Service with a Smile .....or "Get me out of my recliner and not be a whiner!"

"Live life comfortably",  is the clever motto of the Lazy Boy furniture company.  I'm telling you, though, that recliner, comfortable as it is, is not your friend.  As much as I enjoy curling up in our recliner with a good book, I know that God did not put me here on earth to be "comfortable".  He wants me to glorify Him.  That is our ultimate purpose, and one way we do that is by serving Him.  Boy, can that be uncomfortable!!!

Paul tells us in Romans 12:1-2
 
"Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God's great mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship.  Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Somehow, offering my body as a living sacrifice does not sound like a life of ease and comfort.  Paul knew something of sacrifice and discomfort, even pain and imprisonment in his quest to serve God and others.  If we are obedient to serve God and others as well, we can kiss our recliners and comfortable lifestyles goodbye for a time.  Someone once told me that the shortest line anywhere is in the line to serve. We all want to be served, but very few of us want to serve others. This means we need to change our minds, like in the verse above, to not think of ourselves first, but of doing for others instead. As contrary to our culture as that is, you can never out give God.  Serve God, it pays..in all kinds of ways.  You may not receive a lot of appreciation from others, though.
One of my favorite cards shows Jesus with the crowds on the hill behind him, having just received the loaves and fishes that He blessed and multiplied to feed everyone.  In this cartoon card version, you see people starting to complain...."could I have some blackened fish instead?", and "I need gluten free bread"...  Jesus is smiling whereas I would be bent out of shape because people were not properly appreciative of what I had done for them.  Service with a smile is not always one of my strong suits.

I have good intentions and even follow through sometimes and have received the blessing of being able to supply a need in someone's life, letting God love them through me. It is with a profound sense of gratitude that you realize God let you have a part in His provision for someone else...the answer to someone's prayer!

Too many times, though, it has been with mumbling, dragging of feet and an "oh, poor me" attitude that may be obedience, but certainly is not with a glad, trusting heart..nor a smile.
And then...God puts someone in my life at just the right moment to supply one of my needs or to give me fresh courage, or encouragement, which was just what I desperately needed to keep pushing on.
How can I begrudge being "the hands and feet" of Jesus when I know full well the difference a person can make when they show me His love?

There are many ways to serve others and Jesus.  He tells us that whatever we do "for the least of these", people who need His love the most, it is like doing those things for Him.
I read an article many years ago in VIRTUE magazine called, Ways you can reach the world for Christ without ever leaving your Home. As a mom with little children in a small town, it got my attention as I felt my options to serve God were somewhat limited.  This was an eye opener. though and put an end to a lot of my excuses. We can all:

Go..visit others who need a friend, some cheering up
Call or email someone who comes to our mind with a word of thanks or encouragement
Cook or Bake food for those needing a meal--some organized types keep a meal or casserole in the freezer just for this purpose..some church groups make this a ministry and stock the church freezer with meals
Walk around town and get your exercise as well as pray for people in homes you pass, your town, the schools, etc.
Give--your time to volunteering in some ministry or give your money, or give out of our excess--
  extra clothes, books, knickknacks, can be donated to Goodwill or the Salvation Army to bless others. I read recently of a lady who is purging her home of excess by getting rid of 10 things a day.  Think of the extra room and time we'd gain!
Clean someone's house or your teen's room after a tough week.  A friend and I cleaned closets at our church this summer in order to gain space and do an inventory.  We found lots of items we can use and save money by using what we have and giving extra materials away to a ministry in Belize!
Grow flowers or vegetables to give to others.  Some people donate extra produce to their food bank, or give flowers to nursing homes for patients.
"Mother" some other children besides your own.  As a teacher, I can tell you that we have lots of chldren who could use some extra time and attention and a big thank you to those Mamas who find room in their hearts and "nests" to take in those children who don't have homes.  You can change a child's life for eternity! Besides adoption or foster parenting, or just informal mothering of kids, you can support children with organizations like Compassion.  We have children we have sponsored in this way, but I need to spend more time writing to them and assuring them of God's love.
Drive those who can't take themselves to appointments or the store.
Sew-help others with mending, or make quilts for others.  I have some friends who use their extra fabric to make simple shift style dresses for little girls in Africa
Pray, which is the most important of all.  Become a prayer warrior.  I have been prompted many, many times to pray for even strangers I meet, even when I don't know their circumstances.  You never know how our prayers may be answered or what a difference they can make, but I know God listens and answers.
You get the idea..whatever God has given us, whatever resources or talents and gifts, someone has need of them.  We need to be more responsive to God's nudges to serve instead of making excuses as we relax in our recliners!

Having listed some ways to serve, however, I have a caution.  In her book, Never Say Never, one of author Lisa Wingate's characters is struggling with doing what she knows she needs to do as
God's direction, but hesitates because she already has her "plate full".  She makes the observation that, "the biggest enemy of havin' our hands ready for God's work is having them full up with other things already."  Too, too true.  We may need to scrape a few things off our plate.(A good rule for life and church potluck dinners!)

So, leave some room on your plate..don't have it so full there's not room for God to add something He really needs you to do. We all have things we're more passionate about and are more able to do...God made us this way for a reason.  Sometimes, however, He may call us out of our comfort zone to lean on Him to do what needs to be done. It really is fine to have some recliner time, too...re-charge before your next opportunity to serve.

Out of love, let us serve one another and throw in a smile and prayer for good measure.

Are we there yet?

I come from a fairly frugal family.  My parents had a big garden, so we froze and canned a lot of our food. My mom made most of our clothes until I became able to make my own in high school.  We rarely ate out.  We saved a lot of money doing those and other things.
The one thing my parents agreed to spend money on was...Family Vacations!
  I grew up spending lots of time in the back seat...in addition to family vacations, we also took Sunday drives and visiting either one of our grandparents' home was a 5 hour trip one way.  I looked forward to time together in the car with few distractions and hearing my parents tell stories or even sing!  ( I know, how hokey is that...but we did!). I would even lay up on the rear window ledge and look at the stars.
  Still frugal, our car trips involved lots of picnics and free entertainment .  We visited lots of museums and historical sites, and even college campuses.  My parents made it all seem like fun and an adventure, so we didn't miss amusement parks, etc. on our trips.
  When our kids came along, we wanted to make the same kind of memories with them.
We have packed the car and later our suburban, Big Red, with kids, friends, a grandmother, a guitar or two, weights and enough luggage and snacks to sustain us all on our various travels.
Our longest trip time wise was a 2 week jaunt back east toWashington, D.C.  We toured the Capitol, went to the White House, the Smithsonian Museums, Arlington National Cemetery,  Colonial Williamsburg , Yorktown, Hampton Beach, Annapolis, the Naval Academy and various other points between here and there!  It was epic..and educational..and inspiring at all the National Monuments.
We played hoops on the lawn at Mt. Vernon, next to the Potomac River.  Parking in a big parking Garage and downtown Baltimore was another adventure, as well as taking the water taxi across the Harbor.  We ate crab cakes and buried one another on the beaches.  We even got involved in a mock trial at Williamsburg where my husband sat on the jury..as he was one of the few in the crowd that met the requirements for this duty...white, male, of a certain age, and a land owner.
  Spending Memorial Day at Gettysburg was a sobering experience as I thought of all the young men, only a little older than my own sons, who died in the battles there. We also stopped at various points between here and there and saw God's provision in many ways, including protection while crossing the Mississippi River in six lanes of traffic in torrential rain. Stopping in St. Louis for a baseball game was still a big deal for some in the car. The best part of that trip and any was what we learned about each other..each persons's favorite experiences, what spoke to our hearts.
  I am happy to report that at the end of the trip, everyone was quite happy to return home.  We couldn't click our ruby slippers, but we piled into Big Red and got home to Kansas anyway.
  Our trips through the years has also taken us to the Grand Canyon and the Grand Tetons, to Mt. Rushmore and the mountains of Colorado and North Carolina.  We've explored the beaches in Florida and along the shores of the Great Lakes..and yes, stopped at quite a few museums and historical sights along the way. We've seen God at work in His creation and in the lives of people modern day as well as in the past.  A change of scenery often gave us a change of perspective and of heart.
Be safe on your travels..get out there and explore God,'s great big world.  Or have a stay-cation and explore what is all around you in a new way.
  Our best adventures were when we stepped into local life and made new friends.  Stopping for a local church's cherry festival was a great way to learn about God,s people in other places.  We stayed in wonderful familyhomes at Bed and Breakfasts.  Visiting State parks was a highlight and if you visit a state with State Park lodges, stay or eat at one!  Bring books about local people and history and read to your family.
Look for God at work all around you..and you'll be amazed!

Red, White and Blue

Happy Fourth of July!  One of my favorite holidays.
If you have young children, have a parade with everyone and everything decked out in red, white and blue.  Play patriotic music on your sound system, or even hum.  We used to hum "Stars and Stripes Forever" while we waved our sparklers in the air.  Make your favorite All American summer foods, especially Popsicles  (or homemade ice cream).
Fly your flags .  Sit on the porch and visit with family and friends.  Read the Preamble to the Constitution out loud to your family.  Talk about the Christian principles that guided our founding fathers in declaring our independence.
Google the signers of the Declaration and you will find that freedom is indeed not free.  Every one of those men faced retribution from the British because of their signature.  Their families were hurt, their homes destroyed and their own lives threatened.
Our country is what it is because so many people were willing to sacrifice their own happiness for their beliefs in the bigger goal of freedom for all and to protect the Christian principles this country was founded upon.
In my family, I have a several greats in my ancestry - a great grandfather and his seven sons who fought in the Revolution.  I have ancestors who fought on both sides of the Civil War,
My Dad and three uncles fought in WWII.  They were mere babes, 17 and 18 years old , flying in bombers over Germany, advancing through Austria on foot, and serving on an Aircraft carrier in the Navy. None of them ever talked a lot about what they did and their service did come at a price to themselves and their families.
If you know military families, encourage them and thank them this Fourth.  Pray for those serving our country.
Pray for our country...I believe that and voting, or even serving in some type of office are some of the most patriotic things we can do.
Our allegiance belongs first to God, however.  I have friends whose religious beliefs include not saluting the flag because of this principle.  I believe that God has protected and prospered our nation so that we can help others and further His Kingdom in doing so.
If you ever get the chance to go to Washington, D.C., visit our monuments.  Engraved on the Jefferson, Lincoln, Roosevelt and even our Capitol are the Christian principles that guided our founders.  Long may those principles reign.  God Bless America and help us to bless others!

It's Music to My Ears...And for My Soul!

This is my Father!s world, And to my listening ears
all nature sings and round me rings The music of the skies.
This is my Father's world:  I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas; His hand the wonders wrought.

This is my Father's world, The birds their carols raise
The morning light, the lily white, Declare their maker's praise.
This is my Father's world:  He shines in all that's fair;
In the rustling grass I hear Him pass, He speaks to me everywhere.
-Maltbie Babcock

This hymn was one of my Dad's favorite whistling tunes.  I'd often hear him out at the barn, whistling this or several other hymns.  It was truly music to my ears...to know where he was and that he was happy..... and music to my soul to know that my daddy was secure (and I could be, too) in his Heavenly Father.
Years later, it was music to my ears and soul when my oldest son Kent would sing this song around the house because it was one of his favorites, too.

I'm a gardener and a porch sitter, and at this time of year I'm all about the music God's little creatures, the birds, are making.  I can recognize several by their tunes.  One of the loudest and most enthusiastic singers is also the smallest...a little house wren.  I'm awakened most mornings by birdsong.....much earlier than I would choose to be awake.  I read once that birds sing loudest in the dark, and it seems to be true..right before dawn, they are a veritable chorus!
My world would be a lot quieter without the songs of birds...and a lot less cheerful.  Their songs reminds me of the old gospel, His Eye Is On the Sparrow, and the words go on to remind me that I know He watches me.  That is true music to my soul!

As in the hymn above, there are other sounds of nature that remind me of my Father's love.
The sound the winds make in a pine forest, the rustling of wheat in the fields, honking of geese flying overhead with the season's change, and rain on the roof.
The sounds of giggling children, my AWANA kids singing Jesus Loves Me, the laughter of my Mom and Aunt Sue, and the voices I love to hear in person or on the phone also tell me all is right with my world which means all is well with my soul(another great hymn).

These words written by David in Psalm 40:1-5 are the truest music to my soul.
I waited patiently for The Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
Out of the mud and mire
He set my feet on a rock
And gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God,
Many  will see and fear
And put their trust in The Lord.
 Blessed is the man who makes The Lord his trust,
Who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.
Many, O Lord my God,
Are the things you planned for us
No one can recount to you;
We're I to speak and tell of them,
They would be too many to declare.

A Mother's Voice

In the movie, "Two Weeks Notice", the central character is a driven woman attorney whose mother teaches law classes.  In explaining why she is so driven and conscientious, she explains it like this: "it's my mother's voice I hear.  For better or worse, she's the voice in my head.."

Can't we all relate to that?  We hear our mother's voices quite often in our heads, telling us the "right" ways to do things, giving certain pieces of advice, perhaps a special praise or even a cruel or cutting put down.

As a mother myself, I wanted to be really careful about what words I used with my children.  I am a person easily built up or torn down by words, so I understand their power.  Even so, I know I spoke harshly in anger at times or even thoughtlessly and hurt my children.  It's just like the illustration with a tube of toothpaste when you squeeze big dollops out and then try to put them back in the tube..it can't be done.  Our words, once spoken can not be called back either.  (If only) 

The Power of A Positive Mom, by Karol Ladd, offers weekly devotions and journal exercises for Moms.  The one entiltled," The Power of Our Words" emphasizes the power and responsibility we have as mothers to use care with our speech.  She quotes the following verses from the book of Proverbs in the Bible:

Prov. 15:1-4, 18:4, 20

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but harsh words stir up anger.

The wise person makes learning a joy; fools spout only foolishness.

The Lord is watching everywhere,keeping his eye on both the evil and the good.

Gentle words bring life and health;a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit...

A person's words can be life-giving water;words of true wisdom are as refreshing as a bubbling  brook;

Words satisfy the soul as food satisfies the stomach; the right words on a person's lips bring satisfaction

Clearly the power of words is a force to be used in constructive or destructive ways.

In Proverbs 31, that famous passage about the "ideal" wife and mother, the phase I so wish could be said of me is this:

"When she speaks, her words are wise, and kindness is the rule when she gives instructions." v.26

Another versions says:  "The teaching of kindness is on her lips."

That one begs to be a definite index card over the sink reminder.  Of all the things I did right or wrong with my kids, my words, whether kind or harsh are what I remember most.

Think about the empowering difference Moms can make in their children's lives. Here's an example from a woman I know:

Irene's mother when faced with the necessity of traveling out of town on muddy roads in their old car said confidently, "Why, Irene (her daughter) can get us there."  (Irene was 12 at the time and did not share her mothers optimism or assessment of her driving abilities)

I marveled at the confidence that mother had in her daughter;"my daughter or son can do anything".  If you grow up with people believing so strongly in you, you would probably be likely to believe in yourself as well..especially if you also are taught Phillipians 4:13, "I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me".

My friend Irene related this tribute toward her mother when she herself was in her 80's.  She had become a teacher, then school administrator, and actually served on an education panel for President Lyndon Johnson in the 1970's.  She had a lively faith in God and her early experiences with a Mom who told her she could do anything stood her in good stead as she hopped planes to fly from Kansas to Washington, D.C. for meetings.

 I cringe to think of what my voice might be repeating in my children's heads.  I wish it was a noble, kind thought or piece of advice but I know I slipped and the "teaching of kindness" was not always on my lips.
I have asked forgiveness of my children but I know also that the words, once out, are there permanently.
As mothers or just as Christian women, we need to work on speaking with kindness.

 Karol has these journal assignments as suggestions:
*choose to use only life-giving words this week with my family and friends
*choose the law of kindness to rule my tongue
*choose to correct or discipline children with strong but gentle instruction"

Look for ways to build up others around you.  Don't give false or hollow praise, but thoughtful and sincere appreciation of others.  Even in the middle of a "tiff" with your family, try to hang on to the teaching of kindness.  Your children will follow your example.  Our world is full of rudeness and put-downs, let's engage in a counter-cultural battle and be lifter-uppers instead.  I read of a girl who started a campaign to encourage other women that they were beautiful, no matter what the mirror might tell them, so she started using post-it notes that had affirming thoughts on them and leaving them on the mirrors in women's rest rooms.
We could do this at our churches, or in our homes for our family.
Our words do have a tremendous power and my prayer is that Jesus will help us to be encouraging (to put courage in) and kind in our words..spoken or written!

April Gladness

"I was glad when they said to me, Let us go to the house of the Lord." -Psalm 122:1

This verse from my childhood usually reminds me how glad I am to go to church and Sunday School, but at this time of year I take a broader view of the "house of the Lord".
I'm a gardener and can't wait to get outside to His really big "house" and start putting in vegetable gardens, and tending to all my flower beds. This will involve a lot of hoeing, shoveling as I move plants from one place to another, weeding and watering. The heat of August may dim my enthusiasm a little, but the fall plants will be starting then and fall mornings outside are wonderful!  I especially love to be outside in the Spring and Summer and putter in my garden.  My daffodils and hyacinths are beginning to bloom (although getting covered in snow and ice won't help) and they'll be followed by lilacs and iris, then the hydrangea and roses.  It's about more beauty than I can take!!  And the fragances..lilly-of-the-valley, roses, lilacs...who could have made plants with such an array of colors, textures, uses and smells but God? I continually marvel at His handiwork!
 I come from a long line of outdoors- loving folks, gardeners and farmers who took God's commandment to subdue the earth seriously.  When you visit one of my relatives at this time of year, the first thing you do when getting out of the car is not go inside to visit, but have a tour of the gardens to see what amazing things God's been up to with His plants!  Our calendar revolves around garden chores:  strawberry or tomato harvest, blackberry picking, putting up the peaches, gathering walnuts or pecans for the winter.
My earliest memories are of some of those things--gathering tubs of peonies and delivering them with grandma and great aunts to the cemeteries for Memorial Day, learning to drive in our farm lanes up to the wild blackberry patch, having bouquets of iris and lilacs Mom would bring inside and we would deliver to neighbors in May baskets.  The end of school always brought strawberry picking and jam making and we spent a lot of late nights freezing corn and tomatoes while watching "The Johnny Carson" show'.  We ate a lot of watermelons outside sitting in our yard swing and chairs, just enjoying being outside with all God had given us to enjoy.
There's an old hymn with the lines: "I come to the garden alone, when the dew is still on the roses, He walks with me and He talks with me and He tells me  I am his own, and the joy we have  when we   linger there, no other has ever known"
I do feel very close to God when I'm outside and I get such enjoyment from His creation.  
  Another activity that fills my heart with gladness is reading, and  I wanted to share this except from Karen Scalf Linamen and her book, "Welcome to the Funny Farm, The All-True Misadventures of a Woman on the Edge". -
"You know , gardening can be enjoyable labor.
Or, it can feel frustrating and even futile.
A lot depends on whether or not you've got the right tools.
Resources like the right mower, a handy tiller, and adequate water can make a world of difference when you're in the process of nuturing tender growing things.
Cultivating soil with a weedwacker, for example is a recipe for disaster.  Cutting grass with cuticle scissors in a one-way ticket to the Funny Farm.  And planting bulbs with
 a kitchen spoon not only takes twice as long but can make your coffee taste kind of earthy the next morning.
I understand these principles when it comes or organic growth.   So why do I forget they apply to spiritual growth as well?
I want to grow, thrive and bear fruit spiritually.  But am I equipping myself with the right tools?  Or am I trying to do the job armed with a teaspoon and the Sunday funnies? *
What are the power tools of spiritual growth?  This list isn't definitive, but I've got a few ideas:  Prayer, Fasting, the Word of God, Praise and Worship.  Accountability to godly friends.  Confession. Bible study. Spending time in the presence of God.  
I don't know about you, but some days I think my backyard is a tropical paradise compared to my spiritual landscaping.
Spring is a great time to spruce up the yard.  But maybe it's a good reminder to tend to my soul as well.
I was going to spend the afternoon potting a few patio plants.  But before I head outdoors, I think I'll spend an hour in my favorite armchair with my Bible and a cup of coffee. It should be a rewarding time.
Even if my coffee does taste like dirt."

*A great gardening tip:  When you want to start a new garden bed, but don't want to go to the work of shoveling up the ground/grass, spread multi-layers of newspaper over the area as a weed/grass barrier and then spread bags of potting soil over them and plant as usual.  Over time, the newspaper layers kill the grass and decompose, leaving you with a new, weed free garden bed.  I've also tried poking holes in the bottom of bags of soil and then splitting them open on top, planting plants in the soil and then covering them with mulch.  Even easier, and the plastic kills the weeds/grass underneath as well.  At the end of the growing season, just pull the plastic from the soil and  ta-daaa!  Another planting bed for next year!
I wish you all April gladness and whatever brings you peace and joy with God, go after it!!
I'll be out in the garden with my shovel, humming praise tunes and my heart will be filled with gladness as I spend time my  Father, the master gardener who plants so many good things in and for us all!

March Madness

What will you be doing in March? I'll be watching the final moments of the NCAA Championship game not only to see what team wins but mostly to hear one of my favorite songs, One Shining Moment.  This is the highlight of the basketball season for me. (To refresh your memory and hear the song, click here: One Shining Moment 2008, the year KU won the championship.). The words and music are by David Barrett Hodges and some of the lyrics are:

The ball is tipped, and there you are ,  You're running for your life, you're a shooting star
And all the years, no one knows, just how hard you worked but now it shows..
In one shining moment, It's all on the line
In one shining moment, there frozen in time
But time is short and the road is long, in the blinking of an eye, that moment's gone
And when it's done, win or lose, you always did your best, cuz inside you knew
That in one shining moment you reached deep inside, in one shining moment you knew you were alive
Feel the beat of your heart, feel the wind in your face, it's more than a contest, it's more than a race
In one shining moment...

Pictures of the players, cheerleaders, fans, and bands are meshed with the song and the incredible energy, passion and hard work exemplified in the games touches something in me, too. Makes me want to lay it all on the line, to strive and give my all.  

It's a song that makes you want to get up off the couch and get busy doing something amazing.
There's something in all of us that wants to expend ourselves in a noble cause.  I think of how God has a plan and purpose for each of us that will call on all we have and even what we don't have so we have to lean on Him to accomplish His work.

We're reading the book,  When Women Say Yes to God, by Lysa TerKeurst, in our current Lovely Branches Bible Study.  Saying "yes" to the things God asks of us is like playing extreme sports..it gets your heart pumping, gives you an adrenaline rush, stretches your talent and faith, and can scare you to death. It may even seem like "madness" at times.

A 'simple yes' in response to God can also energize you to venture out into some wild territory, clinging only to God and His promises.  This stretches your faith.  Just like in the big games, you may win or think you've lost. The fans, your friends and family, may cheer you on, but often they will not be so encouraging  if you dare big things for God.  His approval and your obedience is the "score" that really matters.

I don't know about you, but I'd like to  have more than one shining moment when I say yes to God.  It may be as simple (!) as biting my tongue to hold back an uncharitable remark. It could mean surrendering my ways or notions of what my life should look like.  Even venturing out on a limb to help someone and putting my faith on the line to accept a challenge only He can get me through are big opportunities to have a "shining moment".  I've had a few of those shining moments.  They are exhilarating and humbling in that the God of the Universe would choose me to help with His plans!
As with Isaiah (chapter 6, verse 8), God may ask any one of us at any given moment, "Whom shall I send?  Who will go for us?"  I pray you and I will respond as Isaiah did, "Here I am, send me."  A 'simple yes' will do.

Other types of March Madness I'm experiencing this month as well-

Cleaning closets and cabinets, trying to let go of more things.  When I got married 33 years ago, all my worldly possessions  fit in my little car--books, clothes, a coat rack, a rocker, and some dishes and pans.  Now I have a house full of things!  How did this happen?  A woman who says "yes to God" recognizes that all this worldliness is but "trash" compared to knowing God and doing His work.    
"This way lies madness"...is a quote I muttered to myself as I sat going through lists of things to do for my daughter's wedding in July.  Yes, my little girl is getting married to a wonderful young man. The "madness" part comes in as they decided to have a simple, country wedding in our country church.  We also decided it should be a DIY wedding, from making some of the reception food, and growing the flowers and making the bouquets ourselves.  I've made 3 wedding dresses to see which is best.  (My friends can attest that while I try to downplay all of this, the tic in my left eye during the wedding dress construction belied my "no big deal" attitude!)  As I talked to Laurie today about some detail, I told her I was using our wedding project as an example of DYI madness for my blog.  Laurie corrected me saying,"Mom, it's DIY..Do It Yourself, not DYI."  To which I replied, "Maybe it is DYI ...for Do Yourself In!!!    Actually, this wedding may be featured as "March Madness" and "April Gladness", next month's theme.
Finally, one last example of March Madness comes from a story of St. Patrick which Lysa TerKeurst uses in her book.  Patrick was an aristocratic young man from Britain who was kidnapped and made a slave in Ireland for six years.  In time, he escaped back to Britain, but then decided to return to Ireland as a missionary to win the country to Christ.  The world would see this as "madness", caring about the people who enslaved you. Christian history is filled with people who made God's love their top priority, despite the cost..Mother Teresa, Corrie ten Boom, Taylor Hudson, and many other heroes of the faith, with Jesus as the supreme example of giving His life for us all which certainly looked like madness..why die for people who reject, scorn and persecute you??
Celebrate St. Patrick's Day by having scones or Blarney Stones(cookies rolled in crushed peanuts, recipe is one internet) and recite with your family the prayer from St. Patrick's breast plate:
Christ, shield me this day:
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, 
Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I arise, 
Christ in the heart of every person who thinks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in the ear that hears me.
  
May you and your family have a blessed Easter, also.  For ideas to celebrate  Holy Week with children and family, see the Heart and Home blog archives in March/April.