My friend Nancy just sent this to me, and it was too cute not to add to my blog. I checked the web, and it looks like public domain — it’s on several websites, including Sweet Thoughts for the Soul (which actually has several funny poems and stories for moms.)

“If You Give a Mom a Muffin” is written by Kathy Fictorie, based on Laura Numeroff’s If you Give a Mouse a Cookie. I can totally relate to being easily sidetracked — in fact, that’s what I’m doing now, while I need to go start supper. Hmmm…maybe we’ll have corn muffins.

If you give a Mom a muffin, she’ll want a cup of coffee to go with it.

She’ll pour herself some.

The coffee will get spilled by her three year old.

She’ll wipe it up.

Wiping the floor, she will find some dirty socks.

She’ll remember she has to do some laundry.

When she puts the laundry in the washer, she’ll trip over some toys and bump into the freezer.

Bumping into the freezer will remind her she has to plan dinner for tonight.

She will get out a pound of hamburger.

She will look for her cookbook (101 Things to Make with a Pound of Hamburger).

The cookbook is sitting under a pile of mail.

She will see the phone bill which is due tomorrow.

She will look for her checkbook.

The checkbook is in her purse that is being dumped out by her two year old.

She’ll smell something funny.

She’ll change the two year old.

While she is changing the two year old the phone will ring.

Her four year old will answer it and hang up.

She remembers that she wants to phone a friend to come for coffee on Friday.

Thinking of coffee will remind her that she was going to have a cup.

She will pour herself some.

And chances are…Once she has a cup of coffee…

Her kids will have already eaten the muffin that went with it.

Here’s a poem my husband found in a book of poetry, Songs of the Soil. It was written by Frank L. Stanton exactly one hundred years ago, to celebrate the new year of 1906.

To the New Year

One song for thee, New Year,
One universal prayer:
Teach us — all other teaching far above —
To hide dark hate beneath the wings of Love;
To slay all hatred, strife,
And live the larger life!
To bind the wounds that bleed:
To lift the fallen, lead the blind
As only love can lead —
To live for all mankind!

Teach us, New Year, to be
Free men among the free,
Our only master Duty; with no God
Save one — our Maker; monarchs of the sod!
Teach us, with all its might,
Its darkness and its light;
Its heart-beats tremulous,
Its grief, its gloom
Its beauty and its bloom —
God made the world for us!

I wish you all a Happy New Year, full of joy, hope, and peace.

I am laughing so hard right now — this is too hilarious! I went to Mary Yerkes’ beautiful site because, bless her, she has a link to Mom 2 Mom Connection. She showed us her results from a fun quiz called Where Do You Belong? Her answer says she belongs in London.

Well, I sat back and thought — OK, there is no one looking over my shoulder. I’m going to dream…and just answer exactly the way I REALLY want to.

HA! Here is how my quiz turned out:

You Belong in New York City

You’re an energetic, ambitious woman. And only NYC is fast enough for you. Maybe you’ll set yourself up with a killer career Or simply take in all the city has to offer.

This is too funny. I live about as far from the New York City lifestyle as a person possibly can. So, I guess that’s why someone like me enjoys keeping up with the world via words and books! I think I could be quite happy in New York. I’d love to work in a busy, crowded publishing house in an office piled high with books. I’d love to be an editor, seeking out writers who are full of dreams. I’d enjoy trying to discover THE ONE and propel him or her onto the bestseller list (like Nicholas Sparks was discovered by his agent…(sigh)…I love that story.)

Well, I’m thankful to be who I am and where I am now. But I do like to read those Chick Lit books every now and then about the 20-somethings who end up in NYC. In my 20s, I lived in a city of 12 million people (in Japan). Now I live in a world of 12 million crushed Cheerio crumbs on the floor. And 12 million kisses on my cheek from little people who love me and call me “Mama.”

Life is never dull.
(Don’t forget to VOTE today.)

I wasn’t going to post today — it’s Saturday! But I’ve found that I missed writing to you. I’m adding a new link to my “Favorites” and wanted to introduce her. She’s a writer from Texas who is currently living in southern France with her family, writing novels and other non-fiction while helping to establish a new church. Her name is Mary DeMuth.

Go visit her blog — and check out her new book, ORDINARY MOM, EXTRAORDINARY GOD. Doesn’t that sound wonderful? I can’t wait to read it. I certainly feel ordinary most of the time, but find that our extraordinary God can do mighty things when we listen.

She’s got a wonderful blog, full of pictures. She’s much more technically savvy than I am, although we scanned in a picture last night of me and my older daughters (in the “About Me” section.) This was taken last spring at my grandmother’s house. It’s funny — as a child, I used to climb up in that dogwood tree and write poems about Mary Magdalene. I always thought it was amazing that a woman was the first to see Jesus after He arose.

Tonight, we were all dressed to go to a bonfire at my husband’s brother’s house. His wife has become friends with a family from New Zealand, and they came for a visit! Then our oldest daughter got sick (should I write this?). So, I stayed home, while my husband drove the three others.

Well, after driving in the car over an hour, another daughter got sick, and they’re on their miserable way home now. I’m sorry to have to write such disappointing things — but thought someone out there could relate that it’s tough being a parent sometimes.

We certainly don’t want this virus to make its way back to New Zealand! It also caused the sudden cancellation of a much-anticipated Thomas the Tank Engine birthday party for a friend of my son’s this morning. What a day!

Oh well. Mary’s blog cheered me up very much. Read what she says about grace for moms .

I want to introduce you to a very special “voice” behind this blog, Stacy Harp, president of Mind & Media. Today is her birthday! So, click on over to Mind & Media and wish her a wonderful year ahead.

Stacy has helped me enormously in getting this blog up and going. I admit I’ve been terrified of sending my thoughts out into cyberspace – but she’s encouraged me every click of the way. I don’t know anyone as passionate as she is about the life-changing power of Christian books.

She’s one of the first people who has stepped out boldly to harness the medium of blogs in spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. After all, if people are going to blog about anything, why not blog about great Christian books? I agree: there’s no better way to share the message of Truth than to help someone get their hands on the perfect book at the perfect time.

I look forward to opening Stacy’s emails – she always offers encouraging words to her reviewers, making us feel connected and appreciated. Not only does she help promote faith-driven books, CDs, DVDs, and magazines – she’s also out there personally serving behind the scenes. She meets with missionaries, helps pass out Bibles in her (spare!) time at hospitals, and she even donates books to incarcerated and spiritually hungry inmates.

She’s pretty much left the rest of us in the dust with her energy! Check out her two new posts on WomanTalk, “Liberal Women Do Not Speak for Me” and “Feminists Have a Low View of Themselves.” Here’s an excerpt:

…With God’s leading, prayer and the voice He gave me, I began to engage the culture for Christ and His principles and values. And I can tell you that my life hasn’t been very boring! I’ve been totally excited about how women can and do make a difference for what is right if they just take the time to become informed and then execute their battle plan for righteousness.

Anyway, today’s her special day. So, if you feel as strongly as I do that books have the power to open minds, open hearts, and change lives, send her a note today!

Thanks for stopping by!

First of all, you don’t have to be a mom to come on in and visit. What I’m interested in is hearing your views and opinions on topics that relate to families. We may not all have the same backgrounds or lifestyles, but when it comes to children, we have an incredible amount in common.

I’d love for this to be a forum where it’s not just my voice you’re reading. So, I’ll be looking out for interesting ideas and opinions to share with you. My passion is to encourage and inspire others through helping them connect to what they need. I’ll be updating frequently, so check back in when you can!