Happy Birthday Mom!

There's no better way to finish April than to celebrate my mother – today is her birthday!

She’s the best mom and grandma in the world.  Here are 10 reasons to prove it:

1.  She kicks my butt in aerobics (no joke).
2.  Whenever I’m out with her, people refer to her as my “sister.”
3.  With 5 daughters and 14 grandchildren, she never plays favorites.
4.  She runs circles around my kids and refuses to age.
5.  I have never heard her say an unkind word in my entire life.
6.  She knows the way to my heart is through my stomach.
7.  She never complains about the trials and tribulations of life.
8.  She always tells me, “you’re just right the way you are.”
9.  She’s always in a good mood.
10.  She loves God even more than she loves me!

Happy Birthday Mom!

A Moment Of Silence

A couple of weeks ago, I found myself sitting in my driveway at midnight on a Friday night, completely alone.  It was one of those moments of silence.

The night certainly didn’t start out that way.  After getting home from work early – and realizing it was going to be a long-anticipated warm weekend in Ohio – we decided to celebrate.  One thing led to another, the kids wanted to build a bonfire, and the next thing we knew, we were roasting marshmallows with the neighbors in our driveway.  (It’s called urban camping -- we have to be creative.)

At about 10:00 p.m., Doug looked at me like, I was just trying to sit outside and enjoy the weather, did you have to turn it into a party?  But deep down, I knew he was having fun.  Even Doug likes our neighbors. He turned in by 10:30 p.m., but the rest of us were still going strong – a few more neighbors even came over.  I put my kids to bed and came back outside to enjoy the fresh air. 

As midnight approached, my neighbors said their goodbyes and told me I should just go to bed.  Gosh, you’ve had a long day Susan, you should really turn in.  We don’t want to keep you up.

Everyone left, and it was just me sitting in the driveway.  And it was silent.

Did I go inside right away?  Of course not. Silence is something that I’ve learned to appreciate – I’ve even learned to covet.  As I looked into the fire, I had time to think without interruption.  In a matter of 10 minutes, my spirit was renewed, my head was clear, and I was ready for the weekend.

Whether or not you prefer “background noise” or walk around with an IPod strapped to your head, we all need some peace and quiet once in awhile.

When’s the last time you had a moment of silence?

Plan B: Doing Nothing

I'm not very good at doing nothing.  I can work, take care of kids, exercise, and juggle a pretty full social schedule.  But I can’t do nothing.

Why do I hate doing nothing?  I’m not sure.  Maybe I have an inflated view of my time.  Maybe I forget that, while time is precious, eternity is forever.  Maybe I’m just a stressed-out maxed-out person who is unable to relax.

In any event, I have never – in my entire life - planned to do nothing.  So, when I was laid up at a spa in Utah, doing nothing caught me completely off guard.

In short, I don’t know how to do nothing! 

Could it be that God was trying to teach me something about doing nothing?  After all, isn’t God the one who tells us, “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10) (emphasis mine)

Being still is not my nature.  Plan A was supposed to involve lots of activity – hiking, biking, running, and even writing.  From my perspective, my toothache was at the wrong place at the wrong time.

But Plan B forced me to be still.  Plan B forced me to do nothing.  Maybe (just maybe) I was at the right place at the right time.

I learned a few things from doing nothing.   Doing nothing forces you to rest.  It forces you to slow down.  And it forces you appreciate the fact that most days, you don’t have to do nothing – you can do something.

Have you ever learned anything from doing nothing?

Tuesday Tip: Don’t Ignore A Toothache

Do you ever tend to ignore a problem, just because you don’t want to deal with it?  If you’re like me, you don’t have “time” to deal with the little things in life – like a toothache.

My tooth (the one just extracted in Utah) had been bothering me – on and off -- for almost 7 years!  But, like usual, I put off dealing with it because I had more important things to do.

That’s right, almost 7 years ago I had a root canal, and my dentist told me, “This tooth is really on the brink, you should go and see a specialist.”  In fact, I was just at the dentist last month and I told my dentist that my unruly tooth was acting up again.

Why didn’t I just deal with it?  I had a myriad of excuses.  I don’t have time.  I hate going to the dentist.  It’s really not that bad.  Maybe it will go away. I can live with it.

Of course, it didn’t go away.  It escalated.  Nothing like waiting for a full-blown crisis to take action.  After all, why take care of today what you can put off until tomorrow?

Could I have saved my tooth if I had been proactive?  I’ll never know.  Going forward, I just have to learn from my mistakes.  When the warning signs are present – like here, when my body is telling me something is wrong – I really can’t sweep it under the carpet just because I’d rather do better things with my time.

Do you find that you put off those “little things” in life that seem unimportant and even annoying?  If so, you may want to act now.  Maybe you can nip it in the bud.  Maybe you can avoid a full-blown crisis.

My Tuesday Tip for the week is simply this:  Don’t ignore a toothache!

The IPod Generation

Everywhere you go, people are wearing IPods.  Running.  Walking.  Biking.  In elevators and grocery stores.  On airplanes and on subways.  The IPod Generation is here to stay.

I tried wearing my IPod a few times in the grocery store.  I’m not saying I’ll never do it again, but overall I can’t say I enjoyed the experience.  I was even more distracted than usual.  I forgot more than a couple of things on my list.  It took me longer to get my shopping done.  I was less considerate of other shoppers.  Yes, I even think I was more annoying than usual (even though I didn’t have the kids tagging along).

So why is everyone around me (especially those who are 10 years younger than I) wearing their IPods 24-7?  Is life really more exciting with a permanent headset?

I have a few theories about this IPod Generation. 

They like noise.  They’re used to it.  And they feel incomplete – even lonely – without it. I can’t count the number of times that I enter a room and turn off the TV because no one is watching it.  In fact, no one even realizes that it’s on – let alone that they’re watching some trashy program that any decent mother would object to.  It’s a culture of constant video and audio stimulation -- a culture that thrives on background noise.

Call me old-fashioned, but what ever happened to peace and quiet?  I actually like to talk to my family without distraction. I like to greet the people in the grocery store.  And I like to be able to hear myself think.

Don’t get me wrong, I really don’t have anything against the people around me who walk around with IPods.  They’re certainly not as annoying as some of the folks in my generation who talk at the top of their lungs in public with a cell phone strapped to their heads.  At least the IPod-wearers are quiet and relatively polite.

But doesn’t it make you wonder, how do you hear yourself think when it’s always noisy?

Blog Envy

I confess, I have blog envy.  Whenever I visit other blog sites, I realize how far I have to go.  My margins are off.  I’m always catching my own typos.  I still can’t figure out how to post images that look cool or edit HTML.  And the last thing I have time for in my daily routine is to devote more time to blogging.  Most days, I’m lucky to find 15 extra minutes in my schedule to check my posts and visit other blog sites.

I was having coffee with a friend who likewise suffers from blog envy.  Like me, she’s relatively new at blogging.  She’s not a writer, but she decided to launch a blog for her business.  She was pretty excited about the whole thing – until she started visiting other sites.  Then the insecurity set it.  Gee, my blog looks really frumpy.  Maybe I shouldn’t have started blogging in the first place.

If you struggle with envy, you’re not alone.  Admitting it is one thing, tackling it is another. 

My friend and I decided we needed to confront our blog envy by asking ourselves a few questions, like why are we really blogging in the first place?  Sure, it’s great to connect with others, but once blogging becomes a chore – or a contest – it takes out all the fun.  Of course, this doesn’t mean that we aren’t blogging for legitimate business purposes – like building a fan base or promoting a message.  But it does mean that we set our own goals to define success.

So I’ve tried to set some personal blogging goals. 

• Write about my passions. 
• Keep a focus. 
• Don’t compare. 
• Don’t worry about what other people think.
• It’s not quantity but quality.
• It’s not about looking over your shoulder -- it’s about looking ahead. 

As important, I’m determined to keep having fun.  Have you ever noticed that envy has a nasty way of sucking the joy right out of us?

Too Much Lemonade – More On Plan B

Is God really looking out for my best interest, or is he a cruel cosmic giant who wants to see how far he can push me?  Yeah, I know I’ve written that we should just make lemonade out of lemons when things don’t go as planned, but I’ve had enough of Plan B this month.  And I’m not talking about a birthday cake falling over in the trunk of my car.
What am I talking about?  Here’s the short version (details will follow in blogs to come).

Plan A
Plan A was supposed to be the perfect spa weekend with my sisters in the mountains of Utah.  We haven’t had a sisters-only weekend in over 10 years!  And when Amy (my middle sister) turned 50, she planned an all-inclusive spa getaway at a fabulous price.  We’d been looking forward to this trip for weeks.  Hiking.  Biking.  Mountains.  Exercise classes.  Gourmet health food.

I planned to exercise, eat well, enjoy nature, and even have time to write!  Plus, I would be with my four best friends in the world – my four big sisters – what could go wrong?

Plan A Plan B
Enter Plan B.  Life is full of the unexpected.  On the departing flight, an old root canal started acting up.  After landing and spending a few days with Amy in Vegas, it didn’t get better – it got worse.  It’s mind over matter, I told myself.  I can get through this, and I’m not going to let a sore tooth ruin my weekend. 

As we drove to the spa in Utah, the pain became excruciating.  I kid you not, the pain of a abscess tooth is akin to the pains of childbirth.  Four mother hens (aka older sisters) took over and insisted that I see a dentist.  I couldn’t stop thinking --this isn’t happening to me.  Not here.  Not now. This isn’t what I had in mind, God.  What happened to Plan A?

Plan B was in full motion.  My first day at the spa was spent in the dentist chair, not the mountains.  After having my tooth pulled, I wasn’t hiking or biking.  I was on my back.  I wasn’t eating or drinking.  I was icing.  And after becoming completely and totally nauseated from the codeine, I was lucky to keep a little water down.

Sometimes, it’s pretty tough to make lemonade out of lemons.  A failed birthday cake is one thing, but who can find the silver lining in a tooth extraction?
Do you ever find yourself asking God, Can’t we just ditch Plan B?

Happy With Your Work?

Are you happy with your work?  Most of us our so busy with our daily routines that we need to stop and ask - do I enjoy my chosen profession?  Do I like getting up in the morning and facing my day?

I went to law school to pursue truth and justice.  Sure, I don’t always fulfill that mission in my daily grind, but most days I actually like being a lawyer.  And I’m not alone.  According to a recent survey, lawyers are a pretty happy bunch.  That’s right, according to an American Bar Foundation study featured in Law360, 70 percent of lawyers report feeling moderately or very satisfied with their career path.

Ok, I can already hear the lawyer jokes out there.  Bring them on!  I’m blessed to be part of a profession that I actually enjoy.  And I would also argue that lawyers do much more good in our society than we receive credit for.  We defend the law and preserve rights to life, liberty and justice.  Sure, we’ve gotten a bad rap for some valid reasons, but I still believe that law is a noble, desirable profession.

Off my lawyer soapbox.   Being a lawyer certainly isn’t for everyone (and even I would admit that the world would be a very scary place with more lawyers).  But I do think we can learn something from the 70 percent of lawyers out there who are relatively happy.

Whether we work full time, part time, or inside or outside of our homes – work is a vital part of life.  Work is about being productive, being needed, and contributing to something bigger than ourselves.

So, I ask you, what are you working for?

Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. – Colossians 3:23

Making Lemonade Out Of Lemons

Have you ever made lemonade out of lemons?

That’s exactly what I did with Nick’s birthday cake.  In response to Friday’s contest, the correct answer is D!  (Congrats to Allison Poor for the first to post the correct answer!)That’s right, I put the top of the cake back on and served it to my guests.  And everyone loved it!

No, it didn’t look appetizing.  Yes, I was tempted to throw it away (or pawn it off on the guy in the parking lot).  But I didn’t.  I just couldn’t.  So I wiped my mounting tears, proudly carried the cake (messy fingers and all) into the restaurant and never looked back.  And it wasn’t just good cake.  It was great cake – a special recipe from the Dominican Republic, made by a dear friend. 

Plus, I learned yet another lesson in perseverance.  Lots of days, I feel a lot like that cake -- I’m barely holding it together, the middle is about to fall out, and if I hit another bump in the road I know I’m going to crack.  Then I start second guessing myself just because things don’t look pretty on the outside.  Why didn’t I plan in advance?  Did I really think I was going to be able to pull this off?  I’m spreading myself way too thin. 

One thing’s for sure.  I couldn’t go back and re-make the cake.  It was time for Plan B.  In fact, I’m firmly convinced that half of life is accepting where we’re at and moving on to Plan B.  And we certainly don’t have to act like everything is fine. 

Besides, Plan B usually has its own benefits.  I bonded with a few of those parents at Nick’s birthday party – yeah, we even had a few good laughs.  Would we have had as much fun if I walked in with a perfect birthday cake, totally put together?  I think not.  I’m probably forever tagged as the crazed mom with the messy birthday cake, but I’d rather be authentic than put on a show.  They got to see the real me.

And the real me is known to make lemonade out of lemons!  Have you ever discovered the benefits (and the humor) in Plan B?

For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. –Jeremiah 29:11

Cake, Anyone? (Part 2) – Win A Starbucks Gift Card!

How did Nick’s birthday cake turn out?  Did the cake get the best of me, or did I get the best of the cake? 
Be the first to answer the question below correctly, and you’ll win that Starbucks card!

QUESTION:  What happened with Nick’s birthday cake?

a.  I had to throw it away.  The cake was all over the back of my car.  Even I couldn’t save it.  The restaurant offered to give us all free dessert, and everyone was happy.

b.  I gave it to a guy in the parking lot.  After Doug went in the restaurant, some guy in the parking lot came over to help me.  I told him I couldn’t bear to throw the cake away, so he offered to take it off my hands.  Then, I ran to the grocery story and bought a new cake.

c.  I ate it.  Even though I couldn’t feed the cake to Nick and his friends, I decided to just leave it in the back of my car.  And when we got home, I ate it (along with some help from the kids)!  It was delicious, even though Doug wouldn’t take a bite.  At the party, the restaurant provided a new cake – at a steep price!

d.  I served it at the party.  Once Doug went inside the restaurant, I put the top of the cake back on with my bare hands.  It really didn’t look that bad after all.  I took it in the restaurant (messy hands and all) and got a few stares and laughs.  But I didn’t care.  The kids all loved it, and even the parents wanted to try it – it was the best cake we’d had in a long time (even Doug liked it)!

THE RULES:

• You must post the correct answer on the blog (Facebook and email responses don’t count).
• You must post on or before Saturday, April 17 at 11:59 p.m.
• You cannot change your answer.
• I can amend the rules at all times.
• The winner will likely be announced on Monday, April 19.

Any questions?

Cake, Anyone? (Part 1)

Things didn’t go as planned with Nick’s birthday cake.  Let’s just say it’s a cake I’ll never forget.

To start, I had completely forgotten to plan a cake for his 9th birthday party.  So when a friend insisted on making it the day before, I gladly agreed.

Problem #1?  The cake was leaning to one side when she brought it over my house.  It wasn’t in a box, and I still had to transport it to the restaurant.  I could see the disappointment in Nick’s face, but I had to play it cool.  My, this cake looks absolutely wonderful.  And I’m sure it will taste even better.

Inside, I was thinking, This cake is a disaster. How am I ever going to move it – let alone take it on a bumpy car ride?

Of course, we were running late to the party.  I put the cake in the hatchback and told Nick to watch it carefully.  (Looking back, I don’t know why I told him to watch it.  It’s not like he could do anything to stop the inevitable.)  So, as I drove, Nick gave me the painful play by play.  The cake was leaning.  The cake was drooping.  The cake was falling apart.  “Pull over Mom!  You’ve got to do something.  We’re going to have to get a new cake!”  I tried to ignore him and kept driving.

When we got to the restaurant, I opened the hatch.  It was worse than I thought.  The top layer of the cake had slid off completely, and the middle had cracked.  I wanted to cry.  But I couldn’t.  I put on my happy face.  The cake is wonderful.  Things are fine.

Fortunately, Doug met me in the parking lot.  When he saw the cake, he was speechless (and, he was smart enough not to make any jokes).  He handed me a box of Kleenexes from inside his car – like that was supposed to solve things – and I told him to please go inside.  “We’re already late.  Go inside now.  Greet the other parents.  Make sure Nick is happy.  I’ll deal with the cake.”

Did the cake get the best of me, or did I get the best of the cake?  You’ll have to wait until tomorrow to find out. 

Besides, before I finish the cake story, I have to stop and ask.  Do you ever feel like, no matter how hard you try to hold it together, things are falling apart?  And isn’t it painful when you have to act like everything is fine – when you have to stay strong and put on a happy face?

The Lord doesn't see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. – 1 Samuel 16:7 (NLT)

Men, Children, And Airplanes

Who behaves worse on airplanes?  Middle-aged men, or children?
Based on my recent experience, the guys win out.

I usually blend in with the business travelers.  But not on my recent family vacation.  As much as I love my children, I completely dread traveling with them on airplanes.  Yes, I’ve had my share of trauma and drama.  And I’m usually prepared for just about anything.  But even I was not prepared for the tantrums mantrums on our last flight.

Before boarding (and pre-selecting our seats online), the airline mysteriously re-arranged everything.  Out of five seats, only two were next to each other.  Doug tried his hardest to put me with Abby, but Abby wanted to sit with “Daddy” (her hero) so I was home free!  That’s right, I actually got to sit by myself.  I can pretend like I don’t know my children if they misbehave, I thought to myself.

I was still surrounded by children.  A little girl behind me looked about three years old, and she was screaming after being separated from her older sister.  A women in the aisle across from me was nursing a fussy baby.  Been there.  Done that.

The guy next to me  -- who I’ll call Rude Guy -- apparently didn’t know I was a mother.  Rude Guy was talking on his cell phone at the top of his lungs,

“Charlie, I’m on the flight from Hell.  Every kid headed to Disney is on this flight.  Thank God I’m not sitting next to one of them.”

Just then, Nick started yelling at me across the aisle for some chewing gum.  Sure, he blew my cover, but at least Rude Guy was on notice.  He’d better stop the trash talking or he would have to deal with Mama Bear.

Just then, I heard a man several rows behind me start yelling,  “Did you see that?  She assaulted me.”

I turned around to see what happened.  An overweight woman was trying to lift her baggage in the already-jammed overhead compartment.  And she was struggling.  Instead of getting up to help her (or moving out of his coveted aisle seat) self-absorbed Crazy Guy was scolding her.  She sarcastically apologized under her breath as she reached over him,

“I didn’t mean to assault you!”

“Well, you assaulted me with your big belly,”  Crazy Guy replied.

At this point, my blood was starting to boil.  I would have laid into him myself, but a few other passengers stepped in.

Yes, I’ve seen a lot of bad behavior on airplanes (and have a few stories of my own), but at the end of this flight I was more embarrassed for Rude Guy and Crazy Guy than for the children.

What’s worse on airplanes, badly behaved men, or annoying children?

My Mother’s Sauce

I never set out to write a cookbook.  In fact, I never set out to cook.  But guess what’s going to appear as an appendix in Chasing Superwoman?


That’s right, I’m publishing a recipe – none other than my mother’s sauce!

Some secrets are just too good to keep.  I’ll have to admit, I’m pretty excited to share such a deep and personal part of my life (and my stomach) with anyone who chooses to read the book!

For those of you who are interested in the writing process, this wasn’t in the original plans.  But when you’re writing a book, plans tend to change.  A couple of days before the book went to print, one of the editors asked me for the recipe given that I talk at length about my favorite foods (and in particular making sauce) in the book.  If you know me well, you know that food is an integral part of my family and spiritual life.  I had never written (or seen) the recipe on paper.  So after writing it down, we just decided to add it to the book.


What’s the recipe?  Of course, I can’t tell you.  Not yet.  If you’re hungry you’ll just have to wait!

Life is full of irony.  I’m publishing the recipe for my mother’s sauce (which is her mother’s sauce) in a book about a working mom, where I explain that I wasn’t Grandma’s favorite -- I simply wasn’t domestic enough.  And she never lived long enough to see me cook!  So, Grandma is probably looking down from heaven smiling (and even laughing).

See Grandma, I finally learned how to find my way around in the kitchen.  You taught me something after all!  

Sometimes, when we set out on an adventure (like writing a book) we finish with a surprise ending.  Have you ever set out to do one thing, and it ends up with an unexpected twist?

Twas The Night Before Vacation

Twas the night before vacation, and all through the house, nothing was packed because Susan was out.  Out working, that is. 

Why is it so hard to get everything done right before vacation?  Many of us have just taken time off of work (or are just returning from Spring Break).  Sure, we're thankful for the time off, but the night before vacation is always a blur.

To start, it’s always impossible to wrap things up at work.  When I told Doug I had scheduled a deposition three hours away the day before vacation, he looked at me like I was crazy.  Why do you always put yourself through this madness?

The answer is easy.  I’m trying to squeeze everything I possibly can into my schedule before I head out on vacation.  Theoretically, it’s supposed to make my life easier when I return home.  And I can enjoy myself more on vacation knowing that I’ve wrapped up the loose ends.

The only problem?  Ends don’t wrap very easily.  Instead, they unravel. 

I got home later than expected and didn’t even have time to eat dinner.  (When I skip meals, you know it’s serious.)  Nick didn’t have a swimsuit that fit.  Anna didn’t have anything to wear (those are her words) and Abby couldn’t find her backpack.  And we had to get to bed at a decent time so we could wake up at 4:00 a.m. to catch an early flight. 

Yes, we made it.  Yes, I forgot to pack a few things.  And yes, I’d do it all over again – including skipping dinner – just to get out of town with my family and make memories for years to come (and blogs to come).

Now that I’m back in the office, I can’t say my mad rush before vacation made my life any easier. 

What’s worse, the night before vacation or the stack of work that is waiting upon your return? 

I’ll take the night before any day.  Happy Monday!

The Correct Answer Is D!

That's right, I only became addicted to coffee after I had Abby.  Sure, I've always liked coffee, but I  could go without it for days until I became a working mother of three children.  I can still remember how utterly and completely exhausted I was when her ear infections started!

Don't be discouraged.  No one guessed it!  This was a tough one.  We'll have another contest this Friday (I still need to give away that Starbucks card)!

Friday Starbucks Gift Card Give Away!

In celebration of my return to coffee this week, you can win a Starbucks gift card today.  You just need to do two things:  1)  answer the question below correctly; and 2) follow the rules!

THE QUESTION:

1.  When did Susan become completely and totally addicted to coffee, and why?

a.  During law school.  I became a coffee addict studying for late night exams (and, as important, hanging out with Shelly in coffee shops instead of the library).

b.  During my first two years at the Firm.  Billable hours first drove my constant need for caffeine.

c.  After I had my first child, Nick.  Those of you who know Nick know that he never slept through the night.  It was only through coffee that I could stay awake during the day!

d.  After I had my third child, Abby.  Although Abby was a good sleeper at first, Nick and Anna still continued to wake me up at night.  Then Abby's ear infections started, and I couldn't live without coffee.

e.  None of the above.  I am not addicted to coffee.  And the fact that I gave it up for Lent proves it!

THE RULES:

• You must post the correct answer ON THE BLOG.  Facebook and email responses do not count.
• You must post the correct answer on or before Saturday, April 10 at 11:59 p.m.
• The first two people to timely post the correct answer win a Starbucks gift card (winners will likely be announced on April 11).
• Any and all ties, contest issues, and rule violations will be resolved at the sole discretion of Susan.
• This contest does not create a legal or binding contract.

Any questions?

The Oldest Sister

Is it true that the oldest sibling has it the hardest?  Just ask my oldest sister, Mona.

Mona is a self-admitted, textbook firstborn.  She’s organized, responsible, and goal-oriented.  Her house is always clean, she’s rarely late, and at work she’s always asked to take on more responsibility – even though she insists she doesn’t want to be in charge. Like it or not, firstborns are born leaders.

Looking back, we all admit that Mona probably had it the hardest growing up.  Try being the oldest of five daughters with a strict, old-fashioned father.  You’re going to grow up fast.  You’re going to make waves.  You’re going to pave the way (and extend the curfew) for younger siblings who will thank you for years to come.

Mona is also quite a catch, so she had lots of boyfriends in her youth.  And back in the early 70’s drive-in movies were the rage.  Did my parents allow her dates to take her to the drive in?  Yes, but only under one condition.  She had to take all four of her younger sisters with her!  Thanks to Mona and her boyfriends, I went on more dates before age five than most girls will before they graduate from high school.

Was Mona allowed to stay out late?  Not exactly.  When she was a senior in high school, her curfew was extended to 10:30 p.m.  Given that her boyfriend didn’t have a car (and Friday night football games are known to last past 10:00 p.m.), she often had to leave the game early and run several miles home (literally on foot) to greet my father, who would be standing at the door watching the clock.

When, at age 19, Mona married Dave, we were all a little worried.  I can still remember my outspoken Grandmother proclaiming, Why didn’t they at least graduate from college first? They had no money and no education – just two young kids in love, looking for some independence.  (We all knew Dave was the one when he agreed multiple times to take us all to the drive-in – even Grandma liked him.) 

The good news?  Mona gracefully paved the way for the rest of us. The first to break my father into boyfriends.  The first to get married.  The first to graduate from college.  The first to have kids.  The first to have grandchildren.  And now, the first to retire.  (Mona, I know you’re going to hit the ground running with a second career, but please do the rest of us a favor and take some time off!  You don’t have to go first anymore.)

Any firstborns out there?  Yes, us younger siblings don’t always understand what you’ve endured, but we can’t imagine life without you.  Thanks for going first!

Confessions Of A Rule Breaker

I’ve never been very good at following rules. After all, rules are made to be broken, aren’t they?

Fortunately, I serve a very patient and gracious God.  Which is why I really didn’t have a guilt trip over the fact that I broke my “no-coffee” rule during Lent.  That’s right.  After I had the nerve to post my coffee fast on the blog (with my friends and family cheering me on), I slipped up during the 40 days of Lent.  And I didn’t even feel guilty about it!

It was one of those weak moments.  It was also premeditated.  I had to wake up at 4:00 a.m. to drive out of town, and I told myself the night before, I am going to have a cup of coffee tomorrow.  Sure, I could have prayed for strength.  I could have driven right by the Starbucks.  But I didn’t.  Instead, I thanked God for that cup of coffee as I savored each sip.

I don’t think a cup of coffee has ever tasted better.  I felt like King David eating the consecrated bread from the temple.  When the Pharisees scolded Jesus’ disciples for picking wheat on the Sabbath, Jesus made it clear that he was more interested in our inward character than our outward appearances.  Sure, we can appear to be “holy” if we’re going through the motions and acting “religious” but Jesus explained that even King David justifiably broke the rules:

Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need?  In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat.  And he also gave some to his companions.

Then he said to them, The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.  So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.  - Mark 2: 25-28

In other words, the rules are made for my benefit, not God’s.  I don’t think God really cares if I broke my made-up rule of no coffee during Lent.  Yes, it was an exercise in discipline for my benefit, not his.  I do think God cares about the state of my heart, and I’m more than grateful that he has brought me into a relationship with him through his risen Son.

Besides, I could never follow all the rules.  Thank God I don’t have to!

(Remember, for all you coffee lovers out there, we’ll have a Starbucks gift-card prize on Friday’s blog – details to follow!)

Easter Bunny Drama

I had completely underestimated the Easter Bunny.  He really isn’t that scary, is he (or she)? Isn’t he supposed to be furry and nice?  With all that candy and fun, who would have thought the Easter Bunny would rain terror in the hearts of my girls?

A couple of weeks ago, Anna mentioned to me that she thought the Easter Bunny was pretty creepy. I brushed it off, thinking she would get over it.  I almost came out and told her, Mom is the Easter Bunny, but in a moment of weakness, I decided to hold out.  After all, this is probably the last year before she figures it out on her own.  And I didn’t want her to ruin it for Abby.

The night before Easter, the tension started to build.  At 6:00 p.m. Abby announced that she saw the Easter Bunny in our dining room.  Then, Anna found a plastic egg under a chair in our living room – certainly, it didn’t get there by itself!  The Easter Bunny was already sneaking around, and it wasn’t even night time.

Anna and Abby were in tears, and they begged me to let them go to bed right away.  I took them up around 7:30 p.m. and they started in with the questions.  Is the Easter Bunny already in our house?  Will he come to our room?  What if Nick doesn’t get in bed soon – will he ruin our chance to get candy?  How big is the Easter Bunny?  Does he drive a car?

In response, I just said, “I don’t know, what do you think?”  As much as I love the magic and games, I really try not to lie to my children any more than I have to (especially not on major Christian holidays).  They pleaded with me to sleep with them, and to calm them down I finally convinced them I would guard their bedroom door, just to make sure the Easter Bunny didn’t barge in.

Anna and Abby barely made it through the night.  Between playing Easter Bunny and checking on them in between, I was completely exhausted from all the drama.

As much as I love Easter, I’m glad Easter Bunny drama is over – at least for another year.  I’ll have to admit, there’s something about a sneaky, overgrown, human-like bunny that just isn’t right.

It’s Monday, Thank God For Coffee!

It’s Monday, and Easter is over.  Back to the daily grind.  The good news?  I’m back on coffee.  And I’m loving every minute of it. 

Last week, I met a woman at a business meeting who announced she had given up Starbucks for Lent.  After the meeting, I approached her and said, I feel your pain!  We instantly bonded.  We talked about the addiction, the withdrawal headaches, the constant temptation.  We both missed the aroma, the boost, and even the employees who make our coffee and greet us every morning.

She explained to me that she gave up Starbucks to be more intentional about her life – to break her routine.  Every morning, without even thinking about it, she would robotically drop $3.  Morning coffee had become a ritual, something she needed to function.  Could she live without it?

I realize coffee is a luxury.  And I enjoy it now more than ever.  (In fact, in celebration of my return to coffee, I’m going give away a Starbucks gift card on the blog this Friday!)  Yes, coffee is back in my routine with a bang (and a buzz).  But like my new friend who gave up Starbucks for Lent, I want to be intentional about my routines.

As you settle into your routines this week, give some thought to being intentional.  Do you control your routines, or do your routines control you?

Why Did He Do it?

Prior to his death, Jesus had a handful of followers.  Maybe a couple hundred at best.  He had been rejected by the religious leaders, the powerful, and the elite.  And on Good Friday, his only followers outright deserted him. 

That’s right, on Good Friday, Jesus’ disciples were running scared.  One of his closet friends – Simon Peter – even denied Jesus publicly not once, but three times.  And when Jesus asked his disciples to watch and pray in the Garden of Gethsemane, they instead fell asleep.  And worse yet, one of his own betrayed him for 30 pieces of silver.

Can you imagine what it would be like to have every person you know – every close friend and family member – abandon you prior to your death?

Most of us have at least someone in this world we can count on.  Someone who will never reject us or betray us.  Someone who stands by us, even when no one else will – a parent, spouse, friend, sister, brother, son, or daughter.

But not Jesus.  Jesus went to the cross alone.  And not only was Jesus completely deserted, he was facing a brutal, painful death. This would have been reason alone to back out and say, “enough is enough.”

So why did he do it?  Why not call it quits, throw in the towel, and beam up to heaven?  Surely, if he was God, he could have stopped the pain and torture.  He could have called a legion of angels to rescue him, or rained fire from heaven on his accusers.

But instead he chose to stick it out – even willingly. 

Why?  He did it for you and for me.  It wasn’t suffering for the sake of suffering.  It was suffering – the ultimate sacrifice of giving one’s life -- for your sake and mine.

Why would God allow his only Son to pay the ultimate price for nothing?  In considering who Jesus is, consider this – his death is meaningless unless it served a greater purpose.  Could that greater purpose be to bring you back to God?

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. – John 15:13

Is The New Testament Reliable?

Today is Maundy Thursday.  Christians all over the world celebrate the Last Supper – Jesus’ final meal with his disciples before his death.  But how do we know about the details of the Last Supper? 

For that matter, where am I getting all the information about the last week of Jesus’ life?  All week, I’ve been writing about Jesus.  How do I know the stories are even true?

Everything I know about Jesus (and everything I’ve written) is based on the New Testament.  And regardless of whether you believe the New Testament is inspired by God, it’s fair to examine its authenticity as a reliable, historical text.

How does the New Testament stack up next to other ancient manuscripts?

To start, it’s important to consider both the number of copies and the number of years between composition and the earliest surviving copy.  (The more copies the better; the fewer years between composition and copy the better.)

Importantly, we have 24,000 copies of the New Testament – with the earliest complete copy dating 280 years after original composition.  As for individual books of the New Testament, some of the copies date much earlier (for example, parts from the Gospel of John date 35 years after original composition).

How does the New Testament compare to its literary peers?  Well, we have 10 copies of Julius Caesar’s Gallic Wars, the earliest of which dates 950 years after original composition.  Likewise, we have 27 copies of Livy’s The History of Rome, the earliest of which dates 300 years after original composition.  And most scholars would agree that both the Gallic Wars and The History of Rome are reliable, historical documents.

There are many other reasons to rely on the authenticity of the New Testament – such as the fact that it was drafted by eyewitnesses (or by their disciples) soon after the events described therein.  It also doesn’t sugar coat history – the authors include detail that is embarrassing and even disturbing.

But the best judge of the New Testament is probably you – have you read the New Testament?  What were your conclusions?

(Special thanks to Pr. Eric Waters for his recent article in the Cornerstone from which I borrowed much of this content.)