Epoxy for the Heart

My preteen and I just returned from a Mom/Daughter Conference in Katy, TX.  The one-day event was titled You and Your Girl featuring Author/Speaker Vicky Courtney from Virtuous Reality, a ministry dedicated to promoting and preserving the virtue of teen and young girls.  Although my own girl was initially apprehensive about a weekend of lectures and intentional bonding, she was won over by a hotel slumber party with her friends and the opportunity to meet Singer/Songwriter Lindsay Kane.  It turned out to be a great weekend of fun, fashion, and forming foundations!

Vicky Courtney spoke on such topics as Guarding Your Heart, Putting the Brakes on the Rush to Grow Up, and The Top Three Lies About Beauty. 

True Love

(Must be read as a dramatic narration to receive it’s full value.)

We stumbled in the door of the crowded restaurant.  A growing shared hunger and the need to stretch our legs had led our family of four to this place in hopes of a respite from the unending Texas highway.  It was the only place in the area, the golden arches drawing us in to it’s fat-filled high-carb trap like a spider into it’s web.  As we stepped inside and took our place in line, I imagined this lonely, yet familiar, place must draw thousands of other travelers from the busy road.  From the looks of the building, it had stood it’s ground a long while.

Our extended wait in line allowed us each a bathroom visit, leaving behind rotating sentinels to defend our claimed position.  We even had time for a supervised return to the car for jackets to ward off the over-eager air conditioning, hoping to restore blood-flow to our limbs before we lost all sensation.  Finally, the wait was over; our moment arrives.

Try Your Hand

Well, I’m home today with a sick child. Fever, cough, congestion, basically all of the symptoms that have the power to disrupt the best laid plans of the Stay-At-Home Mom. I anticipate spending my day reading long forgotten children’s books and playing dust covered games to get us through the first day of Spring Break.  Although I enjoy these unexpected furloughs from the norm, where I can revel in the unmitigated overtures of my child and lavish her with special attention, the Type-A in me has a hard time letting go of the ever-present To-Do List.

Gifts Without Measure

One of my fondest  love languages is “gift-giving”.  I cherish even the smallest item received from a friend and I spend countless hours selecting the perfect gift when shopping for someone else.  In case you are unfamiliar with Gary Chapman‘s concept of “love languages”, a love language is a preferred method of expressing and receiving love.  We each have a method that is more meaningful to us than any other.  For me, exchanging gifts has significance that inexplicably transcends the exterior token.

A Penny for Your Thoughts? But It May Cost You More . . .

If I have a friend who’s thinking is skewed, how much responsibility do I embrace in helping her see the incongruities of her thought process?  One conversation?  Two?  Twenty?  How far do I pursue my argument to help her recognize her blind spots?