Summer has always been my favorite time of year. Here are 10 reasons why. Tell me why you love (or hate) summer. And have a wonderful Fourth of July holiday!

1. Fireworks
2. Homemade ice cream
3. Water fun
4. Camping
5. Lemonade
6. Wiffleball
7. Long days
8. Flip-flops
9. Fireflies
10. Family vacations

Tags: summer fun, 10 things, summertime

It’s one of my favorite questions for her. I never know what answer I’m going to get. This child is always wondering about something or dreaming up a project of some kind.

“How are seedless grapes grown?” she asked on one recent day. “I mean, if there are no seeds, where do they come from?”

A few months ago my husband gave her a journal in which to record her thoughts and ideas. She quickly filled it up with observations, charts and diagrams of inventions she envisions, and questions about a variety of topics.

This morning was no exception. Turns out, she’d been thinking about the price of gas. She’s concerned about our country’s dependence on foreign oil. She worries that drilling and transporting oil in Alaska will hurt sea animals. And she’s mulling the idea of a gasless car that would use magnetic locomotion. She has even conducted some experiments with magnets to see how it might work. Not bad for a 9-year-old.

“Maybe,” she said, “a lot of the things people think are impossible really are possible. It could be that no one has thought about those things long enough or in the right way.”

As I pictured individuals like Wilbur and Orville Wright, Alexander Graham Bell, and Thomas Edison, I had to agree.

My daughter may be on to something. Granted, we weren’t all destined to become famous inventors, but I wonder what would happen if we fully applied the gifts God has given us, while trusting Him completely with the results. What if we did all that with pure motives, seeking to serve others and honor God, rather than promoting ourselves? What if we truly had faith in God’s promises, even faith the size of a mustard seed instead of a seedless grape seed? What would be possible then?

If anyone asks, that’s what I’m pondering today.

Tags: faith, Christianity, gas prices, oil, gasless car, kids, inventions

Ian Usher, a British immigrant to Australia, ended up with $384,000 when he offered to sell his life on eBay. The winning bidder gets Usher’s house and all his possessions — including his car, motorcycle, jet ski and skydiving gear — as well as a one-time introduction to his friends and a trial period at his sales job.

Usher came up with the idea after his marriage fell apart. He hoped it would give him a chance to start over and create a new life. However, he says he was disappointed with the selling price.

“I’d hoped it to be a little higher than that,” he said. “But I am committed to selling and moving on and making a fresh start.”

So what do you think your life is worth? Much more than $384,000, I can assure you. The truth is, Someone already paid a tremendous price for you, for Usher —for all of us. Jesus made the ultimate bid on our lives when He died on a cross for our sins. He did it so we can have a fresh start, a chance to walk away from the pain and sin and frustration that weigh us down. He offers us eternity. All He wants in exchange is our broken-down lives.

Your life may not be worth much on eBay. But in God’s eyes, it’s priceless. For more on responding to God’s offer of salvation, click here.

Tags: Ian Usher, eBay, eternal life, value of life, Christianity, Jesus, what am I worth, meaning of life, salvation, sin, cross

As gas hovers at $4 a gallon and grocery prices soar, the business of living takes an increasing amount of resources. With all the things I juggle throughout the week, my inner fuel reserves are sometimes in short supply as well by the time I make it home at the end of the day.

In spite of feeling a little tapped out earlier this week, I decided to treat my family to some homemade chocolate cookies. Using the oven in the middle of summer may not help the energy crisis, but seeing how excited and appreciative the kids were as they entered the kitchen doing the “Mom made cookies” dance made it worth the small spike in my utility bill.

As we sat around the table with our saucers and milk, my son remarked, “Mom, you’re great.”

“Because I made cookies?” I teased.

“No,” he said, looking reflective. “I mean, the cookies are really good. But you’re great for lots of reasons. You’re just such a great mom.”

As I took in those words, my heart suddenly felt topped off. I can get a lot of miles to the gallon on little moments like that.

Tags: gas prices, grocery prices, energy crisis, parenting, family, kids

Based on surveys of students from public and private high schools in 39 states, the report includes some alarming findings. Among them:
• Over 35 percent said they had been in a physical fight in the previous 12 months. Four percent required medical treatment after being in a fight.
• Nearly 10 percent had been hit, slapped or physically hurt by a boyfriend or girlfriend.
• Eleven percent of girls had been raped.
• More than 28 percent of all students polled said they had felt sad or hopeless for two consecutive weeks or more in the past year.
• More than 14 percent had seriously considered suicide. Nearly 7 percent had attempted suicide in the past year.
• More than half had tried smoking cigarettes, and 8 percent were regular smokers.
• Three-quarters had tried alcohol, with almost 24 percent having their first drink before age 13. Twenty-six percent said they had engaged in heavy drinking in the previous 30 days.
• Approximately 29 percent of students were in a vehicle driven by someone who had been drinking alcohol in the 30 days prior to the study. More than 10 percent drove a vehicle themselves while under the influence of alcohol.
• Eight percent of students had tried marijuana before age 13.
• Nearly 20 percent had used marijuana in the previous 30 days.
• Just over 13 percent had sniffed inhalants — such as glue, aerosol spray cans, and paint — to get high.
• Over 22 percent said they had been offered, sold, or given illegal drugs on school property in the previous 12 months.
• Nearly half had engaged in sexual intercourse, and 35 percent described themselves as currently sexually active.
• Almost 15 percent had had sex with four or more people.
• Among those who claimed to be sexually active, 61.5 percent said neither they nor their partners used condoms.
• Just over seven percent had engaged in sex for the first time before age 13.
• Approximately 16 percent of girls and 7 percent of boys had gone without food for at least 24 hours to lose weight.

Rather than sermonizing on these sobering figures, I’m interested in hearing your thoughts. Leave a response below.

Tags: CDC report, youth statistics, teen suicide, teen violence, teen drinking and drug use, date rape

Chapman’s manager, Jim Houser, writes on his blog that the tragedy has brought unprecedented traffic to the Christian recording artist’s Web sites. Since the accident, more than $500,000 has been donated to an organization founded by the Chapmans that provides financial aid for foreign adoptions.

Houser says People magazine, which featured the family in a news spot after Maria’s death in May, is planning a follow-up story after receiving positive feedback from readers. Houser recently made the following statement to People: “Through this tragic and difficult time for the family they continue to cling to their faith in God. This faith assures them they will see Maria again, and that God will sustain them through this unimaginable time. Before the loss of Maria, they knew and lived this truth out. Now they press into it and go on with hope.”

What a testimony of grace. Our comfort as Christians is that, no matter what we face, God walks with us every step of the way, providing strength through His presence and hope through His promises.

Chapman’s team announced this week he is planning to return to the stage July 11 to resume his U.S. tour. I can only imagine how tough it might be to go on the road and minister to others while still trying to cope with this loss. Houser asks for continued prayer support for the Chapmans as they face the difficult days and months ahead.

Tags: Steven Curtis Chapman, Maria Chapman, tragedy, concert tour

Me: Sigh. Can you wrap this up in a box and put a bow on it?

Daughter: But you already have it.

Me: I know, but I’d like to keep it for a long time.

Daughter: Oh, you can.

Me: Promise?

Daughter: I never make promises because, well, I don’t want to break them.

Me: Sigh. That’s what I figured.

Tags: parenting, childhood, bedtime, conversations with children, mothering, growing

As we pulled to the curb to look, our little boy’s eyes grew wide with excitement.

“Whoa, that’s big,” he said. “That Santa’s so big!”

Then there was a pause.

“But not as big as Daddy.”

We chuckled and assured him the Santa was much bigger than Daddy.

“No!” our little guy insisted, growing very serious. “Nothing is bigger than Daddy!”

That memory is precious. Over the years, it has reminded me how important a dad is in the life of his family. From a child’s vantage point, he’s larger than life.

Though the kids are older now, their dad’s status is still measured in epic proportions. Just yesterday, as they were arguing over some minor bit of trivia, I overheard my daughter say, “Let’s ask dad. Whatever he says is true.”

This is as it should be. A child who grows up with a positive view of his or her father is much more likely to be open to a relationship with the heavenly Father. Numerous studies have shown kids who are close to their fathers are also more apt to experience success in virtually every other area of life.

Earlier today I interviewed Dr. Meg Meeker, a pediatrician, family counselor, and author of Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters and Boys Should Be Boys: Seven Secrets to Raising Healthy Sons. She says the bond with a father is the most vital relationship in a child’s world after a relationship with God. In a culture that frequently runs down dads and diminishes the importance of fatherhood, it’s a daring statement. But I think it’s worth repeating.

So happy Father’s Day this weekend to my husband — and to all you great dads out there. You are bigger than you know.

Tags: Fathers Day, dads, importance of fathers, children, parenting, fatherhood

While driving across the state, I stopped and snapped some pictures of the scenery. The beauty of God’s creation never ceases to amaze and inspire me. It’s like a never-ending, outdoor worship service.

“Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; let them sing before the Lord” (Psalm 98:8,9).

Tags: Montana, mountains, nature, outdoors, God, Christianity, worship

According to a Harris Interactive Poll conducted for Symantec, maker of Norton security software, U.S. parents are clueless about how much time their kids are spending in cyberspace and what they’re doing there.

In a poll of parents with children between the ages of 8 and 17, respondents estimated their kids spend an average of two hours a month on the Internet. However, the kids confessed to 20 hours of monthly computer screen time — 10 times more than their parents thought!

Worse, 41 percent of 13- to 17-year-olds said their parents have no idea what they’re looking at on the Internet.

Here’s what the poll shows they’re really doing online:
• Social networking. More than three-quarters of teens visit social networking sites, compared to 47 percent of their parents.
• Meeting new people. A third of all kids polled and half the teens say they’ve made friends online. One in three rank cyber friendships as equal to or better than offline relationships.
• Being approached by strangers. Among all the children polled, 16 percent had been approached by a stranger online. Their parents guessed the number to be around 6 percent.
• Getting squeezed for personal info. About 4 in 10 teens have received an online request for personal information.
• Shopping. More than one in three children said they were “very confident” or “confident” shopping on the Internet.

This clearly shows closer monitoring of Internet activity is needed. Experts say providing Internet access in a child’s bedroom is a bad idea. Instead, they recommend placing the computer in a shared family area and limiting the amount of time kids spend online. It’s also a good idea to install software that blocks pornography and other inappropriate content. And teach youngsters not to disclose personal information or strike up conversations with strangers on the Internet.

For more information about Internet safety, visit NetSmartz.org, a Web site sponsored by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Tags: Internet safety, children online, social networking, strangers and the Internet, online shopping, family, parenting