Fatherhood...It really is tougher on the kids!

Springtime with a Senior in the house can only be described in one word...CHAOS! For this anal retentive dad, CHAOS is never welcome. Torrey is moving at the speed of light these days between school, two jobs, varsity golf, youth group, Campus Life, graduation preparations, and oh yes a girlfriend!

There are days that if we see him for 10 minutes we feel fortunate. Ten minutes of actual conversation is like finding GOLD! I was sharing with friends the other day that having an 18 year old in the house brings the full range of emotions from "I can't wait till your out of here!" to "I can't believe he's leaving us already". Part of God's beautiful design, I guess.

So I have a confession. We as parents (especially dad's) need to face up to the fact that we can make life tough on our kids. Expectations that are too high, words spoken without thought, but bottom line? WE are the cause of all their issues!

This picture will give you a clear picture of why our kids don't stand a chance! Remember, Laura is the one with the camera!

Bless your kids today with your own brand of dementia!

Jay

Gray T-shirts

Does your spouse have quirks? Are there things about him(or her) that just make you laugh? So here is the thing.....Jay has a "thing" for gray t-shirts! I mean like an obsession! He loves gray t-shirts. He wears one every night. Gray t-shirts make up his nite time sexy pj ensemble! It is just a quirky thing...

About six months ago he got online and ordered a dozen of his favorite brand of t-shirts, all in gray! He has an entire drawer of his dresser dedicated to gray t-shirts. It is a quirky thing.....

Last night, I was teasing him about the sexy gray t-shirt he had on. We had a good laugh about his obsession with gray t-shirts and then he made this statement, " When I find some thing I like I stick with it". I laughed for a moment and then it hit me. He may be quirky, yet his statement is what marriage is all about.

When you find someone you like you stick with them. When you first fall in love, you get that ooey gooey liver quiver in your stomach every time you look at the one you love. Time passes, circumstances change, kids come and go and that ooey gooey liver quiver may be less and less. Marriage is not built on the ooey gooey liver quiver. Marriage is built on "like". Finding your best friend, the one who laughs at your quirks, shares your pains, walks thru the storms and gets wet with you. When you find the one you like, you stick with them It may be a quirky thing....

I love technology!

Okay so I know that some of you out there think that all this technology is making us distant and non-communicative. I have heard some say that we are creating a society that isolates itself. Well I disagree!

Over the last year, I have connected with old friends from high school and college. I have made new friends all across the country. For years, we have had thousands of folks come to our conferences and for years, I could not have told you their names nor could I have picked them out of a crowd! NOW...because of Facebook, Twitter, and Skype, I am having a blast getting to know them and making new friends.

I think technology can be what you make it! You can either embrace it and learn from it or you can bury your head in the sand and never use it. You choose. But I will tell you this, I think that Facebook, Twitter, blogging,Skype and texting are simply tools we can use to continue to build relationships across geographical boundaries.

Hey, for all you out there reading this..if you are embracing technology, find me on Facebook or Twitter! Talk at you soon!

Laura

If you value freedom, watch this!

Amazing take on our country

A friendship poem for men! From Mikey's Funnies

Are you tired of those Sissy 'friendship' poems that always sound good, but never actually come close to reality?

Well, let's try this my way...just the stone cold truth about great friendship.

1. When you are sad, I will jump on the person who made you sad like a spider monkey jacked up on Mountain Dew!

2. When you are blue, I will try to dislodge whatever is choking you.

3. When you smile, I will know you are plotting something that I must be involved in.

4. When you're scared, we will high tail it out of here.

5. When you are worried, I will tell you horrible stories about how much worse it could be until you quit whining, ya big baby!!!!

6. When you are confused, I will use little words.

7. When you are sick, stay away from me until you are well again...I don't want whatever you have.

8. When you fall, I'll pick you up and dust you off--After I laugh my head off!

9. This is my oath...I pledge it to the end.

'Why?' you may ask...because you are my FRIEND!

[forwarded by Kevin Miller]

today'sTHOT============================

When times are tough, you know what you can ALWAYS count on? Your fingers.

HE is Risen!

HE is Risen INDEED!

Food for thought!

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get
tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs
covered with bright colored lead-based paints..

We had no child proof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and
when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we
took hitchhiking.

As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, booster seats, seat belts or air bags.

Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE
actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank Kool-aid made with
sugar, but we weren't overweight because,

WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back
when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day.And we were OK.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ridedown the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all,no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or chatrooms.......

WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no
lawsuits from these accidents.

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us
forever.

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and
tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we did not poke out very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang
the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't
had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They
actually sided with the law!

These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers
and inventors ever!

The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we
learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!

If YOU are one of them CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow
up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of
our lives for our own good .

While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how
brave (and lucky) their parents were.

Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?!

The
quote of the month is by Jay Leno:

'With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding,severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another,and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?'

We're back!

What an amazing 10 days! It would be very difficult to put into one blog posting! So be prepared...it will be the subject of many blogs to come!:-)

I do not know how many of you have read the book, The Shack, but Jay and I have read it several times now. In the book, the character ascribed to God is Papa. Papa is an African woman. We met Papa in Africa! Her name is Hilda.

Hilda shared her story with us... She shared with passion and faith in the God she loves and serves! She lost her husband to HIV and has four children. She volunteers in the Compassion project chairing the committee that assists in HIV education and positive living for those who are infected with this terrible disease. She is an amazing woman. As she shared her story with us, Jay simply raised his hand and asked her how we could pray for her, specifically. Her response was this...."simply mention my name, He knows me, and He knows my needs."

WOW!!!! Can we all say this? Do we approach the throne of God with a "wish list"? I know that I do! This woman who lives in a slum and works with men, women, and children infected with HIV everyday, does not offer a wish list, but knows that God will do exactly what needs to be done to meet her needs each and every day.

Walk today believing that the God of Heaven and Earth will meet you on the journey and take care of your needs in ways that you will never be able to imagine!

Africa Bound

The Laffoon Family is departing on a Missions Trip to Nairobi, Africa. We leave this weekend and will return April 2nd.

We will be spending our time at different Compassion projects around Nairobi where we will conduct Vacation Bible School and work on minor construction projects.

The highlight of our trip will be the opportunity we have to spend a day with Francis! Francis is a child we sponsor and we are going to meet him and spend a day interacting with him.

Please pray that we will communicate the the Life Changing message of Jesus throughout our trip.

To keep up with our adventures you can dial 800-315-4879 toll free to get daily reports from our trip leader!

What a difference a week makes!

The last time I blogged we were traveling home in fog and rain, anticipating losing an hour of sleep.Today, one week, later we are traveling home in sunshine and spring like temps! Whaoo!

We traveled to St. Clair Shores, MI to an Ultimate Date Night show and then stayed over to preach this morning. We saw 11 children sponsored with Compassion International!

One week from today, at this moment, the Laffoon Fam will be onboard a plane headed for Nairobi, Kenya to visit Francis. Francis is a twelve year old boy we sponsor with Compassion. We will get to visit with Francis as well as love on other children in Compassions Projects through out Kenya.

Whew! what a difference a week can make!

Weary Road Warriors

It is 12;22 am it has been a long day-up at 6 and not home yet! Tonight we lose an hour as well! It is rainy and foggy and our bodies are ready to be out of the car! Even though we are exhausted,it has been a great weekend of ministry. We are grateful to be used by a great God to touch marriages!Have a great Sunday-we will be sleeping!

A Lesson from a tiny frog

The following story was taken from Mikey's Funnies~~

Once upon a time there was a bunch of tiny frogs who arranged a running competition. The goal was to reach the top of a very high tower.

A big crowd gathered around the tower to see the race and cheer on the contestants. The race began but no one in the crowd really believed that the tiny frogs would reach the top of the tower. You heard statements such as:

"Oh, WAY too difficult!!"
"They will NEVER make it to the top."
"Not a chance that they will succeed. The tower is too high!"

The tiny frogs began collapsing. One by one, except for those who, in a fresh tempo, were climbing higher and higher.

The crowd continued to yell, "It is too difficult!!! No one will make it!"

More tiny frogs got tired and gave up. But one continued higher and higher and higher. He just wouldn't give up!

At the end everyone else had given up climbing the tower. Except for the one tiny frog who, after a big effort, was the only one who reached the top!

All of the other tiny frogs naturally wanted to know how this one frog managed to do it. A contestant asked the tiny frog how he had found the strength to succeed and reach the goal.

It turned out that the winner was deaf.

[forwarded by JR]

today'sTHOT============================

If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door.

Blessings~

J&L

Faith like a child!

In our culture today, do we really know and understand what it means to love someone like Jesus would? Many of you have read the book,The Shack. If you haven't, you should, not because it is a great doctrinal reading but because it is has great imagery.

Anway, what strikes me in this book, is the realness of Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit. It is thought provoking to the point that I question if in fact the author has met Jesus in a way that I wish I could! The relationship between Jesus and Mac, the main character, is a friendship of love, respect, and bold conversation.
Through this friendship,Mac begins to understand Jesus in ways he never has before.

Do we love people in our lives that way? Do we love and respect them? Do we have bold conversations with them? Do we ask the hard questions in love and with respect? Not because we want to prove anything but because we truly love?

Grace, our 11 year old, loved a friend yesterday in such a way that she asked some bold and hard questions. She loved this friend so much that she was able to introduce this friend to Jesus.

Cna yuo raed tihs?

Olny 55 plepoeout of 100 can.

fi yuo cna
raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too
Cehck the lnik at the bttoom!

i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht
I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch
at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae.

The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm.
Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

Laern to mkae the onpenig and cnosilg of yuor secpeh precfet.

Ken Davis' Dynamic Communicators Workshop will help you COMMUNICATE to everyone in your life!

Visit Ken's Website for more info!

A Psalm for troubling times

23RD PSALM

The Lord is my real boss and I shall not want.
He gives me peace, when chaos is all around me.
He gently reminds me to pray before I speak and to do all things without murmuring and complaining.
He reminds me that He is my Source and not my job.
He restores my sanity every day and guides my decisions that I might honor Him in everything I do.

Even though I face absurd amounts of emails, system crashes, unrealistic deadlines, budget cutbacks, gossiping co-workers, discriminating supervisors, and an aging body that doesn't cooperate every morning, I will not stop--for He is with me!

His presence, His peace, and His power will see me through.
He raises me up, even when they fail to promote me.
He claims me as His own, even when the company threatens to let me go.

His faithfulness and love are better than any bonus check.
His retirement plan beats every 401K there is.
When it's all said and done, I'll be working for Him a whole lot longer and for that, I bless His Name.

Peace~
J&L

The family!

It will come back to bite you in the....!

So I have a really bad habit of planting myself everynight in my chair. I get all comfy and cozy under my "woobie" (which is laura verbage for blanket). THEN I WAIT!

For what? you may ask...I wait for Torrey to move. When he moves to stand up for any reason, I politely ask him to get me "something" - it may be a piece of candy, a kleenex, a magazine....it could be anything.

My point is this...I purposely wait until he moves before I need something. I actually think it through! I am awful! I may need a kleenex right now but if Torrey is not moving I wait as opposed to getting up myself and getting it when I need it! That would mean I would have to get up from under my cozy woobie and move!

Well,he figured me out! Last night, when he moved to stand up; I needed chocolate! I asked in that polite loving mommy voice, "T, would you get me a piece of chocolate while you're up?" He laughed, and responded, "you mean instead of you getting up and getting yourself some chocolate? How long have you wanted chocolate mother? Did the hunger hit you right when I stood up?"

Dang, that kid! I then responded with, "look I gave birth to you! Do you think it would be too much trouble to get me a piece of chocolate!?" He laughed again.

"Mother, I never thought you would stoop to using the birth guilt card!"

I did...I am not proud of it...but...

I DID GET MY CHOCOLATE!

YIKES!

Well today is the day! I am officially old!

NO, it is not my birthday.

No, I can still run 3 miles.

No, I have forgotten anything important...not today anyway!

I am old because I got bifocals today! Of course, due to vanity, my new glasses will NOT have a line in the middle so you will not be able to tell I have bifocals! It was the least I could do!

Pray for Jay though he is not taking the news well...he is married to an old woman now!

Cruisin and a Cause!

We leave for our annual Celebrate Your Marriage Cruise. Heading to the Caribbean for 7 days of warmth, which is a welcome relief from the 10 degrees BELOW ZERO we woke to today!

Also, below you will see a very important piece that came across my desk yesterday. I hope you will take the time to read it and pass it along to others who may feel as strongly about marriage as we do!

A New Year's Resolution: Cut America's Divorce Rate In Half January 1, 2009 by Mike McManus

I'd like to propose a New Year's resolution that could preserve a half million marriages a year now ending in divorce by cutting America's divorce rate in half.

The biggest winners of such an achievement would be 500,000 kids who would not experience their parents divorce. Children are the innocent victims who deserve a bright future.

"Though a divorce is opposed in four out of five cases by one spouse, it is always granted. Should couples with children be required to obtain written mutual consent for the dissolution of their marriage if there are no allegations of major fault such as proven adultery or physical abuse?"

In 48 states No Fault Divorce Law no longer requires proof of major fault to get a divorce. One spouse simply claims the marriage has "irreconcilable differences," and divorce is always granted. Yet in 80 percent of the cases, their spouse says the marriage is reconcilable, according to Andrew Cherlin and Frank Furstenburg in their book, Divided Families.

The key moral question, which every pastor, teacher, social worker, lawyer and parent must answer is this: should a marriage, entered into willingly by two people, be dissolved unilaterally by one unhappy parent - or should both parents have an equal voice in the decision?

To put it differently, shouldn't the parent most committed to the marriage and to the children have an equal voice in a decision that will change their lives forever?

Billy Miller came home for lunch one day to discover that his wife was gone along with most of the furniture and their teenage daughter and son. It was a shock that made him feel "total devastation."

If he had had a voice on the divorce, he would have said no. It shattered their children, two of whom have had babies out-of-wedlock and a third is divorced. Without a model of how a husband and wife make a marriage work, children of divorce find it difficult to bond with someone of the opposite
sex.

Did his ex-wife create a happier life? No. Within four years she married a high school boyfriend who deserted his wife to marry her. He kicked her out after just four months. She married a third time, but it lasted only 8 months. Billy remains her friend, and he prays for her return.

Billy is now a divorce reformer. His local newspaper published his recent letter with questions that deserve answers from the legal profession, clergy and state legislators:

1. "Is marriage a legally binding agreement between two citizens? If it is not, why should it be registered with the legal system, the local courts and the state?

2. "If it takes two people in agreement to initiate a legally binding contract, and two people in agreement to end a legally binding contract,"
why can one spouse terminate a marriage?

3. "The person breaching a (typical) contract is generally the one penalized. How is it fair in divorce to punish the one who is not breaching the contract and, at the same time, reward the one who is? The one objecting to the granting of the divorce is deprived of all rights as the divorce is granted.

"Saddam Hussein received more justice than do American citizens who want to keep their marriage and family intact," Billy Miller wrote.

No Fault Divorce is also unconstitutional. The 5th and 14th Amendments to the Constitution guarantee that "No person be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law."

Where is "due process" if the divorce is always granted?

Miller writes, "Due process is: hearing what you did wrong (accusations), with proof; offering a defense against those accusations; hearing the judge's decision based on the evidence presented, and the right to appeal that decision."

You can take a personal responsibility to help reform No Fault Divorce.
How?

1. Call or write your state representative or state senator, asking them to reform the law.

2. Ask your pastor to not only support this change, but to seek the backing of other clergy in the community, to ask state legislators for divorce reform.

3. Ask your local legal community, the Bar Association, to support divorce reform.

In short, will you declare a New Year's Resolution to help reform No Fault Divorce with Mutual Consent Divorce in cases involving minor children?


Blessings~
J&L

Making the MOST of time

A few incidents have collided in a 24 hour stretch that have me thinking about how quickly time passes...Selling Tickets at the last home AHS basketball game that we will share with Torrey. A memorial service for a man who has been a stalwart in our community. Grace's first "official" swim meet.

Often we can't WAIT for: Christmas, birthdays, vacations, etc. We hope time passes quickly so we can experience the upcoming event. Other times we wish time would stand still and never arrive: That dreaded dentist appointment, April 15th or children leaving home.

One constant about time is that it keeps moving. The only time we have is the present time, so today choose to live in the present. Don't cling to failures of the past and rest assured in the One who holds the future.

Gotta go, TIME for the memorial.

Jay

My friend - the bird

Every day out of my office window a bird will sit and watch me work! Seriously, he does! I have tried to capture him on camera several times and he always flys away. Today,I got him!

I love to watch my little friend. He comes to the tree outside my window to feed on the berries. He watches the world go by. He sometimes brings friends to the tree. He watches me.

My little friend reminds me of the greatness of our God. He causes me to ponder the ways God chooses to create. He causes me to reflect on the wisdom of God.

At times when I have just gotten word of another friend diagnosed with cancer or an illness unexplained by medical technology- my little friend flies into the tree and perches himself and watches me. I find comfort in this because I know when I am questioning God and wondering what the heck He is doing, He sends this little bird to remind me that He is in control and knows exactly what He is doing!

What causes you to ponder and question God? So often we think we are less faithful if we ask questions and experience doubt. I think that questioning and wondering causes our faith to be strengthened. I pray that in 2009 your faith will be strengthened and God will show himself to you in real and authentic ways....like my little friend!

The Christmas that wasn't really was...

We had quite the interesting Christmas at the Laffoon household. One of Torrey's gifts didn't arrive. Many of Grace's gifts didn't fit (she's grown an inch and a half in 2 months). One of Grace's gifts we bought off eBay arrived broken. Some of Jay's gifts didn't fit...NO COMMENT! And last but not least a gift Jay ordered for Laura in November, was made December 10th still (as of the writing of this blog) hasn't SHIPP#D! And N@ these &rn't typ*'s if you get my dr!ft!!!!

We've spent the weekend returning gifts (I have a Mall HANGOVER). Emailing eBay, and various others to see where the gifts are in the shipping process. Spent much energy undoing all the done wrong gifts...again you get the drift.

Anyway, in spite of all the Christmas blunders, this past weekend was filled with laughter, family, friends and the love that Christmas brings. So in fact it was a fantastic Christmas...Christmas as it is meant to be. Here's to a Happy New Year!


J&L

A "Dread"-Filled Day!

It's 10am on Saturday morning here at the Laffoon house and in an hour and a half we are going to host a "Dread head" party. A good number of friends and family will descend on our house for Pizza, movies and about 4 hours of turning Torrey into a "Bob Marley" wanna-be. (Minus the Marijuana of course)

Torrey has been growing his hair out for about 6 months now all in anticipation of turning his beautiful head of hair into a glorified house mop! However if there is one thing I've learned in my years as a parent it is to pick my battles wisely.

Would I prefer him to "dread" his hair? NO, but that really isn't a battle I feel needs to be waged. He's a good kid, no, he's a great kid and the battles I'll look to fight are: when he is not respecting his sister or his mom, when he treats people with injustice, or when he fails to confront things that are just plain wrong! So today I'll live with the hair and in 30 years (Lord willing) we'll all look back with a grin!

And here's the finished product! By the way...that 4 hour project turned out to be 8!


"Hair's" to YOU!

Jay

IT IS FINISHED!

Do you know how you feel at the beginning of a large project? Overwhelmed, daunted by the task, wondering how you'll ever get it all done?

Then the feelings of ELATION when the project is finished? Well today Laura and I are doing a "Happy Dance" as we sent the final chapter of our latest book to our copy editor. She'll clean it up and make it read like a "proper English book" then January 1st it's off to the Publisher!

45,000 words of "wisdom"...OK maybe "wisdom" is a stretch but none the less Powerful Words Your Spouse Needs to Hear is DONE!

For now that is...after the editorial staff a Baker Publishing gets a hold of it we'll have revisions and revisions and revisions...but a year from now, that's right, I said a YEAR (Welcome to the publishing world!) you'll be able to read for yourself the book we just finished!

As for now we'll just keep doing the "Happy Dance"

Blessings~

J&L

so it has been a week....but still it was the best and worst birthday!

So last Wednesday was my 46th birthday! I love birthdays and christmas and any opportunity to celebrate! Celebrations are huge around our house! so here is what happened.....

Jay told the kids the night before that we were waking them up early so we could celebrate my birthday before school. They were given fair warning! So, Grace gets up at 6:30 am and Torrey drags himself down the stairs and 6:45 and promptly plops his body on the couch and goes back to sleep! Jay being Jay starts singing, "Happy birthday to you..." The kids start screaming for him to stop! "It is too early" Torrey yells, " I am still sleeping!" Jay continues to sing...Grace then yells are her dad for irritating her brother! I am watching the whole thing in disbelief! It is my birthday and my kids are yelling because they do not want to sing to me! Needless to say I was hurt, but kept my mouth shut...for a few minutes.

After a while, Jay began to discuss with the kids the err of their ways and they got mad at us for being mad at them for not wanting to sing to me for my birthday! They left for school mad at Jay and I and never once said Happy Birthday mom! Ungrateful kids! I was beginning to wonder who raised these children
Well, this is where it gets good....At 3:00 p.m. my children stroll into my house bearing flowers and apologies for their morning behavior! I got great big long hugs and love and kisses! I knew we had raised them right!!?



It was the worst/best birthday ever!

Tis the Season

Most of you know that Laura is a Christmas FREAK! We have to put up the decorations the day after Thanksgiving...yada yada yada...Well this year I had enough...saying "We" have to put up decorations is like the little kid who says "WE killed a bear and Pa shot it!" If WE put up the decorations why am I the one doing all the work, while Laura decides what goes where!!??!!

So I took matters in my own hands and put up decorations as I saw fit...here is a picture!


Merry Christmas!

DRAMA in the House!

This morning while getting ready for school, Grace was in the laundry room getting her bag ready for dance lessons. Laura, Torrey and I were in the living room having devotions. All of a sudden we hear a shriek and Grace blurts out "Who's there!".

Laura said "no one...you're running late...get your bag around!" Not ten seconds later, another shriek and a "Something is in this house and it's following me!" I replied "Nonsense! This house has been locked all night, nothing is following you!"

At this point Grace came into the living room shaking like a leaf..."Can't you hear that noise? It sounds like a bird chirping around my head!" At this point its all we can do to keep our cool, but I calmly said "Grace come here there's nothing wrong." She took two steps and froze in her tracks..."There" two more steps and this time I heard the little bird chirping too...hmmm

"Grace, take two more steps." There it was again...that chirping sound and it was coming from Grace's foot! Come to find out, she'd ruptured the air bag in the heel of her tennis shoe and every time she took a step with her left foot her shoe would "chirp".

Everyone including Grace cracked up! Something WAS following her...a spooky shoe.

It's those little moments of laughter in life we all need to appreciate. They serve as a gentle reminder that the apples don't fall far from the tree! Grace gets her "drama" from me and her mental instability from Laura :-)

Have a BLESSED DAY!

Jay

Live life to the full!

Each and every day, live life like it is your last...I do not want to be depressing but life's events this week, have made me think about how short life really is....This week the news from friends has been 3 cases of cancer and one unexpected death! These incidents make me ponder what difference am I making each and every day? What do I do with the time I am given each day to bring glory to God? We only have so much time and we do not have the luxury of knowing how much time that is...so ponder these questions....ask yourself are you using the time you have to love your spouse the way they need to be loved...listen to your kids detail out their day...play with your kids...eat dinner as a family...take the time to talk to someone today who you would not normally talk to...the delivery man, the waitress...love those around you the way Jesus would if He were living your life today. We only have so much time!

Living Life to the Full!
Laura

Laugh...it burns calories!

A minister decided to do something a little different one Sunday morning.
He said 'Today, in church, I am going to say a single word and you are going to help me preach...Whatever single word I say, I want you to sing whatever hymn that comes to your mind.'

The pastor shouted out 'CROSS.'

Immediately the congregation started singing in unison, 'THE OLD RUGGED CROSS.'

The pastor hollered out 'GRACE.'
The congregation began to sing 'AMAZING GRACE'

The pastor said 'POWER.'
The congregation sang 'THERE IS POWER IN THE BLOOD.'

The Pastor said 'SEX' The congregation fell into total silence.

Everyone was in shock. They all nervously began to look around at each other afraid to say anything.

Then all of a sudden, way from in the back of the church, a little old 87 year old grandmother stood up and began to sing 'PRECIOUS MEMORIES.'

Gotta Love Little Old Ladies.

Laugh... it burns calories.

J&L

Why we live in a Small Town~~

Over the years we have often been asked why we choose to live in a small town when we could really do our job from anywhere and have MUCH MORE OPPORTUNITY in a big city...well this story illustrates how we feel...

Courtesy of Mikey's Funnies

An investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The banker complimented the fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.

The fisherman replied, "Only a little while."

The banker then asked why didn't he stay out longer and catch more fish?

The fisherman said he had enough to support his family's immediate needs.

The banker then asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"

The fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a nap with my wife, stroll into the village each evening where I play guitar and sing with my friends. I have a full and busy life."

The banker scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and I could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat, you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman, you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to a big city where you will run your expanding enterprise."

The fisherman asked, "But, how long will this all take?"

To which the banker replied, "15-20 years."

"But what then?"

The banker laughed and said that's the best part. "When the time is right, you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions."

"Millions...Then what?"

The banker said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a nap with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could play your guitar and sing with your friends."

today'sTHOT============================

If you are not content with what you have, you'll never be content with what you want.

A new connection!

Okay so I just got done spending too much time on Facebook! Now I know for some of you out there Facebook is a scary thing! But let me tell you, I am having a riot on it! I know the arguement out there that says it is a way to disconnect from real human contact but here is the deal...I am connecting with people that I have not connected with in years!

Former Campus Life kids that have grown up into adults that are raising families and actually remember some of what they learned in Campus Life! A beautiful young mother who was in a grief group I lead while she was in high school who is now helping young children deal with grief in their lives. Friends from college that live so far away that if it was not for Facebook I would not even know where they live or what they are doing. Friends that have been a part of my adult life that have moved away and we can stay connected online. Childhood friends that literally live on the otherside of the country yet we can talk everyday! Friends in my life now, that I do get to see more regularly but we can connect on FB at any given moment.

Facebook is a way to connect and to reconnect. It has truly been a blessing in this Facebookers life. Try it and if you do- friend me so we can stay connected!

We're off

We're heading out this morning for Atlanta to be guests on Everyday with Marcus and Lisa. We're presenting our Healthy Marriage Healthy Church program to a nationwide television audience.

This is our first opportunity to share this on a national level and so we'd like to ask you to pray for a couple of things:
1. That we would be coherent and understood by the listeners
2. That people would respond, seeing the great need this program fulfills
3. That is might open other media opportunities to present HMHC

Thanks!

J & L

Finding the Magnificent in the Mundane

Every job or career has its good points and its bad points. Most every job also has its MUNDANE moments. Dictionary dot com defines mundane as: common; ordinary; banal; unimaginative. In my job, TRAVEL is the mundane.

Saturday I spent 9 count them NINE hours in the car driving to two different speaking engagements. My day began at 6am as I made my way to Grace Adventures in Mears, MI to speak for a men's retreat sponsored by Mt. Pleasant Community Church. Driving due west, the sunrise coming up behind me drew out the brilliance of the fall foliage as every new corner and hill brought a refreshing picture of God's creation...it was MAGNIFICENT!

On my way back to Alma to pick up Laura for our Ultimate Date Night in Tekonsha, MI that evening, a detour routed me over the Croton/Hardy Dam. While driving over the dam, I was treated to six (6) STUNNING swans. They were gliding gracefully over the still glass like waters...it was MAGNIFICENT!

Driving down to Tekonsha I spotted something strange in the air. As we kept our eyes on it we soon discovered it was the Blimp flying through a cloudless sky over the Michigan State University football game...we had seen that blimp from over 20 miles away...MAGNIFICENT!

Coming Home at 10pm at night, a big bright 3/4 waning moon rose over the trees to the east. Laura said it looked like a Milano cookie half dipped in chocolate...we watched it rise in amazement...MAGNIFICENT!

As I climbed into bed after midnight, the effects of an 18 hour day, two shows and nine hours on the road had me weary and sore, but before I drifted to sleep I thanked God that in the midst of the mundane, he revealed the MAGNIFICENT!

Look for the MAGNIFICENT in your job, your spouse or your kids today and be blessed by your Father in Heaven!

Jay

Do we really care?

Okay so here is the question of the day....

We can all get angry about our financial crisis in our country. We can get indignant about which political party has the best candidate for president. We argue and pontificate via email, Facebook, yard signs, and bumper stickers. Yet marriages are falling apart around us and we sit and watch because it "is none of our business"!

Let me tell you folks, our economy is not going to get any better, our children are not going to be safer, who we put in the highest office of our land is not going to matter until we make marriages our business! We all see people around us who are hurting in their marriages. They have made choices that are not good for their relationship. We can see it in their eyes...the hurt, the sorrow, the loneliness. But we still keep our lips locked tight for fear of offending!

We don't mind offending our neighbor with political verbage, but we don't won't to offend our neighbor with words of wisdom that will restore relationships and bring joy back into their lives.

So the question is: Do we really care?

2 Chronicles 7:14 - PRAYER FOR OUR NATION

ONE MINUTE EACH NIGHT.... 9:00 PM Eastern Time.

We all need to be on our knees.

Do you believe we can take God at His word? Call upon His name, then stand back and watch His wonders to behold. This scripture gives us, as Christians, ownership of this land and the ability to call upon God to heal it. I challenge you to do so. We have never been more desperate than now for God to heal our land.

2 Chronicles 7:14 'If my people, which are called by my name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.'

During WWII, there was an adviser to Churchill who organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every night at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of England , its people and peace. This had an amazing effect as bombing stopped. There is now a group of people organizing the same thing here in America. The United States of America and our citizens need prayer more than ever!!!

If you would like to participate: each evening at 9:00 PM Eastern Time (8:00 PM Central, 7:00 PM Mountain, 6:00 PM Pacific), stop whatever you are doing and spend one minute praying for the safety of the United States, our troops, our citizens, for peace in the world.

If you know anyone who would like to participate, please pass this along.

Someone said if people really understood the full extent of the power we have available through prayer, we might be speechless. Our prayers are the most powerful asset we have.

Thank You. Please pass this on to anyone whom you think will want to join us.

Busy Saturday

Hello!

We've had a busy Saturday getting ready for Celebrate Your Marriage at Grand Hotel...994 of our "closets" friends are joining us over the next 3 days...

Tonight is Torrey's Sr. Year Homecoming Dance and in the midst of all his preparations he locked two sets of keys in his car...not to worry, a quick call to AAA Michigan and...crisis averted!

Being his Sr. year, the kids are joining us at Grand this fall...so please say an extra prayer for us :-)

C-YA!

J & L

He is growing up!

Every mother comes to a point of realization that her children are growing up! Maybe it is when you move from diapers to big kid pants? Or maybe when they go to kindergarten for the first time? Or maybe when they go on their first date!?!?

I must be a slow learner! Torrey is in his senior year of high school and for some reason it is just now dawning on me that he is growing up! I think the realization that he will be leaving is just hitting home. I am a blubbering mom on any given day at any given event!

Last night was no different! We had parent's night at our youth group. Seems harmless enough and not necessairly a place for me to let the tears flow! But alas....

Torrey is a the leader of the the Youth Worship band and as they were leading us in worship last night I was overcome with the realization that not only was he going to be leaving us next year but what a fine young man he had become! I would like to take credit for it but since it seemed to happen in the blink of an eye...? I stood and watched himn sing and play guitar not only in front a large group of his peers but their parents as well. I was over come with emotion to the point that I could not sing! I was also aware that we do the best we can and thankfully the Lord is in charge! Jesus has made Torrey into the wonderfully talented young man he is!

I have a feeling it is going to be a long year for this mama! I will survive, but I think many tears will be shed and that is okay!

Hug your kids today! (for me!)

Headin' South

We're very excited as we head to Lexington SC this weekend, just outside Columbia for an Ultimate Date Night with The Harvest Church!

In the midst of the obvious turmoil our country is in...Election year, bailouts, and an economy that is in question, let's not forget to keep OUR priorities in order and focus on the Lord, your spouse and your kids...in that order :-)

God is in control!

Blessings~

J & L

Practicing what we preach and it's KILLING ME!

Laura and I are getting away for the weekend trying to practice the things we tell married people they need to do! We're heading to northern Michigan for some golf, sight-seeing and a couple of good restaurants!

BUT...Do you know what I gave UP this weekend? A free all expense paid trip to the Ryder Cup! For those of you that don't know golf...this is HUGE!HUGER!! HUGEST!!!

My friend Bill Hobson of Michigan Golf Live Radio had an extra press pass and room in his van for me to attend the entire Ryder Cup weekend...BUT I committed to go with Laura...

Yes she's worth it...no doubt more important than GOLF...but seriously this event only comes to the states every four years...it's like the Olympics only better because? IT'S GOLF!

Ok ok ok enough of my whining...can I just get a little credit for keeping my priorities straight?

Have a great weekend...we will :-)

Jay & Laura

Girlz Night Out!

Sometimes I feel like it isn't right to call what I do a "job"! We travel to really beautiful places like Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, MI. We meet tons and tons of people that warm our hearts! Take for instance last Friday night...I was asked to do "entertain and inspire" ladies at Girlz Night Out hosted by 99.7 Family Life Radio. We had a blast! The evening was located on the Bavarian Belle in Frankenmuth, MI. We had dinner on the boat and after my "entertaining and inspiring" time, we cruised down the Cass River on the boat.

It was a great night of meeting ladies from all around Michigan, laughing and having fun together! The privilege I have of being with people, laughing, encouraging, listening to their stories is one for which I am truly grateful!

A Best Seller!

Okay so I have to be honest...the other day, Jay sent me a "A Father's Reflections" via emai and asked me what I thought about it. I read it and replied back that I thought it was a bit on the sappy side but a good poem.

Now, understand what was going on inside my head as I read this poem: Jay frequently sends me stuff he finds on the internet and asks my opinion before we use them for something- blog, promotional news, etc. - I was surprised that he had "found" this poem and run it by me. I thought it was his "normal" find!

Come to find out- HE WROTE IT!

After, I responded that I thought it was a bit sappy, he went into this whole deal about how I don't understand him at all! He went on by saying that he could get sappier! I still did not get what he was trying to tell me! I just laughed...

Then as I am laughing...he says, " You know, when I die you can just take my journal and publish all my poems. You will probably make a lot of money off that book. After I am dead and gone."

THAT WAS WHEN IT HIT ME! HE WROTE "A FATHER'S REFLECTIONS" !!! Well that changed everyting...what a sensitive man I married! I was really and truly full of admiration for him and that fact that he wrote that poem! But it was too little too late.....

So I am trying to make amends for be insensitive in the first place by letting all of you know that Jay wrote that poem that he posted the other day. I am telling you all how proud I am of him and his ability to write his heart on paper!

I am also letting you know that the minute he dies...there will be a new bestseller on the shelves!

Thanks for reading and if you enjoyed "A Father's Reflections" let Jay know by commenting!

A Fathers Reflection

A Father’s Reflection

From starry skies to foaming seas
I see the signs – your love for me

A baby’s laugh a good friends grin
Your love displayed, it pulls me in

A wretched man, my sin, my shame
I’m only cleansed by Jesus Name

His name alone can calm the sea
His blood the Cross has set me free

I’m thankful for my wife and kids
And also for, what Jesus did

Lord hear my prayer that is my plea
What is the life you have for me?

"Hurry!"

How many times a day do you find yourself saying "hurry!" If you are like me, I say it at least several times each morning to a slow child not wanting to go to school. I say it every sunday morning when the preacher is not done and my stomach is growling! I say it to myself as I run each day and just want to be finished with the pain!

How much do we miss in life by living in a "hurry!"? It is like a good book. I always want to get to the end and see what happens that I skip over some important details of the story. When we live in a "hurry!" we are missing some important details of the story God has for us.

If we are always thinking we must "hurry!", we will live our lives in a "hurry!" and miss out on some of the journey. One of my favorite sayings is "Dance like no one is watching, love as though you have never been hurt, sing like no one is listening, and live as though heaven is on earth"

Slow down today and enjoy the journey!

Some people just don't GET IT!

Have you ever had a conversation with someone who is totally clueless? I don't mean to belittle or sound mean, but someone who truly can't see your point of view because it literally doesn't exist in their paradigm?

As someone who studies marriage, works with marriages, and yes struggles through this thing called marriage, it boggles my mind when someone who's been MARRIED for 20+ years can't understand some of the simplest truths about relationships. I'm not talking about an uneducated crack head here, I'm talking about people with a PHD for crying out loud.

Here's the truth: if you are married, everything that occurs in your marriage impacts the rest of your life. Also everything that occurs in the rest of your life impacts your marriage!

Now there are degrees of impact of course. If I have a good or bad day on the golf course, it is certainly not going to impact my marriage as much as if I have a heart attack, but the point is that "bad" golf game will have some spill over into my union with Laura because we are ONE!

For most people the problem comes in the fact that they "do their own thing" in marriage and never understand the beauty of becoming ONE with their spouse in every aspect of their lives.

Thanks for letting me RANT!

Jay

Back to school!

Back to school is always a bitter sweet time for me! I love summer and having some fun hangout time with my kids, yet there is a point where I am ready for them to head back to school and for us all to return to a "normal" schedule!

"Back to school" shopping is always a fun day with the kids. Torrey, Grace and I headed to the shops yesterday in search of jeans, shoes, and school supplies. The day made me realize a few things:


1. Grace is growing like a weed! She is now in a bigger shoe size than I am!
2. Torrey is on his way out! He is taking an easy schedule as a senior and did not even need school supplies!!
3. Torrey is more interested in friends than fam! He spent the entire day attached to his phone, except when mom was buying him clothes.
4. Grace is a tweenager! Jewelry and fashion were a must!
5. No matter how old they get, they still fight about who sits in the front seat!
6. A year from now, Torrey will be in college and it will be just Grace and I going shopping!

Celebrate the moment now!

Be Informed!

Ok so we're getting political. Or at least as political as we're gonna get. I don't know if you saw the Saddleback Civil Forum on the Presidency, but we thought it was very well done, and that some very good questions were asked. These are certainly not ALL the questions that should be answered by the candidates, but it is a good start, and the link below will allow you to see how the candidates answered the same question.

Enjoy and Be INFORMED!

Click here to view

Perception VS Truth

For over 20 years I have been bothered deep in my soul by the phrase “Perception is reality”.

I could never put my finger on my uneasiness until I heard this statement; “Perception is reality until confronted with the Truth… When perception intersects the Truth, everything becomes clear, we can no longer justify, we can no longer argue, we can no longer be deceived, because Truth cannot change.”


Do not fret because of evil men
or be envious of those who do wrong;
For like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.

For,
"All men are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall.

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said,
"If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life.


May your reality today be found in the TRUTH of Jesus and may the world’s perception of you be found in His Grace.

Take the survey!

Jay and I will be writing our next book here in the upcoming months and we need your help! We have a little survey we want you to take:

For women:
1. If you could change anything about men, what would you change? You cannot change anything about the nature of men.i.e. I wish he would desire less sex. Think about men in general, not just your husband or boyfriend.
2. Finish this sentence: I wish men would _________________ more.
3. Finish this sentence: I wish men would _________________ less.


For men:
1. If you could change anything about women, what would you change? You cannot change anything about the nature of women.i.e. I wish she would desire more sex. Think about women in general, not just your wife or girlfriend.
2. Finish this sentence: I wish women would _________________ more.
3. Finish this sentence: I wish women would _________________ less.

When you send us your answers in the comment section of the blog,let us know if you are male or female!

Thanks for your help!

Have a great day!

It's HEATING UP!

We're still in Arizona but couldn't wait to tell you all the great things that are going on for marriages! We've had sold out standing room only Ultimate Date Nights out here in Phoenix! A wonderful time at the AMFM Conference where we not only connected with some old friends but made many new ones as well!

AAAAANNNNNND...we've been getting reports from our Healthy Marriage Healthy Church teams about the super cool things they have going on for marriages in their church! Date Nights, Getaways, Fireproof the Movie and so much more. We're here to let the world know that marriage is meant to be a CELEBRATION and along with all our great friends out there we're going to show you how! KUDOS to everyone for helping us wave the flag for marriage!

Blessings!

J & L

Headin' out

Just wanted you all to know we are headin' out to lovely, steamy, hot, dry Arizona. We are speaking at a conference there and doing 3 Ultimate Date Nights! We are so lucky too because Arizona is having a cool front move in...it is cooling off to 105!!!! Enjoy your week and we will be in touch!

Have a great weekend!
Laura

Up and OUT!

Torrey is a senior this coming year and we are already realizing that in a year he will be heading off to college. WOW! It seems like only yesterday he was 10 years old, running around in camouflage scaring the neighbor ladies as he and his friends played “commando”.

We are planning all sorts of ways to make his senior year memorable. We’re going to read through Oswald Chambers devotional “My Utmost for His Highest” together this year. Taking a very special trip over Spring Break, and praying his memories of family will be fond.

Time Ticks for every family…don’t let your kids grow up and OUT with out INTENTIONALLY making some memories. Join us for Celebrate Your Family December 5-7 at Spring Hill camp to make some memories you and your kids will never forget! Visit www.celebrateyourfamily.com to register or for more information.

A Divine appointment…INVEST IN YOUR SPOUSE?

A friend of mine is a stock broker and recently relayed this story.

He was on the phone with a client who was bemoaning the fact that she was always exhausted. She worked full time and when she came home devoted her total attention to her 5 year old daughter until it was time for the daughter to go to bed. Then, the client relayed she would collapse into bed and start all over the next day.

At this point my friend stopped with the financial advice and asked “Can I give you some personal advice?” “Sure” replied the client. My friend then said he felt led by the Lord to tell his client that she needed to come home from work and focus on her husband instead of the daughter.

He went on to say that there was a period in his marriage where his wife was a great mother but not a great wife and that their marriage went “sideways” for about 10 years. He said that by focusing on her husband, the daughter would be better off in the long run.

The client then told my friend that there had been a few times in her life where she felt “direct Divine intervention” and that this was one of those times. She was going to go home and talk this through with her husband and begin to focus on him.

My friend said he left work that day feeling better than if he’d sold a million dollars in stock!

Invest in your spouse and reap both immediate and eternal dividends.

Looking for a great way to invest? Join us this fall at Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island or one of our many Ultimate Date Nights across the country. Visit our website for more information.

Whew! I am tired!

Jay and I left Sunday for a whirlwind trip to Virginia Beach, VA. We had the privilege to be guests on Living the Life. LTL is a talk show on CBN. We had a great time meeting the ladies, Louise, Terry, and Carolyn of LTL! They are a hoot! We got up at 4 a.m. this morn to head back home- thus the "whew, I am tired!"

We have had a great time traveling around and being guests on some great TV shows! BUT it is always nice to be home. Especially when it is 101 degrees in VA and 75 in MI!

We have more travel to go before the summer is over....Springfield, MO this weekend and the first week in August, we take Grace to a Phoenix. We will be speaking and attending the AMFM conference and Grace will be visiting a friend of her's who moved last year! That will be a blast for her!

Hopefully we will get some quiet time in August before school starts! I really don't even like saying that phrase let alone typing it!

Well, that is all I have for today! My brain is sleeping!

Hope you are having a wonderful summer! Share with us some of your favorite summer memories!

Laura

Blessed to be a BLESSING!

The Laffoon's were blessed this last week to spend some quiet time away at a lake cottage of some very good friends. We boated, sea-dooed slept in and did a whole lot of NOTHING...It was a great break in the middle of the summer and we really appreciated the kind gesture.

It got Laura and I thinking...we were all put on this earth to be a blessing to others. I know most of us don't have a Lake Cottage to bless others with, but we all can still be a blessing.

Maybe it's something as simple as baking cookies for a neighbor or paying for the car behind you in the toll booth. Whatever your means and whatever your opportunity, won't you join us in "paying it forward" and blessing someone in your world?

What fun it could be!

A Moving Night at Lifest

Last night Laura and I spoke on the Main Stage at Lifest. Denver and the Mile High Orchestra warmed up the crowd. If you've never heard them you need to check 'em out. If you like Chicago, Blood, Sweat and Tears, Earth Wind and Fire or any other rock band that features a great horn section you'll love D&MHO!

We were privileged to speak on behalf of Compassion International and challenged the crowd to Celebrate Life by reaching out to children who need hope.

The night culminated with Steven Curtis Chapman giving his first concert since the tragic death of his daughter. Steven's teenage boys are now a part of his band playing guitar and drums. Steven opened the show sitting at an acoustic piano and singing Matt Redmans song Blessed be the Name of the Lord. Read these lyrics and you will know the depth and power of the evening we experienced here at Lifest:

Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name

In the midst of whatever you may be going through may you be able to sing these words!

Blessings~

J & L

I'm not political but this makes sense!

RE-ELECT NOBODY!
Clean up the 545

By Charlie Reese

Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.

Have you ever wondered why, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?

Have you ever wondered why, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?

You and I don't propose a federal budget. The president does.

You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. Congress does.
You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.

You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.

You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president, and nine Supreme Court justices - 545 human beings out of the 300 million - are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.

I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.

I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a president to do one cotton-picking thing.
I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.

Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.

What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits. The president can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.

The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House? She is the leader of the majority party. She and fellow House members, not the president, can approve any budget they want. If the president vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.

It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people.
When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.

If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.
If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red.

If the Army & Marines are in IRAQ, it's because they want them in IRAQ.

If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.
There are no insoluble government problems.

Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above
all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like 'the economy,' 'inflation,' or 'politics' that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.

They, and they alone, have the power.

They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses - provided the voters have the gumption to
manage their own employees.

We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!


Charlie Reese is a former columnist of The Orlando Sentinel Newspaper.

Something to Ponder this July 4th

This piece inspired me, perhaps it will you too~ Jay

Meaning of Flag Draped Coffin

All Americans should be given this lesson. Those who think that America is an arrogant nation should really reconsider that thought. Our founding fathers used GOD's Word and teachings to establish our Great Nation and I think it's high time Americans get re-educated about this Nation's history.

Pass it along and be proud of the country we live in and even more proud of those who serve to protect our "GOD GIVEN" rights and freedoms.
I hope you take the time to read this ... To understand what the flag draped coffin really means ... Here is how to understand the flag that laid upon it and is surrendered to so many widows and widowers.

Do you know that at military funerals, the 21-gun salute stands for the sum of the numbers in the year 1776?

Have you ever noticed the honor guard pays meticulous attention to correctly folding the United States of America Flag 13 times? You probably thought it was to symbolize the original 13 colonies, but we learn something new every day!

The 1st fold of the flag is a symbol of life.

The 2nd fold is a symbol of the belief in eternal life.

The 3rd fold is made in honor and remembrance of the veterans departing the ranks who gave a portion of their lives for the defense of the country to attain peace throughout the world.

The 4th fold represents the weaker nature, for as American citizens trusting in God, it is to Him we turn in times of peace as well as in time of war for His divine guidance.

The 5th fold is a tribute to the country, for in the words of Stephen Decatur, "Our Country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right; but it is still our country, right or wrong."

The 6th fold is for where people's hearts lie. It is with their heart that. They pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States Of America, and the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.

The 7th fold is a tribute to its Armed Forces, for it is through the Armed Forces that they protect their country and their flag against all her enemies, whether they be found within or without the boundaries of their republic.

The 8th fold is a tribute to the one who entered into the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day.

The 9th fold is a tribute to womanhood, and Mothers. For it has been through their faith, their love, loyalty and devotion that the character of the men and women who have made this country great has been molded.

The 10th fold is a tribute to the father, for he, too, has given his sons and daughters for the defense of their country since they were first born.

The 11th fold represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon and glorifies in the Hebrews eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

The 12th fold represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in the Christians eyes, God the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit.

The 13th fold, or when the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost reminding them of their nations motto, "In God We Trust."

After the flag is completely folded and tucked in, it takes on the appearance of a cocked hat, ever reminding us of the soldiers who served under General George Washington, and the Sailors and Marines who served under Captain John Paul Jones, who were followed by their comrades and shipmates in the Armed Forces of the United States, preserving for them the rights, privileges and freedoms they enjoy today.

There are some traditions and ways of doing things that have deep meaning.
In the future, you'll see flags folded and now you will know why.
Share this with the children you love and all others who love what is referred to, the symbol of "Liberty and Freedom."

MAYBE THE SUPREME COURT SHOULD READ THIS EXPLANATION BEFORE THEY RENDER THEIR DECISION ON THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.

IN THE MEANTIME, MAY GOD PROTECT US ALWAYS.

ONE NATION, UNDER GOD, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

Off to CAMP & Helicopter moms!

Yesterday we took Grace to Spring Hill for a week of Camp Classic "Creative". Which is a typical week of summer camp with an emphasis on dance, music, arts and crafts. Grace will be in heaven! While she was a bit nervous about meeting new friends, she couldn't make us leave fast enough once she met her counselor and cabin mates.

It is always fun to see the Spring Hill staff. We are particularly excited about our joint venture with Spring Hill Celebrate Your Family this December.

We were talking with Spring Hill staff member Mike Krick and he was asking if Laura was nervous about Grace being away...HA! The look on Laura's face must have been classic, because Mike said..."Oh, I get it, there are "helicopter moms" then there's Laura!"

How TRUE! Our kids are blessed with a mom who loves them dearly, but has really done a great job of letting them grow up! Never one to "hover" Laura guides and directs but understands our job as parents is to continually "nudge" them out of the nest!

Blessings~

Jay

He's Officially a SENIOR!

We took Torrey to get his Senior Pictures taken today, marking the first of many "senior" activities we will have the fun of going through this next 12 months. Mom and dad were stressed; what poses will we use? What clothes to wear? Where will we take the outdoor shots? So was Torrey stressed...stress? Heck no he's a senior and the world now revolves around him right?...HA!

For his "formal" shot, he ironed and brought to the studio a dress shirt and tie he wore in his freshman year for basketball games. The big goof didn't realize he'd probably grown since his freshman year...he looked like an absolute geek as he tried to button the collar on a shirt two sizes to small. Two things: 1) we did re-schedule the shoot and 2) he gets his goofy-ness from dad and the air-brain from mom!

It seems like just yesterday...
When the doctor almost dropped him during delivery because his head was so much bigger than his body...
When he and his friend Mark were 5 and decide to shut themselves in our church gym lockers to "hide from mom and dad" scaring us all to death thinking they'd been abducted...
When he was 10 and he and his friend Chris would dress up like army men, sneek around neighborhood houses and scare all the moms half to death...
When he was in Jr. High and learned that guitars were "girl magnets"...
When he got his drivers license the day he turned 16 and became our errand boy! Now, gas prices has him running errands on a BIKE!...
When I caught him watching a DVD of a Pom Pon routine just to appease the girl he likes...wait, THAT WAS JUST YESTERDAY!

Great memories and I'm sure we'll have many more this year...

MAN AM I GETTING OLD!

Jay

What's your story?

Our good friend and head video guru Ryan Koral is running a contest! Ryan is looking for YOUR love story. The winner of this fab contest will receive a free video shoot to document your love story for your family and friends.

To enter the contest simply visit Ryan's site

Have fun!

J & L

Reunited!

I am so excited! I am leaving tomorrow for a long weekend getaway. I have 3 childhood friends that hung out together through all of our growing up years. After high school, we went our own way. We have seen each other at a couple weddings and touch based over the years, but this weekend we are going to have a girlfriend reunion! I am in Michigan, another is in Bellingham, WA, another in Nashville, TN and another in Atlanta, GA. We are going to the beach and relax and catch up on each others lives. What a treat it will be to see each other again and hug on each other!

A quote that Jay and I have always liked is, "Friends are the family you choose". These girls have been family since the day we were born and I am extremely blessed to be able to have a family reunion!

Have a great weekend!
Laura

Careful~ CAREFUL!

Laura and I have long made it a practice not to bash the opposite sex. I mean let's be honest, it's OK for me to pick on men...I'm a man! So it appears to me Laura crossed the line a BIT in her last blog so in an effort to create "equal opportunity" I supply the following...ENJOY!

A wife was making a breakfast of fried eggs for her husband.
Suddenly her husband burst into the kitchen.

"Careful ... CAREFUL! Put in some more butter! Oh my GOODNESS!
You're cooking too many at once. TOO MANY!

Turn them! TURN THEM NOW!

We need more butter. Oh my GOODNESS! WHERE are we going to get MORE
BUTTER?

They're going to STICK! Careful ... CAREFUL! I said be CAREFUL!
You NEVER listen to me when you're cooking! Never!

Turn them! Hurry up! Are you CRAZY? Have you LOST your mind? Don't
forget to salt them. You know you always forget to salt them. Use
the salt. USE THE SALT!

The wife stared at him. "What the heck is wrong with you? You
think I don't know how to fry a couple of eggs?"

The husband calmly replied, "I wanted to show you what it feels
like when I'm driving."

Hee hee

Jay

So that's the problem!

I was enlightened this morning by an email and I wanted to share it with you all!

Woman has Man in it;
Mrs. has Mr . in it;
Female has Male in it;
She has He in it;
Madam has Adam in it;

Okay, it all makes sense now...
I never looked at it this way before:
MEN tal illness
MENstrual cramps
MEN tal breakdown
MEN opause
GUY necologist
AND ..
When we have REAL trouble, it's a
HIS terectomy.
Ever notice how all of women's problems start with MEN?


So there we have it Ladies! "THEY" are the problem!

Laura