Quote of the Month: “If we truly love people, we will desire for them far more than it is within our power to give them, and this will lead us to prayer. Intercession is a way of loving others.” –Richard J. Foster

Scripture of the Month: “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear…”

NATIONAL MARRIAGE WEEK is February 7-14! Take the Focus on the Family “Three dates in three weeks” challenge! Call the sitter. Make the plans. Just do it.

“Ooh, look at you, all fancy and dressed up!” two of my friends and neighbors gushed, as I walked into the home that was scheduled for our neighbor get-together. “Did you have to speak today?”

 I decided to be perfectly candid. (Perhaps we should make that imperfectly. You can picture me cringing right here). “Nope. I’m having a ‘mad at the world, don’t want to see-talk to-be nice to anyone’ kind of day. Everything and everybody got on my last nerve. And I had to write.”

 They laughed. “But I’d have on my rattiest sweats on that kind of day,” one of them said.

 “If I were wearing those, I would allow myself to act that way, not just feel it on the inside,” I explained. “Tryin’ to fake myself out here. Work with me.”

 “Gotcha,” they commiserated. “You’re trying to dress the part of loving people like you know you should.”

  “Exactly. Cause on my own today, I would’ve said, ‘I am so glad that Jesus loves you, because I just can’t.’”

  Luckily, they love me and they just hooted with laughter. “We’re so glad somebody else occasionally feels that way!”

  “Yeah,” acknowledged the other woman, “I’m just not usually so, well, so forthcoming about it. And, it sounds like we should be glad you’re dressed up!”

  I’m not proud of it, but often, my feelings run ahead of my self control, which means that sometimes my mouth runs ahead of my brain.

  Anyone else? You’re trying so very hard to extend grace, believe the best of the other person, but sometimes life’s rough edges feel like they’re as rough on your soul as sandpaper on cheekbones!

 We slog through days that seem too daily for our tastes. We encounter crushing disappointments and smaller irritations that lodge like burrs in our jean pockets.  We pray and wonder and worry and clench our lips so tightly together to keep from speaking unkindly that it looks like we’ve landed with our mouths around a sour persimmon bush!

 Ah, precious girls, that is life. Even for Jesus girls. The fabulous news is – and trust me, I don’t mean this in a cliché manner, nor am I taking your hurts lightly; I am preaching to myself too—we serve a God who can rescue and save. He is a faithful God. We do not cry alone. We do not exist in a vacuum. He sees. He hears. He cares. And just in the nick of time — HIS time, He will show up! Hold on. Hang in there.

 I can’t wait to hear all your stories about how He is working in your lives! I am praying for you even this moment and if I could sit down by you and give you a hug and listen, I surely would.

New Year, New You!

Although I admit that my endorphins come from peanut M & Ms and not, regrettably, from exercise, I still know that I feel better and look better when I do it. Need more incentive for working out just 30 minutes, 5 times a week? If you’ll DO it, it will lower your risk of:

Heart disease by 40%

Breast cancer by 20%

Depression by 30%

Hypertension by 40%

Type 2 diabetes by a whopping 58%

[American College of Sports Medicine, Redbook, 108, Nov. 2011]

Did you Know?

Studies show that women spend 35% MORE money when they shop with their kids. Hmmm….who needed a STUDY to tell us THAT? LOL

What are the odds of being born in a leap year? Exactly 1 in 1,461!! (Family Circle, 18, 2/12)

8,962 the number of people who made snow angels five years ago outside the capitol in Bismarck, North Dakota, earning the Guinness World Record, thus stealing the previously held title from Michigan!

Longing for Springtime?

This is my kind of lazy gardening – Seed Bombs are wildflower pods comprised of seeds, fertilizer & red clay. Toss them on the ground (no digging, even!) & wait for rain to break them apart. Order now, wait until April to drop them; expect plants in 4-6 weeks.

February 20-26 is the World Ice & Snow Sailing Championships in St. Ignace, Michigan

Register for this giveaway – a copy of the newly released “Everything Romance,” which also includes two short stories by yours truly!

http://tashales.blogspot.com/2012/02/everything-romance.html?spref=fb

 

From Our House to Yours

By the time I write next month’s newsletter, I will be thoroughly jet-lagged from my upcoming trip to Taiwan, to speak for the missionary women’s conference and then have the privilege of sharing at my sister and brother-in-law’s church that Sunday before I fly home.

I am taking my third-born, Ellie Grace, with me, and she will be helping with crafts at English-Bible class! Twenty-four hours travel; fourteen hour time difference. But, oh, what a chance to be an encourager, to make a difference, to share Jesus!

We would treasure your prayers for this venture, along with those for my beloved and my mother who will be managing the rest of the crew! [Prayers for my laundry might also be necessary]. Seriously, we need specific prayers for safety of journey and for a special gift of “restedness” and energy to accomplish all of our duties with excellence, and for a lack of homesickness.

Greg passed the 18-month mark of his transplant and is continuing to do remarkably well, with a few lab number scares.  Next month we will travel to St. Louis for his “big” check-up at Barnes-Jewish. Thank you for your continued prayers.

It has been a mixed season for our family, as I know it has been for many of you. Big moments. Huge blessings. Small meltdowns. Daily slogging. But all of it with an ever-faithful God.

Hugs & chocolate blessings,

Cindy

Speaking Highlights

Marriage Retreat – February 3-4, with my husband, Greg – Maranatha Retreat Center, sponsored by Countryside Christian Church, Pittsburg, Kansas

February 26-March 5 {speaking March 1-4} “The Showdown: How Fights for Us in the Battles of Our Lives” from the life of Elijah

April 20-21 Women’s Retreat – Lifebridge Christian Church, Longmont, Colorado “Extreme Takeover”; “Cleaning Out Your Spiritual Closet: What Not to Wear”; “G.R.A.C.E.: What the Well-Dressed Woman is Wearing”; “Chocolate Comfort”; “Hot Chocolate for Couples” workshop

On Our Table

Hot Chicken Dip

Spread 1 pkg. low fat cream cheese in bottom of 12 X 8 pan. Mix together 1 cup of Frank’s Red Hot Sweet Chili sauce and ½ cup Ranch dressing. Spread over cream cheese. Sprinkle with 2 cups shredded cooked chicken (I slow cook 2-3 chicken breasts all day in the Crock Pot) and top with 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar (or other cheese your choice).

Cover with foil and bake in 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes. Serve with whole wheat crackers & raw veggies. Naturally, tortilla chips work too.

Scripture of the Month: “Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the LORD.” Psalm 102:18 

Quote of the Month: “In a way, winter is the real spring, the time when the inner things happen, the resurgence of nature.” Edna O’Brien, Irish Novelist

Fast Facts: Only 40% of women consider themselves to be beautiful. –Dove Research

On average, there are 3 BILLION cups of TEA consumed every day, worldwide!

–Family Circle, 11,10/11

Harvard researchers pin-pointed some specific “bad foods” responsible for the average American’s 3.4 pounds gained over 4 years: potato chips, French fries, sugary drinks, red & processed meats. –Good Housekeeping, 53,10/11

Upcoming Speaking Engagements

Monday, January 16 – Professional Development Day – Carl Junction Schools

Keynote: “Take Your M.E.D.S!”

Workshop: “Disappearing Childhood: Why Our Kids are Growing Up too Fast & What Parents & Teachers Can Do About It”

Monday, January 30 – “The Chocolate Side of Life” Women’s Event – Crossroads Christian Church, Baxter Springs, Kansas

February 3-4 – Marriage Retreat with Greg Dagnan, hosted by Countryside Christian Church, Pittsburg, Kansas at Maranatha Retreat Center

February 26-March 5 – travel to Taiwan & speaking at the Taiwan Missionary Women’s Conference – March 1-3. “The Showdown: How God Fights for Us in the Battles of Our Lives” – from the life of Elijah

From Our House to Yours

As always, it seems that the ethereally beautiful holiday season flew past. New Year’s Day, it was all packed away in boxes, awaiting next year. The family room and mantle seemed especially bare without garlands and light and the glow from the tree and candles. It always makes me a little melancholy.

But talking about it with one of my girls, I resolved to try a different attitude: what a clean slate to begin with! A chance to throw away, organize, rearrange and enjoy the simpler, cleaner rooms. I would be overjoyed (or at least try to be) with the prospect of fresh starts and shiny beginnings.

And it helped. Mostly. On the mantel sits a cheery red carved wooden word – “Happy”—flanked by snowman candle holders, made of baby food jars, decorated by Ellie and Elexa’s elementary school thumbprints and a small, silver tree, glittering with light.

Coincidentally, my book club/accountability group girls and I are reading Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project for January. I have thoroughly enjoyed the new things I’ve learned and laughed at the fact that I have always seemed to have had an ongoing, unstructured “happiness project” of  own; I just hadn’t know what to call it.

While there is certainly a wealth of ideas to mine in order to make us more deliberate and mindful of what makes us happy in order that we might bless others [happier people are more generous, patient, etc. with others & circumstances], I was saddened to discover that faith, although an element she explored, is not something that Gretchen embraces. I can’t fathom how to survive this live without personal knowledge of our great God. Perhaps if I’m ever in New York, I can treat her to a happy dessert and a Diet Coke with lime!

At any rate, we are wishing you an incredibly happy beginning & a whole box full of fresh slates, dreamy goals and fun starts!

 

Ideas for Flinging in the New Year

• Have a family cleaning party. When the decorations come down, have one person help you box things up, another one dust the now naked mantels and table tops, another vacuum and another begin placing sparser, clean-lined winter décor out.
• If your child received six gifts for Christmas between you, siblings & grandparents, have them choose six toys, etc. that can be donated to Good Will or the Salvation Army. Mom – you set a good example by getting rid of a sweater in your closet as you fold and put away the new you one that you got as a gift.
• Go through toys and clothing deciding what’s special, what no longer fits & what play things have outgrown her interests. Bag and box those up too. Clean thoroughly, choose outfits for the first few days back to school to make that transition easier. Brag on her, take a break to read a story and have some hot chocolate. Make a pact to remind each other how much easier it is to keep things clean when there are less things to clean!
• Use the fronts of Christmas cards for winter crafts on snowy afternoons. As you cut them apart, pray for each family before placing the rest of the card in the recycle bin.
• Set a timer, and together, go through each room in the entire house and choose one item to pass along to someone else. Our rule is if you haven’t used it, worn it, enjoyed it or seen it in a year – fling it out!
• This is a great opportunity to create a family tradition of character resolutions. Just as you’ve been tossing out things in your home, check with each other to see if there are some traits you don’t need to hang onto. Decide which new character trait you want to cultivate in its place.
• Remember to fill up the empty places from all the bad habits and belongings you’ve gotten rid of, with the solid goodness of God’s Word and some pro-active new activities!

 

 On Our Table

Little Doughnuts

3 tubes of Pillsbury country style biscuit dough. 1 ½ -2 cups sugar; 2-2 1/2 t. cinnamon. Canola oil for frying.

Cover larger frying pan with oil to about inch depth. Heat on medium heat until bubbly. Mix cinnamon & sugar in bowl. Set aside. Open tubes of biscuit dough and gently make a hole in each one, arranging on plate in preparation for frying.

When oil is hot, fry batches of  “doughnuts” as much as your pan allows without them touching. Working quickly, use tongs to turn doughnuts. When golden,  dredge in cinnamon-sugar mix. Place on paper towel lined plate and serve warm with milk!

*My daddy made these for us growing up as a special treat. I could easily eat 10 of them! They aren’t in the least bit healthy, so I usually only make them about 4 times a year for my girls. It’s the memory that makes them all the sweeter. Enjoy.

[No, the irony isn’t entirely lost on me that this appears just about the healthy tips; just grin along with me!]

New Year – New You: Healthy Tips for 2012

• Skin loses an average of 15 ounces every day. It can lose even more with the drying elements of harsh winds, cold air and dry indoor heat. Up your intake of water; take shorter, cooler showers; slather on lotion while your skin is still slightly damp; if your hands & feet are extra dry, put lotion on just before bedtime, sleeping in thick cotton socks & gloves
• You sleep much better in a cooler room. Lower your thermostat to 67 degrees (or slightly less) and pile on the blankets.
• Place an index card over the bright lights on your alarm clock & close your blinds for less distracted sleep.
• Go to bed 20 minutes before you need to have lights out. Use that time to unwind with reading [not TV; the light mimics day time and wakes up your brain].
• Light a lavender candle or spritz lavender pillow spray on your linens an hour before bedtime.
• Unplug! For every two hours you watch TV, your risk for diabetes increases by 20%; your risk of heart disease, 15%. (The Journal of the American Medical Association; All You, Nov. 2011)
• Exercise helps you sleep better, shed pounds and boosts your mood. Walk in place or around your room holding 2-5 pound free weights during your favorite show! Climb the stairs three times every time you use them to put away laundry.

“May all your troubles last as long as your New Year’s resolutions.”

-Joey Adams

 Scripture of the Month:

“And [Mary] brought forth her first born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger.” -Luke 2:7

Quote of the Month:

“I’m dreaming tonight of a place I love, even more than I usually do. And although I know it’s a long road back, I promise you…I’ll be home for Christmas…” – I’ll be Home for Christmas, Kim Gannon, Walter, Kent & Buck Ram, 1943

Greg and I were going Christmas shopping, and had only been away from the house for 29 minutes when the cell phone rang with a call from our girls. It’s an on-going joke as to whether or not we’ll get all the way to our destination before the phone rings and it’s one the kids. This time, there was no “emergency,” not even any sibling squabbles to referee. Emily just wanted to share a funny story. The day was overcast, so the outside dusk to dawn lights were still on. Joy Puppy had trotted over to one of the porch doors and spotted the angel, graciously waving a candle in her arms. After some frantic barking, she remained posted at the door, emitting a constant low rumble, grrrrrrrrrr, fiercely protesting the presence of a stationery, plugged-in angel. I’m sure the orange glow from the candle’s “flame” and the sheen of the angel’s cream satin skirts were terribly threatening! And yet, sometimes, that’s how we are, stressed and grumbling about a perceived stressor, allowing it to rob our energy and focus from both real problems and the enjoyment of life. We spend our time growling at a “fake angel,” missing out on the beautiful garland and lights and the reason for this season. I have no idea what your “fake angel” distraction might be this season. We’ve had several thrown our way these past few weeks and the temptation to let them overshadow the joy of Christmas has been strong. But then I think of another time, another set of impossible circumstances involving taxes, mean occupying soldiers, a long trip and an unwed mother, and I remember. That baby grew up to be our Savior, Redeemer, Friend. Wonderful Counselor, the Prince of Peace, Almighty. He was Holiness. His grace and His position at the right hand of the LORD of Heaven’s armies means that He can take on any distraction, any hurt, any problem that I might encounter and turn it into victory! No growling required.

Fast Facts The quietest shopping days at the mall are Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday, according to GGP, a mall management firm. On those days, foot traffic is only 12% of weekly traffic. Have fun finishing up Christmas! [Woman’s Day, 12/11,48]

5,822 – the average number of accidents that involve holiday decorating, landing Americans in the emergency room. Most occur from falls off ladders, roofs and furniture! Be careful! – CDC

 96 – the number of times you sing “la” while caroling “Deck the Halls!” Fa la la la la, la la la la! [Real Simple, 14, 12/11]

 $3.49 is the price of a live mistletoe spring at mistletoe.com PUCKER UP!

From Our House to Yours:

The girls talked me into decorating for Christmas a day earlier than usual this year. To be honest, it wasn’t that hard. There are not enough days for me to listen to carols, bask in the twinkling lights, treasure secrets, wrap stockpiles of presents, enjoy the hustle and bustle of going to town, the ritual Christmas movies, the traditions of our Nativity set and our Adornaments. I love nothing better than snuggling under a fleecy blanket and reading a book in front of the fireplace, reading stories or playing Clue with Elexa or watching an episode of Monk with our two middles after she has gone to bed. In the midst of all this came a wonderful event – the long-awaited completion of my first novel, Barefoot in December! I had been working on it off and on for six years. Last year at our December meeting, when we choose our book club books for the entire next year, my precious book club/accountability girls chose my novel as their November book. “But it isn’t finished!” I protested. “Better get writing,” came the unsympathetic response. They bought me a little writer mouse named Huxley, who pens tales with his tail and some ink for inspiration. My deadline? Halloween, so they would have a month to read it. Yikes! But having lived most of my life with deadlines, I met it. My friend Vickie hosted that month and my friend Sharris wrote questions of both beauty and depth to accompany the novel. I was equal parts teary and excited to listen to these intelligent, awesome women discuss with lively passion, the characters, the themes, the outcomes. They even gave me a completion gift with hot cocoas, Starbucks paraphernalia and a full circle “Bearista” in December to celebrate! Barefoot has been sent to my agent, and man, would I ever appreciate your prayers for it to find a publishing home! Our oldest is slowly finding her way back to her Heavenly Father; our second born is ecstatic over her driver’s permit and is involved in every activity under the sun; three is getting ready to march in the Christmas parade and help me with the one-too-many programs I’ve promised to direct; the “baby” has lost 4 teeth in 3 weeks and reports that 2 more are ready to come out. My beloved is still doing amazingly, wondrously well 16 months after transplant. Life is bittersweet. It is hard. It is good. But our great God is unchangeable. The Redeemer of every situation. Merry Christmas to you and yours, Cindy

On Our Table Christmas Brunch Ring Press 2 packages of ground Italian sausage and 1 package of ground maple sausage [we use Jimmy Dean] into a Bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour until done. Drain grease. Invert sausage and set on platter. Meanwhile, beat 12 eggs and add ¾ c. half & half; lightly pepper to taste. Pour eggs in center of sausage ring. Garnish with orange slices, twisted to form a curve.

Quote of the Month:  “There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it.” – Mary Little

Scripture of the Month: “I have loved you with an everlasting love.”

Jeremiah 31:3

I was recently reminded of one of my girls’ favorite family stories, one that I often remember when I hear the echo of my daddy’s words: “The best gift you can give your children is a good marriage.”

     We drove through the Taco Bell drive-through for a quick dinner out of necessity, not choice. In the rush to get to Wednesday night choir practice, kids’ club and youth groups, when my husband called to ask about meal plans I told him: “Meet you at the Taco Bell on Seventh Street.”

     Strangely enough, he ended up being the car just behind us in the line. When I got to the payment window, I felt the Spirit, stirring up my ornery streak to good purpose.

     “How much,” I asked the pony-tailed gum snapping clerk, “is the order for the car behind me?”

     “Um, $3.89,” she replied, puzzled.

     “Well, I’d like to cover that, please. Oh, and one more thing – when he gets up here, would you please tell the driver that I think he’s hot?”

     Her jaw fell open and she motioned to another teen pony-tailed gum snapping employee. “This lady wants to buy the guy’s dinner in the car behind her and we’re supposed to tell him that she thinks he’s hot!”

     “Do you know him?” asked the other girl, either intrigued or appalled.

     I just smiled mysteriously and thanked them as they handed our bags through the window. Thankfully, my girls were shocked into silence.

     As we drove away, they burst out laughing. “Mom! Why did you do that? Those girls think you’re crazy – you are crazy!”

     “Girls,” I explained to them, “it’s been quite a week already. I just thought your dad could probably use a reminder that I love him and if I had to do it all over again, I would still choose him.”

     When we pulled up to the church parking lot and I saw him get out of his car, I knew it had been worth it. He practically strutted from the car to the building.

     My sweetheart was beaming, my girls were giggling, and we had cemented the bonds of family life along with another miniature lesson on the importance of marriage and the place their dad holds in my life. A sweet place of precious permanence.

     May this be a season in which you create, recreate, tell and retell the family stories that will be handed down from generation to generation.

From Our House to Yours

     Gazing out on the chilly, rainy November morning, I was spectacularly unmotivated. I marveled at how our moods can change. Just last week, I was leaping around my office, over the moon with joy since I had finally, FINALLY, finished my first novel, Barefoot in December! But it was a new week, a different one, full of different challenges, unique hurts and soul-crushing circumstances.

     That particular moment, I couldn’t think of a thing to write. I didn’t want to write and didn’t even want to fulfill the obligations I had already scheduled which had anything to do with writing! When I tried to analyze why not, I had a moment of insight – I needed to give myself a break. No, I didn’t need to blow off my commitments, but I did need to free myself from the relentless pace which I’d been requiring of myself. My ugly recovering Type A tendencies were rearing their ugly collective heads.

     So I leaned back in my chair and thought about the twelve-year-old me. The young girl with dimples and a vivid imagination who loved books and history best of anything in the world. The younger me whose very first crush was on an imaginary character, based on a real-life aspiring writer – John Boy Walton. Yep. I’ll put it out there, knowing that it cracks my girls up every time I tell them about it.

     I was certain that if we could meet, it would be true love at first sight. I reveled in the stories, mingling faith and family and the strength which it took to overcome the unique challenges of a country thrown into a Great Depression.

     I jotted down my to-do list, prioritized it, and then I sat down in Greg’s recliner with a cozy throw, a fire in the fireplace, a bowl of puppy chow, and then a good book. I read for an hour and decided to put in an episode of The Waltons.

     I was charmed all over again and very much refreshed by my three hours of playing hooky. I’m betting that as this beautiful, but packed season of celebrating begins, that you also need a day of hooky. A Sabbath break from your obligations. Burrow down, settle in and then, please write and tell me all about it.

     What inspires you, precious friends? I truly want to know. Because God has clearly shown me, that you are very much part of what inspires me.

     Blessings from the Walton’s Mountain of my great imagination and Happy Thanksgiving!

Cindy

 

Doing crossword puzzles is the number one indoor pastime! Studies show that such activity can be good for preventing Alzheimer’s as well.

 

Only 9% of Americans are bi-lingual, compared to 65% of the rest of the world.

Upcoming Speaking Events

November 4-5 “God’s Got It Covered: A Quilt of Joy; A Quilt of Comfort; A Quilt of Victory” – 3 session retreat – Tiak’o’khata Resort – Jackson, Mississippi

November 12 – “The Chocolate Side of Life” 11a.m.-1p.m. keynote/luncheon – Racine Christian Church – Racine, Missouri

November 14 – “Hot Chocolate for Couples” – Carterville Christian Church – Mom2Mom – Carterville, MO

Get organized this Christmas and focus your heart and home on baby Jesus. Grab a copy of Karen Patterson Ehman & LeAnn Rice ‘s new e-book Untangling Christmas: Your Go-To Guide for a Hassle-Free Holiday. Simple and delicious recipes, doable decorating ideas, creative gifts, outreach suggestions and how to craft a Christmas planner to organize it all!  http://goo.gl/z3lJi

I had the privilege of writing an endorsement for this practical, inspiring stress-free guide to the upcoming holiday season! If you have an e-book, grab a copy today.

The names of the two marble lions in front of the New York public Library’s main entrance are Patience & Fortitude.

November is Georgia Pecan Month. The largest pecan pie ever baked weighed 41,586 pounds!!!

The average amount shoppers spent on Black Friday weekend last year was $365.34.

On Our Thanksgiving Table

Chocolate Pecan Pie

3 eggs, slightly beaten

1 cup Light corn syrup

4 squares of semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted and cooled

1/3 cup sugar

¼ t. almond flavoring

2 ½ T. melted, unsalted butter

1 t. vanilla

 1 ½ cups pecan halves

1 unbaked piecrust [I use Pillsbury, in the red box]

*This is a sneak preview of a recipe that is mentioned in part of my first novel, Barefoot in December. This is also the dessert which I always took home to St. Louis to celebrate Thanksgiving with my folks. It was my daddy’s favorite, and so even though we were two hours away from home when I realized I had forgotten it, fearing that it would be our last Thanksgiving with him since he was so sick with cancer, my heroic husband turned the car around and we went back for it! I am so glad he did, for it was indeed our final Thanksgiving celebration with daddy this side of heaven. I hope it finds a place in your home.

Scripture of the Month: “My life has been an example to many because you have been my strength and protection.” Psalm 7:7 NLT

 

Quote of the Month: “If you think you’re too small to make a difference, you’ve never been alone in the dark with a mosquito!”  Unknown

I have been thinking a lot lately about stories. The ones I love, the ones I’ve hated ; the ones in my head and those that are daily being lived in my life and the lives around me. Tragedies. Comics. Epic tales. Adventure. Mystery. Intrigue. Romance.

I’ve been sharing some of my best loved books with the girls and my youngest has hit the Anne of Green Gables series that I well remember my other girls reading. We’ve read Little Women, and as we have done about every two years since Eden was little, we are reading the Little House books aloud. They are rich in history and the precious treasure of close family. We are very nearly on the prairie, in the big woods and hungry as bears when we read all the dinner descriptions in Farmer Boy.

Yet I am aware that this is likely the last time I will do this – at least with my older girls. They are a bit more restless, too cool to sit very long with us on the porch or in their play fort or in the park and read aloud. All this is normal, and yet it is a difficult adjustment for this mommy.

It has made me remember that every day we have the privilege of life and breath is the beginning of our “a long time ago.” As such, we have a responsibility to make our stories shine. To keep our commitments and honor our vows. To show our children through our examples that Jesus is the most important thing. That our lives here count for eternity. That though it cost them everything, it is worth it to stand for Him, even if at school, at work or with friends, it means that they stand alone.

I so enjoy hearing from all of you and am praying that your “once upon a times” and “a long time agos” are rich and sweet.

“But Laura lay awake a little while, listening to Pa’s fiddle softly playing and to the lonely sound of the wind in the big woods. She looked at Pa sitting on the bench by the hearth…she looked at Ma, gently rocking and knitting. She thought to herself, “This is now.”

She was glad that the cozy house, and Pa and Ma and the fire-light and the music were now. They could not be forgotten, she thought, because now is now. It can never be a long time ago.”

Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House in the Big Woods 

 

The honor of singing a medley of God Bless America & America the Beautiful at the Silver Dollar City 9/11 anniversary memorial service to honor First Responders. The Carthage Police Department Honor Guard is in the background. They did an outstanding job. What a beautiful service!

From Our House to Yours

Greg and I escaped for a glorious 31 hours to the Anchor Inn Bed & Breakfast in Branson, for our “fake” anniversary, since he was at the Body Farm in Tennessee for our actual day. That too was a story, for how can you deny someone the privilege of accomplishing a lifetime training goal just because it happens to fall on that date? It was just as much fun to celebrate 16 years and 2 months of marriage, and now I only have to wait 10 months for the next celebration!

It’s hard to believe that only five of my eighteen speaking engagements for this year are left on the calendar! I’ve been able to take a few of the girls with me as I go to help them remember why I do this and to steal some precious moments alone with them.

In my office, I am nearly finished with my first novel, Barefoot in December. Thanks to all of you who have written to encourage me and who have left precious comments on the website.

It has been four months and two weeks since the devastating tornado in Joplin. Each business that reopens, each home that goes up, each tree that sprouts green is a powerful symbol of hope. Please pray for all those affected, because the 3 to 6 month mark is often worse to deal with than the immediate crisis.

I’ve had such fun mining through old books and magazines in order to prepare special trivia for our church’s Old Fashioned Revival Sunday. One resource I’ve been reading is this month’s book selection, a tiny but timely tome about making do with less. Written during the height of the Great Depression, much of it is charmingly appropriate for today’s economic times.

Only two months and 17 days until Christmas time! There now. I’ve either stressed you out or thrilled you to pieces.

Hugs and blessings,

Cindy

 

Anchor Inn Bed & Breakfast in Branson

Autumn Speaking Schedule

October 7-8 “The Showdown: How God Fights for Us in the Battles of Our Lives”; 3 session retreat – New Heights Christian Church retreat – Bourbon, MO

October 19 “Peanut Butter Motherhood” – College Heights Christian Church, Joplin, MO MOPS

November 4-5 “God’s Got It Covered: A Quilt of Joy; A Quilt of Comfort; A Quilt of Victory” – 3 session retreat – Tiak’o’khata Resort – Jackson, Mississippi

November 12 – “The Chocolate Side of Life” 11a.m.-1p.m. keynote/luncheon – Racine Christian Church – Racine, Missouri

November 14 – “Hot Chocolate for Couples” – Carterville Christian Church – Mom2Mom – Carterville, MO

Fast Fact: The average family household has 23 technological devices!! [Parenting, 111,9/11]

I love this new acronym to help remember to eat HEALTHFULLY & MOVE MORE: Get off your SOFAS!!! (solid fats and added sugars). Parenting, 8/11,27

Weight in! No, not you – your purse! If it weights 10 lbs. or more, it effects your posture and can cause back pain or even headaches. It might be time for fall cleaning in whatever bag you carry.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Movies…

Clark Gable reluctantly signed a contract to play the part of Rhett Butler in Gone with the Wind in 1938. Gary Cooper had turned the role down, reportedly saying, “Gone with the Wind is going to be the biggest flop in Hollywood history. I’m glad it’ll be Clark Gable who’s falling flat on his nose, not me!”

Mom Kiss: Courageous – Go see this movie! Inspiring, convicting and laugh out loud funny. What a blessing to have this message in real theatres. Pray for Hollywood to wake up and notice what needs to be out there.

Mom Hiss: the remake of Footloose – preliminary reports and footage shows dance moves and disrespect that makes the original version seem like a Disney film. The producers have taken what could be a wonderful premise and lowered it to the typically raunchy teen fare with smutty clothes and even smuttier bumps and grinds.

On Our Table

Seasoned Autumn Oyster Crackers

1 pkg. dry Hidden Valley Buttermilk Ranch dressing mix

¾ c. olive oil

1 ½ packages oyster crackers

¼ t. garlic powder

¼ t. dill weed

Combine spices w/ olive oil. Pour over crackers on jelly roll pan. Stir to coat. Place in 250 degree oven for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through.

This is our family’s favorite as a snack or in autumn’s soups!

 

October 23^rd marks ten years since Apple released the iPod. Remember walkmans, boom boxes and gulp, 8 tracks?

Quote of the Month: “Courage is a character trait most oft attributable to men. In fact, it is the universal virtue of all those who choose to do the right thing over the expedient thing. It is the common currency of all those who do what they are supposed to do in a time of conflict, crisis, and confusion.”

-Florence Nightingale

Scripture of the Month: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1

 

 Yes, I really did climb a fire truck ladder, 80 feet in the air!

      Have you ever struggled with “what to do next” or “what to do now”?  The reason for all of this speculation is simple: I am entering still another phase of my life as a mother. With children in college, high school, junior high and middle school, I’ve floundered a bit.

     Who am I and what will I be if I am not walking in my baby girl into the most wonderful elementary school every day?  How will I survive without seeing the same precious group of other mothers who are exactly in my stage each afternoon on the playground? My girls are growing, changing and needing me in vastly different ways. I’m not entirely sure I like it; I am entirely sure that I don’t have a choice.

     There are subtle, but unmistakable changes, even with my youngest. A few nights a week, the pungent smell of pre-adolescent Noxzema face wash eclipses the sweet, heady scent of Johnson’s baby shampoo. And each time it does, I mourn. I walked her into middle school every single day the first week of school; now I have dutifully weaned myself to three days a week. And although she is still my snuggler and is thrilled to see me when I work the twice -a-month Friday socials at her school, she doesn’t fling her arms around me with the same abandon that she did just a few months ago.

     So I am reminding myself that while my identity is tied up in many things: being Greg’s wife, Eden’s, Emmy’s, Ellie’s & Elexa’s mom, Don & Patsy’s daughter, worship minister, writer, speaker, former high school teacher – my ultimate true identity is that I am God’s child. I am, as are you, a precious, chosen daughter of the King. That doesn’t change, not even when my circumstances, my phases of life and stages in my career do.

     I was inspired to read part of  Condoleezza Rice’s story [Stanford University professor & former Secretary of State]. During her travels as 66^th Secretary of State, she was often asked how she came to hold that position. She replied: “I started as a failed piano major.” And I thought, What fun! In other words, when circumstance dictates that we stop being one thing or we can’t do it anymore, adventure might be just around the corner. Don’t despair – God has big plans for us, even when we think we liked the old ones better.

 Fun Facts:

*August 13 was International Left-Handers Day, a trait shared by only 10-15% of people on the planet!

*My husband and I are both lefties; none of our four daughters are! The oldest child in all of my daddy’s sibling’s families are left-handed.

*Many famous people have been or are left-handed, including President Obama, Bill Gates and Oprah. [Parents, 8/11]

*The Rescuers, was the first successful Disney animated film that Walt Disney himself has not worked on! It was released in 1977.

*The average American household spends $55 on toilet paper every year.

*American kids consume an average of 7 ½ hours of electronic media DAILY! [Family Circle, 144, 8/11] Since we blink two to three times less when we’re staring at a screen than when we’re not, make sure you purposely blink to avoid eye fatigue and dryness.

From Our House to Yours

As the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks approaches, it’s hard not to think back to this time ten years ago.  I taught that morning at Joplin High School, and as I ran downstairs  to make a quick copy of something, a colleague whispered to me that a plane had just hit one of the Twin Towers in New York City. We briefly mentioned the idiocy of a pilot who couldn’t miss that landmark, but deep inside, I think we knew it couldn’t have been an accident. I ran back upstairs to my classroom and saw the second plane hit the second tower. My students fell apart. Some had parents who were in New York on business or who were supposed to be flying that day. Others had relatives who lived there. The reports and rumors kept coming.

I finished classes and debated about whether or not to pick up my older children from school early and decided against it, not wanting to scare them, wanting them to have whatever normalcy was left.

When Greg got home from work, we sat on the couch after the girls were tucked in bed, holding each other and our newborn, watching the news in disbelief and listening to the final phone calls made from planes and buildings, with tears in our eyes.

 When a bi-partisan Congress sang “God Bless America” on the Capitol steps, my heart rejoiced. God blessing us. That’s what it would take for us to get through this.

I will have the privilege of singing and signing that song on Sunday, September 11^th at a Silver Dollar City service honoring First Responders. I would appreciate your prayers. Our servicemen and women, firefighters, police officers and EMTs need our thanks.

In my office, I am nearing completion of my first novel, Barefoot in December, and am thrilled and terrified to be sending it out to my agent and prospective publishers next month.

In my home, we have closed our little above ground pool, cleaned out the chimney in preparation for this season’s cozy fires and decorated for fall, my favorite time of year.

In my marriage, I rejoice to spend each healthy day with the Love of my Life, who grows ever more precious to me. In my mothering, well, I take whatever snuggles I can get, rejoice in every confidence shared and beam like crazy when a voice on the other end of the phone says, “Hey, Mom! Can I tell you about….” You bet they can.

My this season of rich, vibrant color cloak you in God’s fullest blessings! I pray for you more than you know,

 Cindy

 Upcoming Speaking Schedule

Branson, Missouri & Silver Dollar City – September 10-11 – Hot Chocolate for First Responder Couples – Honeysuckle Conference Center – Saturday; singing at the First Responder Memorial Service in Echo Hollow at Silver Dollar City 10:00 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 11 [see www.responderlife for details; there are FREE tickets for all First Responders and their families!]

Maranatha Bible Camp Area Women’s Retreat – Everton, MO – September 16-17 “Prepare: to Live in Hope & Prepare: to Live in Victory!” – 2 Main Sessions & Hot Chocolate for Couples workshop

Galena, Kansas – Tennessee Prairie Friends Church – Fall Women’s Retreat – September 23-24 – Rediscovering Joy as a Woman; as a Wife & Mother; as a Child of God

St. Louis, Missouri – New Heights Christian Church Fall Retreat –  October 7-8 God’s Got It Covered: A Quilt of Joy; A Quilt of Comfort; A Quilt of Victory. 3 main sessions.

Jackson, Mississippi – Tiak’o’khata Resort – Fall Women’s Retreat – November 4-5 – God’s Got It Covered: A Quilt of Joy; A Quilt of Comfort; A Quilt of Victory. 3 main sessions.

Waterbrook Press is releasing the compilation, “Everything Romance” this fall. Two of Cindy’s stories will appear in that volume.

 

 My friend Karen’s brilliant idea for book club favors when we read, The Help.

 

 Congratulations to cookbook winners, Pat Stuckey & Kathryn Barr! Thanks to those of you who sent e-mails of recipes as well. Our family will have lots of new ideas to try this fall.

 

 Scripture of the Month: “And hope does not disappoint us…” Romans 5:5

Quote of the Month: “Hope is faith holding out its hand in the dark.” George Iles

 

 

Fifteen Minutes of Rain

     “Do you hear that?” I shoved my elbow into my husband’s side so that I could catch him before he drifted completely off to sleep. “Isn’t that thunder?!”

     He propped himself up on one elbow, glaring only slightly at the interruption. “It must be – look at that lightening.”

     “Let’s open the curtains back up.  I want to see!” He smiled indulgently, sleepily, catching some of my excitement.

     Smaller thunder echoed in the hallway as first we heard the girls’ running feet just before they came pouring in. “Is it going to rain?”

     They piled onto our bed and we huddled there listening, praying for the heavens to open up – for the welcome sound of rain. Our ears strained and our backs edged forward as though our eagerness could help it hurry.

     One more bed rattling swipe of thunder and lightning split the skies and then we heard it. Plops followed by torrents. A stream of water slid down the window sill. The porch swing creaked in the wind and a ball made its way out of the bucket on the porch by our window. Trees bowed their branches, limbs clacking against the roof.

     And for fifteen glorious minutes, it rained. After nearly 6 weeks of triple-digit temperatures and no rain, it had finally rained. It seemed we had nearly forgotten the sound of rain, the earthy scent of rain on concrete, the rainbows made in puddles. Right then, the biggest blessing seemed the sound of rain.

     Our entire city was tired of being hot. Hot and dry was worse. Even at ten o’clock at night, the temperature hovered around 100 degrees, so we missed our evening walks and we groused. Tempers were short; sleep was illusive.

     The less hardy flowers in the front bed turned up their browning petals in surrender. Grass crunched. The puppy laid around on the hardwood floors, panting and trying to stay cool.

     The rain didn’t stay. The ground sucked the water up like a child with a straw, slurping the last of a chocolate malt at a soda fountain counter.  Cracks reappeared in the dirt almost instantly. Yet somehow, we felt refreshed. Fifteen minutes of rain was enough to rekindle hope.

     And I wondered, who in our world is that parched and cracked and thirsty? To whom could you and I be the equivalent of fifteen minutes of rain? A quick stop at their house to leave a Mason jar of wildflowers. A card in the mailbox at just the right time. A phone call for checking in. A pie. A plate of cookies. A hug. An affirmation of how precious they are to you. An encouragement not to give up, to hold on because the rain is surely on its way.

      Be that rain this month to as many people as you can, and then please, share your stories! I want to read loads of comments as we encourage each other.

Fast Facts:

+A recent study found that folks who go to church regularly AND see their friends there every week were most likely to rate their life satisfaction at that illusive ‘10!’ [Good Housekeeping, August, 2011] “So don’t forsake the habit of meeting together as some are in the habit of doing…” Hebrews 10:25

+ I knew there was something to our ritual of turning on what our girls like to call the “cozy lamps” around dinner time each evening: Dim light helps the production of melatonin [the “sleepy” hormone] start up to 90 minutes sooner than bright light, fostering relaxation and sleepiness. Perhaps more importantly, researchers believe that higher melatonin levels may reduce your risk of insomnia and Type 2 diabetes! [Family Circle, August, 2011, 130]

+Be smart about school bedtimes. Children ages 5-12 need 10 to 11 hours of sleep every night; most teens require 9 hours.  [Good Housekeeping, August, 2011, 119]

+The CDC recommends that children get at LEAST an hour of physical activity DAILY! [GH, 8/11,119] Make a family walk or bike ride part of your evening routine.

    From Our House to Yours

      Riding home from the girls’ annual back to school check-ups, one was pouting because she been required to get a booster shot. I hadn’t remembered, so I hadn’t prepared her in advance.

     “But El,” one of her sisters comforted, “don’t forget you can pick out flowers!”

     “Oh yeah,” Emmy chimed in, “I love that tradition!” She turned to me. “Hey mom, write that one down for me – we have so many neat ones and I don’t want to forget.”

     Snap. The shutter on my heart camera clicked and I captured this moment too, stored away for the stormy moments that come with greater frequency as my girls grow.

     The Back to School season is full of little traditions, some even from my childhood. Every August my dad would pour over the sale circulars in the St. Louis Post Dispatch and off we went. Target for the best deals on spiral notebooks and loose-leaf paper. Grandpa Pigeon’s for pencils, ink pens and composition notebooks. Kmart for binders and pencil pouches and school boxes. Walgreen’s for calculators, protractors and tab dividers. How we laughed that the gas money we spent surely canceled out any savings!

     But it is one of our family’s favorite memories now. My girls treasure choosing a new lunch box and backpack every other year. Having their picture taken with all of their school supplies laid out and labeled in crisp black Sharpie. Getting a First Day of School outfit. Marking their heights next to smaller handprints on the wall after their check-ups. First morning breakfasts, pictures on the porch steps with school gear and unbearably perfect outfits, riding to school and my prayers for them as I lay my hands on them and ask God for protection, for discernment.

     They will roll their eyes as they read their lunchbox notes, but secretly enjoy them. When our oldest was a Senior and didn’t think she needed notes, I wrote them on bananas with a Sharpie. She gave up and enjoyed them anyway. Sometimes my girls have asked me to write a lunchbox note for friends who don’t get any.

     And I will count the hours until I get to make the rounds for pick-up, treasuring each little detail and drinking in their faces and stories. Because I will blink and there will be a several inch gap between lines on the wall and another year will be over.

      Eden begins her 3^rd year of college. Emmy will be a sophomore with a newly acquired driver’s permit. Ellie is in her last year of Junior High and Elexa will enter middle school as a decade old 5^th grader.

      Greg and I celebrated our 16^th wedding anniversary and the 1 year anniversary of his successful kidney transplant.  He spent the week of our anniversary this year at the Body Farm in Tennessee, fulfilling a lifetime goal. July 29^th is more unforgettable than ever!

     Joplin continues a slow healing process as clean-up progresses and rebuilding occurs. Our church planned a lovely “Beauty for Ashes” prayer & praise service in the midst of rubble on a parking lot on Rangeline Road on August 7^th. 286 precious people attended, including several who had lost not only their homes, but their ENTIRE families on the night of May 22^nd. It was a tearful blessing, lifting our hands and voices in praise and petition to a gracious heavenly Father.

     While this has been a most unusual summer, I have been trying to not to dwell on past seasons that I miss soooo very much, but instead to enjoy each one for what it is.

     I pray that you have one of the sweetest seasons ever as summer fades into the glorious colors of autumn!

     Huge blessings,

     Cindy

Upcoming Speaking Schedule

New London, Iowa – Crooked Creek Camp – August 26-27 – The Chocolate Side of Life; Hot Chocolate for Couples; Chocolate Comfort

Branson, Missouri & Silver Dollar City – September 10-11 – Hot Chocolate for First Responder Couples – Honeysuckle Conference Center – Saturday; singing at the First Responder Memorial Service in Echo Hollow 10:00 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 11 [see www.responderlife for details; there are FREE tickets for all First Responders and their families!]

Maranatha Bible Camp Area Women’s Retreat – Everton, MO – September 16-17 “Prepare” – 2 Main Sessions & Hot Chocolate for Couples workshop

Galena, Kansas – Tennessee Prairie Friends Church – Fall Women’s Retreat – September 23-24 – Rediscovering Joy as a Woman; as a Wife & Mother; as a Child of God

On Our Table

Cynthia’s Tea [from the Mitford Novels]

1 family size tea bag, boiled & steeped for several minutes

1 can frozen lemonade

2 t. almond flavoring

1 ¾ c. sugar

Pour all in gallon pitcher. Add cold water until full.

 

**CONTEST:  One of my newsletter subscribers REALLY wanted a recipe contest! So, submit your favorite end-of-summer recipe. 2 winners will receive a cookbook.

Back to school is a great time to subscribe [it’s free!] to the Heritage Builders blogs on spiritual legacies for our children. There are blogs for moms of teen girls; moms of gradeschool girls; moms of teen boys; moms of gradeschool girls; dads of teen & gradeschool girls and dads of teen & gradeschool boys.  I write the blogs for moms of GIRLS, for some reason! www.heritagebuilders.com

Scripture of the Month:

“The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name.” –Zechariah 14:9

Quote of the Month:

“O, posterity, you will never know how much it cost the present generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it. If you do not, I shall repent in heaven that ever I took half the pains to preserve it.”

 –John Adams

It’s only natural during this time of fireworks, patriotic celebrations and family time to think about the cost of all of it. And because of the recovery and clean-up still going on in Joplin, my thoughts have turned to the day when everything will be made perfect. Every wrong righted. Every injustice soothed. Every hurt erased. Every question explained.

Like many of you, I’ve contemplated how quickly life can change, and lamented about its pace. Truly we are a breath, a mist, a vapor. The piles of debris are neater and are slowly disappearing. There is still work to be done. There are still welcome pies to bring to those who are settling into new, and sometimes temporary homes as they wait for theirs to be rebuilt. There are still meals to bring for those who are grieving. Cards to be sent. Prayers to be offered. Long, empty spaces for those whose loved ones are gone; those who face the daily obscenity of just one fork, one plate, one glass, where once there was a noisy family.

 For every complaint and concern I have, I’ve tried to remember that I am blessed to be alive to do those things. I’ve made more of an effort to sit poolside with my girls every day possible and when I’ve grown so hot I could hardly stand it, jumped in with them to play and savor their squeals and giggles as they stand poised on the line between childhood and girlhood.

These days, sultry and languid, lived by the back drop of the ice cream truck’s tinny songs, church camp days and CIY conferences, and the soundtrack of cicada concerts accompanied by lightning bug strobes will not come again, not even next summer, when the season rolls around.

So soak up summer until the laughter and presence of those you love emanates from your very skin, meshed with the scent of coconut sunscreen and the thousands of little memories that make up our lives.

 

 The porch of the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Michigan, is 660 feet – the longest porch in the world!!

From Our House to Yours

When this reaches you, we will be just 3 weeks short of the one year anniversary of Greg’s kidney transplant. Although complications can always arise, there’s just something exciting – a big “whew!”– about getting to that mark. Daily, we marvel at the contrast between this time last year, when we were barely hanging on, trying not to worry about what the future held, and this one – each day Greg is blessed with normal energy and what we’ve laughingly come to call “regular tired.”

Our youngest three all have milestone birthdays this summer: Emmy, 15 with a legitimate learner’s permit in hand- make that “in wallet” (I will have to save for more frequent natural hair color attacks); Ellie will become a teenager; Elexa reached double digits! There is something surreal about having your baby reach a decade of age. As always, I have pulled each on my lap and leafed through their baby books and told them again about how the day they were born and how very much they are loved. Our oldest, Eden, lost all of her furniture during the tornado, as it was in a storage unit until she finds an apartment that will take both her and the puppy. As we talked about what all had been in there, we suddenly realized that the wooden chest I’d had made for her first Christmas was in there too, along with her baby book and her special childhood Barbies. Although most of her other sentimental stuff and school papers were in safe keeping at her house, this news hurt my heart. I’m  going to figure out how to recreate something to share with her on her birthday this September. We were struck again with how easily things we take for granted in life can become “last times.”

Emmy made the unwelcome pronouncement just a few days ago that there are only 43 days left until school begins! Her sisters shushed her and refused to even contemplate an end to summer. There’s still lots to come.

Ellie and I embark on our very own 2-day purity retreat and I refuse to think about only having this privilege one more time. I look forward to time with just her and would love your prayers for our time to be honored with God’s presence and blessed with the sweet kind of memories that will last a lifetime, even as I seek to instill in her God’s astounding plan for her.

May God touch you through every summer song, night breeze and shooting star!

Cindy

 

Book of the Month-biography

 

 

Contest

Send us an item on your “Bucket List” under the comment section of the newsletter on the website — www.cindydagnan.com – and be entered into a drawing for a Summer Perks Prize!

F.Y.I – Summer Safety

*Sparklers burn at 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, so beware of letting tiny hands hold them!

*9,400 children are injured in lawn mowing related accidents every year; 25% of them are younger than 5.  [Parents, 38, 7/11]

*Falls are the leading cause of unintentional injury for ALL kids 14 and under. [Parents, 32, 7/11]

On Our Table   -Family Night Favorite Bread Bowl Dip

1 lb. sourdough bread round                           2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

¾ lb. crisp fried bacon                                    ½ yellow onion sautéed in 1 T. butter

1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese                                1 ½ c. sour cream

Hollow out bread, forming bowl.  Mix all ingredients and fill bowl. Wrap in foil and place on baking sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 50 minutes. Serve with sourdough bread chunks, crackers and raw carrots and celery.

During the summer months, our family has always conducted something called “Super Summer Family Memory Nights.” These weeks, our family night includes far more than the homemade buttered popcorn and Andy Griffith/Waltons/Brady Bunch-type fare – we use the time to bond the truth of God’s Words to our girls’ hearts with memorable fun.

Each week, one memory verse is assigned. We hand out the typed sheets to everyone on the kick-off night. [We began when our youngest was 2 ½ years old; we highlighted a shortened version for her, but she usually knew our version by summer’s end, just because of all the repetition!] We begin our evening by reciting our verses. Small prizes are awarded to those who know their verses [a candy bar, fun notebook, pen, game for all of them to share, a coupon to stay up late] and thanks to friendly peer pressure, all the girls – and their parents—have learned all of them. The verses build on each other, so that by summer’s end, all of us have committed 9 verses of scripture to memory (12, if we do the bonuses, which have the biggest prizes!).

We pray together, do a REALLY fun devotion, sing a few choruses and then let the snacking and shows begin!  They love that one night is an ice-cream Sundae bar; another is a buffet of cheese cubes, fruits, veggies & dip and tiny desserts; one night is a jammies run to a fun destination.

We often use the Heritage Builders Family Night Tool Chest Books [Introduction to Family Nights, Wisdom Life Skills and Tried & True for Teens,] are some of our favorites. One year, we adapted Group’s Kids’ Travel Guide to the Ten Commandments and included knowing those commandments in order as part of our memory work. All of the lessons are easily adapted and we have added and cut as needed to fit age and interests. They don’t take more than 15 minutes.

All four of our girls still talk about the evening on our driveway, where a roll of Mentos candy was added to a 2-liter of Coca Cola and spurted everywhere, a vivid visual reminding us to be contagious Christians whose joy spilled over on others.

Another favorite was making a list of our worries in sidewalk chalk, the summer of Greg’s kidney transplant. In the middle of those worries, we wrote one of our verses: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” We prayed on top of those worries and let the garden hose wash and make of those worries a beautifully rainy tapestry, whose colors mirrored the sunset.

We’ve had scavenger hunts and planned tricks. We’ve ended the summer with a family talent night and laughed until we cried. One  year, our oldest daughter, for her “talent,” dove in the pool at our annual end -of -summer Bed & Breakfast getaway and touched the drain! She has always been terrified of them since she read that someone’s long hair once got them sucked down a drain. We teased her mercilessly and applauded hysterically when she conquered her fear for those few moments.

Our girls have written their own Psalms, surrounded by the bounty of God’s world, serenaded by cicadas, and all of us have written down the five things we’d want to tell each other if we knew those would be our last words.

We begin the summer season, as we do the back-to-school season, with a family meeting. As our girls grow, we have wanted our summers to blend relaxation with productivity and memory making with down time. We agree on a few guidelines that prevent lots of nagging and arguing.

Here are ours for this summer:

• Bed made & clean clothes put away daily
• Only one block of TV/movie time daily
• 15 minutes of Webkinz or Facebook [oldest only] or Wii daily
• Devotions & exercise daily
• Generally, in bed by 11:00 p.m. and up by 9:30-10:00 a.m.
• One special day to do Summer List activities every week
• Weekly rotation of learning to do laundry, dishes, cooking w/ mom
• One sloth day each week in which you can stay in your jammies and just do chill-out activities

I’ve included this year’s memory work to help you get started. Every family is unique and what works for one won’t always work for another, but part of the fun is adapting and treasuring each other! I can’t wait to hear all about what you do!

Super Summer Family Nights 2011

June 10

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds…but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:23-25

June 17

“The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.” James 5:16b,17

June 24

“Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.” I Peter 3:8,9

July 1

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” I John 5:14, 15

July 8

“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.” I Timothy 6:6-8

July 15

“Do everything without complaining or arguing so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life.” Philippians 2:14-16a

July 29

“Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day, otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied…then your heart will become proud and you will forget…” Deuteronomy 8:11,12a, 14a

August 5

“Don’t be afraid, the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them” And Elisha prayed, “o LORD, open his eyes so he may see.’ Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” II Kings 6:16,17

Bonus:

#1 – Review – Books of Old Testament – $5.00 dessert of your choice during our B & B weekend

#2 – “One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I see: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life…I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.”  Psalm 27:4,13,14 – $5.00 dessert + $10 credit to For-All Bible

#3 – “My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and … my fortress, I will never be shaken. One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God are strong, and that you, O Lord, are loving. Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done.” Psalm 62:1,2,11,12 – Both of the above prizes + $15 credit toward one “extra” item of back to school clothing.

Scripture of the Month: “But I trust in you, O Lord;…my times are in your hands.” Psalm 31:14,15

Quote of the Month: “We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” Thornton Wilder

     Our world is vastly different than that we lived in during last month’s newsletter: on May 22^nd, at 5:46 p.m., Joplin was hit by an EF-5 tornado, packing 200 mph winds and a 20,000 foot debris column. Like a monster on a feeding frenzy, it ate 13.8 miles of our city. As one National Guardsman put it, “It ate well.”

     Five blocks away in our church basement, we had just finished practice with several of our talented youth who play in the praise band for Solid. We joked about how mothers feel compelled to text our children about tornado warnings and boss them around if we’re not together. One young man sheepishly wondered if there’d be enough damage to cancel school for the few remaining days. He had no way of knowing that the high school would be virtually gone within minutes. Our youth minister asked me if I were worried about losing our home again.

     “Nope,” I assured him. “Already done that, so I think we get a free pass.”

     He grinned at me. “Yeah, that’s what Job said.” I swatted him with a handy Sunday School magazine.

     My second-born daughter had been texting her friend who was at Academy Sports with her family; when texts no longer came in she turned to me with panicked eyes. Only later, when we saw the wreckage would we realize that although her family was able to walk away [their brand new van had vanished, leaving only a license plate], others in that same building had not.

     The basement is so thick it seemed we heard nothing; barely even the wail of sirens. Then, 2 texts. To our minister from his wife, who was on duty as a nurse on the 7^th floor of St. John’s hospital. “We’ve been hit.” And then nothing… [After midnight we would hear that she was safe.] Another text limped in from the wife of one of the men in our church, who had just been closing the business where she works: “Help me. I’m trapped in the rubble at U.S. Cellular.”

     My husband, her husband and son left immediately. They were able to recover her and the other two colleagues who were with her. Their position in the tiny bathroom under a plastic table somehow shielded them. Later we were to find out how devastating the sights and how heartbreaking the scenarios they confronted. I drove my scared girls home and packed all of my husband’s equipment [gloves, boots, flashlight, change of clothing to exchange for his soaking wet, debris-filled set] and drove it back to him; he basically lived at the Emergency Operations Command for the next 8 days.

     Each story that reached me, broke my heart. People who came by our home or called wanting me to text Greg or anyone a description of someone missing [our cell phones didn’t call for several days after that initial few moments]. Stories of heroism. Of brokenness. I will write later about some of these; the initial rawness is devastating.

     My husband and hundreds of other first responders, family members and survivors saw and heard things that should not be witnessed. The fallout from that will have to be rebuilt, even as heavy equipment moves away the rubble. The pictures imprinted on my mind are seared there, engraved with laser-like intensity. There will be no one without scars.

     For the rest of that entire week there were constant storm warnings and tornadic conditions. It rained daily without fail and the lightening invariably struck the ground in nearly every storm. Two officers were struck by it; one, a young patrol officer, Jeff Taylor, did not survive. Daily there was something to mourn.

     Questions, hard questions, pelted us like the hail in the storm. And yet…grace was there too. Evidence of God’s hand and protection. This storm was Sunday evening and not on Monday when the streets, businesses and schools that were hit would have been filled. Individual examples of those who walked away or were rescued with no other explanation than God. We have seen an outpouring of generosity from total strangers that defies description.

     For those festering doubts, slithering and rotting among the destruction of our town and the cracks in our souls, I have no easy answers. Though I believe Romans 8:28 and Jeremiah 29:11 with all my heart, there are occasions—and this is one of them—when a litany of quotes and pat answers will not suffice. We should not even try. Even as we cry out to heaven, I believe all heaven weeps with us. Sometimes we should not try to explain. We cannot. But we can cling to the God of all Comfort, gripping even with the merest fingernail faith and know that our God is big enough for our toughest questions. Someday, all will be revealed and more importantly, will be made right.

     Until then, we can just hold those who weep and mourn with those who mourn.

    Fast Funnel Facts:

• The Joplin tornado of 5/22/11 is the most destructive single tornado in the United States since they began recording them in the 1950s.
• Meteorologists have been studying this storm very closely because of its uniqueness; this tornado was multi-vortex and didn’t leave the ground.
• More than 12,000 volunteers [there are far more who were not registered with any organization or who were local] have come to Joplin to help with everything from triage to search & rescue to beginning the clean-up process.
• 8,000 structures and 750 businesses were destroyed.

 

From Our House to Yours

     No media members were present during the 4 a.m. to 7 a.m. shift, on the days I volunteered at the check-in station for all law enforcement and National Guard units. But I saw them and marveled, even at that sleepy hour.

     The sight of so many who cared so much for our community, who signed in by flashlight even as lightning lit up the pre-morning hours and thunder grumbled in the distance, who signed out after wearying 13+ hour shifts, who smiled in response to my thanks, was humbling. Over and over again, I heard the words: “No problem. We wouldn’t be anywhere else.” “We wanted to come.” “Wish we could do more.”

     I heard the murmur of morning briefings, and once, the solemn words of prayer spoke over those who would go out to unspeakable tasks: searching for survivors, but finding broken pieces; answering the unanswerable questions; taking up posts at the temporary morgue; telling family that someone they loved would not be coming home.

    And so, flushing toilets in the church with buckets of rainwater, assembling care packages for families who had nothing, searching for items that were needed to donate and registering the flood of volunteers became an obsession. We wanted to do something, anything! I answered heart wrenching phone calls and wept in frustration when I could not get information for someone who was wild with grief.

     These 17 days later, it seems odd to hold a sense of satisfaction to have found modest bathing suits – that fit and were within budget—for all of my girls in the wake of this destruction. Just as it seemed incredibly hard to focus 10 days after the storm, when I looked at my calendar and discovered that I had eight different 600 word pieces due by that afternoon. 

     And yet, life goes on. I was still required to meet my commitments and fulfill work that would help support my family. I still needed to cherish, to support, to be wherever needed and to pray.

     I needed to be grateful for having a house to clean. For children who needed picking up from school. For the routine of life. For having my husband’s strong hand to hold, even if only for a few brief mid-night hours. For the unmistakable hugeness of one grateful fact: I was not planning a funeral.

     On the one-week anniversary, I sang the song, “Held,” as a photo montage of the destruction played. “This is what it means to be held, how it feels when the sacred is torn from your life, and you survive. This is what it is to be loved and to know that the promise was when everything fell, we’d be held.”

     Held. Not exempt from suffering, from loss, from destruction. Just held by the One who loves us more than life itself; the One who has engraved us on the palm of His hands; the One who turned His back on His own Son in order to save us. I can rest there, even as I beat my flailing fists against His strong shoulders and beg to know why.

     I thank all of you who sent prayers, supplies and gift cards to those in our town. To those who sent gift cards to the First Responder families who lost their homes. To those of you who thought to send your encouragement and thanks to my own husband during these past weeks. Know that it was treasured.

     Life always has sweetness, so savor lemonade stands, Farmer’s Market, family vacations, stargazing on blankets in the front lawn, porch swings, lingering sunsets and the brief gift of lazier days.

     May God hold you in the coming months!

     Cindy

 

Farmer’s Market Chips

Slice zucchini squash very thinly. Dip slices in milk and coat with seasoned breadcrumbs.  Brush cookie sheet with olive oil and place zucchini “chips” on the sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for approximately 30 minutes, until golden. Serve with Ranch dressing as a dipping sauce.

Teachable Trivia

James Patterson, a popular summer read author, holds a Guinness Book World Record for the most hardcover fiction bestselling titles by a single author: 65!

There are 7 Harry Potter  books and 8 movies. The worldwide box office take of the  first 7 films  $6,372,809,090! I can’t even say that number!

52% of girls ages 14-17 say they’ve gotten involved in a cause they care about through social networking sites.  –Girl Scouts USA

LIME-AID – The cancer-fighting properties in limes remain in the blood stream up to 24 hours after consumption! [That’s 4 times longer than similar substances in green tea.] –Family Circle, July, 2011

News

Watch for the Super Summer Family Memory Night schedule, June Book of the Month and Strawberry Freezer Jam posts later this week at www.cindydagnan.com

Two of Cindy’s short stories – “Something Real” and “Beating the Heck Out of Romance”  were chosen for the anthology, Everything Romance, to be released by Waterbrook Press later this year!