I couldn’t believe it when the radio woke me up this morning to the voice of Florence Littauer. It was like hearing an old friend speak. Over the next two days, Florence is speaking on the topic of “Making the Tough Times Count” on the broadcast of Focus on the Family.

My mom and I just spent half a week with Florence and her daughter, Marita, at a conference in August! They started an organization called CLASS, which stands for Christian Leaders, Authors, and Speaker Services. Every day, I got to hear Florence speak in person, and I’m still processing everything this amazing, godly woman taught me.

This morning, on the broadcast, Florence shared about how she and her husband, Fred, met and what the early years of their marriage were like. She is SO funny — such a joy to listen to! I reviewed a book she wrote about this in last month’s Christian Women Online, After Every Wedding Comes a Marriage.

Unfortunately, after Florence became a mother, her difficult times began. She gave birth to two healthy baby girls, but then she had a son who was born with such severe brain damage he died. I don’t want to spoil what happens next because she’ll be speaking on Focus again tomorrow, but Florence’s life was filled with even more tragedy after that. You can listen to today’s broadcast here, then she’ll finish up tomorrow.

From Florence’s sorrow became her ministry. It’s amazing how God can transform what seems like total despair into joy, when we trust Him. If you’ve read my interview with beautiful Allison Bottke in this month’s CWO, you may remember this quote she said that has stuck with me: “Every test is a testimony and every mess is a ministry.”

If you’re in the middle of a mess right now, just remember this. What you’re going through may be a ministry to someone else someday.

Congratulations to Iris of Sting My Heart blog. Today is her official day to launch her new devotional site, Laced With Grace.

Iris and a team of six other lady bloggers will be sharing daily devotional thoughts to lift the hearts of readers. I’ve been reading Iris’s beautiful essays in the Blogs of Beauty carnivals since last winter — God has whispered to me between the lines of her posts many times.

We’re praying for you, Iris! May God be glorified through your words! 🙂

Michelle Malkin had an excellent column last week that was printed in our local newspaper, Where Have All the Good Girls Gone? In it, she describes what has happened to Welsh singer, Charlotte Church, formerly a “good girl” with the voice of an angel. Malkin writes:

The corruption of Charlotte Church is a sorry little sign of how innocence and grace have lost their mass appeal — even as parents claim to want age-appropriate role models for their children.

Malkin shared results of a survey that was released this week of 1,010 mothers with daughters age 4 to 9 years old: 90 percent of the moms “believe there are not enough wholesome role models, celebrities, characters, and brands for young girls to emulate.”

You’ve probably seen this little logo, Moms for Modesty on tons of blogsites, but in case you’ve missed it, click on the image, and you’ll be taken to Everyday Mommy. As of today, 665 women bloggers, many of us mothers of daughters, have signed a “Moms for Modesty Mission Statement,” which can be found on this post.

This has gotten a lot of attention, and Mary Tsao of BlogHer wrote about it, further increasing visibility. All of this came about after Jules (Everyday Mommy) was shocked to visit a local restaurant with a dinosaur theme and see three t-shirts for sale in young girls’ sizes with the phrases, “Bite Me,” “Cold Blooded” and “Man Eater” emblazened across the front. Despite the obvious attempt at double entendre humor, Jules asked her readers,“I would like to know what you mothers of daughters think of these products? Would you allow your 6, 7 or 8 year old to wear a shirt like this? If not, why not? If yes, why yes?”

After an overwhelming “NO!” response, she wrote up the “Moms for Modesty Mission Statement” and created the button you see here, which has been placed on hundreds of blogs.

Malkin ends her Good Girls column with this plea: “Perhaps it’s time for moms lamenting the skankification of their little girls’ world to put their money where their mouths are.”

With Christmas shopping around the corner, will you make the choice to buy products that present a wholesome image to your daughters? Thankfully, we can teach our children the words of one “celebrity” role model who will never go out of style:

When I was in middle school, I was absolutely, positively BONKERS about horses. I dreamed about horses. I drew pictures of horses on all my school papers. I read horse books, watched horse movies, collected model horses. And I begged my parents to let me take horseback riding lessons.

There was a stable within walking distance of my house. My sister and I hung out at the barn, petting the horses, feeding them strips of grass, feeling their warm whiskery muzzle in our hands. My mom told us stories about her horse growing up and decided it would be OK to let us take lessons.

After several months of learning to ride, we found another stable about a ten-minute drive from our house, and my parents bought us a horse, Bandit. Every day after school, throughout our up-and-down roller coaster t’weens, Mom drove me and my sister to the barn. We mucked out stalls together, groomed and rode our horse, fed him — and for a year, I joined the show circut. I showed English equitation, and of course dreamed of going to the Olympics … until I started high school and moved on to other interests (humans, with XY chromosomes).

I think I’m still a bit horse crazy, and that’s why I was thrilled to discover TWO series of books for girls who love horses, written by Christian authors. Woohoo! You can help build your daughter’s faith while she’s following her heart reading stories about horses.

The Keystone Stables series by Marsha Hubler is published by Zonderkidz, and I read The Trouble with Skye. It was fantastic. Skye Nicholson is a troubled 13-year-old foster kid, who is full of teenage angst and is an expert at getting into trouble. She’s rescued by the tough love of Tom and Eileen Chambers, who offer her a new chance in their home.

There, she meets Champ, the most beautiful horse she’s ever seen. Though first deathly afraid to ride him, she discovers she’s a natural. The Nicholsons also gently introduce her to God, who loves her and gives her life meaning and hope as she explores her past. Marsha Hubler sent me a signed copy of her book with this inscription: “No trouble is greater than God! 1 Corinthians 15:10.” So, of course, I’ve blabbed about it to my local children’s librarian — and can’t wait until my girls are a little older. This series is recommended for ages 10 & up. (Skye has smoked pot in her past, which may introduce some heavy material for younger elementary-age girls.)

While I was telling my librarian about the Keystone Stables series, she pointed out another series she likes, Winnie the Horse Gentler books by Dandi Daley Mackall. These are published by Tyndale Kids, so I jumped right in and read Wild Thing, book 1 of the series.

Twelve-year-old Winnie is searching for peace in her life, after the death of her mother in a car accident. Her dad keeps moving her and her younger sister around, unsettled and grieving. Winnie has a part-time afternoon job at nearby Stable-Mart, where she falls head over heels in love with a spirited Arabian, called Wild Thing.

Her dream is to buy him and keep him in the old barn behind their rental home — if only she can convince her dad not to move again — and if she can earn the money. I love the gentle way the author shares Winnie’s prayers to God. We can see her faith, and we can also see how God works in her life. It’s a beautiful book. There’s also a wonderful glossary of horse terms in the back.

Both books include diagrams that label the parts of a horse. What fun to hear these terms I haven’t thought of in years: crest, withers, dock, cannon, fetlock, etc. Your horse-crazy daughters will fall in love with these books!

I want to highlight Shannon Woodward, who blogs at Wind Scraps, as someone who has blessed me beyond words this week. I just finished reading her book, Inconceivable, and after reading her personal story I feel like I know her as a friend now.

Here’s how the back cover describes Shannon’s book:

Inconceivable is the remarkable true-life story of Shannon Woodward, a woman who stopped waiting her life away. Woodward revisits eighteen years of personal frustration, pain, and anger. She speaks from her own experience to show how women can have peace in their disappointment by surrendering their hopes and hearts, their dreams and losses, to the One who heals all things broken.

Shannon’s story begins in January 1988, when she and her husband are meeting with the doctor who tells her the dreaded news — that she will not be able to conceive. She said his words became like “a constant, haunting hum in my head, like a song you can’t shake — a song with the power to drive you insane. His voice was inescapable.”

From this point on, she and her husband begin a journey together that makes me weep, even as I type these words. Shannon explores her pain and subsequent healing in intimate detail for readers. She takes us back to her childhood, where she first looks out at the stars and wonders if God even exists, and she shares with us how her faith began to grow.

Her book is not filled with generalizations; instead, she takes us with her to every scene, filling each memory with description and dialogue which reads like the best of storytelling. We reach the point with her when she and her husband decide to adopt — and we agonize with her frustration when birth mother after birth mother changes her mind.

One of the most poignant scenes in the book is when she and her husband are bringing home their first adopted son, Zachary, whose name means, “The Lord has remembered.” As their new little son is bundled in soft blankets in the car seat, she and her husband look up and see an oversized, lighted marquis hovering above a used car lot. In bold black letters, the sign reads, “Congratulations, Dave and Shannon. It’s a boy.” They never learned who wrote that message.

The book takes us up to the present, where we see how Shannon’s journey has helped her become a mother to many. She has an active ministry in mentoring and encouraging hundreds of women through her speaking and writing. As a pastor’s wife, she’s able to come in contact with women seeking hope and guidance every day. What a blessing that she moved her ministry beyond the walls of her church and now can reach the world through her writing.

There are some books I read once, then set aside, without feeling a change. Shannon Woodward’s book is one I’ll read again and again, always remembering how the blessing of motherhood is a gift not to be taken lightly. Shannon’s pain and joys have now become a part of me.

I remember how I felt when I had an ultrasound with a pregnancy I miscarried, and the ultrasound technician said to me, “I’m sorry. There’s no heartbeat.” Then she picked up the phone to call my midwife and said, “Can I send Heather back in? She’s got an incomplete.”

My pain at that loss at 12 weeks was miniscule compared to what Shannon’s book describes. But it was still a death for me and involved a grieving process.

I’m so thankful to have this book to recommend as a helpful resource for women who are exploring this journey they never intended to begin. The back of the book contains a reader’s guide which includes discussion questions for each chapter. At the beginning of the reader’s guide, Shannon writes:

I pray you find peace — and that your life becomes a testimony to all you meet about the patient wooing and healing power of your God. May he fill your life with joy, purpose, and satisfaction.

May God bless many lives through this book!

What were you doing on 9-11-01?

Five years ago, we were living way out in the country, on a dirt road. Since I didn’t have the TV on that morning, I left the house to drop off my oldest daughter at preschool without knowing anything had happened.

My next stop was at a church, where my kindergarten-aged son joined in with our homeschool chorus. They were practicing for an upcoming musical. When I dropped him off at the door, the director, Julie, looked worried.

“I guess we’ll still have our chorus practice,” she said.

“Is there something wrong?” I asked her.

“Well, when you get back in the car, turn your radio on,” she told me. “A plane just struck the World Trade Center.”

My stomach dropped. I didn’t know what she meant — but I was too embarrassed to ask questions because I thought I should know more.

I listened to the radio on the way home, with my one-year-old babbling happily in the backseat. I couldn’t believe it. The other plane had struck by then, and the radio announcer said another plane had crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. I felt for sure we were under attack, and I was scared to death.

My husband called as soon as I got home, and he said it was all over the news. I turned the TV on and joined the rest of the nation in shock, afraid to step away from the screen.

Later in the morning, the Lord put an old friend on my heart, and I wondered what she’d been up to lately. The urge to talk to her was so strong that I called her up. What she told me was even more devastating than what I kept seeing over and over on TV.

We talked briefly about the tragic news in New York, then I asked how she was doing.

“Not too well,” she told me. Her voice began to waver. “I found out my babysitter’s 14-year-old son was molesting my four-year-old daughter.” We both started to cry on the phone. Honestly, that news affected me more than anything on TV.

I told her how sorry I was, then she shared with me a few details of how they found out and what they’d had to go through — taking their little girl to the hospital for tests, getting a court order, the complete devastation and anger her family felt. They had trusted this family who ran an in-home daycare service. These were church-going people, and it came as a shock to everyone.

My heart was heavy all day; as I watched images of the two planes crashing over and over again, and the Twin Towers crumbling, I also thought of that little four-year-old girl whose childhood innocence had been destroyed.

Well, I’ve never written about that before — but in the five years following that day, I find that I don’t trust any teenage boys around my children. (Sorry, no offense, if you have teen boys!) I really have a hard time trusting ANYone around my kids. Thankfully, I can be home most of the time, and we also live near both sets of grandparents.

Anyway, that’s how 9-11-01 affected me personally … and profoundly.

We stayed glued to the TV for several days, at first praying there would be survivors, and then praying for the victims’ families. We read and listened to the many inspirational stories of heroes, looking for a glimmer of hope amidst all the terror. As our country united against evil, we bowed together asking God for His mercy and peace.

Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer is compiling blogger stories about 9-11, and Trish Berg’s column at CBN.com, The Day When Terror Met Love, includes tips on how parents can teach their children about this tragedy.

The new September issue of Christian Women Online is out. Once again, it’s full of inspiring ideas to help us gear up for fall. This issue also contains a visit from a celebrity — you’ll be surprised hearing how this beautiful woman lives out her faith, along with her famous (and I must add, adorable) celebrity brother. Click here to see who.

My Book Buzz column this month lists my favorite books for getting toned up this fall — in your home, your marriage, your finances, your spiritual walk, and your friendships.

There’s always something new going on at CWO. Editor Darlene Schacht sent out a note to the Blogring members that there are over 500 bloggers now who have joined up. It’s a great way to “meet” other like-minded believers — so, have you signed up yet?

Starting tomorrow, we’ll have the chance to post how we’ve been Blessed by a Blogger. If you’ve read something amazing lately, or you’ve been encouraged by a blogger, here’s your chance to let the world know. Then send your link here, and join the crowd. I’ve been saving up all week for this.

Our children’s choirs at church are already practicing for their Christmas musical, which will be in early December. I’m so impressed with what they’re working on, I just had to tell you about it.

If you’re in a huge church, it’s probably too late to start looking for material to put on a children’s Christmas performance. But if you’re in a smaller church or homeschool, then this musical might be the perfect solution for something you could do.

The author, Nancy Brant, has a website that shows pictures of the children performing “Joy Story” in costume. She’s the director of one of the largest children’s choir programs in the country, First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Florida. Her program has a whopping 700 kids ages 4 through 5th grade, and she’s been doing this for nearly 30 years. She also helped direct the children’s choirs for the Billy Graham crusade in Jacksonville and Nashville, along with Diane Dawson.

Here’s the information about it from the website:

“Joy Story” is a Christmas Musical Fantasy set in a wonderful place called “The Joy Store.” It is the ultimate toy store where the toys are priceless and the joy is free!

As the story begins, Miss Joy is worried by news that her lease has been bought by a “mega” toy store owner, FAO Schmaltz, who can’t wait to make LOTS of changes – and LOTS of money! As he arrives to begin his renovations, the “toys” step “down from their shelves and into his heart” to teach him about “the Scarlet Thread” that weaves its way through the Bible, tracing a path from God to man.

Along the way, the toys show him the real reason for Christmas. With each song, FAO and your audience will discover another piece of “the tapestry” as God’s picture of Jesus is revealed.

At the end of their journey is the manger. As FAO comes face to face with Emmanuel, he discovers that “in every heart there is a longing” to know Jesus. Come along with the toys on an unforgettable musical adventure and discover that God always gives power to those who will tell His Story!

Doesn’t this sound awesome? It’s exciting for me as a parent to know my children will experience the Christmas story in a fresh way this year. Sure, we could sit at home and read it out loud from the book of Luke, which we’ll do as a family, but this allows them to also experience it with their peers.

Which reminds me, have you read The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson? Oh, I loved that book growing up, and I read it again last year with my son who was in 4th grade. Those Herdman kids teach me something new every time I read it.

I know it’s still September, but I felt a breath of the Christmas spirit blow over me today. The church sent home a CD for us to listen to the music and practice it. Hopefully, as we move closer to Christmas, this will help our kids see the real reason for celebrating the birth of Christ.

As a writer, I thank God for people like Nancy Brant, who took her creativity and passion for music and wrote something and made it professionally available for others to enjoy. If you have a love of music, writing, and children, maybe God wants YOU to write something to share with the world.

Nothing is more important than leading a future generation to KNOW God in a personal way!

I’ve been getting a notice from my hosting service that my blog domain name is up for renewal. That means I’ve been blogging for almost a year. Thank goodness it renews automatically, or it might be one of those things I put on my to-do list — and forget to do.

One of the first topics I wrote about last fall was starting a women’s book study. In our hectic, fast-paced society, it’s hard to find time to develop close friendships with other women. But we need to.

If we spend all our time teaching our kids, hauling them around to lessons, shopping for family meals, working around the house, and volunteer/ career activities, we’ll eventually burn out. We need to spend time with other women who are going through the same things we’re going through — and who can laugh and cry with us.

Online friendships are great — and I’m so thankful for the few I’ve been able to develop — but nothing beats hanging out with local friends. For one thing, my kids are still young enough that most of their close friends are the children of MY friends. I’m picky, and I won’t let them go home with a family I don’t know very well. There ‘s too much to risk. My children’s innocence means more to me than popularity.

Lisa Ann Cockrel wrote a great article called The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Real in this month’s TCW magazine. I haven’t read any of the Yada Yada books yet, but Lisa explains:

The chick-lit series authored by Neta Jackson focuses on 12 women from different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds who are thrown together at a citywide women’s conference in Chicago. Against all odds, this motley crew forms a bond that lasts beyond the weekend as its members continue to “know and be known to each other and to God”—the Hebrew meaning of the word yada.

Do you have any type of Yada group where you can get real with people? I know, personally, I’m very different online than I am in person. I’m not willing to say anything online that I wouldn’t mind being read by hundreds of people — and there are some things we share in our small group that only stay within the walls of the room.

In two weeks, our preschool moms’ group starts up again. I can’t wait! We meet once a week in a church, which provides FREE childcare. For most of us, that’s the main reason we can go. I used to be in a church that had a large number of homeschooling families. Our weekday morning women’s ministry provided a special room for homeschooling kids to meet and do their schoolwork, overseen by a paid college student.

Oh … what a refreshing relief it was for us moms to get together. Plus, it was fun for the kids. After a couple hours of schoolwork, they got to go outside and run around on the playground together. My son always accomplished so much more on those days — because kids who didn’t finish their assigned work (assigned by their moms) didn’t get to play!! It worked!

If you’re not already part of a book club, fellowship group, or looseknit group of friends who get together and hang out, this article includes eight tips from author Neta Jackson on how to start your own Yada Yada group. If you’ve recently moved, it might be up to you to reach out and start your own.

Isaiah 43:19 says, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” It’s almost fall, the perfect season to start!

I only subscribe to a few magazines, but Today’s Christian Woman is one of my favorites. I keep the current issue in my car or purse, so I can read something fun while I’m waiting … which I do a lot.

A few months ago, the magazine asked readers, “Tell us how you keep your faith fresh.” So I sent in a short essay about how I share my faith through blogging. If you’ve got a copy of this month’s issue, my thoughts appear on the last page. The subtitle is “Blog It.”

TCW magazine is full of inspiration and tips for walking out your faith as a 21st-century Christian woman. For example, I love reading Liz Curtis Higgs’ column. Her topic this month was Queen Jezebel — and how she unfortunately sees some similarities between this evil, take-charge queen and herself. Higgs ends her column with these inspiring words:

For those of us who love to run the show, Jezebel’s story is worth a closer look. Even as a worshiper of God, not Baal, I can find myself taking charge instead of taking direction, or speaking my mind instead of speaking the truth in love. If that’s you, sis, why not join me in praying for a gentler spirit and words that edify rather than destroy.

God gave us our leadership abilities; let’s use them for his glory.

(Gulp.) Liz, you talkin’ to me?