder that we need to celebrate the real heroes in life and as equally important that we teach our children the great value we place on our freedom. Freedom comes at a cost.

What have you done to honor those who have sacrificed for your personal freedom?

What creative ideas do you have for teaching your children the importance of honoring “the real heroes” in life?

Let me know your thoughts!
Heather

I am raising a cheerleader. Well, minus the short skirt and pom poms.

As a PW, I am always looking for ways to teach my daughter to love God and His church.  I love the local church and not just because my  husband is a pastor. The local church is dynamic and full of stories of people whose lives have been radically changed by the grace and mercy of God.  The local church is a place that offers hope and healing for the broken.  The local church is the Bride of Christ and He is returning one day for His bride!

I want my daughter to not just love Christ Fellowship because she grows up there, but I want her to love God’s global kingdom. I want her to be a cheerleader for The Bride.  She will catch a heart and vision for the local church, if she sees me model it.

Part of possessing a love for the church is understanding that other churches are not competition.  Area churches are our partners.  We want to pray for and support pastors in their ministries.

So, on Saturday we drove to area churches to pray for their Easter services.  We stood in their parking lots to ask God to bless their services.  It did my heart good to see my little toddler pray for area pastor’s by name!  Check out Bruce’s video blog at 1year2live about praying for area churches.

As a first time mom, I am learning  a lot of stuff on the fly.  So, I’d love to hear from you how are you teaching your kids to love God and the local church?

To be honest, I entered into this Easter season with some trepidation.  You see, I have a 2 year old.  As a first time mom I am learning lots of stuff on the fly, but I think veteran moms would agree with my estimation that toddlers and dye just aren’t a good combination.  At all.

So, big sigh of relief when Grammy and GrammyDaddy sent us the perfect Easter Egg kit.

Imagine my excitement to find the kit was dye optional! It was packed with all sorts of fun stickers, markers, and googley eyes by which to assemble the perfect Easter egg. No time was wasted tearing into the box!

We spent the afternoon coloring the eggs to perfection…

…and meticulously placing stickers on each egg.

Then as quick as the decorating began, it ended with the realization that eggs are for eating!

The concept that Easter eggs are for decoration is a hard thing to grasp.  With great reluctance, the eggs were placed back into their bowl.

In the end, Gwendolyn had a blast.  Our Easter eggs were created with lots of fun and imagination and most importantly, not one drop of dye! Thanks Grammy and GrammyDaddy for the perfect gift.

What Easter traditions do you share with your family?

One of my favorite things about Florida is the Strawberry Festival! I love strawberries and so naturally it makes sense to love any town that celebrates the strawberry.  Plant City, Florida does just that.  This year we decided to pay Parkesdale Farms a visit.  Home of the Jumbo Strawberry Shortcake!

This place is quintessential Florida.  And, that’s what makes Parkesdale Farms so endearing.  No state of the art theme parks.  No fancy white table clothes.

They do two things and two things only.  Strawberry shortcake and strawberry milkshakes.

Both are equally delicious!

Stepping into the dining area is to step back in time.  Nothing but old-school tradition here.

You would never know it from the road, but it is literally like a secret garden with picnic tables surrounded by trees, plants and orchids.  Plus a few, okay a lot, of kitschy strawberry themed decorations–most of which happen to be red tinsel.

Think roadside fruitstand meets the movie Cocoon.

There is nothing like it.  It is a strawberry wonder land.  Complete with a paper mache strawberry throne.  I mean who could resist being Strawberry Royalty?

The crowns might be a bit too big, but who cares when your throne is big and red!

And every Queen needs a King.

The Jumbo Strawberry Shortcake is world famous.  It must have taken the poor guy from Algeria days to get here.  All the more reason why I am thankful that Plant City is in my back yard!

So if you are ever in Florida in March, swing by Plant City for a true celebration of the strawberry.

I shared a post by Michael Hyatt on my Facebook wall last week.  The post entitled, Why Speaking Well of Your Spouse is So Important drew great comments from my female friends.  So, I knew the topic of honoring your spouse with kind words must have struck a cord.  I wholeheartedly agree with Hyatt’s post.  It is important–if not imperative–that we speak words of grace and blessing to our spouse.

This got me to thinking about the roles my husband and I have in ministry. Hyatt’s post helped me realize as much I as I try–or even assume I am doing a good job– on this front, there is always room for improvement.  I mean really, can a pastor hear too many times that he is appreciated and respected for his leadership?

So, to Pastor’s Wives out there, I’ve compiled my own set of reasons why YOU must be speaking well of your husband in public and offering words of affirmation in private.

1) You are the only one who fills the role of pastor’s wife.

Everyone in the church can be a member.  Everyone can serve and give in order to encourage the growth of the church. There are lots of roles that need to be filled for a church to be healthy. But, you are the only one who fills the role of the pastor’s wife. Trust me, it is your affirmation he seeks and he needs the most! He does want to be encouraged by people in the church. He does like to be noticed by his peers for leadership abilities, creativity, and his preaching among other things.  But, it is the respect of his wife that he longs for.  After all ladies, he is a man.  And that is how God created him.

2) If you don’t make the time, no one else will.

People live busy, hectic lives.  I don’t think people neglect to encourage the pastor out of spite or because they disagree with his vision, as much as I think people just forget.  After wrestling the kids out the front door on Sunday morning and then rushing out the church doors after service to make sure the crock pot dinner hasn’t burned the house down, people are just plain hurried.  We are all guilty of foregoing some of the civilities of life simply because we lack time.  Don’t assume that others will make the time to speak blessings into your husband’s life.  You must do that.

3) His calling needs to be affirmed.

Pastors have a divine calling from God on their lives.  His profession is different than most every other profession.  Bankers, plumbers, doctors, painters, lawyers, educators, mail clerks, and entrepreneurs all have important jobs.  We need each of these types of jobs for our communities to function.  But a pastor’s job impacts eternity. Many pastors give up personal dreams and lucrative career opportunities to step into roles that impact God’s global kingdom for all of eternity.  Affirm him for that!

4) Others follow your lead.

Every pastor’s wife is a leader.  No matter whether you feel like one or not.  No matter whether you sing in the choir, lead a ministry, work in the church office, or simply show up with a smile on your face you have the ability to influence people.  That’s called being a leader.  Your verbal and non-verbal communication speaks volumes.  You may think people aren’t listening, but they are.  And, if for no other reason than for the sake of your children, praise your husband in their presence.  You will impact their world dramatically.  Your affirming words will produce security in their lives.  They will see parents that love and support each other.  Your children will follow your lead!

Pastor’s wives, let me hear from you.  Why do you think it is important to speak well of your husband?  If you have time, make sure you check out Hyatt’s excellent post as well!

What is it about 4:00 to 6:00pm? Toddler meltdown mode is what I call it. It’s that time of the day when my daughter turns into someone I don’t even recognize.  My desperate search for an activity to occupy her attention turns up empty.  Meanwhile, I am left to prep for dinner with her hanging off my kneecaps. By the time Bruce gets home, my nerves are a little frayed.

Here’s how dinnertime plays out of our house.  Bruce races in the door from a long days work.  As soon as I see the whites of his eyes, I start serving up the food.  We all sit down to eat a nice meal and my time is spent dodging the airborne peas and constantly keeping the sippy cup upright.

Mom’s, you know what am talking about. So are you desperate to regain some sanity at the dinner table? Well, I found the perfect thing!

Ok, so I have never really done product reviews on my blog.  For starters, no vendor has ever given me anything to try or read for an endorsement.  And, it just takes time to try the product and come up with something clever to say.

But, after I received this Christmas present from my father-in-law, I just knew it had to be featured on my blog.  Mom’s, you are gonna love this creative and family friendly way to bring conversation (and sanity) to your dinner table.  That’s why you have to check out Just Add Family: Easy Recipes for Faith-Fill Fun by Kurt and Olivia Bruner.

Even the packaging is fun! It comes in a bright yellow tin with a giant old school mixer on the front.  Inside are easy recipes for faith-filled fun.  Each card provides step-by-step instructions for creative conversations and great memories.

There are recipes cards for mealtime, bedtime, and family night.  Birthdays and special occasions, such as holidays, are also included.  There are even blank cards for you to create your own recipe for fun.

According to the Bruners, fun and intentionality are two key ingredients to increasing the likelihood that children embrace the faith of their parents.  They say, “children are much more likely to embrace our faith and values if they enjoy our company.  A solid relationship that includes lots of family fun creates the best context for faith transference.”  I love that they have created a resource that encourages parents to have fun!  This is a great reminder that Gwendolyn will not remember everything I say about my faith or God’s Word, but she will always remember laughing with her mom and dad.  And in the context of fun and laughter, learning will take place.

Just Add Family gives dinnertime conversation direction and purpose.  It is a tool to cultivate fun and meaningful conversation between parent and child.

Think family scrapbook meets charades!

So run out today and pick up a copy.  You’ll be glad you did.  The whole family will enjoy this.

Little boys and little girls.  There is a difference!

Gwendolyn got an introductory lesson on little boys over Christmas.  She was surrounded by little people her height—they were just all boys.

Little boys run, scream, and make noises that little girls just don’t know how to make.  And they like toys that make big noises like dump trucks and race cars.

Little boys are rough and tumble.

Little boys can turn any regular ‘ole toy into a flying projectile.

I’ve tried to talk both my sister’s into having a girl cousin for Gwendolyn the play with.  As all the boy cousins grow, I envision them fishing, hunting and building forts that have ominous warning signs, “Girlz Keep Out”!

So what’s a little girl to do?  If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.

It didn’t take Gwendolyn long to put on her cousin’s cowboy boots.  By weeks end she was sporting boots as if they were her latest fashion accessory.

Nor did it take long for her to learn to play with trucks.

She has picked up the knack of creatively re-purposing toys for use other than their original intent.  For example, she now uses her plastic rolling pin as a baseball bat.  There’s even been a baby doll of two that has been launched into the air with the force of a small missile.

Thanks boys for sharing all your toys.  If Gwendolyn has her way, she’ll do her best to keep up with all you running, screaming boys!

Riddle me this: what do you do with 6 kids (all under the age of 4) in one house on a snowy day during Christmas?

Open packages. Done.

Play in the snow. Done.

Veggie Tales.  Done.

Color.  Done and Over it!

Jumping Beans.  Closed due to snow.

With the troops getting restless and threatening revolt, me and my sister’s were left scratching our heads.   No activity lasted more than mere minutes.  What could these rowdy kids do?

Grandparents to the rescue.  Costumes!!

Thanks to Grammy & GrammyDaddy every Cracker Barrel this side of the Missisppippi has been raided for dress up costumes. Princess, Knights, Pirates, & a Dragon.

Gwendolyn being the only girl was the obvious choice for the Princess.  And, what Princess doesn’t need a rescue on a snowy, cold day from a fire breathing dragon? Well, okay this Dragon didn’t exactly breath fire, but she was armed with lots of tickles! (Thanks Aunt Lissy for playing the part so well!)

All the knights in the Kingdom were in hot pursuit of the Dragon.

Charged with saving the Princess, their very honor was at stake.  As you can see by the expression on Knight Isaac’s face, Dragon chasing and Princess saving is serious business!

Thanks Knight Isaac, Knight Jude, Knight Zach, and Knight Jo-Jo.

I am confident that in days to come there will be no better young men to rescue my little Princess than you wonderful boys! (Caroline & Melissa, we seriously need to send all the kids to the same college. I want Gwendolyn surrounded by her Protectors!)

My sister, Melissa, sharing a sweet moment with Gwendolyn.