Happy Father's Day!!

Happy Father's Day Pops!!  Yep, this is my dad (aka as Pops).  He's a pretty great guy, if I do say so myself. Besides being the best dad in the whole world, he's also a great pastor, and a FANTASTIC Papa!  I think I'm pretty lucky to have been blessed with such a great man as my dad!!  I could list all of the wonderful things he does but . .that would take years but here's a snapshot: He fixes anything I ask him to and paints rooms for me, even when I pick out the wrong color; he drills holes for my cabinet handles (and even left a special reminder on one of the cabinets . . .so I wouldn't forget who drilled them LOL); he calls me sometimes and practices his sermon on me (whether I want to listen or not :-) ); he wore an outdated, extremely wide Snoopy Tie long after anyone should have, all because every Father's Day for years I asked him if he was wearing that tie; he makes sure that my brothers and I are all well taken care of by picking up the dinner tab, filling up gas tanks, or going to Lowes/Home Depot with us to buy one thing and comes home with 10 . . .and he does this even when we don't always say thank you!  So with all of that said . .. THANKS dad for always being the one to make sure that everything is where it needs to be and that we always have what we need.  I love you TONS and so does your son-in-law AND your two grandsons!!  And, I think Josh has hit the nail on the head when he says  .. ."Papa, Church?" - he already knows that Papa and Church are two very important things!!!

To me Father's day is a day to honor our fathers . . .my husband is not my father :-) LOL  BUT with that said, I do have a few things up my sleeve for my husband . .. from his boys of course!  I'll share it all later, after the fact, since he sometimes reads my blog. He is already scratching his head because I made him stay out of the kitchen for awhile and he keeps asking me what I was doing (hehehehe) . I just told him, sometimes, questions are better left unasked. 

The 21 Days of Prayer - Day 11 - Peace

Oops - I forgot to post this on Friday night . .. sorry for the delay for those of you that are following this challenge!!

Thoughts from Laura Lee Groves

(Author of

I'm Outnumbered! One Mom's Lessons in the Lively Art of Raising Boys)

Most of us are actually outnumbered by the males in our households--for me, it’s been five to one! But it’s not just the numbers that bring that sense of being overwhelmed. For the mom of just one baby boy, a baby’s demands can be overwhelming. For the mom of a toddler boy, the constant busyness, discovery, and rebellion can wear mom down. For the mom of a school age son, making sure he’s keeping up with learning and homework can be taxing and worrisome.  For the mom of a middle schooler and teen boy--oh, there’s so much to worry about!

But you’re not the first mom. It’s pretty clear to see we’re in this thing called mothering together. That means others feel--or have felt--that same need for peace.

What can you do to help yourself?

First, find someone to confide in--

someone who’s walking your same path, or someone who has walked it before. My biggest support when my boys were small were two boy moms whose sons were a few years ahead of mine. Find someone you can be honest with about the trials of mothering.

If at all possible, step away from the demands--

for an hour, for an evening, even for just fifteen minutes. Let someone else hold the baby or chase the toddler for just a bit, and don’t feel guilty. If your son is school age, find a project or lesson that Dad or big brother or someone else can step into in your place, and take a break. Or just step back and give your son a little more responsibility--see if he can handle it. We too often see ourselves as indispensable when our sons can do some things on their own.

You can help yourself by shifting your perspective as he grows.

We have to accept that they’re growing and changing, and if we resist that, it just makes everything more difficult. As he grows, do whatever you can to stay close to him. When he hits those middle and teen years, keep him talking. Do the one thing you know he enjoys doing, even if it’s not your favorite. Build a bridge, strengthen the connection between the two of you. Stay close but don’t smother, and love unconditionally. You’re poured a lot into your son. The proof of the pudding comes

as he spreads his own wings and tries them. Sometimes he has to take a hit before he realizes it’s “real world time.” Don’t save him every time, or he’ll never be the man he was created to be.
And last--but most importantly--pray for him and for your relationship.

Pray for the faith to let go, for confidence in your and his abilities. The One who made you and loves you is waiting to give help and comfort and peace all along the way. No, He doesn’t take away the pain and the frustration, but He gives us a way to deal with it. When we begin to think about ourselves and our children in His scheme of things, we begin to think big. We see ourselves and our

children in His plan and our “today” perspective changes.

What’s important for me to remember

Motherhood has many demands, but I can’t do everything. In fact, I don’t need to. There’s One who knows better than I do and He’s waiting to catch me and my son when we stumble. He gives me grace to do all I can each day … then His grace provides for all I didn’t get to, as well. It’s hard to believe anyone loves my son more than I do. But He does. Knowing that, I can “Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.” (Psalm 105:3,4)

And I can help myself to peace--from above.

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee; because he trusteth in Thee."

~Isaiah 26:3 (ASV)

Today's challenge is to pray the 10 prayers from the chapter on Peace :-)