43 days and counting...

It has been 43 days since I last saw my daughter in person. 43 days since I've heard her singing Hannah Montana songs upstairs while getting ready. 43 days since I've seen her car parked in the driveway. 43 days since she would hold her arms open wide for a hug and say, "C'mon, into these arms..." She's an absolute hoot. And just in case you think we have the perfect mother/daughter relationship, trust me, we've experienced our bumps along the way--especially in the months prior to her departure. :)

Of course, I miss my son too, but not having my girl around is still a very new experience. Besides, I miss my shopping buddy. I tried going solo one day and ended up taking pictures with my cell phone of two pairs of shoes I was trying to decide between and sending them to her so she could cast a vote. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

I think I was especially missing her after being at the You and Your Girl event this past weekend and seeing all the moms with their precious girls. (It was a WONDERFUL event, by the way!) But there is relief in sight. I get to see my college kids in less than TWO WEEKS! The whole family is headed to Auburn for the Arkansas game (and a speaking event I have at First Baptist/Opelika). Oh, but that's not all. Two weeks after that, my daughter and one of her new friends will head to Orlando to attend the You and Your Girl event! Woo-hoo! And three weeks after that, she and her brother will be home for Thanksgiving! But I'm not counting the days or anything. Paige is a huge Christmas freak, so I have been informed that we will be decorating the entire house for Christmas over the Thanksgiving holidays. Mercy.

As much as I miss her, I am tickled that she is adjusting so well. She is THRIVING and I have no doubts that she is exactly where God wants her to be. She has met some darling Christian girls in her sorority, joined a weekly Bible study, attended a weekend Encounter retreat and has yet to miss a single Sunday for church. A couple of weeks ago, she even mentioned that she and some of her friends want to go to Africa on a mission trip. Hmmm....is this the same child who still cries if she has to get a shot at her annual well check?!

I love having an occasional iChat session with her and our chat last night was just what I needed to spur me on for the DVD taping of 5 Conversations You Must Have With Your Daughter in Nashville this week. See, you can still have "conversations" even 800+ miles apart. It's not the same as having her here in person, but it sure helps. In the picture on the left, the cute thing is showing me how long her hair has gotten. In the picture on the right, she screamed "Daddy!" when he showed up in the iChat frame. It was like she was four years old again and he had walked in the house after a day at work to rescue her from mean ol' mommy. Always a daddy's girl...

Anyone know of a good Hot Wheels body shop?

Attention ye mothers of little boys: Save your Hot Wheel cars for they shall satisfieth many bouts of teenage boredom on down ye road.

Me (upon seeing plastic storage container of Hayden's prized Hot Wheels cars on front porch): Hayden, why are your Hot Wheels cars out here?

Hayden (my 15 year-old): Um, yeah. About that. Remember last weekend when Austin and I were bored and you told us to find something to do outside?

Me: Yes....

Hayden: Well, we decided to play with my old Hot Wheels cars.

Me (upon closer inspection and noticing crushed cars): I see that, son, but I'm confused. What happened to them? (holding one up that slightly resembles a rolling credit card)

Hayden: Mom, it was so cool. We set them out in the middle of the street one at a time and then hid behind a bush and watched cars run over them. It was awesome.

Me (speechless, I gather up the metal debris and put them back into the container): Tell ya what. Next time you get bored, why don't you sit inside and play video games like a normal teenage boy?

I then replace the crushed cars into the container, close the lid, and proceed upstairs to return the plastic container onto the keepsake shelf in his closet. I had somehow envisioned that my rich reward for saving the cars would be the joy of seeing a future grandson roll them around on my kitchen floor while making darling little v'roooom sounds. Which certainly begs the question: Why am I even bothering to save a plastic bin of crushed Hot Wheel cars that no longer even roll? As I place the container back up on the shelf, I notice a clear plastic bin of now worthless, Beanie Babies. And for a split second, I feel compelled to rescue them from the death sentence that most certainly will befall them on the next boring weekend.

Have a great weekend! I travel to South Carolina for a You and Your Girl event this weekend and I am so excited to meet the darling moms and their sweet girls who are attending. Also, I will be in Nashville all next week for the DVD taping of 5 Conversations You Must Have With Your Daughter (release date: May, 2009) and would very much appreciate your prayers. BigMama (aka: Melanie) will also be there and may blog about her behind the scenes experience. Of course, I've banned her from taking photos prior to make-up. She will be in the listening audience as well!

A must-have mother/daughter geometry lesson

The following post is an excerpt from my soon to be released book, 5 Conversations You Must Have With Your Daughter. It is a sneak peek of a portion of a chapter in Conversation #1: You are more than the sum of your parts. Enjoy!

On a recent afternoon while shopping with my daughter, I waited outside a dressing room while she tried on some jeans. In the dressing room next to her, a young lady yelled out to her friend, “Oh-em-gee! I am so fat! I can’t fit into these size zero’s. Will you go get me a size two?” Seriously, I wanted to crawl under the door of that dressing room and feed the girl a cheeseburger. I prayed my daughter had ignored the whole interchange, but chances are it became yet another chink in the armor of the body image battle that wages war within the souls of most women, young and old, alike. Rather than logically deduce that statements like the one above are the product of the culture’s narrow definition of beauty, most girls within hearing range will instead glance at themselves in the mirror and feel disgust and shame.

One survey found that by age thirteen, 53 percent of American girls are unhappy with their bodies and by age seventeen, 78 percent are dissatisfied.” (1) If we are to counter the culture’s lies regarding body image, we must first go to the root of the problem and address body shape. I am talking about the God-given body shape your daughter was born with, rather than the hourglass ideal the media insists she should have. Amazingly, a recent study found that the hourglass figure is the least dominant shape of women, having made up only eight percent of the 6,318 U.S. women that were scanned for the study. The study further found that the hourglass shape almost does not exist in women larger than a size eight. (2) Keep in mind that the average woman is 5” 3.8” and weighs 163 pounds. (3)

The same study found that the garment industry assumes that the hourglass figure is the dominant shape of American women and designs their clothing accordingly. Because of this misconception, many women are unable to find clothes designed to fit their body shape and as a result, they struggle to make peace with their God-given body shape. In fact, 46 percent of women were found to have more of a rectangle shape, 21 percent were spoon shaped, and 14 percent were shaped more like an inverted triangle. (4)

But putting the geometry lesson aside, imagine a world were there were no pre-manufactured sizes. A world used to exist over a century ago when clothing was made at home. In The Body Project, author Joan Jacobs Brumberg notes, “In general, mass-produced clothing fostered autonomy in girls because it took matters of style and taste outside the dominion of the mother, who had traditionally made and supervised a girl’s wardrobe… So long as clothing was made at home, the dimensions of the garment could be adjusted to the particular body intended to wear it. But with store-bought clothes, the body had to fit instantaneously into standard sizes that were constructed from a pattern representing a norm. When clothing failed to fit the body, particularly a part as intimate as the breasts, young women were apt to perceive that there was something wrong with their bodies.” (5)

I'm certainly not suggesting that we dig our Singer sewing machines out of the attic and whip up our daughters' winter wardrobes (good luck getting her approval on that one!), but at the very least, we owe it to our daughters to give them a basic geometry lesson regarding the variances in body shapes. Rather than attempt to fit the culture's narrow and impossible standard of beauty (translation: size 0-2 with no body fat, breathing optional) they instead need to focus their attention on a plan that includes consistent exercise and nutrition. Their goal should be to achieve a healthy weight range that is realistic for their god-given body shape. Some girls were never meant to fit into a size 0, 2, 4, 6 or 8 and we need to be upfront and honest with our daughters about that fact.

While we're at it, let's also come clean with them and tell them that their weight and clothing size in their teen years will likely fluctuate after the babies come. Raise your hand if you were caught off guard with that sobering realization. Okay, you can put your hands down. Let's put a stop to this phooey nonsense of having this ridiculous magical number etched in our minds that we once saw on a scale in our teen years that has since become the standard to meet. Never mind that the magical number was achieved as a result of every day workouts during track season, a dare from our two best friends to try the grapefruit diet, and topped off with a 3-day stomach virus. The culture lied to us, but we don't have to sit back and do nothing while they lie to our daughters. Hmmm, and while we're giving them a dose of body image reality, do we dare tell them the truth about gasp, CELLULITE? Lets save that post for another day, shall we? ☺

Sources:

1. The Body Project: An Intimate History of American Girls; Joan Jacobs Brumberg; copyright 1998; pg. xxiv

2. Fashion Designers Still Blind To Reality; 23 February 2006 http://www.aphroditewomenshealth.com/news/20060123003254_health_news.shtml

3. http://pediatrics.about.com/cs/growthcharts2/f/avg_ht_female.htm; http://pediatrics.about.com/cs/growthcharts2/f/avg_wt_female.htm

4. Fashion Designers Still Blind To Reality; 23 February 2006 http://www.aphroditewomenshealth.com/news/20060123003254_health_news.shtml

5. The Body Project: An Intimate History of American Girls; Joan Jacobs Brumberg; copyright 1998; pg. 110

The state of our economy and a lesson in virtue

Raise your hand if you're fed up with the round the clock news coverage of our "doomed economy." I won't pretend to know all the ins and outs of this whole sordid mess (nor do I want to know), but I can tell you that what little I do know makes me nauseous. And from what I can tell, there's plenty of blame to go around whether it's Wall Street, Washington, or wishful thinking among home buyers who had no business taking out mortgages they couldn't afford. For the record, I am not talking about those whose salaries could justifiably cover the long-term payments (at the time of signing the agreement) who unexpectedly hit hard times.

There is a lesson in virtue for all to be learned in this mess. Imagine if the CEOs of some of these failed institutions did the virtuous thing and refused the million dollar exit packages they are likely to receive, Imagine if lending companies did the virtuous thing and refused to lend to those who clearly can't make the payments in the long-term. What if the home buyers who knowingly overbought did the virtuous thing and committed to payoff their mortgage without expecting a bailout from other tax-payers? Imagine that. Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't this whole situation boil down to greed or a failure to follow through on a commitment whether it be explicit (like a mortgage) or implicit? Fortunately, God addresses both of these issues and gives the following counsel:

Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (Luke 12:15)

Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. (Matt. 5:37)

Before we join up with the bandwagon of fear-mongers and wring our hands over the supposed "doomed economy", let's take a deep breath and take comfort in the fact that God is still on His throne. None of this has caught Him by surprise. In fact, He might use this mess to discipline our country, and He promises to bring good (as He defines "good") out of it for every Christian who will submit to Him as Lord during this process. I stumbled upon this excellent article, Faith, Not Fear by Chuck Colson where he addresses "God and Wall Street." It was just the dose of reality I needed to put things into perspective and breathe a sigh of relief.

I heart high school football

#20, my favorite cornerback


Also, a punter







Hayden w/ JV pals! (2nd on left)








Last fall was a bit crazy alternating between freshman football games to watch our youngest and varsity games to watch our daughter cheer, but alas, we have but one left in the nest. Sniff. As you can imagine, we are treasuring every moment we have left to sit in the bleachers over the next three years. Every single one. Fortunately, we'll have plenty of moments to treasure since Hayden plays three sports (football, basketball, baseball). He'll eventually have to narrow it down, but for now, we're not complaining.

Keith and I have both confessed that one of the hardest adjustments when we become empty-nesters will be when we no longer have a game to attend each week. If you live in town and you have a little one in sports in a few years, let me know and we just may show up! Unless it's a cheer competition--Hubs is done with those.

Have a great weekend! Oh and by the way, the score of the game was 14-13, us!

Whew, one less thing to feel guilty about!

Well, it appears we can scratch "video games" off the long list of guaranteed ways to mess up our kids. A new report claims that they are actually good for our children. Yes, sirree bob, you can read it and rejoice by clicking here. Finally, I've done something right. This report all but guarantees that my boys will thrive in the world--virtual or otherwise. I do what I can to keep 'em healthy. My bone of contention with video games has been over monitoring the level of inappropriateness and the amount of time spent playing them.

Here is a sample conversation that is played out on a regular basis in my home especially during the summer months:

Me (upon entering my home office that my sons kicked me out of years ago and turned into a gaming grand central station): Hey guys, it's looking kinda messy in here. How about you clean up this mess.

Son #1 (distracted and concentrating on playing a virtual golf game): Huh.

Me: Wow, guys. I'm counting 7 coke cans, 3 bags of chips, a bazillion candy wrappers, an unidentifiable blob glued onto a paper plate....and, wait a minute. Who dares to drink one of my precious Diet Dr. Peppers?

Friend #1 (never looking up): I'm sorry Mrs. Courtney. That was me. I forgot they are off limits. Your "touch these and prepare to die" post-it note must have fallen off the case in the fridge.

Me: No problem. All is forgiven...unless I find my CheezIts in here and then there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. So guys, how about we shut down the gaming convention in say, about an hour?

Son #2: Mom, there's nothing else to do. Besides, we're in the middle of a golf match and we don't know when it'll be over.

Me: Wouldn't it be better if you guys played an actual real-life golf game with you know, actual real-life golf clubs on an actual real-life course?

Son #1: Mom, do you know how much that would cost? Greens fees cost a ton and so do golf clubs. If you pay for it, I'll think about it.

Me: Well, how about you just go play outside? In my day, we used to gather at the end of the culdesac every afternoon and play kickball and SPUD ...(interruption occurs before I can finish)

Sons #1 and #2 (in unison): ...until the sun went down and moms were shouting down the street that supper was ready. We've heard this story before, Mom.

Friend #2: What's SPUD, Mrs. Courtney? Can you play it online?

Me: Bless your hearts. Carry on, my virtual golf pros. Carry on. (Mom leaves office shaking head back and forth and throwing up flair prayer that sons and their virtual golf buddies will someday manage to hold real jobs, marry, contribute to pool of future grand-children, and become responsible members of society.)

Now, with the good news of this recent study, it appears that I had nothing to worry my little blonde head over after all. And what about all those outdated gaming consoles accumulated over the years? AN INVESTMENT, people. When I see them sitting in the corner of the 'gaming office' covered in a fine layer of dust, I will no longer feel guilty. Instead, I will be filled with the same level of pride as when I see that plastic trophy engraved with World's Best Mom on the bookshelf from a Mother's Day gone-by. The stack of now-useless gaming consoles will serve as a noble reminder that I have done my part to invest in the future of America...one $50 cartridge at a time.


(Disclaimer: Please note that the above post does not mean I endorse unmonitored video-gaming for children. The post is written tongue-in-cheek as an encouragement to the parents of the 97% of American teens (12-17) who, according to the study, play video games. My preference is still the great outdoors, a good book, or creative play. All things in moderation, folks!)

I now pronounce you man and device

Well, just when you think you've heard it all. A new study by Sheraton hotels (of 6500 traveling executives) has found that 35 percent of BlackBerry and PDA users would choose their device over their spouse. You can click here to read this depressing story. Let me take a stab at how we might solve this problem. Hmmmm.... how about you TURN IT OFF when you leave the office?! But before you shut it off, you might want to take a minute to google some marriage counselors in your area.

Oh, but it gets better. Among other findings: More than three quarters of those polled say their gadgets give them more quality time with friends and family... and help them enjoy life more. So, let me get this straight: The very device that 35% claimed they would choose over a family member, affords them quality time with their....family members? Is this before or after the trade-in? Call me crazy, but I'm thinking that someone who would keep their BlackBerry and send their spouse a-packin' might also be the kind of person who would trade their kids in for a leather case and unlimited music and movie downloads should the opportunity present itself. Then they can really enjoy life more. I wonder if their Blackberry's will snuggle with them on the sofa and scratch their back. Berry best friends. For better or worse; in sickness and in health...until death (or dead zone) do them part.

This story might be comical if it weren't so stinkin' sad. What's interesting is that just this morning, I finally talked to my dad who lives on the outskirts of Houston. He has been without electricity for three days. No TV. No cell phone (couldn't charge it). No radio. No air conditioning. Everything in town was closed and he had to conserve his one tank of gas because gas stations weren't pumping, so he was confined to home.

When I asked him how he did, he was in good spirits and talked about how he and his neighbors (many of whom he had not yet met) took turns cooking dinner on their gas grills in the evenings. He said they sat on their front porches to stay cool and talked throughout the day. When the power came on this morning, he said he plugged his phone, turned on his computer and got busy returning calls and emails. He also mentioned that he was feeling down after watching the news and hearing about the Wall Street crisis. Makes you wonder if maybe we're missing something here...

It's time for a Scout fix...and a giveaway!

I've suspected he's a blog reader... Clearly, he's checking for a Scout post.


These ducks are fortunate that Scout is on this side of this window.

Just file this post under the "more evidence Vicki needs to get a life" category. We haven't done a giveaway in awhile, so how about it? To qualify to win the two Angela Thomas products below (signed book and an audio book) comment with, Hmmm...... let's see, how about your favorite snack food? You know, that one item that you crave when you get a case of the mid-day munchies. Be sure to include a way to contact you (email address if you don't have a blogger profile). We'll draw for a winner this weekend and announce it first of next week!

Ike+20 ft. surge+zero brain cells+alcohol = "CERTAIN DEATH"

People like this amaze me. This is a screen-shot of some folks who are partying it up at a bar in Galveston at the time I write this (3 pm, Friday). Never mind that the The National Weather Service warned residents in Galveston that they could "face certain death" if they ignore an order to evacuate. Because of the idiocy and EXTREME SELFISHNESS of people like this, our Coast Guard will likely have to risk THEIR lives to rescue them. On our dime, of course.

When the FoxNews anchor spoke by telephone with the bartender and reminded her of this warning, she simply said, "Oh, I hope not." Right after I took this screen shot, bikini girl took a giant swig out of a big liquor bottle. What a class act. Like Neil Cavuto said, it might be a good idea to write their social security numbers on their arms so they are easier to identify once the storm passes through.

I was due to speak at an event in NC tonight, but my flight was connecting through Houston and they shut the airport down at noon today (my flight was due to leave at 12:30). I'm sad that I won't be able to attend, but relieved that I didn't fly into Houston only to get news of the airport shutdown when I landed with no way to get back to Austin. Spending the night in the Houston airport hurricane shelter isn't my idea of fun, though it might make an interesting blog post. Sweet Esther Burroughs is the other scheduled keynote, so I'm hoping they were able to arrange for her to pinch hit for me tonight.

Please pray for all those in the path of this monster storm...even the selfish ones in this picture who have opted to stay behind. If you happen to read this and you're in the path of the storm, comment and let us know so we can lift you up in prayer. My inlaws and my father are just outside of Houston but in an area where the eye of the storm is projected to move over if it stays on its current path, so add them to your list.


UPDATE, Sunday morning: My loved ones are safe, but without power. Sadly, it could be weeks before power is restored. The in-laws have a generator, but once it runs out of gas, they are out of luck since few gas stations are pumping (no electricity; many out of gas anyway). We're trying to convince them to put their pioneer ways behind them and make their way to Austin (a 3 hour drive). I can't reach my father to check on him this morning and his cell phone goes straight to voice mail which leads me to believe it's dead w/ no way to charge it.

Houston is a mess and under mandatory curfew for a week. And it's raining again. The irony is that clean-up has been delayed due to the fact that the first priority is doing search and rescue for the approximately 100,000+ people who failed to heed the evacuation warnings. Perhaps, the law-abiding folks who are among the 3 million+ residents waiting to have their power restored would like to have a word with these folks?

Even though there were few casualties, the storm will have a devastating impact on our economy in the days/weeks to come. Oil rigs off the Gulf Coast (produce over 1/4 of our nation's fuel supply) will be down for 8-9 days and gas prices will continue to rise. Much of Houston (4th largest city in the country) is without electricity to do business which will have an impact on the local and national economy. As you can see, the storm is not over. Please pray.

Virginity on the auction block?

Every so often a story comes along that literally leaves me feeling physically sick to my stomach. When several readers alerted me to this story (click to read) about a 22 year-old college student who is planning to auction off her virginity to pay for grad school, I have to admit that I was (and still am) somewhat skeptical about the validity of the "stunt."

Please Lord, tell me that no one this shallow really exists. But should this story really be true, I would love to ask this young woman if she really thinks the money she receives for prostituting herself out to the highest bidder will be enough to buy back her dignity and self-respect. Of course, we know the answer to that question because anyone who would pimp out her purity has zero self-respect to start with. That to me, is very sad. We know the One who will pay her greatest debt and I pray that she finds Him.

Truly, "A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold." (Proverbs 22:1)

On your mark, get set...start talking!

Last week, I mentioned that I would post an example sometime this week of an actual "conversation" you might consider having with your sons and daughters in light of teen pregnancy being in the spotlight once again. Due to the fact that I am on a tight deadline as I prepare the teaching sessions for the DVD portion of the 5 Conversations Bible study (releasing in May, 2009), I am posting an excerpt from the trade book, 5 Conversations You Must Have With Your Daughter. The excerpt is from Conversation #3 which is entitled, "Sex is great...and worth the wait." Enjoy the excerpt and adapt it accordingly if you have sons rather than daughters. Most importantly, let's start talking!

What the culture is not telling your daughter about sex

If I had to sum up the culture’s message regarding sex, it would match a customer review on Amazon for one of my books to teen girls. Apparently my suggestion that God created sex for the confines of marriage didn’t sit well with one reader who gave my book a one star review and offered the following comments:

“90 percent of world’s population will have sex before they are married…People will always want to have sex, it's human nature!”

Unfortunately, she failed to include the scripture verse where she gleaned that wisdom—Oh but wait, there’s NOT one. While I would agree with her that it is human nature to want to have sex, I’m not sure I follow her logic when she comes to the conclusion that because 90% of the world’s population will have sex before they are married, it therefore, must be okay. The majority of Americans are also in debt and overweight, so I guess that’s okay too? And I wonder if 90 percent of the population jumped off a bridge if the reader above would join them? Perhaps God created us with a “human nature” to want to have sex in order that it might be enjoyed in marriage and serve as a means to procreate the world. And perhaps 90% of the population has failed to follow His game plan for sex, opting instead to write their own rules for the game.

In addition to ignoring the fallout from having sex outside of marriage, the media also fails to address the benefits of saving sex for marriage. Think about it. When was the last time you heard a media report announcing that those who abstain from sex outside of marriage have the best sex once they are married? The Family Research Council surveyed 1,100 people about their sexual satisfaction and found 72 percent of all married “traditionalists” (those who ‘strongly believe out of wedlock sex is wrong’) reported a higher sexual satisfaction. ‘Traditionalists’ scored “roughly 31 percentage points higher than the level registered by unmarried ‘non-traditionalists’ (those who have no or only some objection to sex outside of marriage) and 13 percentage points higher than that registered by married non-traditionalists.

And the perks don’t stop there. Several researchers with the Heritage Foundation analyzed data from the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth and found that for women 30 or older, those who were monogamous (only one sexual partner in a lifetime) were by far most likely to be still in a stable relationship (80 percent). Sleeping with just one extra partner dropped that probability to 54 percent. Two extra partners brought it down to 44 percent. Clearly, there is a link between self-restraint practiced before marriage and a lasting and fruitful marriage. Most of our girls would admit to wanting a healthy and happy marriage as a long-term goal. I wonder how many might alter their behavior and choose to abstain if they knew that, in doing so, they would greatly increase their likelihood of remaining in a lasting, monogamous marriage.

Let me put this into perspective. Here is the exact conversation I had with my own daughter to illustrate this powerful finding. “Paige, if you apply this finding to your peer group and you line up ten of your friends who have already had two or more sexual partners, approximately six will be divorced by their 20th high school reunion. However, if you line up ten girls who successfully abstain from sex prior to marriage (of which I hope you will be one), only two will be divorced by their 20th high school reunion. In other words, if you sleep with just two guys prior to marriage, you will be three times more likely to divorce than if you abstain.”

Of course, you don’t hear the media highlighting any of the above data. The culture will continue to tell our daughters that sex is a natural, normal part of life. They will scream and fight to abolish abstinence-based sex education and continue to peddle the “safe sex” message ad nauseam. It is imperative that we as parents, pick up the slack and share with our daughters the details that the culture refuses to address. I can't imagine that most girls, including those with no religious foundation, wouldn’t want to be fully informed when making a decision that could impact their future happiness .

(c) Vicki Courtney; Five Conversations You Must Have With Your Daughter; 2008

Dear Ike, what part of "Don't mess with Texas" do you not understand?

There is a buzz that Ike is projected to make landfall on the coastline of Texas (near Corpus Christi) this Saturday morning and then curve upward toward Austin as a tropical storm status. I have worried more about our Texans close to the coastline and been shrugging off all this phooey about Austin getting hit by a tropical storm UNTIL,that is, I read in the paper this morning that they may cancel the Texas/Arkansas football game (scheduled for Saturday, 2:30 PM kickoff). Folks, you know it's serious when something dares to interrupt Texas football.

The paper also said that Austin is in the path for possible tornadoes (or in Texas speak, "tornadders"). Pardon me while I make a quick run to the store to pick up a couple 12-packs of bottled water and a case of Cheez-Its. Okay, I'm back. Now, in spite of being somewhat geographically challenged as well as allergic to charts and graphs, I thought I would check out those fancy satellite images for myself, so I could be a well-informed Texan. Here, is what I found:











Which didn't really help me much because I wasn't quite sure where Austin fell on the map to the right. I had a hunch that it might be close to that little red tornado looking symbol in the middle of the state. (Perhaps this explains why I was grateful for the "C" I got in Geography.) So, I googled myself a Texas map to solve the Ike mystery and then put the two maps side-by-side like this:













Hmmm... This doesn't look good. Maybe I should stock up on more Cheez-its and Diet DP. Actually, I leave for NC for a speaking engagement on Friday and I'm due to return home to Austin on Saturday afternoon. Which basically means that I'm probably free for dinner on Saturday night if you live near Asheville, NC. But seriously folks, please pray for our friends living along the Texas coastline. Ike needs to take a hike.

MTV's 25th Anniversary VMA's = Blech.

My curiosity got the best of me and I decided to tune into the VMA's last night. Within 3 minutes, I was second guessing that decision. Allow me to give you a summary of the first few minutes of the show's opening monologue by some no-name host I had never heard of prior to the show. I had to google the show to identify him as Russell Brand (from the UK):

President Bush: "Retarded cowboy fellow" who in England, "wouldn't be trusted with a pair of scissors."
Republican Party: Bad
Obama: Good
USA: Progressive people who will do the right thing and vote Obama into office
People who don't vote for Obama: Racist
Sarah Palin: A "VILF" (VP I'd like to F***) Straight from the mouth of the same host who just encouraged the US to be "progressive."
Bristol Palin's fiance: Punished for not having safe sex by having to attend the Republican Convention. Huh?
Bristol's baby: PR stunt (someone needs to help this poor guy out w/ some basic math skills)
Jonas Brothers: Crazy guys who made a virginity pledge
Virginity pledges: Something a crazy person makes

That alone served as a reminder of everything I hate about MTV and why it's normally blocked on my TV's. I tried to be objective as the night wore on and was able to come up with a few awards of my own:

Most graceful performer: Leona Lewis
Most energetic performer: Pink
Too cute for words: The Jonas Brothers
Most gutsy quote of the night: "I just wanna say, it's not bad to wear a promise ring because not every guy and a girl wants to be a slut, OK?" (Jordin Sparks)
Nominees who looked most out of place: (in a good way) Jordin Sparks and The Jonas Brothers
Performer most in need of a belt: Lil Wayne (What was up w/ the non-stop crotch grabbing?)
Performer who just hit minute #15 on her 15 minutes of fame: Katy Perry (Pastors' daughter who sings one hit wonder, "I Kissed a Girl)
Most low-key acceptance speech: (in a good way) Britney Spears, who took 3 awards, thanked God, her family and fans, and overall, looked much healthier and happier
Worst-ever host: Russell Brand

Not that I expected much from a show produced by MTV, but last night left me weary of the over-the-top desperate attempts by Hollywood to glamorize all that is wrong in this country. The only ray of sunshine in this show was seeing the stark difference in the level of class displayed among the new (and younger) up-and-comers, The Jonas Brothers and Jordin Sparks (I'm holding my breath for Miley). May God honor their faithfulness and give them strength to swim upstream in an industry that has glamorized sin and narcissism as the norm for young people.

War Eagle, fly down the field...

When I logged onto Facebook today, I found a little treat from my daughter. She loaded the top pic into an album and in the caption it says, "for mom." I sure do miss them, but it warms my heart to see them so happy.

Thirty-one days until I can hug them in person, but hey, who's counting?

Pssst...Victoria's new secret

With the media frenzy surrounding Sarah Palin yesterday and her much-anticipated speech (Bravo, by the way!), I almost missed this headline buried on the FoxNews.com page:

"Victoria's Secret to Alter 'Super Sexy' Image." Wowsers. Here are a couple of snippets from the article that caught my eye:

"...the brand's ultra-sexy image has come under fire with feminist and Christian groups such as puritypeople.com and americandecency.org, which have promoted boycotts against Victoria's Secret."

Amid sliding sales, CEO Sharen Turney admitted earlier this year that VS had become "too sexy" and had forgotten its ultra-feminine audience.

A VS insider told Pop Tarts that the panty professionals are altering their image to be a less steamy and a little more appealing to those who actually wear the cotton coverings — females."

Hmmmm.....allow me to offer my own commentary as to possible reasons behind the company's "sliding sales":

Could it be that women are finally beginning to wise up to over-the-top "sex sells" marketing campaigns and take offense at being depicted as nothing more than mere objects for the male-viewing pleasure? Or perhaps that annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show and the raunchy ads that often aired during Super Bowl games could be to blame. Seriously, what was the company's M.O. on that marketing attempt? Were they really thinking women would rush to open their wallets after the company treated their husbands (or partners) to soft-porn skivvy shows featuring models that represent .00000001 percent of the female population? Models, mind you, who remind us that no matter how hard we try, we will never look like them? Oh, but wait, the models have been hopelessly airbrushed, so the truth is, no matter how hard they try, they can't even look like "them."

Or perhaps the company's marketing M.O. was to entice the men to rush out to the nearest Victoria's Secret store, slap down a credit card, and surprise their beloved with a Victoria's Secret "Fantasy Bra" and panty ensemble after seeing the fashion show or ads. Ah, that must be it because we all know how comfortable the average guy is in a Victoria's Secret store. My husband ranks his one and only visit right up there with the Barry Manilow concert I made him attend years ago for my birthday. I think he visited Home Depot at least daily in the month that followed in an effort to purge the assault to his manhood. Even for the poor sucker who bravely enters the store and shells out big bucks in high hopes that the "fantasy" ensemble will morph his beloved into a supermodel, the reality surely sets in when the ensemble fails to accommodate for sagging bosoms and dimpled thighs. That's the norm, guys, so get over it.

So, here's the deal, VS. If you keep guilting us about what's perfectly NORMAL and brainwashing our guys (not to mention, our sons and daughters) into thinking near-nekkid-supermodels-with-pouty-smiles-who-subsist-on-rice-cakes-and-lettuce-leaves-and-probably-stopped-menstruating-at-16, are NORMAL, well then, we might not like you. And if we don't like you, we probably won't shop at your stores. And if we don't shop at your stores, that could very well translate into "sliding sales." Comprende?

But hey, what do I know? I'm just your target market...

Sarah Palin: Rut-roh.

I just heard on FoxNews while watching coverage of Hurricane Gustav that Sarah Palin has just announced that her 17 year-old daughter, Bristol, is five months pregnant and plans to marry the father of the child. Sarah Palin has made the following statement regarding her daughter's pregnancy:

“We have been blessed with five wonderful children who we love with all our heart and mean everything to us. Our beautiful daughter Bristol came to us with news that as parents we knew would make her grow up faster than we had ever planned. We’re proud of Bristol’s decision to have her baby and even prouder to become grandparents. As Bristol faces the responsibilities of adulthood, she knows she has our unconditional love and support. Bristol and the young man she will marry are going to realize very quickly the difficulties of raising a child, which is why they will have the love and support of our entire family."

Also worthy of mention is that the McCain camp has confirmed it was aware of Bristol's pregnancy before selecting Palin. As this news makes its way to the general public, I want to remind the Christian body of a few timely truths:

1. No one is exempt from falling prey to the temptations of the world. "There but for the grace of God, go I." This could be my daughter or for that matter, your own. My prayers are with this family as they struggle through this life-changing event...all the while, the world is watching.

2. I am confident that God will work this situation together for His good and glory. (Romans 8:28) As someone who faced an unexpected pregnancy at the same age and did not choose life, I am personally praying that this young lady's example will give other teen girls who find themselves facing the same plight the courage to choose life. Abortion is not the quick-fix the culture preaches. It's time that those of us who bought this lie come forward and share our regret.

3. We have a problem, folks, and our sex-obsessed culture is having a devastating impact on our young people. It's time for a new approach and an updated sex talk with our kids.

I commend this family for choosing life, especially at time when the political stakes are so high. I dare say, many might have sought a quick-fix solution to an untimely pregnancy in an effort to squelch rumors and prosper careers. I have had many Christian women cry on my shoulder over the heartache of a past abortion when sharing my own testimony over the years. Some are ministers' daughters, seminary students' wives, and other prominent Christians who opted for abortion as a quick-fix to save face and guard reputations. Let us not minimize the difficulty of the choice the Palin family is making. Truly, this family is pro-life and is giving more than mere lip-service to their position.

Ironically, I am working today (yes, Labor Day) on my script for the DVD portion of the Bible study version of my trade book, "5 Conversations You Must Have With Your Daughter" that will be shot at the end of this month. I am specifically working on the conversation related to the challenge we face in raising our children in a sex-obsessed culture. I had just typed the following phrase when I heard the breaking news about Ms. Palin's daughter: "We have a choice: We can stand on the sidelines wringing our hands and quivering in fear with an attitude of defeat, or we can roll up our sleeves and step into the fray of a battle raging out of control and say, 'That's it. Enough is enough.'" I guess you can tell which side I'm recommending... ☺

UPDATE: Next week's "Virtue Alert" post will address what it looks like to "step into the fray of a battle raging out of control" and address this topic with our children. In fact, I will share an exact conversation (one of many), I recently had with my 15 year-old son regarding this topic. Mind you, it will focus more on a parent's attitude when presenting the benefits of waiting and the consequences that can occur should they choose not to. However, the meat of this "conversation" covers five chapters and over 60 pages of text in my 5 Conversations book, so it would be impossible to fully do this topic justice in a blog post.

Some might call this elder abuse...

My in-laws are proof that you're only as old as you feel. By the looks of this clip, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if these feisty (not to mention, foxy) septuagenarians ask for an iPhone this Christmas.



When I grow up, I want to be just like them. Never mind that I have yet to ride on the tube in the 2+ years we've had the boat. My excuse up until now has been that I don't trust the boat driver. He took it easy on his folks, so who knows, I may give it a try in the weeks to come. Of course, I will not be posting a video clip unless a) we can dub out the maniacal laughter coming from the boat driver and the high-pitched, shrill screams coming from the tube-rider and b) the tube-rider's hair has that wind-blown super model effect in the finished product. So yeah, don't hold your breath waiting for the clip...