Ever try running in heels with a pumpkin on your head? Most of us feel that way on a daily basis and can peal off a list “we must get done” that no human can accomplish in one day! Unless of course they are the Mom on “No Ordinary Family”! Ah, the refreshing moment of fantasy- take us away! Planet Carol is an expert at staying busy, but making the correct choice of what to be doing often still eludes me leaving me dissatisfied with my accomplishments at the end of the day. There is however a couple of things I have taught my children and practiced often that have proven effective.

1. Don’t leave prayer and personal time with God out of your day.

2. Take a moment to make a quick list of what is stirring in your mind.

3. Review the list and choose what is bothering you the most.

4. Do whatever that one thing is first or definitely on that day.

The peace of God that passes all understanding covers us when we seek Him and share our love. Very often the thing that is bothering us the most is a phone call we have been meaning to make, a bathroom we haven’t cleaned in awhile, or a stack of mail we need to go through. Some of the things that hit the top of the list can be accomplished in less than thirty minutes. However, left undone may cause days of nagging stress hanging over us. It may seem silly, but I have found it to be very true. In the end:

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do,

do it all for the glory of God.”

1 Corinthians 10:31

Happy Valentines Day!

Who is your Prince? It’s Papa for my 7 year old granddaughter! It the finance’ for my daughter who is about to be married. But mine like most women’s princes in America has fallen off the horse too many times to still believe in princes and yet we can experience true love. To have a prince is a blessing to never take for granted. To be angry we don’t have one is the ultimate selfish act of us women today. The fairy tale is that we will have only peace, wealth, happiness and most importantly luxury ever after! It leaves out the most important aspect of love- giving.

On this Valentines Day I would like to encourage all my friends and readers to remember that God sent His Son to die for our sins and be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace! Whatever love we share, whatever love we receive is because of His presence in us. It is when we take two of us and add Jesus to make a love triangle that the miraculous will happen in our life. We will look back and know Jesus took us through, we will see in this moment He is here, and we will believe in a future He is preparing for us! I for one will begin this day with a grateful heart to God- I hope you are joining me………………………….

Overwhelmed? This word is now more widely used than the phrase “stressed out”. When we simply can’t pay all the bills (choose one in ten!), can’t do all the assignments, can’t assist with other things, or make one person happy (let alone everyone in our world), etc….. This pressure often leads us to breakdown or shutdown! Breakdown others easily recognize as our emotions and health are obviously affected. People who really care about us will step up to the plate to assist however they can. Shutdown is much lonelier. You simply don’t pay anyone, don’t do anything and all the while the problem grows worse. I don’t care if you are a pastor, worship leader, teacher, business owner, parent, student or even a young child you will encounter the challenge of life being too hard. When we find ourselves in that place we are often surprised! After all we are a Christian, a good person, have integrity, love others, and life wasn’t hard before now!  So we are unprepared. As a result many things come out of our mouths that are very unpleasant to hear! Doubt creeps in like a morning fog and threatens our faith. What we have stood on for years is shaken and attempts to crumble underneath us. The formerly confident trusting soul finds themselves in fear about the future.

I have not shared details in my blogs as we tend to compare with each other’s struggles. This comparison of difficulties results in either blowing off my struggle as petty- or worse sending suffocating showers of sympathy that may drown me! Neither of these is helpful. What we need is empathy: imaginative identification with another’s thoughts and feelings. You cannot understand the pain of something you haven’t experienced, but you can imagine what it might feel like and let that allow you to identify with them. Erase all thoughts of judgment and simply ask how you can help. If it is obvious you can’t help (they need money and you are broke) offer to stand with them in faith and encourage their attempts to face the problem.

If you are overwhelmed today it is a fact. The reason whether seemingly petty (dishes haven’t been done in a week or 10 loads of laundry backed up) or serious (chronic illness in the family or repossession or foreclosure threats) the feeling is the same. So is the answer:

“Praise be to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you!” John 15:12 NIV

“Don’t throw that away!" my husband says. “I can fix it.” The truth is he can, but there are two problems to consider- no make that three:

1. When will he fix it? The broad range of possibilities here must be considered. Can I live without it for days, weeks, and on occasion years?

2. Will the repair show leaving the damage in view-forever- as in the picture frame above?

3. How long will the repair hold together- does it have so much sentimental value it is worth repeating as needed?

Usually I toss the broken things. But others get pass the 3 step review and sit on his dresser or in the basement to wait for the moment of inspiration. Being quick to toss the broken and only display the perfect is fine for stuff, but often I see that same philosophy creeping into how I feel about myself or others. I have no problem fixing the grey hair and have it on the priority list. My 7 year old granddaughter did a great job painting my toes so I’m in good shape for pretty feet. I’ve got the right face cream keeping the wrinkles down. But somewhere along the line I threw out all repair equipment for body weight!

I fixed it in 1977. Repaired again in 84 and 88. Some repairs in the 90’s were maintained for months. And here I am- broken once again and truly there is no when, there is no will, and there is little hope for maintenance if it does happen. And if it happens the double chin will become even more like the turkey’s gobbler as a darling child pointed out to me. Good news is clothes wouldn’t be an issue as my closet carries 5 sizes!

Truly I am happy for all of you who have beaten this hurdle, but beware today- I don’t want to hear about it!!!!!! I have been given advice and even been sent anonymous mail about diet plans from well meaning friends. But if you have been there you know. It’s personal. The decision to move into repair is delicate. Weight is only one of many areas that we may need repairs. What about forgiveness? What about esteeming others better than ourselves? What about speaking up for the weak and helpless? Truth be known we have all misquoted Philippians 4:13 to say I can do all things through Christ except _________. This year let’s all hold back our opinions and pray more for each other to have the courage to turn whatever we fill in that blank over to Jesus. He will do it now. There will be no scar. It will last forever because He will fix us as often as we break! His love has declared "...Come unto me all ye who are weary and I will give you undeserved mercy and grace........"



Often my mornings include a time at the piano just playing whatever comes to mind from my heart. During these times a melody will pop up and I will keep playing it until I figure out what it is. Today it was an old hymn- “Have Thine Own Way Lord”. I googled it to find it was written by Adelaide Pollard in 1907. I figured whoever wrote these words must have really hit bottom with no hope and so as most of us in that place finally gave it to God. I was embarrassed and ashamed to find the reason she wrote the hymn was because she was unable to raise the funds to go to Africa as a missionary. In her disappointment she was inspired to write the hymn after hearing an elderly friend pray, " Lord just have Your way". Today my greatest joy is teaching children, both piano and God's Word. My pastor's wife and I work hard to get them to use their Bibles and work together to find the answers as pictured above. In a world that sings “I Did It My Way” I am believing God for a new generation to learn that didn’t work and follow His Way!

Have Thine Own Way Lord

By Adelaide Pollard

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!

Thou art the Potter, I am the clay.

Mold me and make me after Thy will,

While I am waiting, yielded and still.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!

Search me and try me, Master, today!

Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,

As in Thy presence humbly I bow.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!

Wounded and weary, help me, I pray!

Power, all power, surely is Thine!

Touch me and heal me, Savior divine.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!

Hold o’er my being absolute sway!

Fill with Thy Spirit ’till all shall see

Christ only, always, living in me.

Thirty-six years today! Making our own unique story and believing we are the same youthful people today as in the picture! I am still shocked when they call me “Ma’am”. Of course my husband has that utterly irritating metabolism that allows him to eat all he wants and still wear his wedding suit! The beautiful girl pictured here is still who I see- it is she I will picture at one hundred and five! We have been continually blessed as we write the script of our lives! Anniversary celebrations have been memorable over the years. Disney World more than once, Gatlinburg maybe ten times, a cruise on our twenty-fifth, and then there was the pup tent on our ninth!

Today I have a special bag of M&M’s tucked under my pillow. No trips this year, but our love no less special. I haven’t been a perfect or easy wife along this journey and God knows he has tried my patience to the edge! However, we are happy. We are content with each other. We accepted what we cannot change and learned to be grateful for all that is good and fulfilling and wonderful.

Whenever we go and spend time with other couples we come home so thankful to be us and not them. So though I’ve thrown a vacuum and He has yelled and stomped around. I’m guilty of slamming many doors and he has waved his arms till I thought they would surely fly off. We are human after all. Three amazing children, almost two son-in laws, two grandchildren that bring us great joy and we both have a job! It was never my goal to live the “American Dream”, but today I realize we are. It started with this verse:

“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” Matthew 19:6