A Deeper Love

A funeral is for the living.

It sounds weird, but it is so true.  A funeral is all about the family of the one who is gone and getting together to share their grief and their love.  And for Christians, it is a homecoming and a bittersweet tribute. 

It was not easy, sitting there, looking at the casket that was so tiny.  My best friend was there and we linked our arms together and cried until we had no tissue left.  We knew that this little one was in the arms of the Lord; yet it was still hard to experience.

And while the service was beautiful and the mood was tearful, there was a real message of love.  The uncle who did the eulogy said he feels that the purpose of this 5 month old, so frail and broken, was to show them how to love.  It somehow took the love this family had to such a deeper level that they now realize that the love they had for each other before was NOTHING compared to the love they have now.

Our lives, no matter how short or long, are but vapors.  Jesus Christ’s brother James said so in the Bible.  And every moment that we spend has to count for something.  I want mine to count for God.

Which leads me to ask you; Do you know Jesus?  I don’t mean “do you go to church,” or “do you have a faith,” but do you truly know that He is your only one way ticket into Heaven?  Because if you don’t, there’s still time. 

Being a great person doesn’t cut it.  None of us are perfect.  That’s why God made a way.  He takes what you know as love to a deeper level.  He gave His Son as our sacrifice and that allows us to live eternally when we commit our lives to Him. 

Take the free gift of salvation.  Accept that Christ died for you and ask Him to make your life count for Him. 

Then watch your love go to a deeper level.  You won’t regret it!

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

I’m fighting back tears.

Usually I can handle the fact that people die and things happen that aren’t meant to understand or explain.  But today is different.  I got hit with sad news.

A funeral for a baby!

A friend of mine, Kimberly Matthews, had twin boys.  Connor was somewhat healthy, the other boy was not.  Christian had problems with his lungs and his heart.  The parents and the doctors did everything they could to prolong his life.  At age 5 months, he died last night. The funeral is Friday. 

Earlier this week, my high school principal’s daughter passed away.  She was only 30.  The cause?  A disease called Trigeminal Neuralgia.  Never heard of it.  I looked it up.  It mostly happens to people over the age of 50.  The right side of their face begins to have an incredible amount of shooting/shocking pains.    Ellen Engler Burk lived for four years with this disease and leaves behind a husband.

“Only The Good Die Young, ” is one of my least favorite songs.  And, unfortunately, it seems to be the cliche thing that people say when young people die.  Why can’t there be a better explanation?

And then, there’s the, “Well, I guess heaven needed them more than we did,” comment.  That’s no good either.

Sorry to be so morbid, but I really believe there’s not a good answer for why.  Sometimes the only thing we can do is cry.

Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

Today, I am mourning.  Not just because of Christian or Ellen, but because it is a reminder that life is so short, and that every day is precious. 

Hug your loved ones, tell them they are special.  You never know how long you have with them.

And, please pray for The Matthews and The Englers.

If you can read this, thank a teacher!

Tonight’s show is about Literacy.  I found these facts astounding; 1 in 4 adults are illiterate according to my guests tonight.  How can someone who can’t read change their lives and learn without being embarrassed?  The Literacy Councils have Reading Centers throughout town designed to help…the tutors are wonderful; they give individual attention to the students. 

September is National Literacy Month.  In conjunction with this, there are several things going on in town……

Saturday, September 8 is International Literacy Day in Houston. 

On September 14 there will be a special information session for those interested at Sisters of Incarnate Charity. 

And on September 15 there will be a tutor training symposium at the United Way Service Center to train tutors and acknowledge learners. 

And for those who are interested in UNESCO, the Monterrey Forum of Cultures is slated from September 20-December 8.  visit www.monterreyforum2007.org.

For more information about tonight’s panel on literacy,

go to www.literacyadvance.org or  call 713-266-8777

go to www.ftbendliteracy.org or call 281-240-8181

go to Adult Reading Center at  www.adultreadingcenter.org or call 281-485-1000

and finally, become involved with training through Texas Association of Adult Literacy Councils www.texasliteracyconnection.org.

University Model School

Another sigh of relief.  School is back in session for us!  I have a little free time, and I’m treasuring it!

Rachel goes to a University Model School.  Never heard of it?  Well, I hadn’t either until a year ago.

It’s like a cross between a Christian private school and homeschool.  It is an ideal fit for our family because she doesn’t go to school every day; just on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  (High Schoolers go on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.)  My husband typically has Wednesdays off and not Saturdays like most families.  So this system allows us family time and Rachel time to really learn outside of class and get their homework done.  She learns just as much as kids in 5 day programs do, if not more because she actually has plenty of time to study, read, and do her worksheets.

She came home beaming last night!  “Mom, I love school!  I love my teachers!”

I thought—Who is this kid and where did she come from?  I half expected her to be upset because summer is over.  But she wasn’t.

After school, we went swimming and took her out to dinner to celebrate.  She loved it.

Because her brother, Ben, is with grandparents this week, it was all about her.  I think every once in a while it is good to spend a little one-on-one with just one child.  It makes them a bit more secure in their relationship with you.

For more information on University Model Schools, go to http://www.naums.net.

Can you say Merry Christmas in school?

Benjamin Rush said, “By removing the Bible from schools we would be wasting so much time and money in punishing criminals….Take the Bible out of our schools and there would be an explosion in crime.”  This was said by one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence in the late 1700’s .  Since the Bible has been taken out of schools, I see several things.  First, I see a country that spends alot of money on the court and prison system.  In addition, I see less substance in school and more fluff that is put in the classroom so we don’t offend anybody.

This Sunday night we talked with Kelly Coghlan, the Constitutional attorney who helped draft the new Religious Viewpoints Anti-Discrimination Act.  He answered questions about, “Can my child take faith bracelets to school and give them to their friends,” and “Can we give Valentines with scripture out in class?” The answer is YES!

We also talked to Cynthia Gualy who is fighting a couple of cases against Katy ISD in Federal Court.  Her daughter, Natasha, talked about how she gave to faith bracelets to her friends on the playground and an administrator at her elementary school made her take them back.  She was embarassed and confused because everything she was taught in Sunday School was questioned.

I was so impressed with the Gualys.  First of all, they are a strong family of faith.  They have four children, all of whom are staying in Katy ISD.  What an incredible testimony of being light in the darkness.  Cynthia said it is easy to be light in a room of flashlights.  She could have homeschooled.  She could have given up and taken her children to another school district or a private school.  But, she didn’t.  She and her husband stood firm and are still in court to fight for children’s rights.

FAQ’s about Religious Viewpoints/Anti-Discrimination Bill

How does this new law affect students?  Basically, the law allows students to bring a Bible  or any other religious book ( i.e. the Qur’an) to school and read it during lunch or library time if books are allowed during that time.  They can have a Christmas party (it has never been illegal),  they can also have a Christmas concert with Christmas songs about the Christ child, pray before ball games, bring Valentines that have scripture printed on them.  They can also write about their faith in their assignments as long as it is on topic.  (for instance, What are your views on evolution?  The child could write about their view using creationism and scripture.)  The law allows this!  

How does this law affect teachers and principals?  The government is still required to be neutral in matters of religion.  They are not allowed to instigate or discourage religious expression on otherwise permissible subject and topics.  School teachers are not specifically addressed in this law.  Teachers do not have to be extra careful anymore and tiptoe around students expressing their religion.  The law is intended to stand as a shield between administration and students.

What do I need to do to make sure my school board understands this law? Call your school board member and ask them if they have adopted the model policy set forth by the Children’s Religous Viewpoints Act.  According to Kelly Coghlan, there is another model policy set forth by the Texas Association of School Boards, and that policy redefines definitions of words in the law which would put your schoolboard out of compliance. This can, according to Coghlan open your local school board up to lawsuits and legal problems.

For information about this new law and how it affects you, go to Kelly Coghlan’s website at www.christianattorney.com. 

High School Musical 2

I can breathe again.  High School Musical 2 debuted last night.

As a mom, I have a responsibility to make sure Rachel is not watching stuff too old for her.  The first High School Musical was so cute, so when she wanted to watch the second one, I took a chance.   

A couple of her friends came over, in their jammies, and we ordered pizza.  Mind you, this was not a birthday or a sleepover.  It was just a girls hang out night.

We had a great time! 

There was one scene where Sharpay’s skirt was way too short!  She was dancing around and the skirt had tulle hanging from the back of it.   It looked ridiculous!  I thought she was going to trip and land on her backside!  What were the costumers thinking when they designed that outfit? 

All in all, it was a good movie.  It reminded me of the Dirty Dancing movie without the bad language or inapropriate innuendos. 

And if you really want to surprise your child,  you can get a FREE pre-recorded wake up call from either Chad or Sharpay for your child’s first day back to school.  Go to http://www.irgent.com/WalMartWakeUp/

School Jitters

There comes a time in every parent’s life that a realization hits you like a ton of bricks:  we have to let our kids go. 

How do you respond to the child who is clingy and doesn’t want to go to school that first day of kindergarten?  What do you do if something happens when your child is off at college several hundred miles away and needs a doctor?

These are issues that many of us face.  This Sunday (August 12th)  we talked to Dr. Vaughn Bryant of Lakewood Church.  He assures us that every stage we go through can be joyful; from kindergarten to college. And we talked to two moms; Kristelle and Lauren who are getting their kids ready for school.

My daughter was one of those kids that was ready for kindergarten. At this school, there is a very organized carpool system.  We had never done carpool before, and I was a little nervous that she would not remember where she was supposed to go or how to get there. 

In the carpool line, on that first day of school, she looked over at me and said, “Mommy, I’m so glad that you don’t walk me in anymore!”  I was devastated and excited all at the same time.    My child didn’t need me for that anymore; did that mean I did my job right?  Or did that mean my job was partially over?  Should I breathe a sigh of relief?  Or should I be nervous about what she would learn without me?

Looking back on that day I realize God gives us our kids for such a short amount of time.  We have to be willing to slowly entrust them back to Him.  After all, they are His anyway!

As I look at my children’s future it hits me that I am half-way to college and one year away from kindergarten.  My daughter is 9…I have 9 more years!  My son is 4 and next year is his big year!

Here are a few books we’ve talked about to prepare your kids for life:

Kindergarten:

The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn

A Pocket Full of Kisses by Audrey Penn

Night Before Kindergarten by Natasha Wing and Julie Durrell

First Day Jitters by Julie Dannenberg and Judith Dufour Love

Parents of School Aged:

Raising An Emotionally Intelligent Child by John Gottman

College: (mainly about relationships)

Dateable by Justin Lookadoo & Hayley DiMarco

For Women Only by Shaunti Feldhahn

For Men Only by Shaunti Feldhahn

Captivating by John & Stasi Eldridge

Wild at Heart by John Eldridge

I Kissed Dating Goodbye  by Josh Harris

What is your situation?  Does the thought of sending your child to school make you celebrate or hyperventillate?

Being Neighborly

National Night Out.

Sounds like a date night, but it’s not.  It’s a once a year, get out and meet your neighbors night.  Once a year?  Have we really gotten that busy?  Are we so over scheduled and uptight that we don’t even know who lives on our street?

Things have really changed since I was a kid.  Of course, I grew up in a small town.  I knew almost all of my neighbors and played with many of them.  We’d climb trees, much to my mother’s horror, ride bikes, and do normal fun summertime stuff.

Until recently, I didn’t know any of my neighbors.  When we moved into our house, I was seven months pregnant and exhausted.  No one came and introduced themselves.  Not a soul.  I was very lonely.

And then, one by one, houses around us went up for sale and changed owners.  And my small town, girl-next-door mentality began to get to work.  I began knocking on the new neighbors’ doors, taking a little plate of cookies or brownies and our phone numbers.  I have been so blessed to have met new friends this way, and it all started with me deciding to change the status quo.

My latest attempt was not so fortunate.  I baked brownies and took them with the kids over to a house several doors down.  I rang the bell, saw a man’s silhouette move from the kitchen to somewhere else in the house.  No one came to the door!  My kids were a little upset, “Why won’t they come to the door?”  I figured they thought I was a salesperson.  Or maybe they like to keep to themselves.  We left the covered plate of brownies on the porch.

Two days later, that neighbor called.  She was very nice.  She said she grew up the same way I did; knowing her neighbors.  She thinks her husband didn’t hear the door that day.

I am continuing to pray for my new neighbors and future ones.  I don’t want to live in this neighborhood without knowing them.  We don’t have to be great friends; but it would be nice to be able to know their names in case something happens on our street.

Do you know your neighbors?  How have you contributed to the community around you?

Relationship RX

Okay, I did it! I let my heart hang out there.  I talked about struggling with the dreaded word: submission.  If you heard me, please understand, it was not easy to say!  I had to humble myself and get vulnerable.  I think the hardest part was admitting that I try to take the Holy Spirit’s place in my husband’s life.  It’s a struggle for me to step aside so he can lead.  I get impatient and try to take over by nagging.  That does nothing for our relationship! 

Tonight we talked about all kinds of relationships.  Whether you are in one; whether it is really great or could use a little help–there is a great conference coming up August 24-26.  It’s called Relationship RX, and it has everything—even childcare for the kids. 

Have teenagers?  There’s a special event just for them.  A baby?  They’ve got you covered there too.  Makes me want to be a kid again–there are so many kids activities.

Are you divorced?  Single?  Habla Espanol?  They have breakout events for you which deal with everything from money to dating in the 21st century.

I personally am interested in the Internet Safety issue…My 8 year is very into Webkinz.  (that’s a whole different post, LOL)  And my hubby and I are fans of the main speakers; Dr. Gary Smalley, Dr. Les Parrott, and Gary Thomas.  These are nationally known speakers, and they are all coming here to Houston.

The coolest thing is they will be rotating speakers throughout the city.  This conference is in three locations, (Woodway, Katy, and Kingwood) and you don’t have to be a member of Second Baptist to attend.  The cost is $35 for adults and $5 per child.

For more information, go to www.relationshiprx.org.   

Oh, GET REAL!!

It hit me last night.  I was at our church home group talking to some of my dearest friends, and BAM!  A light bulb moment.

I have to get real.  Completely, “Velveteen Rabbit” real.  The defenses have to come down; I have to be transparent.

There’s been a block there; I know EXACTLY what it is!  That is what hit me last night!

It all started when I was a “green” live news reporter at a radio station in San Antonio.  I had been sent to a small area called Smithsons Valley outside of San Antonio where a terrible tragedy began to unfold.

There was a truck overturned on a country roadside.  It took the life of a local high school kid.  When they opened up the truck they discovered that he had been shot in the head.  NO other passengers.  When they went to inform his parents, the police knocked on the door of his house and found everyone–mom, dad, sibling, shot to death inside the home.  The whole family GONE!  The how and why are still a mystery to me to this day.

These events unfurled while I was working.  Each discovery more gruesome than the next.  I then was sent to the school that next morning to talk with kids that knew the student.  It was heartbreaking.  There were not very many kids who could string together a sentence.

The anchor at the radio station threw the live report to me.  I had my information written and I was ready.

I delivered every piece of information they needed to know.  The problem was, I was very “somber and sad” sounding in doing it.  I didn’t cry, I just did not sound stoic.  I thought that was the right thing to do because it was a terrible scene and I didn’t want listeners thinking that I was a heartless person.

I thought WRONG.

When I got finished with that live report, the news director called me back and COMPLETELY CHEWED ME OUT!!  Up one side; down the other.  “How could you do that?  We don’t show emotion in our newscasts!!  We are professionals here!  You NEVER put emotion in your work.  You report the FACTS and you put on your game face!!  You come back to the station with your soundbites–NOW!!”

That experience molded me to not feel emotion at work.  Dead bodies, fires, terrible accidents; I learned to block my “feeler” and desensitize myself.

So, fast forward to over a decade later and my boss here at KSBJ says, “Anne, you need to let listeners get to know you.  They want to know who are you?  What do you deal with on a day-to-day basis? ”

As I told that story last night, my “knower” got hit hard.  I need to let go of that experience and be that gal again–the one who cares and can laugh and cry at work.  Where did she go? 

I spent about an hour in my Bible and prayer today about that very issue.  God is showing me that it is based in trust.  I need to stop fearing your perception of me and start trusting that God is doing a new thing here.  

So, goodbye to the stoic, hello to the new/old me–it’s time to get real!!

By the way, in case you were curious, that news director is now here in Houston at a big news station!  I doubt he even remembers that incident or me.  Funny how God works in mysterious ways.

So, here’s to getting real.