My 2.5 year old's favorite cereal is, believe it or not, Special K with strawberries. She loves it. The trouble is, she really just loves the strawberries and not so much the cereal part. She eats all the strawberries and leaves the cereal in the bowl, soggy and forgotten. Then she points to her bowl and says, "I want more stawbewies, mommy."

To which I reply, as always, "You have to eat the cereal too. Not just the strawberries."

And I realized today that this was a great analogy for life. You don't just get the good parts-- your favorite parts. You get the soggy, yucky stuff that lacks flavor. That comes in the box too. It's part of the deal. Because, let's face it, without the cereal, the strawberries would lose their uniqueness, their impact, their reward. It's getting to the strawberries that makes eating the cereal worthwhile. Some of us, like my little daughter, want to gobble up the strawberries and leave the cereal in the bowl, pointing at it and demanding that God restock our bowl with strawberries. And some of us have learned to take the good with the bad-- the desirable with the not so desirable, the extraordinary with the ordinary. This, we know from experience, is life. We have learned to savor every bite of strawberries, thanking God especially for the hidden ones, the ones we didn't realize were waiting at the bottom of the bowl like little treasures placed there just for us-- the promise of blessings when we least expect it.

Note: Feel free to use this analogy for Lucky Charms or any other cereal that works for you.

Welcome to all of you who stop by today from the P31 devotions. I hope you will come back to visit often!

I knew May was going to be a busy month for me, so I nearly shuddered as I turned the calendar page over from April. I wondered if I would be able to handle all I had committed to-- and if I would be able to actually do all I had committed to. I determined that, with God's help and strength, I could do exactly what He wanted me to do, no more and no less. And I set forth to do exactly that. I also determined not to get ahead of myself by looking at the big picture and instead to focus on each day as it came-- asking myself simply, "What do I need to do today?" And letting that calm me and keep me focused, lest I get overwhelmed and quit before I even start.

Here is what my month looked like: six speaking engagements, one book to finish, two proposals to write, a house to sell and a house to find, a second opinion with an orthodontist for my son, weekly weeding for the garden, a hair appointment (I cut it ALL off yesterday-- yes indeed I did!), a meeting about a co-op I want to do next year for homeschooling, swim team practices starting for four of our kids, rehearsals for a play starting for our oldest, a used curriculum sale to go to on the other side of town, a trip to our state homeschool conference with my husband, and a trip to FL for my niece's graduation/18th birthday party with my husband and two oldest children. All in one month. For someone who usually shies away from overcommitment and busyness, this was exceptional.

Needless to say, it was A LOT. And I doubted my own sanity for committing to it all. And yet, I had a strange peace about it running just under the surface. I knew that I was doing exactly what I was supposed to do and somehow it would just all work out. I didn't count on getting sick and losing basically a week of productivity. But I did count on making it to the other side of May-- some way, some how. As I pause to reflect on how the month of May has gone so far, I am satisified. One of my speaking engagements got deferred to my husband because I was too sick to do it. I couldn't have foreseen that. One of my speaking engagements got cancelled. I was relieved to have that off my plate at a time that I was craving a break. And my proposals have now been reduced to one sheets with my agent's blessing and encouragement to just do what I can.

In the midst of my busyness and unforeseen changes, moment by moment adjustments have been made. And, amazingly, it has all worked out. Like I said, with God's help and His strength. No more, no less. I knew that my job was to not hold onto the agenda or the goals too tightly-- to merely offer them up to Him daily and say, "Here's what I think You have called me to. What do You really want?" And then surrendering any designs or plans that might be solely mine and not His. Holding on loosely, but not letting go, in the words of the great philosophers, 38 Special.

And now I am through the most intense part and-- except for the book still needing to be finished-- the rest of the month is the fun stuff. The reward waiting at the end of the perseverance. A friend taught me long ago that having something to look forward to-- a beacon to focus on when you are in the tougher parts of life-- is so important. She taught me that deliberately putting something on the calendar you can look forward to will keep you moving ahead on the days when you wonder if you can. It might be just a small reward like a few hours blissfully alone at the local bookstore with a stack of great books and a Venti Cinnamon Dolce Latte. Or a big reward, like a much anticipated trip alone with your husband to the state homeschool conference. Either way, you are motivated to move forward, getting through the not-so-fun so you can get to the so-much-fun.

Do you need to schedule some fun in your life? Do you need to get out your calendar and pick a date to look forward to? I urge you to do this especially if you are in a place in life where just getting through each day is challenging-- this includes any mom who is home with small children day after day! I have found that giving myself permission to schedule fun into my life was a huge mindshift for me. I needed to do it, as it improved my outlook and my perspective. Perhaps you do, too? What is something fun you are looking forward to right now? Leave me a comment and let me know. And if you can't answer, get out your calendar and make something up! Ask your husband if he minds (this is important!), write it down in big RED letters and savor the anticipation. After all, sometimes the anticipation is the best part.

Proverbs 13:12, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life."

While shopping yesterday for my meal plan ingredients, I discovered pork tenderloins were on sale, so I decided to switch my menu plan around a bit and serve that as an additional meal. So, now, to tack onto the meal plan I posted on Monday, I am adding:

Pork Tenderloin In The Slow Cooker (My links aren't working, so here is the link, all typed out for you: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Amazing-Pork-Tenderloin-in-the-Slow-Cooker/Detail.aspx.)

Baked Sweet Potatoes topped with butter and cinnamon sugar

Salad

Thought this might inspire some of you to try this meal with your family! I plan to serve it on Saturday night-- I have to speak on Saturday afternoon, so I will start this before I leave, then I will only have to pop the potatoes in the oven when I get home and -- voila! A yummy dinner is served! Excuse me while I go off to sing a rousing chorus of, "I can bring home the bacon, de dun de dun, fry it up in a pan, de dun de dun..." while my family rolls their eyes.

I spent the morning weeding y'all. Weeding what, you may ask? And the answer to that would be, my garden.

Well, I mean it isn't all my garden. It is a whole bunch of people's garden. A bunch of homeschool moms who all traipse out to this sweet woman's property to work together on a community garden. Thank you Alicia for opening your home and property to us all week after week. And for watering when we aren't there. And for sharing your various animals with my poor, citified children who wouldn't have the opportunity to enjoy such critters without your generous open arms policy. (Or should I say open cages?) Yes, Alicia and her darling children have introduced my children to the country life-- complete with bunnies, and chickens, and pet rats, and guinea pigs. They walk around the entire time with some sort of critter perched on their shoulder or cradled in their arms. And if my camera wasn't presently broken, I would share the photos to prove it.

We planted the garden two weeks ago on a Wednesday-- and it was just a lovely day. We soaked up the sunshine and got dirt in our fingernails and muddied our knees and learned how to plant tomatoes and various other veggies and herbs. But don't get me wrong-- I am just in it for the tomatoes. I learned about planting techniques and types of soil and square foot gardening and all kinds of things as I stretch my horizons a bit by finally learning how to be a gardener. Because I come from a long line of gardeners and figured that it was time I pick that baton up and run with it. And because I knew the experience would be good for my children. Which of course it has-- even if my six year old did take one look at the weeds today, wrinkle his nose and announce he was going to play with his friends. So basically we moms work on the garden and share stories and get to know each other while the kids play with Alicia's animals and just generally frolic about. A good time is had by all, each Wednesday weeding day, in our garden.

Today I stood up and just watched my kids, soaking in the moment and the sounds of laughter, the feel of the breeze and the warm spring sunshine. I watched my two year old strolling her baby doll across the yard and the six year old letting the rat with pink eyes crawl down his shirt. ("Wanna pet him, mom?" "No, no thank you honey.") I memorized their faces-- the way her blonde ponytail bobbed along in the breeze, the way his brow furrowed as he studied the rat. I wanted to stop time, but of course I couldn't. So instead I stopped myself long enough to really see, to really appreciate the precious moment I was allowed to have with my kids today, while gardening. There was mud caked under my fingernails and my pants were covered in mud. My back hurt from bending over the rows, digging in the mud to root out the weeds. And yet, I could think of no better place to be except there, in the garden, with my kids on a warm spring day. Grateful for the chance to participate in this community of moms and kids, all working together in an activity as old as time.

Below is my menu plan for this week. I will warn you, it is not very exciting. I could do better, but I am still dealing with the last of this cold and a very busy schedule including trying to find a house to live in! So, this is the best I can do, I am afraid--

Monday) Chef Boyardee pizza (my car is in the shop being inspected and getting a windshield wiper fixed, so I had to go with a stand-by in the pantry because I couldn't get to the grocery store)

Tuesday) sloppy joes, tater tots, baby carrots dipped with ranch dressing for dipping

Wednesday) popcorn chicken (the Tyson bag of frozen ones) served over a salad

Thursday) beef tips over rice, green beans

Friday) barbecue chicken, wild rice, leftover salad from Wednesday

Saturday) chicken tacos

Note: to make the barbecue chicken, I just lay thawed chicken breasts in a greased 9X13 pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper and garlic salt, and pour a bottle of barbecue sauce over the chicken. Bake at 350 for one hour. Make some five minute wild rice and serve with a salad or just warm up some frozen corn or a couple of cans of baby peas and you have a delicious meal. This is a good one to start your daughter out with and she can say she knows how to make a whole meal. I will be including my daughter in the preparations for this meal this week!

To make the chicken tacos, just lay 1 pound thawed chicken breasts in your crockpot, mix a packet of taco seasoning with a can of chicken broth and pour over chicken. (I double this recipe for my crowd.) Cook all day and just before serving, shred chicken with two forks. Makes a delicious filling with soft or hard taco shells. Top with shredded cheese, taco sauce, shredded lettuce (I buy it already shredded), chopped tomatoes-- whatever you like. This makes a fun and easy weekend meal!

I wanted to wish you all a happy mother's day! Most of you who read this blog are moms, so I don't want to miss the opportunity to wish you a wonderful, memorable day. And, for those of you whose families let you down in the "Hallmark memories" department today, may I direct you to this article, which is one I actually wrote years ago, but dug out for the May edition of Heart of The Matter online magazine for my column called, "Because Life Happens." This is an example of how life happens-- and not always the way we want it to! So, if your mother's day is a bit of a letdown, let this article minister to you.

My mother's day has been wonderful! I think my family has learned. That and a strategically timed reminder email to my husband earlier this week. Oh, and the helpful hint that whatever he does or doesn't do for mother's day will set the precedent for father's day. I know, I know, I am shameless-- but crafty. You must admit.

Last night he took me to dinner at the sushi place, where we dined on rice bowls with Katsu fried chicken and broccoli on top-- yummy! Then we saw Ironman, which, frankly, was disappointing. I had built it up to so much more in my mind. This morning I woke up at 10 am-- I can't remember the last time I slept that late!! Awaiting me was the morning paper, a hot cup of coffee and a Krispy Kreme chocolate donut. In my card were gift cards to Steinmart and to Barnes and Noble. Then we went to church which was great-- they even treated each mom to her own boxed gourmet chocolate chip cookie. This afternoon, I am taking it easy. Tonight we are meeting my mom and stepdad for dinner at their favorite pizza place. All in all, a nice, relaxing day. Nothing super exciting-- but I don't want super exciting. Relaxation and low key days are where it's at. Maybe I am getting old-- or maybe I am finally discovering the secrets to enjoying life.

"To want what I have, to take what I'm given with grace," Don Henley.

As promised, the winner of He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not is... Frugal 20!

(Sorry, I don't know your name-- couldn't find it on your blog page! So, Frugal 20 it is.)

Enjoy the book and all of you who didn't win, thanks for trying and do go buy a copy of this worthwhile read. You will enjoy it!

Maria Bailey, who helped pull together our Disney trip and hung out with us the whole weekend, was on the Today show being interviewed about the power of mommy blogs. Very cool! They messed up and didn't have her name below her interview, but she is the one who says, "We call it word of mom." She is a very cool chick and is one of the people I wish I had had more time with during that whirlwind weekend.

Want to watch the clip? Go here.

And just for the record, I don't have any ads on my blog (as you can see), nor do I profit from it in any way-- other than the occasional trip to Disney, of course! Well, and the pleasure of getting to know so many of you and experience the camaraderie of sharing our lives with each other. (Insert a great big giant studio audience "Awwww" right here.) Anyway, we are not planning to have Curt come home from his job so he can help me run this blog. But I will admit that does sound pretty cool. At times.

Other times that sounds like a whole lot of togetherness.

Ok, off to take some cold medicine, eat some Chick fil a chicken soup, and go back into hibernation mode. I leave tomorrow to head to Durham, NC to speak at a mother/daughter luncheon on modesty on Saturday. For those of you who "knew me when," you can attest that this is something only God could do. To have me speak to women about modesty. Of course, that's exactly how I am going to start off my talk-- just sharing how immodest I used to be-- and what was going through my head during that time in my life. Ie, college. Ie, before the six babies. Now being modest isn't just a choice, it's a public service.

I wanted to let you all know that I have come down with a very bad cold/flu/allergy thing that has left me whimpering and muling around in a downright pitiful state. I haven't been this sick in a very long time. And, just for the record, moms shouldn't get sick. It doesn't work for the rest of the family to have the team co-captain on the injured list.

Today I was supposed to speak for a local moms' group on finances (which is what our book is on) and late last night I realized that, barring a miracle straight from Heaven, I was not going to be able to pull it off. I barely have a voice. So, I prevailed upon my co-author (aka my husband) to speak in my place. And he did it! He used parts of this post to illustrate how God wants us to trust Him with our finances. I have gotten terrific feedback from the moms that were there and it is safe to say they didn't even miss me! So, that was quite a blessing for me and great speaking practice for him as we get ready to launch this book.

And so, I'm just letting you know that it might be spotty posting at best around here while I try to get well. I have too much to do to be sick!! Prayers appreciated.

Greetings to all of you who stop by today for the first time or for the first time in a long time! I have a devotion up today at Proverbs 31, which usually means I have some new folks popping by to get to know me and read some of my ramblings. If you are a regular, thanks for faithfully visiting me and if you are new, I hope you will keep coming back.

I talk about any number of things here on my blog-- mostly my family, my struggles, and what it's like to love the Lord and live for Him in this broken, fallen world. Oh, and I occasionally post recipes and menu plans, too! Because eating is a big part of living-- at least for me and my family it seems to be. It is ridiculous the amount of time I spend dealing with F-O-O-D. Shopping, planning, buying, cooking... Can anyone relate?

I am so happy you stopped by and I hope you will keep coming back to visit! Be sure to leave a comment in the entry below this one for your chance to win a great book!