Reunited and it feeeeeeels so good

At the airport!

Paige and Scout are reunited






A family outing to the mall








The college kids are home! They arrived late on Friday evening and Keith, Hayden, and I were waiting at the airport to greet them at the baggage carousel. This was their first time home since we pulled out of the driveway to begin the caravan to Auburn back on August 8th. Once home, a steady stream of friends began to trickle in and within 24 hours, the driveway resembled a used car lot, noise was bouncing off the walls, the pantry was bare, and Keith and I were counting our blessings.

This Wednesday, we will spend Thanksgiving in East Texas at Keith's folks' house (aka: "the farm") with his sister and her clan as well as his aunt and uncle and the cousins who also have a house on the property. We are especially excited to see his cousin, Shelley Giglio and her husband Louie, who have just returned from the Passion World Tour. We can't wait to hear all about it. In addition to the world tour, they cast the vision for Passion conferences and manage worship artists such as Chris Tomlin, David Crowder, and Charlie Hall. Not to mention, Louie is one anointed preacher. If by some slim chance you haven't heard of Passion, you can click here for more information. Amazing ministry!

A trashy situation

Okay, now I've heard of Labs foraging for food in the trashcan or for that matter, eating the trashcan, but c'mon, I wasn't prepared for my pint-size pocket pooch to pick up this bad habit! Apparently, he has figured out how to use the bottom shelf in the pantry as a launch pad to food-scrap heaven. I figure it's only a matter of time before he dives in on that rare day when the trashcan is empty and finds himself serving a little time in a plastic prison.

Hack attack?

Goodness gracious, I have apparently angered some "ttyl" fans with my post below regarding the Round Rock ISD Superintendent's recent decision to remove the book from middle school libraries. Just as a heads up, I have decided to close comments on all "ttyl" posts as a zero-tolerance to threatening comments. Here is an updated statement I made on the post below:

(UPDATE: Due to a handful of threatening comments I have received (seriously, this is so unbelievable), I am forced (again) to close all comments related to "ttyl". According to my tracking software, the disturbing comments are from readers who have been routed to this blog from the author's blog. I have no idea what the author has said and will not dignify the situation by visiting the blog, but I have been warned by several of her readers that my site will be "hacked" in the next 24 hours. I find it ironic, as well as disturbing, that those who are crying "censorship" seek to "censor" or even "attack" positions that run contrary to their own. Hmmm.... What is particularly confusing to me is that I don't even have the power to remove the book, nor do I have any influence over the Superintendent who ultimately made the decision to do so. Perhaps, they should take the issue up with RRISD school officials.)

Generation-too-big-for-their-britches?

"You can do it!" "You can accomplish anything if you put your mind to it!" "You're the best!" Is there such a thing as going overboard in praising our kids? A new study claims that many teens are "over-confident" and the study's author is pointing the blame at parents and teachers. According to an article on FOXNews.com entitled, "Many Teens Overconfident, Have 'Wildly' Unrealistic Expectations," the "self-esteem" movement may have gone too far.

Jean Twenge, a co-author of the study further claims:

Because modern day parents hand out endless praise, kids readily believe they are somehow superior, she said.

Furthermore, research shows that high school teachers now give out "A" grades more easily than they in the 1970s, even though students do less homework today than they did 30 years ago.

The overconfidence is causing teens to set "wildly" unrealistic goals for themselves, Twenge said.

In 5 Conversations You Must Have With Your Daughter I sourced a similar study, coincidentally by the same author above, that found that college students are more narcissistic and self-centered than ever before. Here is an excerpt from Chapter 18 entitled, "Princess Today, Royal Pain Tomorrow?":

While it’s reasonable to engage in an occasional narcissistic indulgence, for some, the indulgence of self becomes a year-round lifestyle. Take, for example a recent study where five psychologists examined the responses of 16,475 college students nationwide who completed an evaluation called the Narcissistic Personality Inventory between 1982 and 2006 and asked for responses to such statements as "If I ruled the world, it would be a better place," "I think I am a special person" and "I can live my life any way I want to." By 2006, the researchers found that two-thirds of the students had above-average scores, 30 percent more than in 1982.

The study’s lead author, Professor Jean Twenge of San Diego State University said, "We need to stop endlessly repeating 'You're special' and having children repeat that back…kids are self-centered enough already." The researchers attribute the upsurge in narcissism to the self-esteem movement that took root in the 1980’s and further suggest that the effort to build self-confidence has gone too far. Twenge, the author of "Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled — and More Miserable Than Ever Before," said narcissists tend to lack empathy, react aggressively to criticism and favor self-promotion over helping others. Not surprisingly, when asked to identify possible remedies to the growing problem, the researchers stated that "Permissiveness seems to be a component," and that possible antidotes might include more “authoritative parenting” and “less indulgence."

So, let me get this straight: If we don't want to raise selfish, narcissistic, all-about-me children who will likely grow up to become selfish, narcissistic, all-about-me adults, then we'd be wise to employ more "authoritative parenting" and "less indulgence." As I thought more about the author's conclusion that parents and teachers are to blame for this emerging crop of over-confident teens, I must say that I wholeheartedly agree. In fact, the article inspired me to come up with a Top 10 list of my own:

Top 10 ways to brat-proof your child:

1. "Authoritative parenting" assumes the grown-ups in the house are behaving like parents rather than friends. Kids need boundaries and rules and when you don't provide them, you set your child up for heartache on down the road. And let's not fool ourselves. No teen really wants to be best buds with mom or dad--they want freedom and if they can gain it by soothing a parent's low self-esteem with an elusive bff status, they are willing to play the game. Oh, and guess who'll be left with the tab in the end should fallout occur? That's right, bff mom and dad!
   
2. Don't rescue your child from the consequences of their poor choices. If they get caught drinking at the Homecoming dance, don't march up to the school to argue about the punishment that has been doled out. Resist the urge to throw them a lifeline--if you do it once, they'll expect you to do it again...and again...and again.
   
3. Don't try to fix things when your child doesn't make the team or argue with the coach when they sit on the bench. When they enter the working world, they will be better equipped to deal with real-life experiences such as as undeserving co-workers who get raises, bosses who are not qualified to lead, and other common injustices. Sometimes, life just isn't fair and our kids need to know that.
4. Don't provide for your child's every whim. When you shower your kids with the latest and greatest electronic toys, designer jeans, new cars, and the like, you give them an unrealistic picture of what life will be like when they set out on their own. Don't be surprised if they come a-knockin' on down the road when they're suffering withdrawals from the standard of living you provided.
   
5. Resist telling your child that he/she can be whatever they want if they put their minds to it. How do you explain that one to the multitude of grown adults who have discovered the hard way that they simply don't have what it takes to be President or make it to the Olympics? Help your child discover and cultivate their God-given talents, but don't set them up for disappointment by misleading them. If your child wants to be a popstar but can't sing a tune, do them a favor and tell them now before they find out this way (click here).
6. When your child is old enough to hold a job, require that they work during the summer months and earn money toward expenses. They will have a greater appreciation for their belongings and privileges if they play a part in earning money toward gas, car insurance, college textbooks, etc....
7. Do not make your child the center of your universe. Have your own outside interests and prioritize your relationship with your spouse. We don't do our children any favors when we drop everything and pour our entire energy into checking every homework assignment and shuttling them to countless after-school activities. Consider having a limit of one sport or outside activity per child, per season.
   
8. Teach your child common courtesies that should be displayed toward others. Require them to hold the door open for those passing through, surrender their seats to women and children, help the elderly and women who are struggling to load their bags in an airplane overhead bin, resist the urge to check a text message when talking with someone, etc... If you teach them to be on the lookout when it comes to helping others, it will deter them from thinking about themselves 24/7.
9. Teach your child to respect their elders and do not allow for rude and impolite behavior. Require them to answer with "Yes Ma'am, No Sir" and look someone in the eye when speaking to them. Teach them to initiate conversations by asking questions about the other person rather than expecting that the conversation will center around them.
10. Involve your child in mission causes. Volunteering at a soup kitchen, taking a mission trip, adopting a needy family at Christmas time, etc... will help them take the focus off themselves and teach them the joy of giving to others. At a minimum, make sure they do something on an annual basis that would help those who are less fortunate.
    

What about you? Share your words of wisdom!

Round Rock ISD Superintendent says ttyl to controversial book, "ttyl"

(UPDATE: Due to a handful of threatening comments I have received (seriously, this is so unbelievable), I am forced (again) to close all comments related to "ttyl". According to my tracking software, the disturbing comments are from readers who have been routed to this blog from the author's blog. I have no idea what the author has said and will not dignify the situation by visiting the blog, but I have been warned by several of her readers that my site will be "hacked" in the next 24 hours. I find it ironic, as well as disturbing, that those who are crying "censorship" seek to "censor" or even "attack" positions that run contrary to their own. Hmmm.... What is particularly confusing to me is that I don't even have the power to remove the book, nor do I have any influence over the Superintendent who ultimately made the decision to do so. Perhaps, they should take the issue up with RRISD school officials.)

Breaking news from Keyetv.com regarding the controversial book, "ttyl" that was made available in middle school libraries in Round Rock, Texas:

The Round Rock ISD Superintendent, Jesus H. Chavez, has decided to pull a controversial book from the Round Rock middle school libraries.

Back in September, more than 150 Round Rock parents signed a petition asking for a “Mature Readers Only” label to be put on “T.T.Y.L.” by Lauren Myracle.

As CBS 42 News reported at that time, the book has curse words, stories about drinking and seducing a teacher.

“T.T.Y.L.” has been on library shelves for several years. However said in a letter he released today to two of the parents that considering age, maturity levels and social development, he believes the book is not educationally suitable for middle school libraries.

I would like to commend the parents that initiated this battle (Wes and Sherry Jennings) and in doing so, exposed themselves to criticism from those in the community and elsewhere (including the author of the book who poked fun of them on her own blog). Based on the fact that I did one blog post on the controversy and received some of the most vitriolic comments to date on this blog, many of which falsely accused me of being a "book banner" (amongst a few other things), I can only imagine the persecution these brave parents have faced. The easiest path would have been to do nothing and say nothing. Bravo to these parents for speaking up and doing something. I have never had the pleasure of meeting the Jennings, but I can tell you that they are my kind of folk.

Here is an excerpt of the statement made by the RRISD Superintendent that was sent by email this morning to Sherry Jennings:

“In my capacity as the legally designated educational leader o f the District, I will instruct that the book in question be removed from the District middle school libraries. My determination is that considering the age, maturity levels and emotional and social development of our middle school students, especially the younger students in the middle schools, the book is not educationally suitable for inclusion in middle school libraries. While the book may be appropriate for some students, it is not appropriate for all of our students in middle school and should not be made generally available in a middle school library open to all middle school students. If parents wish their individual student to have access to the book, there are ample alternatives for the book to be made available to students at parent discretion.”

As I've said before, "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." (Edmund Burke)

One thing worthy of mentioning is that the local news station I was watching mentioned that they had spoken by telephone with the author of the book and that she had said something to the effect of being caught off guard when the book gained popularity with middle school girls and in hindsight, now wishes she had toned down some of the excerpts that are in question. I'm not sure if that is an accurate representation of her comments, but if it is, I appreciate her willingness to admit that. As an author, I can attest to the fact that it is often out of our control when a book is picked up by a younger audience than the intended target audience. We need to have a better system of checks and balances in the future before it reaches a point where a school district Superintendent has to step in and make the decision.

You know you're too busy when...

...a group of women at an event this past weekend tell you that they are coming to hear you speak in January at a mother/daughter banquet in Dallas and you smile unaware that you are speaking at a mother/daughter banquet in Dallas in January. I even went so far as to tell these sweet women that they must have you mixed up with another speaker because I am fairly certain that I don't have any scheduled speaking engagements in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area during 2009. One of the women was clearly confused and responded by saying that she was fairly certain she had seen the engagement on my speaking calendar on my author website (vickicourtney.com). When I returned home from the event this past Saturday night, I thought I would double-check my calendar just to be safe and guess what I found? 01/24/09 First Baptist Church Mother/Daughter Brunch & Style Show - Dallas, TX. Well, what do you know?

I vaguely remember discussing the event with my assistant Shawna and squeezing it in after finalizing my '09 calendar due to the fact that is a mere 45 minute flight away and I could be in and out in a single day. So, if you are reading this and you are one of the sweet women who were planning to come to the event in January, please accept my apologies. I promise I'm not a crazy loon.

I would put this on my Top Ten Most Ditzy Moments list, but unfortunately, it doesn't even make the cut. Topping the charts as the reigning #1 most ditzy moment would be a baby shower invitation I recieved in the mail some years back for a past staff member. As I was scanning (key word: "scanning") the invitation, I said to my daughter, Paige, "Ohhhhh...we need to go to this together." Paige took the invitation from my hand, read it over and said, "Mom, it says you are hosting the shower and it's at our house." Her revelation triggered a vague memory of a few emails I had received a couple months prior from a coworker about hosting a shower for this past employee. Apparently, I had agreed to be one of several shower hostesses and even offered up my home. Details, people, details. I'm just glad that the moment of revelation didn't come with a succession of door bell chimes on the day of the shower. Sigh.

In all seriousness though, busyness is a constant struggle for me and the Lord has been whispering in my ear to "Slow it down, sister" for quite some time. Fortunately, I am entering a season of rest and currently have no writing deadlines. I also have about a two month break before my speaking engagements in '09 start up. I have already begun my celebration of rest by reading two books this past week alone and have a stack of other books on my nightstand waiting (I'm also welcoming your suggestions!). I am also planning to tryout some new recipes, have lunch with some friends, and do some early Christmas shopping during this season of rest. Most importantly, I am making an effort to spend some time each day relaxing and doing absolutely nothing other than focus on hearing from God. Really hearing from Him.

When I was a little girl, no more than 6-7 years old, I remember going outside sometimes at night and lying on our sloped driveway and watching the stars. I was always curious about God and even though I wasn't a believer until the age of 21, I remember carrying on many conversations with Him on that driveway. Our driveway moments continued off and on through my tumultuous teen years all the way up until the time I left for college, when alas, they died down when I no longer had easy access to my driveway.

Just the other night, I was walking the dogs and noticing the stars shining brightly overhead. They were especially bright on this particular evening and as I approached my driveway at the end of our walk, God delivered the most beautiful gift to me. I looked up just in time to see a shooting star cascade across the pitch black sky. It was at that moment that God reminded me of our conversations in the early years on my driveway back in Irving, Texas. It was then that I realized how God had used those driveway moments as a testimony to His desire to be a part of my life--as an invitation of sorts to get to know Him.

"For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. (Romans 1:20)"

That shooting star was an invitation from the God of the heavens to slow down and listen. Really listen. Oh sure, I talk to God throughout my day in prayer, but do I take the time to really notice His invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature? I wonder how many shooting stars I have missed as I've hurried through life on my Christian journey. How ironic that those driveway moments were a prelude to my coming to know Christ yet they've died down since knowing Him. I think I'm going to talk to the Lord about that tonight. We have a standing date at nightfall...on my driveway.

What about you? Do you have a spot or a place where you seem to hear more clearly from God? Tell me about it...

Let's talk vampires...

If you have an older tween or a teen daughter in your home, chances are you've heard the word "Twilight" come up in conversation. Or maybe not, but be assured it's probably on your daughter's radar. Twilight the movie, is based on the best-selling book series by the same name and will release in theaters on November 21st, so I thought it might be a good idea to talk about it. The series was written by author, Stephanie Meyers, a Mormon wife and mom. The fourth and final book in the series, Breaking Dawn, sold 1.3 million copies on the day it was released (Saturday, August 2), so obviously this is a quite a force to reckoned with and clearly, a huge hit with its target audience.

During the Q&A forum at the You & Your Girl event in Kentucky this past weekend, questions related to the book and movie outnumbered all other questions I received. I have not read the series and therefore, I do not feel qualified to express an opinion. I have heard both pros and cons regarding the series and have talked to some moms (including my sister-in-law) who are reading the book series at the same time as their daughters in an effort to understand and discuss what is being read. I really like that idea, but again, this assumes that the reader is old enough to break down the message and filter it through God's lens in an effort to discern Truth from fiction.

About a month ago, I asked one of my staff to read the books and she recently posted about Twilight on the virtuousreality.com blog (our site for teen girls). You might pop over there and see what girls themselves are saying about Twilight. I was very impressed with many of the girls' honest and vulnerable answers. You might also enjoy this review by Focus on the Family's site pluggedinonline.com.

In the meantime, if your daughter is in the target audience for Twilight (both the books and the movie), weigh in and share your thoughts and/or experience. If you comment, please share your daughter's age if it's relevant to your answer.

5 Conversations in 5 weeks!

Are you reading 5 Conversations You Must Have With Your Daughter? If so, join me in an online book club! Hop over here to view my cheesy, homemade video clip that explains how it will work! The clip even includes a surprise (to me, at least!) guest appearance by Scout, the 3 pound wonder-pup.

Also, while you're on the 5 Conversations blog, I would love it if you could scroll down to the next post and help answer some of the Q&A questions we received at the Kentucky You & Your Girl event this past weekend!

Sex sells: Is your daughter watching...and buying?

Given the recent finding that there is a direct link between shows with sexual themes and teen pregnancy, I thought I would post an excerpt from my new book, 5 Conversations You Must Have With Your Daughter. Also, if you have a daughter, stay tuned for an announcement next week about a 5 Conversations online book club that I will be leading! If you have the book, keep on reading--you'll just be a step ahead!

Enjoy the excerpt from Conversation #3: Sex is great and worth the wait! (Note that the entire conversation consists of 6 chapters, so this post is certainly not intended to be a comprehensive solution to the problem of teen pregnancy!)

Sex sells

It’s nearly impossible to watch a half hour of TV without being force-fed the “sex sells” message, whether it’s an ad for a bag of Doritos or Axe Deodorant (the latter, interestingly, owned by Unilever which is the same company behind Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty ads.) I dare you to surf through your 100+ cable or satellite stations and count the number of times women are being objectified or sold the hook-up lie.

During the course of writing this very chapter, I happened to tune into a Sex in the City rerun out of pure curiosity. Within five minutes, I had a lump in my throat and felt sick to my stomach. The focus of the show was, of course, the rampant hook-up sex the main characters experience. One of the main characters, Miranda, finds out she has Chlamydia and is forced to tally up all the men she has slept with in order to notify them that they may be a carrier. As she’s scribbling down name after name on a piece of paper, she expresses amazement that she somehow managed to get through law school, graduate with honors, and become a successful attorney in spite of the frequency of her little sex-tracurricular activity. Later, in a scene where she is in bed with her boyfriend, she refers to herself as a “dirty, diseased whore” and expresses concern that the list she made of her past sexual partners wasn’t a short one. He questions her about the number and with some prodding, she admits that she has slept with 42 different men. He follows by admitting to sleeping with over 60 women.

Meanwhile, another character, Carrie Bradshaw, played by Sarah Jessica Parker, is confused as to why her new love interest of just ten days has not accepted her invitation to spend the night (translation: have sex). After she confronts him and boldly asks for a reason, he explains that it’s just been ten days and after sleeping casually with so many different women, he is trying to move in the direction of saving sex for someone he truly cares for. As her date kisses her at the door and walks away, she ponders this unpredicted shift from sex to romance and how it caught her off guard and didn’t even enter her mind as a possibility in a relationship. She concludes her thoughts with the classic statement, “Are we simply romantically challenged, or are we sluts?” (Am I allowed to answer that?!)

Typically, the shows that are popular among teen girls and young women are shows that peddle hook-ups and brazen sexuality as the norm. If you are a virgin, you are a freak. Many girls will buy the lie and seek to emulate what they see played out on the screen for fear that the alternative is well, just so dreadfully old-fashioned. Hook-ups (friends with benefits) are so common that almost every teen girl knows someone who has “hooked-up” just for the fun of it. Girl power at its finest. And why wouldn’t they want to hook up? They see it on just about every show they watch and it’s portrayed as chic and empowering. No strings attached. No phone call the next morning. No relationship drama. And best of all, you are in control—all pleasure and no obligations. But are you really in control? Seems to me that you lose much of your bargaining power when you give the guys something for nothing. Dawn Eden, author of The Thrill of the Chaste: Finding Fulfillment While Keeping Your Clothes On, says, “In this bizarre alternate universe – which, sadly, has become reality for many of today’s youth – good and evil themselves are redefined. No longer is it bad to allow oneself to use and be used sexually. The only sin is failing to “protect” yourself by using a condom or other form of contraception.”

Try as we may, it is nearly impossible to protect our daughters from the media onslaught that will vie for her attention when it comes to sexual promiscuity. And some parents, I dare say, are not even trying. Would you believe that a survey in 2005 found that Desperate Housewives ranked as the most popular network television show among kids ages nine to twelve? No wonder sex outside of marriage doesn’t even make the radar on the list of immoral deeds among the youth of today. We live in a day where girls hardly raise an eyebrow when a friend admits to hooking up the night before. College girls have taken to signing up for pole-dancing classes, and teen girls shop at Victoria’s Secret for lacy lingerie that was once reserved for the wedding night. Our hyper-sexualized culture has had an impact on our girls, and to remain silent and wish it away will do even more harm.

Study after study confirms that there is a direct link between engaged, caring parents and children making wise choices. Don’t ever doubt the power you have in influencing your daughter when it comes to sexual purity. One study indicated that teenagers in grades 8-11 who perceive that their mother disapproves of their engaging in sexual intercourse are more likely than their peers to delay sexual activity. In addition, The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy conducted a survey that questioned 1,000 young people ages 12 to 19 and 1,008 adults age 20 and older and found that 45 percent of teens said their parents most influence their decisions about sex compared to 31 percent who said their friends are most influential. Religious leaders were only the most influential among seven percent, while teachers and sex educators stood at six percent and the media at four percent.

God knew what He was doing when he created sex for the confines of marriage. It’s up to us to educate our daughters to the why behind His rules. No doubt, we have our work cut out for us. I didn’t write this chapter to depress you, but rather to implore you to address the two-ton elephant that’s sitting in the middle of the living room. We must have some candid and blunt conversations with our daughters to arm them in the battle they face. It can’t be ignored any longer. The culture is screaming for your daughter’s attention. Is she listening?

He feeds on ashes, a deluded heart misleads him; he cannot save himself, or say, “Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?” (Isaiah 44:20)

(c) Vicki Courtney; 5 Conversations You Must Have With Your Daughter; 2008

Warning: New study has linked racy shows like Gossip Girl to teen pregnancy

Teen Pregnancy Linked to Watching Sexy TV Shows

Hop over to the new 5 Conversations blog to read about this ground-breaking study!

An election promise you can believe

"But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations."
(Pslam 33:11)

Just call me the "bird lady"...or not.

While at my lake house over the weekend, I got a real treat when I walked out back and there, next to our boat lift was a gaggle of geese! Actually, they looked more like an armada lined up in perfect rows and staring straight at me. Taking the hint, I hurried back inside, grabbed my camera and a few slices of bread and quickly made some new friends. I shot the video footage while tossing them the bread and if you listen closely, you can hear them sort of honking under their breath (along with Keith weed-eating in the background). It was such a peaceful moment and for a split-second I kind of felt like I was in one of those netted bird aviaries at the zoo where you can get food from one of those gumball-looking machines and feed the birds up close and personal. Never mind that I normally rush right past the aviary on my way to see the gorillas and avoid it like the plague for the remainder of the day...

That peaceful moment ended right after I shot this clip when all of a sudden, my new friends began to close in on me and flap their wings. I had thrown them my last morsel of bread and believe me, they had taken note. It was a bit unnerving, so before being unwillingly cast into a scene straight from the The Birds, I retreated back indoors. Okay, so yeah, I ran back indoors and set a new Olympic speed record in the process.

Anyway, it was a wonderful, peaceful weekend and I'm always forced to slow down and relax when I'm at the lake house. I was able to sit on my porch swing and get some writing done. I am putting the final touches on the last workbook session for the 5 Conversations Bible study (due to my editor this week) and preparing for a SOLD-OUT You and Your Girl event in Kentucky this weekend! Woo-hoo!

I count it such an honor to work with moms and girls and I want you to know that it's not a responsibility I take lightly. Oftentimes, when I show up at an event and see the precious faces of the girls who are in attendance, I am literally moved to tears. I am so thankful for the devoted mothers who bring their sweet girls. It serves as such an encouragement to know that there are other caring, engaged parents out there who want to strengthen their faith and bring about positive change.

If you don't mind, I would love it if you could put me (as well as the event and my writing) on your prayer list. I have faced a considerable amount of persecution as of late and it can get wearisome at times. I realize that some level of persecution is to be expected when you have a blog that calls attention to relevant issues of the day that stand in stark contrast to God's principles and suffice it to say, I've been called just about every name in the book. I would be lying if I told you that there haven't been times where I've considered taking the easy road and sticking to the feel-good, "safe" topics of the day. But alas, the activist in me couldn't remain silent for long. As I've often said before, thank the Lord that I found the right cause or I could have easily been the hippie-girl camped out for two years at the top of a redwood tree with an army of bulldozers headed her way. :)

Based on much of the flak I have been receiving, I am more convinced than ever that God is looking for a remnant of believers who will serve Him with undivided hearts. It has caused me to take an inventory of my own heart and examine some areas that are in need of a remodel. All that to say, the recent persecution has left me with a renewed zeal to stick to the mission I've been given and served to further confirm my calling. In fact, it has even inspired two new messages I will be bringing to the You and Your Girl events in 2009!

A few days ago, God gave me a sweet nudge of encouragement while reading my Bible. I pray that it will also serve as an encouragement to you as we "fight the good fight."

Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Cor. 15:58)

Amen and amen.