"Sat(her)day" Stuffed French Toast!

One of my absolute favorite things to do is to be creative in the kitchen. Unfortunately, most of the meals I make are of the "hold the creativity and get it on the table quickly, please" variety.

Yet .... my passion is making the "over the top" yummy Martha Stewart type of meals for my family. (You know the ones we "real" moms and grammas just don't have the time to make very often)

This morning, I chose to use my "Sat(her)day" time allowing the creativity to flow ....

What was the creation? Strawberry/Chocolate Chip/Stuffed French Toast. It was a WIN-WIN, slam dunk. I had a BLAST being creative in the kitchen. And my family stumbled into the kitchen all smiles when they awakened.

What do you enjoy doing? Maybe it is time for you to make a hole in your schedule to accomodate it. : )
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Sat(her)day may be done on any day (that works well for you) of the week. It is meant to be an encouragement and a reminder to women in leadership to plan time for themselves at least once a week. My Saturday blog has proven to be an effective means of holding myself accountable. I hope it inspires you to the same accountability. : )

Forgive me, I am slow in returning ... : )

No, there was not a problem with our travel plans. And no, there was not a problem with our return flight.

There is (however) a slight problem with my willingness to let go of my "island girl" mentality .... just yet. Can you blame me? Look at this picture of our final night!

For now, I will simply say .... God is faithful. And He delights in showing Himself to us in ways we can not even think or imagine.

"Sat(her)day" Day Dreaming

You may be a little confused by this post. No, I didn't cave in and bring my Blackberry or laptop with me. I simply wrote this "Sat(her)day" entry before I left and scheduled it (in advance) to post today. (See "Couples Retreat, How Sweet")

Because I planned my "Sat(her)day" time before I left for my trip, I gave considerable thought to what my greatest need might be by today. With that said .... I will spend some time today daydreaming about:

• how to bring this "island" mentality home with me & my hubby


• how to keep couple time alive amidst our hectic daily routines at home

When is the last time you spent some time daydreaming about your man?

Give it a try today. Fall is a great time to "fall in love" all over again.

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Sat(her)day may be done on any day (that works well for you) of the week. It is meant to be an encouragement and a reminder to women in leadership to plan time for themselves at least once a week. My Saturday blog has proven to be an effective means of holding myself accountable. I hope it inspires you to the same accountability. : )

Couples Retreat, How Sweet.

A couple of months ago, my hubby and I were given a wonderfully unexpected and generous gift of an all expense paid trip to an exotic island. (Yes indeed, God is good!)

After many weeks of preparation, the time has come ...

in just a few hours, I will be acclimating to the mentality of an island girl. I'm laying down my Blackberry. And giving the laptop a break. : )

For the next 5 days, there is only one agenda. To romp around a beautiful island with my hunky hubby.

I know you will understand. (Wink)

See ya next week.

Sunday, (Son)day Reflection

Nearly every day I'm reminded there is no promise of tomorrow. In case you hadn't noticed .... People are dying every day.

Young people, old people, sick people, well people. People who travel, people who don't. People who work outside the home, people who work inside their home. People living on the edge, people who have never even seen the edge.

People just like you and me, are dying .... every single day.
No one is exempt.

Sure the older we get, most of us realize there's a bit less sand in our hour glass but ... no one knows for sure when he or she will give up their last breath on this earth.

This became very real for a friend of mine today when he grieved the sudden and unexpected death of someone he loved. The message that poured from his heart and his lips was this .... "love everyone close to you EVERY day!"
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How much sand is left in your hour glass? Truth is .... no one knows but God.

Each day of life is a gift from Him, and if you are still here .... He has a purpose for your life. Do you know your purpose?

How will you spend the time you have left?

A "Sat(her)day" Celebration of Friendship

My Sat(her)day time today will be spent enjoying friendship.

My hubby and I are visiting some dear friends who clearly lost their minds a couple of years ago when they moved away from us. We are very excited, and I know the entire visit will be GREAT, but the "Sat(her)day" portion will be especially sweet. I'm not exactly sure WHEN it will occur .... most likely, right after the guys huddle up for "guy" stuff.

And I'm not exactly sure HOW the "Sat(her)day" portion will unfold, but I'm thinking there will be green tea involved. Yes, this is my "green tea Atlanta" friend from last Saturday's post. : )

And I know for certain there will be COOKIES! But not just any cookies .... the most incredible pumpkin, with cream cheese icing, cookies in the world. Fresh baked by another friend for this occasion. Yes indeed, this "Sat(her)day" is gonna be SWEET! Friendship is one of the sweetest blessings.

How long has it been since you nurtured a friendship? Maybe today is the day. : )
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Sat(her)day may be done on any day (that works well for you) of the week. It is meant to be an encouragement and a reminder to women in leadership to plan time for themselves at least once a week. My Saturday blog has proven to be an effective means of holding myself accountable. I hope it inspires you to the same accountability. : )

Steady Plodding ... : )

It has been said, we grossly OVER-estimate the amount of spiritual growth that can occur in one year, and we grossly UNDER-estimate the amount of spiritual growth that can occur in three years.

Why is that? Could it be because we want everything RIGHT now? Or dare I say, when we don't get what we want WHEN we want it .... we lose interest?

Think of the last time you made a purchase which required delivery or installation. When you were asked when you needed the product, you may not have said it outloud but you thought it .... I need it immediately, if not sooner. Am I right? : )

Even our "fast" food has become NOT FAST ENOUGH.

And don't get me started on the ridiculous expectations we have when it comes to getting in shape physically. Why do we think the effects of YEARS of eating the wrong foods, and/or the effects of YEARS of neglecting to exercise, will be magically erased in just 30 days - - or less!

The truth is, the only way to achieve long-term success in ANYTHING is steady plodding. You must practice it over the long haul.

So, going back to our propensity to grossly OVER-estimate our spiritual growth in 1 year and grossly UNDER-estimate it over 3 years. If we're not commited for the long haul, and willing to commit ourselves to the disipline necessary to sustain us for the long haul, we will never make it to the 3rd year. We slip out the back of the church, and its over.

It's easy to get excited about something new. But discipline, determination, and hard work are required to stay commited for the long haul. That's when we see results/success.
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What spiritual disciplines are you currently practicing?

• Attending church.
• Prayer.
• Reading your Bible.
• Studying your Bible. (And becoming a doer of what you learn)
• Serving (or seeking to discover your SHAPE) in ministry?

Are you commited for the long-haul? Commit today to a life of steady plodding.

75 & still Flipping! : )

What do you do 3 days after your 75th birthday ......




FLIPS in the pool, of course.




Today, I was inspired to live life to the fullest.
That's my daddy, and I love him so. : )

Green Tea & Thanks on Sat(her)day

A couple of weeks ago a friend in Atlanta told me about a new green tea. Knowing this friend like I do ... if she says its good, its good. So I made a mental note of the brand and told her I would look for it in our (one and only) local "healthy" food store. Yesterday, while shopping in my regular "not so healthy" grocery store, I spotted it. A most unlikely sight, but there it was .... way up on the top shelf. I climbed up there, and scored!

I rushed home, quickly put away my groceries (leaving the "prize" out on the counter so I would not forget it), and was off to my next appointment. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

It was late and I was exhausted when I finally got home (you'd think I would know the pattern by now - the pattern of "unexpected" when my hubby is away at the annual men's retreat) my "tea" was a welcome reminder of the promise of normalcy to come ...

Morning came, and my friend was right! This may very well be the MOST incredible tea on the face of the earth. Of course, the stillness of the moment may have contributed a bit to my sipping pleasure. Maybe I should have another cup before I proclaim it - best in the world. : )

Funny thing about being still, things come into focus. As I sat and reflected on the past couple of days, I was able to see past the unexpected chaos and remember the joy of the celebration that had occured just over 24 hours ago ... What a privilege it was to gather together as a family and honor my daddy on his 75th birthday!

That's when my tea time turned to Thanksgiving.

Thankful for good times, and laughter.

Thankful God picked him to be my daddy.

Thankful for his devotion to my momma for over 50 years of marriage.

Thankful for the twinkle (he still has) in his eye when he looks at her.

Thankful for his loving sacrifice over the years as a provider, and as a loving father of his 6 daughters. Poor daddy, even our family dogs were usually female. :)

My Sat(her)day "tea time of thanksgiving" is dedicated to my daddy.

With love, from his little girl.

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Sat(her)day may be done on any day (that works well for you) of the week. It is meant to be an encouragement and a reminder to women in leadership to plan time for themselves at least once a week. My Saturday blog has proven to be an effective means of holding myself accountable. I hope it inspires you to the same accountability. : )

Sometimes the best option to regain balance is to delegate, delegate, delegate ...

Look at your list (see yesterday's post), and be honest. Are the things on the "only I can do" side of your list TRULY things ONLY you can do? Or are you simply unwilling to relinquish control of them? A wise "keeper" of the home knows when it is necessary to delegate, delegate, delegate.

Once you have identified the household things which can be delegated, you will need to identify the recipient of the delegated tasks. : )

If married, begin with discussing options available to your family with your husband. Together, choose the option which best fits your budget, season of life, etc.

For couples who both work full-time outside the home, you could possibly share the household responsibilities. For example, if one cooks, the other cleans up the dishes. If one vacuums, the other dusts. If one does the laundry, the other cleans the bathrooms, etc.

For households with children, you could possibly delegate a specific household responsibility to each child according to age & maturity level.

Another option is to hire a professional. If you are pretty good at keeping up with the daily cleaning, but never find time to do the "heavy" cleaning - perhaps a monthly visit from a cleaning angel would be just the ticket to get you back in balance. If you struggle just keeping the family fed, and in clean clothes ... perhaps a weekly visit from a cleaning angel is more in order. : )

Once you identify the areas which need to be delegated, and to whom you will begin delegating them, keep in mind the following:

• Be flexible. No one will clean your home exactly the way you clean your home.
• Be forgiving. Things occasionally will be broken whether you are cleaning, your teenager is cleaning, or a paid professional is cleaning.
• Be a good manager. Clear (and realistic) expectations are the best way to lead.
• Be appreciative. Remember this person's help is freeing you up to do other things God has called you to do. BE APPRECIATIVE. An appreciated helper is a happy helper, and an appreciative manager is a happy manager.

Help, my house is Out of Control!

Today, we are turning our focus to regaining balance in "keeping" house. If you're out of balance, obviously what you're currently doing is NOT working. So let's begin with a new plan of action. Being "keeper" of the house DOES NOT mean you MUST do all the work yourself. This can be liberating to a woman who thinks she MUST do everything. Many times, we're out of balance as a result of our attempt to do TOO MUCH.

For example, if you are working outside the home, are home-schooling your children, or have a house FULL of children ... you may need to give yourself permission to get some help.

As "keeper" of the house, we must have wisdom in determining what only we can do and what we can enlist the help of others to do. You must determine what is the best fit for you (and your family) during this season of life.

Give this some thought and then ... make a list.

There should be two columns. The left column should read "Things ONLY I can do" and the right column should read "Things I can DELEGATE & oversee"

When you have made your list, review the things you listed on the "ONLY I can do" side. Are these really things ONLY you can do, or are you just unwilling to delegate these things?

Join me tomorrow for more. : )

Sat(her)day - Morning Coffee Talk!

When my head finally hit the pillow last night I knew it would require true-grit determination to drag my buttocks out of bed this morning, and it did. After hitting snooze three times, I showered, dressed, and kissed the sleeping fam goodbye. Then I was off for my Sat(her)day morning coffee talk with the girls.

The absence of people on the road was a stark reminder that the majority of population was still enjoying a Saturday morning sleep in. My mind drifted back to my nice warm bed. : )

After parking my car (right up front!) I walked through the doors of Panera and was greeted by the most wonderful aroma ever .... freshly baked bread, pastries, and an assortment of other breakfast items. Oh yeah, this was worth getting up for! I took a glance around the restaurant and spotted our hostess. The woman who had been responsible for planning this Saturday morning coffee talk. I ran over for a quick hello and hug, then walked back toward the wonderful aroma to get my breakfast ... : )

Decisions, decisions, decisions. I blurted out, with great enthusiasm, I'll have a bagel! My decision may have startled the young man behind the counter just a bit but .... to a woman who has been eating just enough calories to keep her alive and working out like a mad-woman for 3 weeks, a bagel is a pretty BIG deal! : )

And so is some much needed "girl" time. One by one, our group assembled. We sat, talked, laughed, and ate "treats" together. And it was good.

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When is the last time you got together with the girls?

Is it worth giving up an hour of sleep on a Saturday morning?

Work it into your schedule, you won't regret it. : )

10 Ways to Nurture Oneness back into your Marriage

This list is by no means exhaustive. The first 5 suggestions are meant to simply reset your pattern of behavior. The next 5 are meant to get you thinking. The possibilities are endless... : )

1. GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION TO NURTURE YOUR MARRIAGE! If you did not grow up with this example of marriage, you may need to ignore the voices in your head telling you it is selfish, or that a good marriage shouldn't need to be nourished. It's not selfish, and a good marriage definitely does need to be nurtured. And as for the kids, giving them this example of marriage is one of the most loving, and necessary gifts we can give. They may cry a bit now (especially if they are old enough to notice this is NEW behavior for mom and dad) but will thank you later.
2. PLAN IT! Get with your hubby and discuss the plan. And then get it on the calendar. Yours, his, and the family calendar!
3. GUARD IT! There will be times it will be necessary to change plans but ... define necessary. It is easier to define necessary before the "drama" strikes. Define necessary, and stick to it. : )
4. ANTICIPATE IT! Write your hubby a love note and leave it in an unexpected place (on the bathroom mirror, in his briefcase, in his lunchbox) telling him how much you are looking forward to your date. And (or) call him when you know he will be unable to answer his phone ... leave him a message telling him how much you are looking forward to spending alone time with him.
5. MEET ALONE! Be creative ... if your schedules are really out of balance it may be necessary to start with simply meeting for coffee, breakfast, lunch.
6. MAKE IT REGULAR! Commit to making this a regular occurence. Get out your planners and schedule it. Meet regularly (ALONE) for coffee, breakfast, lunch. Weekly is ideal, but bi-weekly is probably more realistic goal. Monthly is not regular. : )
7. DREAM TOGETHER! When was the last time you and your guy shared your heart, your dreams, and your passions with one another? Take a walk. Hold hands. Share your dreams.
8. PRAY TOGETHER! Nothing connects our hearts more than praying together with our spouse. This may seem ackward at first but ... hang in there. Pray with your hubby and see what happens. : )
9. PLAY TOGETHER! Remember the days when you were dating and no matter what you were doing it was fun, just because you were together? May I suggest that is because when we were dating we were more likely to be found "playing" together. Find something you both enjoy, and do it together. Something you can do (not as mom and dad) but as husband and wife, as a couple, just for fun ... PLAY TOGETHER.
10. GET AWAY TOGETHER! When was the last time you had a trip with your man? If you said your honeymoon - you need to plan this IMMEDIATELY! Whether it is one night, one weekend, or one week. The reward is sweet. Do not underestimate the reward in getting away together.

I hope you have been inspired by some of the above suggestions. If you are not doing any of the above already, do not be overwhelmed. Simply take one of the suggestions and begin to implement it today. Then add another, and another ... Take it one day at a time and enjoy the journey of rediscovering the beauty of ONEness when 1+1=1.

Balance Anyone? A Marriage 911

We have already established (in previous posts) it is NOT wise to continue just simply "turning up" the intensity of the area most in need of nourishment but... there are times when it is VITAL! Today, we will turn our focus to "those" times.

Let's begin with marriage. If you find yourself feeling more like a roommate than a wife these days, you have (most likely) been neglecting to guard the time necessary to nourish your marriage.

Ask yourself why?

Before you simply dismiss this by saying you are too busy, or he's too busy, or the kids have you both too busy ... Ask yourself (and BE HONEST) how intentional have you been in planning alone time with your hubby?

Time with your man is how you got to know him, how you grew closer to him, and how you came to love him while you were dating. And time with your man is how you will continue to know him, how you will continue to grow closer to him, and how you will be reminded why you married him.

If you have not been intentional in planning (by now) you know ... these times don't just happen. They didn't just happen when you were dating and they will not just happen now that you are married. You may share the same house, the same bed, the same kids, and the same dog but ... without time alone the oneness you crave will end up looking like two peeps going in different directions while sharing a house, a mortage, some kids, and a dog.

That's when we start feeling like a roommate instead of a wife.

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If you are there, or know someone who is, join me tomorrow for 10 ways to nourish oneness back into your marriage. : )