Whether your kids are young or old (like maybe…50!) they’re still watching and learning from their parents… or “parent-in-love”. My recent hospital stay with Vonette Bright is a perfect example…

Day one: We flew home from South Dakota. Brad spoke at a huge event in Sioux Falls and I sang. The message God has placed on Brad’s heart received a standing ovation from the audience of more than 700 people. They heard about a big God who is still at work and who is the only lasting solution to our crumbling culture. God really is THE issue and 700 people in Sioux Falls got it! (If you haven’t read Brad’s book, GOD is the Issue, I highly recommend it…yes, I’m biased!)

When we arrived home we headed to the hospital. Mother was very ill with acute bronchitis and struggling to breathe. I spent a long, sleepless night with her. To all you night nurses out there—Thank You!!!!

Day Two: Had a few hours at home and then back to the hospital for another sleepless night. She insisted on applying her make up… she wanted to be presentable. I smiled. What a Lady!

Day Three: Mother had a bronchoscopy to improve her breathing. Before the procedure, she asked me to pray that she wouldn’t say anything to dishonor the Lord. She’d heard that sometimes people do that when partially sedated and she was worried she might do it too. She didn’t ask for prayer for herself, but rather for her witness for Jesus…

Day 4: After another sleepless night on the lounge chair from… well, you get the idea… I woke up on my 50th birthday. Eight hours of sleep in three days was taking its toll and I was a scary sight to behold. Mother was the first to wish me a Happy Birthday! She had had someone bring my gift to the hospital the day before so I wouldn’t miss it. Again, she was thinking of someone else before herself… then she asked me to go home and take a shower… just kidding!

Today, a week and a half later, Mother flew to Washington D.C. to celebrate the National Day of Prayer. Again, she’s an amazing Lady!

In the hospital I watched her carry herself with grace and humility even when she felt her worst. I watched her think of others above herself at a time when most of us would be thinking of little else except our own circumstances. I watched her reach for her Bible throughout the day and share God’s message whenever possible.

God allowed Vonette Bright to be in the hospital but I think I was the one He considered the patient. I needed to be reminded of the truth that she lives out without a conscious thought: put people first. The taskmaster in me needed a strong dose of that medicine.

How did you respond to the news of Osama bin Laden’s demise? I heard about it after I dropped the kids at school this morning. The news of his death provides a teachable moment for our children about the justice of God and the heart of Jesus.

So, what was my reaction? Stunned, relieved, joyful… Joyful—is it okay for me, a follower of Jesus, to be joyful about the death of another? I think it depends on what I’m joyful about.

I rejoice that justice was realized. The knowledge that a man who remained committed to inflicting harm on innocent people can no longer hurt anyone is good news. I rejoice for the message that his death sends to the world: evil will always pay the ultimate price… it may take a while, but justice will be served.

At the same time, the heart of Jesus within me mourns the reality of a soul condemned to eternal torment. I know that many say he gets what he deserves. It’s true, but when compared to our Perfect and Holy God, eternal torment is what we all deserve. I wouldn’t wish hell for anyone… eternity is a very, very long time. Jesus died for you, for me, and yes, even for Osama bin Laden.

It appears OBL rejected Jesus to the end. Although he committed many horrific crimes, they all pale in comparison to rejecting God’s Son. Bin Laden’s actions on 9/11 were simply symptoms of a root problem: his open rejection the God of the Bible and His Son’s saving Grace. That’s the message I want my kids to hear and to ingrain in their hearts. Whenever they think of Osama bin Laden I want them to think:

1. Apart from the God of the Bible and Jesus Christ, man is capable of great evil.
2. God’s Justice will be done. We can’t hide from God. Our actions do have consequences.

By the time our kids come home from school today their heads will already be full of information about OBL’s death. It’s up to you and me to help them process that information and put it in perspective… Gods’ perspective. Point them to God’s Justice as well as His Mercy and Love. The Family Adventures at DG4kids.com can help. Let me know how it goes!!!!

I admit that I saw part of the Royal wedding this morning. Brad wanted to know what was so fascinating about it. I told him I wasn’t sure, but it had something to do with the dress.

When I saw Kate’s dress I thought it looked a lot like Grace Kelly’s wedding dress. It couldn’t be a coincidence that William’s “commoner” wife chose a wedding dress so similar to Grace Kelly’s, another “commoner” wife. Brad laughed because I couldn’t remember what country Grace Kelly’s husband reigned over, but I could remember what her dress looked like… as I said, it’s all about the dress!!

Sadly, our young girls are seeing much more than the dress. Millions of them will aspire to find their prince and capture the “fairytale” love they’ve seen played out in the media. Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled William and Kate finally tied the knot, but when talking with my teenage daughter about their romance I’ve found little I want her to admire or imitate. Let’s name a few highlights:

1. They met when Kate was modeling her underwear in a fashion show.
2. They lived in a flat with other co-eds when their romance began.
3. They started sleeping together soon after (God calls it ‘fornication’ in the Bible but we sanitize it by calling it “sleeping together” or “making love”).
4. They’ve “lived together” off and on for eight years. No wonder it took him so long to commit; as many men have told me—he had all the benefits without the responsibility and commitment of marriage!

That’s not the way I want my daughter attracting her man and it’s not the kind of man I want her entrusting her heart to. How do I neutralize the effect of this fake fairy tale and encourage her to embrace the real deal?

I pray for the man my daughter will marry almost every night. I ask God to capture his heart, give him the strength to remain pure and prepare him to lead my strong-willed daughter with love and confidence. That’s the kind of man we talk about and the romance I pray she dreams of.

I teach her about who God is and how to discover His perfect plan for her heart.

I look for role models that give her hope.

Last weekend another bride walked down the isle with her prince. She’s the kind of bride I’d love to see plastered all over the news. She’s the kind of bride I want my daughter to imitate.

Rebecca St. James is a singer, songwriter, author, actress and advocate for purity. I met her several years ago when she did the voice of ‘Carla the Lioness’ for an animation project I’m producing. In her late 20’s at the time, Rebecca was vocal about her desire to be married and her commitment to remain pure for her future husband. She received a lot of criticism through the years but her convictions didn’t waver.

Last weekend she and her groom gave each other the purity rings they’d both worn as reminders of their commitment to God’s call to sexual purity. Now that’s romantic!!!!

Most of the world won’t know about Rebecca’s wedding, but you and I do. We can pass her story on to our sons and daughters and encourage them with the reality that God still brings His Princesses and Princes together and it’s worth the wait!!!

I had a lot of ham left over from Easter dinner and did a little experiment…it actually turned out really well!! My family ate it up! If you’re looking for something to do with your ham I hope this helps!!!

Left over Ham Casserole
1 can cream of chicken soup
½ cup sour cream
½ cup cooking sherry
¾ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. pepper
Add any left over vegetables you have around (I used a cup of steamed broccoli, 1 can corn (drained) and a handful of cherry tomatoes—chopped, and ¼ cup sliced green onions)
1-2 cups chopped ham
½ bag noodles (I used veggie corkscrew noodles), cooked
1 cup or more of cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In large bowl mix together all ingredients, except noodles, and stir until smooth. Do a taste test and add more salt, pepper or garlic according to your preference.
Stir in noodles.
Spray a casserole dish with non-stick spray. Pour mixture into dish and spread evenly.
Bake for 25 minutes at 350.
Sprinkle cheddar cheese over top and bake for additional 15 minutes.

I met Mel Gibson at my “Father-in-Love’s” home a few months before The Passion of Christ hit the theaters. Mel had come to meet Bill Bright, the man who was responsible for the production of The Jesus Film. Bill was suffering from pulmonary fibrosis and knew that his days on earth were drawing to a close. He was incredibly weak but he insisted on going through with the meeting. The appointment with Mel Gibson was his last.

We’ve never talked publicly about the meeting and I won’t go into the details. However, I will tell you that father, despite their many obvious differences, felt a kindred spirit with Mel in their mutual passion to tell the story of Jesus. Bill Bright also understood the spiritual warfare that is waged against those who seek to tell Jesus’ salvation message. Mel has since experienced that reality.

I tell you this because we watched The Passion last weekend with our children. We finally felt like they were ready for it. Afterward my son quietly said, “I’ll never be able to think about the crucifixion or Easter the same again.” The movie broke our hearts and prepared us for the joy of Easter morning. It was the best Easter we’ve ever had!

I’m thankful today for Mel Gibson and the heart, soul and tears he poured into The Passion. It takes our faith in Jesus from the head and rips open our heart. It’s a movie our culture needs to see.

If Bill Bright were still here he would remind us that the power of the resurrection is available to us every day. Whatever you need, whatever temptation you’ve fallen prey to, whatever heartache consumes you, whatever insurmountable mountain looms before you, the same power that enabled Jesus to endure the cross and rise from the dead is available to you. If you try to fight the battles, conquer the temptations, soothe the heartache or climb the mountains on your own effort you will crash and burn.

Jesus didn’t die just to pay the penalty for our sins. He died to set us free from the chains of sin and death. He died so we can live in victory. I pray you experience His victory today!

We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. 2 Corinthians 4:7 (NLT)

Dear Friends, I’m sorry I haven’t written in the last few weeks. Brad and I have been traveling and when we arrived home last week I headed for the hospital. Brad’s mom had been admitted for what they feared was pneumonia. I spent 3 nights with her in the hospital. (Hospital lounge chairs were definitely not designed for over night visitors…I’m just say’n!) When we brought her home I continued to spend the night. Yesterday she came to stay at our house for Easter. Needless to say, it’s been a bit disruptive but we’re thankful she’s doing better. She’s an amazing woman. I’ve learned some poignant lessons the last week and a half. I’ll share them with you next week.

Today I want to pass on something God drew to my attention this morning. Because it’s Good Friday I read Luke’s account of the Last Supper and the Garden of Gethsemane. The “mom” in me was deeply moved by Jesus’ plea to His Father in Luke 22:42

Father, if You are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from Me. Yet I want Your will to be done, not Mine. (NLT)

God’s Perfect, Holy Son was about to face incredible suffering but not for any fault of His own. The physical suffering was daunting enough, but Jesus knew far worse was in store. In order to pay the price for our sins Jesus would have to endure the weight of all our sins and the separation from His Father that those sins require. The anticipation of such suffering was almost more than He could bear. He asked His Father if there was any way to avoid what was coming.

What would you do if your child were sentenced to death for a crime they didn’t commit? Any parent would do everything in their power to stop it. God the Father had the power, but He said, “No”. I can’t image there being a more heart wrenching “No” ever pronounced.

If there was any other solution to our sin problem, Jesus was asking His Father to choose that road…but there wasn’t. God had to say ‘no’ and let the suffering continue to the end. Jesus was willing to obey His Father’s will and do what had to be done. They both love us that much.

For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NLT)

Have you ever been in the “Mommy Pit”? I fell into it this week big time and it wasn’t pretty! The “self image demons” kept me awake to the weeeee hours of the morning. I was second-guessing every parenting decision I’ve made. I wallowed in the reality of my selfishness and then naturally transitioned into a non-therapeutic session comparing myself to all the other “really great moms” out there…it was bad…really bad! There were moments when I thought my kids would probably be better off without me…

All of us have areas of our life that need pruning. It’s painful to face the reality of our shortcomings and sin, but there’s also a powerful anticipation that comes from knowing God will bring you through it stronger, wiser and more like Him.

The pruning shears came out this week, however, when God is doing the pruning He NEVER speaks lies—only the enemy of God does that. The lie I heard is that my kids would be better off without me. As my friend, Tracy, says: Really? God is Sovereign. For some crazy reason He chose me to be my kids mom…warts and all!

The enemy wants me to focus on my inadequacies, selfishness and failures. This week, he had me right where he wanted me. I was like the Apostle Peter sinking in the water. When his eyes were fixed on Jesus he defied the laws of nature and walked on a stormy sea. When the wind and waves distracted him, pulling his focus away from the Savior, he began to sink. I’ve felt like I was drowning.

I tried to do what Peter did. I cried out to Jesus, but I have to tell you, it didn’t help right away. I’m ashamed to say that in my heart I believed the lies that were suffocating me. I knew what God’s Word says, but my feelings said something else. So I began claiming what I know is true. I claimed it over and over and over! Slowly my feelings began to align with God’s truth and I’m starting to rise above the storm.
Just like Peter on the water, nothing has changed except my focus. Focus is everything. It’s the only way to rise up out of the mommy pit!

We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. –Hebrews 12:2a (NLT)

What’s testing your faith today? My faith challenges come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes it’s the small ones that trip me up the most—the things that don’t seem to be a big deal. In other words, things I think I can “handle” myself.

There’s a reason God says in Psalm 37:5—

Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him, and He will help you.

God doesn’t encourage us to commit only the “big things” to Him. He doesn’t implore us to trust Him only for that which seems impossible. God exhorts us to commit everything to Him. Faith is built one step at a time as we trust Him with every detail of life.

This morning I committed my children to Him as I dropped them at school. I committed my schedule to Him as I wrestled with the reality that there aren’t enough hours in this day to do all that I think must be done. I committed our financial challenges to Him as we try to balance the budget. Here are just a few of the other things I need to commit to Him on a regular basis:

*My family’s health and safety
*Fears about the future
*Plans for the future
*My faith. (Yes, I have to commit my faith to Him. I’m so weak. I know that apart from the Holy Spirit within me I would walk away every time my faith is put to the test.)
*Relationships (the good ones and the bad ones)
*Decisions about budget, family time, parenting choices, school choices, how to invest my time, talent and treasure…

In other words, everything!

Take a moment and commit everything to your Loving, Gracious, All Powerful, Faithful and Ever Present God. Then do the next thing, TRUST in Him. Every time you’re tempted to worry, declare (out loud if possible) that it’s already in His hands and you refuse to take it back.

I told you we celebrated our son’s 16th Birthday at a friend’s island home with his buddies. The fact that we have access to such an amazing beach house is a gift from God (and our friends!), but His Birthday gift to our son went beyond what we could have imagined!

The island house is a kid’s paradise—ping-pong, foosball, bumper pool, kayak, ocean and bay views, beautiful sand beaches, and we can’t forget the golf carts on steroids! Accessible only by boat, it’s an adventure just getting there! The one thing we couldn’t come up with was a jet ski. Keller really wanted to jet ski, but the cost was far beyond our budget. I really felt the jet ski experience would be the perfect final touch to Keller’s Birthday Bash but couldn’t imagine how we could make it happen. So we started praying…

The day before we were to leave we received refund checks in the mail…maybe that was God’s way of providing for the jet ski! However, when Brad and I talked about it we were uncomfortable spending that much money for a couple hours on a jet ski when we needed to use the funds elsewhere. We continued to pray and later that day He answered big time!

I received an e-mail saying that our friends had purchased a jet ski and they were going to leave it by the dock for us to use while we were there! God didn’t provide funds for a couple hours, He provided a jet ski for five full days!

Brad and I were soooo excited to tell Keller about the jet ski gift. I wish you could have seen his face when he heard the news! Do you know who else was excited? The Gift Giver—God! Can you imagine how excited He must have been, knowing how abundantly He was going to provide? He loves to give good gifts to His children… just like we do.

I think the joy on my son’s face every time he was on the jet ski was a small reflection of the joy that must have been on God’s face as He watched our son zoom across the ocean!

Brad and I could have “made” the jet ski happen by putting the rental on a credit card. I confess that I was tempted to do it. If I had, I would have cheated our son out of seeing God provide an amazing gift.

I’m not a “prosperity gospel” person. God won’t say ‘yes’ to every request we make because He cannot be manipulated, controlled or put into a box. But I do think He wants to shower us with His love, and sometimes that means He gives us tangible gifts to say “I love you.”

How about you? What gift do you desire from the Lord? For your kids? For you? For your spouse? Pray about it and watch God provide in ways you never imagined!

My son turns 16 this month and his one request was to spend a few days at an island house one of our friends generously let’s us use now and then. We took a couple of his buddies and had an amazing time!
Unfortunately, I didn’t have internet access on the island and couldn’t blog.  I do have some fun things to share with you now that I’m back, but for today I thought I would post a recipe I discovered for roasting chicken that’s super easy, inexpensive and delicious! My kids love it!

Whole roasting chickens (I roast 2 at a time. One for dinner and one for sandwiches)
kosher salt
pepper
2 tsp. olive oil

Preheat oven 450 degrees
Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken using approx. 1/2 tsp. salt and pepper for each side.
Place chicken in roasting pan, breast down. (I spray the pan with PAM to help with clean up later!)
Sprinkle 1 tsp. olive oil on back side of each chicken and lightly rub it in. (the salt and pepper make a bit of a mess but it’s worth it!)
Put in oven uncovered and set timer for 30 minutes (45 minutes if roasting 2 at a time)
After 30-45 minutes turn chicken to breast side up.
Roast for another 30 to 45 minutes or until meat thermometer is at 170 degrees.

Meat will be incredibly moist! Enjoy!