Happy End-of Mother’s day friends (in the Eastern Time Zone anyway!)

I hope everyone of you have a sweet and blessed day. Mine was extra special as I had my honey, all my children, grandchildren AND MY MOM all together for a pool party in our back yard. I am telling you, there is no diamond; no yacht; no mansion; no trip to Tuscany that beats a gathering of all your family together in one sweet place.

My cup runneth over, as they say.

I am always mindful of those women who long for this day to be one when she finally hears someone call her “Mom”. It just makes me want to gather every one of them in my arms and remind them that THEY ARE LOVED!! God SEES the desire of your heart sister! (Ps 139:1)

As I close this very busy weekend I want to say thank you to all of you who took the time to enter my Passionate Mom book contest. I wish I had a book for each of  you I really do.

If you didn’t win it, PLEASE reward yourself and BUY A COPY. I promise you will not be sorry. As a matter of fact my friend Susan has a VERY SPECIAL DEAL going on right now!

It truly is an awesome book!!

So, with no further delay ’cause I am EXHAUSTED …..Drum Roll Please!!

The winners are:

Jan Heinen

Renee’ H

Carrie Walser

Ginese W

Barbara Baily

Congratulations ladies. Please email your mailing address to my adorable Assistant Alyssa at ashutty@awpm.net and she will mail your book asap!

I am truly honored to have you visit my blog and pray blessings over your coming week!

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One little “happy place” in life for me is to snuggle under my bed covers and read a book while the rain twinkles on the window. Somehow that soft sounds makes all things right with the world.

NOT SO MUCH when I am startled out of bed at 2 am by thunder and lightning that seems to be shooting at my bed and rain that is pelting the glass as if to break through at any moment. That is what happened night before last. Our whole house woke up thinking it was another one of those pesky Florida hurricanes. It was not, but it sure made our streets look like rivers.

Soon after I woke up my middle son called and began to tell me about a daring animal rescue his family had made after the storm.

A tiny little critter was discovered floating on the sidewalk in front of their home on the verge of death by drowning.

Oh my!

My son and Daughter-in-love and all the Grand “G’s” went to work to rescue the little critter, thinking it might be a baby kitty or a squirrel.

They wrapped it in a warm towel, lovingly nurtured it and whispered encouraging words of life over it’s wrecked little body.

As all of that loving care began to take hold, the little critter began to BLOOM

Oh goodie.

I wonder, had they known this was a RAT and not a Squirrel or a Kitty, would they have worked so hard to rescue that critter?

This past week, I spoke at a ministry event in Texas where a beautiful young woman shared her RESCUE story with me. Basically, when she went to the crisis pregnancy center in her community she was in critical condition. She had been beaten up and abandoned by her unborn child’s father. She had nothing but the clothes on her back and they were rags.

The team at this center brought her inside; wrapped her up tight with blankets AND LOVE and spent the next YEAR helping her get her life in order. She was a gorgeous example of what grace and love can do when it looks beyond the obvious and sees the possibilities.

THAT is what we do EVERY DAY at Life Impact Network in Tampa. Every day we RESCUE those being led away to slaughter as God instructs us to do in Proverbs 24:11.

ONE DAY each year, we have a Walk for Life to raise money to do what we do.

Rescue women who are faced with an unplanned pregnancy.

Restore women and men who have bought the lie of abortion.

Revelation 12:11—Release testimonies of the goodness of God and HIS REDEEMING RESCUE OF RATS!! (Read about mine here)

This Saturday, I am going to Walk for Life. I would be so honored by your financial gift to help us RESCUE more women and men who may feel like Rats but God sees as RADIANT!!

Here is my Walk for Life Page.

Everyone who makes a pledge of $25 or more will get a free book from me!!

Have you ever BEEN or RESCUED a RAT??

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Happy Easter friends. I have such a great Easter post going on in my head but am not not sure if it will get from my head to my blog before Mother’s Day so…. I decided to share some family fun as a blessing to you for Easter.

I enjoyed some fun in the kitchen with one of my 2 Daughters-through-love last night. After we enjoyed some impromptu Shrimp and Grits and Oyster Stew, Kim (@everythingesty) and I took a stab at a little treat I found on Pinterest to share a family picnic today.

Doesn’t it look BEAUTIFUL! (Kim makes everything look amazing but this REALLY tastes as good as it looks and is SO EASY you could make some at the last minute.

Here is the Recipe: (I doubled it)

1 bag white chocolate chips

1 bag mini rainbow marshmallows

1 TBPS or shortening or veggie oil

Easter Sprinkles

Line a glass baking dish or cookie sheet with parchment paper. I LOVE William Sonoma Perpetual Parchment Paper (personal hint—DON’T give your daughter-through-love a very sharp knife to cut the completed bark with or no more perpetual parchment paper).

Put White Chocolate in a bowl with the shortening and microwave in 30 second increments until it melts.(usually about 2 minutes TOTAL!) (WARNING-Do not overcook the chocolate, it may look a tiny bit lumpy until it is stirred really well.)

Add the marshmallows and stir them in quickly. Don’t over stir and melt them just cover the marshmallows with the melted white chocolate.

Spread mixture onto your covered pan and put in your freezer for 20 minutes.

Remove from freezer, cut into small squares or you can use a “Pam” sprayed cookie cutter for shapes, and hold yourself back!! I mean hold your KIDS back

Speaking of KIDS! I wanted to pass along a wonderful Easter Egg Hunting idea I pulled off my friend Susan Merrill’s  (Passionate Mom) blog last week. This is an AWESOME idea I wish I had had for my own kids but will use today for my “G’s”.

Happy Easter my friends. JESUS Lives!!

John 10:10

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Sometimes, I make messes with my words.

Sometimes, I say things that I wish I had not said or that I at least had said BETTER.

Sometimes, God uses my words to bless or encourage, to teach or inspire, to support or motivate. I like those time better.

Proverbs 25:11 says

A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.

Yum. I want to sweeten my life and the lives of those around me. I want my words to shine like silver and reflect the Jesus that I love.

One of the things I am learning more about each day is that AGE MATTERS when it comes to chatters

I am learning, usually the hard way ’cause that’s how I roll, that not only do my words matter but it matters how OLD the person is that I am talking to. Yep. Different age groups, hear differently.

Here’s the skinny.

The “Silent” Generation (born before 1945)

Like to feel respected and honored; they appreciate good grammar; tone of voice matters as much as what your are speaking; they don’t like cussin’ or slang words like “this sucks”.  See, if you are in that group or even close that word makes you cringe! This group is pretty private and don’t really mix personal family business in with business business. They have pretty clear boundaries between those two worlds.

Baby Boomers (1946-1964) ME

We like RELATIONSHIP based discussions. I want you to CARE about how I feel and what I think because I am going to care about it very much. I can not easily separate my work/ministry from my heart. I FEEL things in ways deeper than the obvious business discussion. Visions; mission; goals; passion; heart; reasons for my investment–all matter to me when discussing business, family, friends of faith.

Generation X ((1965-1980)

This group generally like things to be specific and to the point. Don’t mix a bunch of splitting paths into the discussion. Stick with the point. Stay on the task at hand. Be direct and straightforward. Send an email. Text a response. Be specific and stick with the plan. Stick with the facts as they are obvious. Don’t in/out or sideways. Business is business. Family is family.

Generation Y (or Millennials) (Born yesterday) (aka–after 1980)

These guys like a positive word. They love text talk but love face to face equally as much. They want time and attention. They want communication and information. They want to know why. They want mentors. They don’t like cynicism or condescending talking AT; They don’t embrace sarcasm. They have lots of personal goals and have a hopeful view of the world.

Now, think about a recent or current communication conflict and ask yourself—as I am doing as well—

How did I do with the person I am trying to communicate with?

Have I honored THEIR needs? Have I expressed my heart in the way THEY best understand?

Have my words smelled of sweet apples and sparkling silver? Most importantly, have I reflected the Jesus that I serve and love?

I’d LOVE to read your words!

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