What Topics Would You Like to Discuss?

Listening Post: Celebrating 2 Years

Two years ago today (well, almost) I published my first post at Chrysalis. It’s been a fabulous journey of faith and friendship—with benefits to soul and spirit far beyond imagining. You've helped me transition from "Mom" to
"e-Mom" as one-by-one, our chicks have flown the nest.

Some of you have been gracious and faithful visitors from the very beginning. Whether you’re a new friend or a dear one, today I’d like to celebrate YOU (gentle, intelligent reader) by asking for your valuable feedback.

Anonymous Survey & Cupcake Mix Drawing

Please click here to take an anonymous survey. You'll find a general list of subjects covered at Chrysalis on a monthly basis. Please vote for your top five picks. Also, feel free to suggest your own ideas for other discussion topics in the comments.

All commenters will have the opportunity to win a box of the Barefoot Contessas's Coconut Cupcake and Cream Cheese Frosting Mix. I do appreciate your input, and please accept my heartfelt thanks.

Hawaii Blogging Break

Summer is around the corner, and many of us are planning time away from the computer. After Marriage Monday on June 2, 2008 I’ll be taking a four-week blogging break.

Our daughter’s June Hawaiian wedding is approaching quickly. As an excited MOB, I need to attend to many important details before we board the airplane for Oahu. Can I hear, Aloha?

I’ll be back at Chrysalis again to participate in Marriage Monday on July 7, 2008. After that, I'm planning stick around for the rest of the summer. Hopefully, I'll have plenty of free time to visit and comment on your blog.

During the month of August, I’m looking forward to presenting another 31-Day Media Marathon. If you're at your computer, please join me!

Up Next—Biblical Archaeological Society: Sifting History

What topics would you like to discuss?

Photos: vial3tt3r6 & Zalita (Flickr)

Practical Life: Why Beauty Matters

3 Reasons to Care About Loveliness
Quotes by Christian Counselor Jean Lush

"I think God knows how important beauty is to us. We have but to open our eyes to know He wanted us to be surrounded by beautiful things… Think of how you feel when beauty surrounds you, and when it doesn’t."

1. Beauty Creates Energy

"Imagine yourself sitting on the steps of a tenement house. You yawn with lazy despair. The ground is nearly bare, with an occasional clump of weeks cut to resemble grass. Garbage oozes over an open garbage can… You bend to pull one of the millions of weeks growing in the cracks in the walk that leads into the litter-lined street…

Not a pretty sight. Lack of beauty—ugliness—brings grief to the spirit. Shabbiness and disorder drain us.

Now imagine the same place. A woman moves in next door. She scrubs and cleans inside and out, then sands and paints the trim a sparkling white. She waters the parched and patchy yard and scatters grass seed… You ask if she’d mind if you worked together… Together you plant flowers and shrubs. You gather discarded brinks and create a garden full of forget-me-nots and candytufts…

Can you feel the difference? Beauty creates energy. It lifts the spirit."

2. Beauty Debriefs Tension

"Tension, anxiety, stress, depression, anger—all can be defused by beauty.

As a counselor, I have a tendency to internalize my patients’ problems. I may come out of a session tight with tension. Often I will take some time to go to a quiet place and glory in loveliness. Other times, when I can’t go out, I close my eyes and let my imagination create a beautiful scene."

For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies, for the love which from our birth over and around us lies; Lord of all, to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.
—Hymnsite.com

3. Beauty Helps Our Self-Esteem

"Just as beauty does not require a flawless face, neither does it require youth.

Part of a woman’s beauty is her style. I’m not talking about fashion. A woman of mystique is never trendy, but develops her own individual style. She compensates for what she doesn’t have by accentuating positives.

Don’t let lack of money keep you from developing an attractive outward appearance. You may not be out to impress kings and prince with your great beauty, but wouldn’t it be nice to feel and look stunning? Start with one dress or outfit in which you look absolutely marvelous and build from there. Improving your appearance improves your self-esteem.

I’ve had women ask me why I put so much emphasis on appearance. 'After all,' they say, 'it’s what’s inside that counts.' Yes, that’s true. But remember, like it or not, men are stimulated by attractive women. They are generally very visual and don’t like sloppy women. A man wants to be proud of his wife or date.

Now be honest: Don’t you like your husband to look good? A woman wants to be proud of her man too."

Excerpts are quoted from Emotional Phases of a Woman’s Life by Jean Lush & Patricia H. Rushford. Endorsement by Dr. James Dobson.

Related Articles

1. Buffy, a British blogger, has published a whole series of posts on beauty at Buffy's Salon. Check out her latest article, "The Charm of the Victorian Nightdress."

2. Jennifer at Diary of 1 publishes a family blog with a zine format on weekends. "Each month, I choose a topic and write four feature articles on that subject, publishing usually on Sundays." Don't miss her inspiring piece,
"Simple Spring Decorating."

3. From the Chrysalis archives:
Best Foot Forward: Your Public Life.

Meme: The Beauty of Femininity

Wendy at Melodious Meyhem tagged me for a meme. If you're interested, I've posted my interpretation, "The Beauty of Femininity" here.

I'm tagging Karla, Kilikina, Kristy, Michelle in Mx, and Rachelle. You're free to handle the questions any way you want, and participate only if you have the time.

Up Next—The Listening Post. (Your Turn to Talk!)


Do you make beauty a priority in your
daily life?

Photos: chany14, nuanc, adwriter (Flickr)

Kay Arthur in the Spotlight

"I had a mink, and I had money and I was miserable."
—Kay Arthur

A Mock Interview

Kay Arthur is known as one of the leading Bible teachers around the world, ministering to the hearts and minds of millions. She has written more than 100 books and Bible studies, particularly on the subject of embracing life’s disappointments.

Four of Kay Arthur’s books have received the prestigious Gold Medallion, including A Marriage Without Regrets; the International Inductive Study Bible; His Imprint, My Expression; and Lord, I Need Grace to Make It Today.

Following is a mock interview based on the facts of Kay Arthur’s life and ministry.

Q. When and where were you born?

A. I was born in the United States in 1933. (Laughs.)
You can do the math!

Q. Tell me a little bit about your childhood.

A. I grew up a home that honored God. My family moved frequently, and in each new community we would first look for a church home, and then we’d find a house to live in.

Q. What kind of education did you receive?

A. As a young woman, I graduated from nursing school. I also studied modeling. In 2007, I received a Doctor of Humane Letters from Tennessee Temple University in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Q. Did you marry and when?

A. After graduation, I married Frank Thomas Goetz, Jr. (Tom). We divorced after a six-year marriage during which time he battled with manic-depression. Tragically, he later committed suicide.

I was once warned, "sin will take you father than you ever intended to go, it will cost you more than you ever expected to pay, and it will keep you longer than you ever intended to stay." Unfortunately, over the next few years, I sought comfort with several other men including a two-year relationship with a married man.

After a dramatic conversion experience when "I went down on my knees a harlot, and I got up a saint," I met Jack Arthur at Tennessee Temple University where I was studying the Bible. We’ve been married nearly 36 years.

Q. Do you have any children?

A. Jack and I have three grown sons and nine grandchildren.

Q. How did your ministry develop?

Together, Jack and I founded Precept Ministries International in 1970 (Chattanooga Tennessee). It began as a small Bible study for teens. Now there are Precept inductive Bible study groups in all 50 states, with materials in nearly 150 countries and nearly 70 languages.

We also host radio and television broadcasts which reach a potential viewing audience of more that 94 million households worldwide.

Q. When did you sense the Lord had a special purpose for your life?

A. "Before I was a believer, I would read the Bible and find it boring. When I became a child of God at age 29, I opened the Bible and it became a brand new book. I knew what was filling me was exactly what others were looking for as well… My passion and burden is to help other people to get into the Word of God in the most effective way possible."

Q. How have you fulfilled that calling?

A. I discovered that the inductive Bible study method took me right into the Word of God, apart from the interpretations of the text by someone else. It’s a process that involves three steps: observation, interpretation, and application.

"Everything we do in our ministry is geared toward one thing: Not to have you think like we think, or to believe what we believe, but to show you how you can know the truth for yourself."

Q. What kind of legacy would you like to leave?

A. "Ultimately, it doesn’t matter whether I speak here or there, or accomplish this or that. What matters is if everything’s all right between me and God. Am I becoming a holy woman? Am I reflecting Him..?

When you develop an intimacy with God that comes through knowing His Word, then you are able to approach Him with clean hands and a pure heart… Only then can you truly experience the sweetness of His presence and His joy. There’s nothing greater!"

All direct quotes are from the interview, "Beauty From Ashes" by Laurie Beyer and published by Just Between Us: For Women With a Heart For Ministry. See also, Gifted For Leadership's article, "Kay Arthur."

Related

• "Kay Arthur: Extreme Adventures With God" by CBN.com
• "How to Have An Inductive Bible Study" by Chrysalis

Up Next—Why Beauty Matters

Are you familiar with Kay Arthur’s books? What do you think?

Photos: Random House, Barnes & Noble, Precept Ministries

Marriage: Understanding the Male Sex Drive

The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. (1 Cor 7:3 NIV)

T or F? He Only Wants One Thing

Ever seen your husband go bananas over a bouquet of flowers? Does he ever sneak off to read romantic chick lit? Seems ludicrous, doesn’t it.

So why don’t men seem to crave romance the way women do?

The answer lies in our God-given wiring. Simply stated, women proceed from romance and communication to sex (spiritual to physical), while men travel in the opposite direction (physical to spiritual).

I’m going to challenge you to do a little experiment. Listen to the following quote, and then observe your husband’s behavior over the next two weeks. You might be surprised to discover that when your man is craving sex, his deeper need is to connect with you emotionally.

“We’re all aware that sex tends to be more important to men while romance is more important to women, but we generally don’t understand why. Without a deeper understanding of this fundamental difference, women commonly underestimate the importance of sex for men and many times judge them as superficial for wanting only one thing.

A woman’s judgments begin to soften when she discovers the real reasons that some men seem to want only sex… for many men, sexual arousal is the key for helping them connect with and realize their loving feelings. It is through sex that a man’s heart opens, allowing him to experience both his loving feelings and his hunger for love as well.

Ironically, it is sex that allows a man to feel his needs for love, while it is giving and receiving love that helps a woman to feel her hunger for sex.”— John Gray, PhD from Mars and Venus in the Bedroom

Related

• Intimate Issues For Christian Women
• 20 Ways to Please Your Lover



Want this button?

For Past Marriage Monday Participants

Here's a little extra fun for all past Marriage Monday participants. In my comment box, choose from one of two options (eg. sweet or salty), then pose two options for the next person. Could turn into a very interesting thread! (HT to Amy's Random Thoughts)

BTW, we'll meet here again for Marriage Monday on
June 2, 2008. Next month's topic is: "Our Wedding Day."

Also, you’re invited to join the Marriage Monday blogroll. Advantages of joining include the three F’s: fellowship, friendship, & FREEbies. Plus there’s contests, giveaways, and e-mail reminders of upcoming Marriage Monday events. Please click here for some easy instructions.

Coming Soon—Kay Arthur in the Spotlight

Photos: d sanden, d hammza (Flickr)

Family Life: Nutrition For Healthy Kids

Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything. But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it. (Gen 9:3-4 NIV)

Five Key Focus Areas

Today I’m going to talk about five key areas of focus in a child’s life from birth up to age 18. They include nutrition, brain development, building a strong immune system, maintaining healthy weight, and confidence & happiness.

Birth to 2 years

___Focus on nutrition. “Proper nutrition is the foundation of good health, says Marilyn Tanner, a pediatric dietitian at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. ‘The sooner your children develop healthy eating habits, the less likely they will suffer from obesity, diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease,’ she says.”

For more information about breast-feeding, when to offer solid foods, saying no to junk, language development, ear infections, skin care and more click here.

2 years to 5 years

___Focus on brain development. “’Simple choices that parents make early on have a profound effect on their child's brain development,’” says David Perlmutter, MD, FACN, who practices in Naples, Florida. Ensure that your child's brain and nervous system develop fully with these tips.”

For more information about nutrients your child’s brain really needs, bad fats, eating organic, avoiding lead, choosing safer sea foods, engaging the brain, allergies, sun safety, and asthma click here.

5 years to 10 years

___Focus on building a strong immune system. “Colds, flu, and other illnesses are unavoidable, particularly in school-age children—right? Wrong. Although respiratory infections, stomach bugs, and other ailments are a common part of childhood, they are in many cases preventable—provided your child is equipped with a battle-ready immune system, says Baral.”

For more information about immunity-boosting foods, sleep needs, fighting infections, oral health, first aid kits, hyperactivity, and basic hygiene click here.

10 years to 14 years

___Focus on healthy weight. “Obesity is a problem that affects more than 15 percent of all children between ages 6 and 19 living in the United States, according to the American Obesity Association. Those children are at increased risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, asthma, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and other serious health problems. Being overweight can also trigger depression and other mental health issues. Fortunately, weight problems in children can be prevented and reversed.”

For more information click here.

14 years to 18 years

___Focus on confidence & happiness. “Poised at the juncture between adolescence and adulthood, teenagers face a barrage of decisions and life choices—from where to apply for college to whom to date and hang out with—that can leave them feeling elated one moment and stressed out or blue the next. In the midst of all of these changes, help her develop confidence, self-esteem, kindness, and other positive character traits.”

For more information click here.

The quotes above are from “Prescription For Healthy Kids” by Carlotta Mast and published by DeliciousLivingMag.com

Related: Summer Learning: School’s Out. So Now What?


Join the Carnival of Family Life

Up Next—Marriage: Understanding the Male Sex Drive

How important is healthy eating in your family? Do you use vitamin supplements?

Photos: Savannah Grandfather, Ben McLeod, Paul Mayne (Flickr)

Spiritual Growth: Anger & Forgiveness

Human Attitudes Are Like 3 Trees

When I’m shopping for produce at the grocery store, I look for golden netting on ripe cantaloupes, sniff the navels of fresh oranges, and gently squeeze avocados to test for ripeness. I use all of my senses to choose the best produce for my family.

Tree #1: Fruit of the Spirit

Our attitudes are very similar. We can tell if there’s unresolved hidden anger in our lives by examining the fruit. For instance, when we’re at peace with God and the world, we're like a healthy tree producing the fragrant
Fruit of the Spirit. We exhibit:

• love
• joy
• peace
• patience
• kindness
• goodness
• faithfulness
• meekness
• self-control
• good works
• forgiveness
• acceptance
• humility
• wisdom
• servant’s heart
• contentment
• encouragement
• happiness
• wisdom
• obedience
• caring
• cheerfulness
• love of the Bible
• prayerfulness
• love of truth
• strong faith
• hopefulness
• sweetness
• integrity
• faithfulness

Identifying Our Anger

Conversely, if there’s unresolved hidden anger in our lives, the "deeds of the flesh" will be evident. Like two species of fruit trees, there are two types of anger which yield different kinds of attitudes and behavior: expressed anger and suppressed anger.

Tree # 2: Expressed Anger

• hatred
• temper
• rage
• yelling
• blaming
• controlling
• prejudiced
• condemning
• critical spirit
• child abuse
• aggressiveness
• destructiveness
• violence
• murder
• fear
• pride
• back biting
• jealousy
• slander
• revenge
• sexual abuse
• rape
• rebellion
• harshness
• pushiness
• illnesses
• high blood pressure
• judgmentalism
• irritability

Tree # 3: Suppressed Anger

• fears
• headaches
• self-hatred
• depression
• suicidal thoughts
• self-pity
• withdrawl
• unworthiness
• nervousness
• inferiority
• anxiety
• phobias
• ineffectiveness
• failure
• defensiveness
• hopelessness
• alcoholism
• drug abuse
• migraines
• sexual dysfunction
• eating disorders
• obesity
• arthritis
• colitis
• cancer
• ulcers
• memory blanks
• eating disorders

(I’m indebted to Don & Katie Fortune at Heart to Heart International Ministries and their "Dealing With Anger" counseling materials for the information above.)

How to Deal With Our Anger

The Bible teaches that as human beings we all sin. The good news is that as believers in Jesus Christ, we are forgiven and accepted by God.

Unfortunately, as human beings we are also sinned against. Scripture commands us to forgive those who have harmed us, just as God has graciously forgiven us.

Most of us know that forgiveness is very difficult. True forgiveness for deep injuries always involves grief and mourning. However, with the help of a supportive counselor or friend, it is possible to move through the process and find healing.

For instance, after openly acknowledging the offense, we can then choose to suffer and feel the injury. As we allow the painful emotions to wash over us, in time we release our anger, and we experience forgiveness toward our offender(s). (See Matt 5:4)

Related: Spiritual Growth: The Forgiving Self

For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
(Matt 16:14-15 NIV)

Join the Carnival of Christian Women

Up Next—Family Life: Nutrition For Healthy Kids


Which of the 3 trees are you feeling most like today?


Photos: zesmerelda, cobalt123, preecoford, cobalt123, emdot (Flickr)

Christian Theology

How Christianity Elevated the

Status of Women

"Some feminists charge that Christianity, the Bible, and the Church are anti-female and horribly oppressive to women. Does God really hate women? Did the apostle Paul disrespect them in his New Testament writings? In this article we’ll be looking at why Christianity is the best thing that ever happened to women, with insights from Alvin Schmidt’s book How Christianity Changed the World…"

Fill in the Blanks: Greece, Rome & Judaism

"In ancient Greece, a respectable woman was not allowed to leave the house unless she was accompanied by a trustworthy 1.________. A wife was not permitted to 2._______or interact with male guests in her husband’s home; she had to retire to her woman’s quarters. Men kept their wives under 3.________ and key, and women had the social status of a 4.________. Girls were not allowed to go to 5.________, and when they grew up they were not allowed to 6. ________ in public. Women were considered inferior to men. The Greek poets equated women with 7.________...

The status of Roman women was also very low. Roman law placed a wife under the absolute control of her 8.________, who had 9.________ of her and all her possessions. He could divorce her if she went out in public without a 10.________. A husband had the power of life and 11.________ over his wife, just as he did his children. As with the Greeks, women were not allowed to 12._______ in public.

Jewish women, as well, were barred from 13.________ speaking. The oral law prohibited women from reading the 14.________ out loud. Synagogue worship was 15.________, with women never allowed to be heard..." Answers below*

Jesus and Women

"Among Jesus' closest friends were Mary, Martha and Lazarus, who entertained him at their home. 'Martha assumed the traditional female role of preparing a meal for Jesus, her guest, while her sister Mary did what only men would do, namely, learn from Jesus' teachings. Mary was the cultural deviant, but so was Jesus, because he violated the rabbinic law of his day [about speaking to women].' By teaching Mary spiritual truths, he violated another rabbinic law, which said, 'Let the words of the Law [Torah] be burned rather than taught to women. . . . If a man teaches his daughter the law, it is as though he taught her lechery…'

The first people Jesus chose to appear to after his resurrection were women; not only that, but he instructed them to tell his disciples that he was alive (Matt. 28, John 20). In a culture where a woman’s testimony was worthless because she was worthless, Jesus elevated the value of women beyond anything the world had seen…

Paul, Peter and Women

In a culture that feared the power of a woman’s external beauty and feminine influence, Peter encouraged women to see themselves as valuable because God saw them as valuable. His call to aspire to the inner beauty of a trusting and tranquil spirit is staggeringly counter-cultural. He writes, 'Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful.'

Equally staggering is his call to men to elevate their wives with respect and understanding: 'Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.' Consideration, respect, fellow heirs; these concepts sound good to us, but they were unheard of in the first century!

The apostle Paul is often accused of being a misogynist, one who hates and fears women. But Paul’s teachings on women reflect the creation order and high value God places on women as creatures made in his image. Paul’s commands for husbands and wives in Ephesians 5 provided a completely new way to look at marriage: as an earthbound illustration of the spiritual mystery of the union of Christ and His bride, the church. He calls wives to not only submit to their husbands as to the Lord, but he calls husbands to submit to Christ (1 Cor. 11:3). He calls men to love their wives in the self-sacrificing way Christ loves the church. In a culture where a wife was property, and a disrespected piece of property at that, Paul elevates women to a position of honor previously unknown in the world.

In a culture where a wife was property, and a disrespected piece of property at that, Paul elevates women to a position of honor previously unknown in the world.

Paul also provided highly countercultural direction for the New Testament church. In the Jewish synagogue, women had no place and no voice in worship. In the pagan temples, the place of women was to serve as prostitutes. The church, on the other hand, was a place for women to pray and prophecy out loud (1 Cor. 11:5). The spiritual gifts—supernatural enablings to build God’s church—are given to women as well as men. Older women are commanded to teach younger ones. The invitation to women to participate in worship of Jesus was unthinkable—but true…

As a result of Jesus Christ and His teachings, women in much of the world today, especially in the West, enjoy more privileges and rights than at any other time in history. It takes only a cursory trip to an Arab nation or to a Third World country to see how little freedom women have in countries where Christianity has had little or no presence. It’s the best thing that ever happened to women."

*Answers: 1. male escort 2. eat 3. lock 4. slave 5. school 6. speak 7. evil 8. husband 9. ownership 10. veil 11. death 12. speak 13. public 14. Torah 15. segregated

For the author’s thoughts on Misogyny in the Church and the Effects of Christianity on Culture click here. These excerpts have been quoted from "Christianity: The Best Thing That Ever Happened to Women" by Sue Bohlin and published by Probe Ministries.

Join this week's Carnival of Homeschooling

Coming Soon—Forgiveness: The Solution to Our Anger

Does this article put any aspect of your life into perspective?


Photos: carf, Arpana, djking (Flickr)

Mother's Day Humor

A Man's Wish

A man was sick and tired of going to work every day while his wife stayed home. He wanted her to see what he went through so he prayed, "Dear Lord, I go to work every day and put in eight hours while my wife merely stays at home. I want her to know what I go through, so please create a trade in our bodies."

God, in his infinite wisdom, granted the man's wish.

The next morning, sure enough, the man awoke as a woman. He arose, cooked breakfast for his mate, awakened the kids, set out their school clothes, fed them breakfast, packed their lunches, drove them to school, came home and picked up the dry cleaning and took it to the dry cleaners. He stopped at the bank to draw out money to go grocery shopping and then came home and put away the groceries. He cleaned the cat's litter box and bathed the dog.

Then it was already one PM and he hurried to make the beds, do the laundry, vacuum, dust, sweep and mop the kitchen floor. He ran to school to pick up the kids and settled an argument with them on the way home. He set out cookies and milk and got the kids organized to do their homework, then set up the ironing board and watched TV while he did the ironing.

At 4:30 he began peeling potatoes and washing lettuce for salad. He breaded the pork chops and snapped fresh beans for supper. After supper he cleaned the kitchen, ran the dishwasher, folded laundry, bathed the kids, and put them to bed.

At nine PM he was exhausted and, though his daily chores weren't finished, he went to bed where he was expected to make love—which he managed to get through without complaint.

The next morning he awoke and immediately knelt by the bed and said, "Lord, I don't know what I was thinking. I was so wrong to envy my wife's being able to stay home all day. Please, oh please, let us trade back!"

The Lord, in his infinite wisdom, replied, "My son, I feel you have learned your lesson and I will be happy to change things back to the way they were. You'll have to wait nine months, though. You got pregnant last night."

Author Unknown

This little chuckle was spotted at the Hearts at Home website. A valuable resource for Moms, the site opens with: "Mother: it's the hardest job you will ever do. It comes with no salary, no training, and no time off..." The website offers conferences, a magazine, books, and an e-community to educate and encourage Moms.

Related: Visit the Mother's Day edition of the Carnival of Homeschooling at Melissa's Idea Garden.

Happy Mother's Day!

She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all." Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. (Prov 31:27-30 NIV)

Up Next—Theology: How Christianity Elevated the Status of Women


How do you plan to celebrate Mother's Day this year?


Photos: TG Chen, gari.galdi (Flickr)

News: Blog of Distinction Awards

Thank You

My warm thanks go to Sheila at Who Can Find A Wife of Valor for sending this prestigious award my way. Kudos right back to you, Sheila!

After some google sleuthing, I discovered that this award was created by a British blogger, Working Mom on the Verge. It's to be given to "other blogs which either cause you to think, laugh, cry or sigh. The only rule is you should pass it to another 5 blogs."

Here's a nice selection of Moms to visit over the Mother's Day weekend. I've taken the liberty of selecting eight deserving recipients.

May I have the envelope please...

1. Jennifer at Diary of 1
(Think: Northwest Mom of two)

2. Heather at Faithful Froggers
(Laugh: Mom of triplets—one in heaven, a fourth adopted)

3. Susan at Forever His
(Sigh: Southern Mom and Grandmom)

4. Roo at It's True Sighed Roo
(Sigh: Mom of one, with a bun in the oven)

5. Connie Marie at Living in Alaska
(Think: Waaaay Up Northern Mom and Grandmom)

6. Wendy at Melodious Meyhem
(Cry: Mom of one, wife of deployed U.S. serviceman)

7. Angela at Refresh My Soul Blog
(Sigh: Ministry Mom of two)

8. Andrea at The Grass is Green on Our Side
(Laugh: Mom of two)

Up Next—Mother's Day Humor: A Man's Wish