Ah, you woke again up this morning drenched in sweat from the recurring nightmare you have had for almost a month. You are running on that stupid tread mill and it gets faster and faster and you can barely breathe and are running as fast as your legs can go...out of control!

No..that is not just a dream-THAT'S LIFE! You feel responsible for this mighty ship called "Your Family". You feel it is up to you to keep the ship from veering into the rocks and the course on the "straight and narrow". If you are a Godly woman then you know that the navigation is taken care of, the helm is safely manned by God and you are just the rudder. If you are not a woman of God...I don't know how you do it!!!

What is truly amazing about being a wife and mother is the lessons I learn every single day. It is so very difficult to do a respectable job on EITHER of these on a consistent basis and every day I grow just a little more into my roles. I have met women who are amazing Moms, have the perfect house keeping skills, cook (from scratch) great masterpieces and always seem to be in the right place at the scheduled time...early! I have stopped berating myself for being only a smidge of any of those things. What I have managed to shine in is retaining my sense of humor through my bafflement. HA! If you, too need tips on accomplishing your CEO duties to your family please feel free to read my blog as I dish out the blessings that have come my way and offer tiny treats of information that keep my momentum upward.

Thank you for reading and God Bless You in your CEO adventures!

I know that you are probably as confused as I am with all of the mixed up media reports on vitamins and long term benefits. I read today that the maximum vitamin C dosage you should ever have is 500 mg and long term over dosing causes loss of your sense of smell. Did YOU know that? Sounds weird. But imagine what we will know in 1 year from today that we don't even WANT to know now! (By the way-I had an emer-gen-c pack which has 1000mg of vitamin C because I felt icky today and my sniffer still works!)

What I can say that I KNOW from personal experience is that when I drink 3-4 water bottles full of water a day I feel better, my skin seems to glow more and I feel like my head is clearer and even my bowels are happier (though the frequent visits to the bathroom initially are irritating). Try it. It is a practically free way to improve your quality of life!

Ah, another one is weight loss. The water drinking really does help that too. My cousin is currently quite a bit lighter o' frame thanks to drinking water wvery time she felt a hunger pang. I am proud of her-please pass the ice cream! But, really...think about the way you feel when you wake up with just 5 lbs less attached to your frame! Its incredible that such a small change in your body make-up can make such a profound difference but try something...go into the grocery store and pick up a 20 lb turkey and imagine the relief you feel when you put that bad boy down! Its outrageous what we make our hearts and bones put up with and wonder why our backs hurt every morning and are constantly tired. I weigh (ahem) 230lbs (ish) and I know what this means for my blood sugar and the discs in my lower back that are deteriorating onto my sciatic nerve. Put in perpective...if you know that drinking more water, cutting out 1/2 the white products from your diet ie., rice, bread, white pasta, sugar and walking 10,000 steps every day could remove that 20 lb turkey from your back...wouldn't you???

Oh, and a side note to the DORKS who think that just "stopping eating" will make you lose weight and that fat people are "weak"...you are incorrect on both stances. Weight is a nasty thing in that once its there you have less energy to remove it which is depressing and a vicious cycle. Please be kind to yourself and remember to love YOU no matter what kind of body fat you have going on!!!!!

Yes, I too have one of those children that makes on-lookers shake their heads trying to shame me for my poor parenting. Thankfully, I am 4 years into this and people have NOOOO affect on my internal government. The last 2 weeks she has finally come around to listening instead of working herself into a tantrum-most of the time. Its been amazing! I have heard her speak in clear non-hyper emotional words that were actually rational and have been able to give her the same from me. So Mom...there is HOPE!

Know this, I would sit with my hand on the door knob of her room for sometimes up to 4 hours as I waited for her to stop one of her tornado-like tantrums. She is a woman that doesn't give in, give up or give out...so consequently I had to assume the same stance. I felt alone and isolated because until she was 3 1/2 I couldn't even bring her in public for fear of what might "set her off".

I can't believe that I can bring her into a store now and she stays beside me, good manners and sweet smile with all of the beauty that a little girl can embody. Is this the same child that I joked about getting an exorcist for a month ago??? Yes parents, children can change that fast so I beg you not to give up. The stories I could tell you about her first three years just might be able to be patented as a form of birth control, but when you look at her now (ESPECIALLY now since she's asleep) you see the end result of dedication, love, consistency and most of all Christ.

The first practical tool for your tool belt is cause and effect. "You do ____, I do ___". ALWAYS said in a voice just above a whisper and at the childs eye level.

Scenario: He just scribbled all over your notes you had expressly told him not to breathe near for your class that are due today.

*First-DEEEEEEEEEEP breath! Contract and expand your muscles that are bunched into rocks, do a couple stretches or take a shower (while the child is ensconced in their room.)

* Take the offending marker/pen/whatever from this child you love oh-so-much put it down GENTLY (no slamming the drawer) and get down eye level to your child and say quietly and in FEW words. "You chose to write somewhere you were told not to so now I need you to understand that there is a penalty to not listening...no more Mr. Bubbles today and no more Barney today either. I want you to sit in time out and think about why Mommy is so mad and I will be right back to ask you in a moment."

* Collect that favorite toy and put it out of reach. Even a few hours without something they love will probably be sufficient. When you give it back-go eye level and hold it with your Son...let him know how sad you were that he hurt something that mattered to you...explain that next time Mr. Bubbles goes away for longer. (I then pray with my little ones that God bless them to make better choices next time, thank God for letting me be their Mommy, help me to be a better Mommy and them to be a better son/daughter). BIIIIIIGGGGGG Hug time and live like it didn't happen.

Beloved, let me tell you something...there is no lonelier feeling that being married and not being happy. Its a feeling of eternity on earth-and not a happy one! I have a previous marriage that ended due to infidelity and I remember my stomach clenching every night as I curled into a ball-alone-yet in bed with my Husband.

What I know now is that being equally yoked to a man that's goals and love of God are like yours is tantamount to at least having a fighting chance at making it "until death do you part." Yet, we still have our blow-ups, hurt feelings and miscommunication which leave us feeling isolated and alone. How can you deal with this productively and not let an unbreachable wall come in between you? Well let me tell you the secret!

The first thing is to remember that Christ washed feet. Ewww. This is the Savior of the world, perfect in every way, washing the stinking feet of the people that were learning FROM Him. What I need you to understand as you picture those precious hands easing off the road grime from those calloused feet is that you need to have that attitude with your Beloved mate. He is imperfect, calloused, stinky sometimes...yet if you accept that and love him enough to serve him your soul will grow richer and your marriage more loving for both of you. Its the attitude that you approach your husbands imperfections that will make the difference; if you see them through the eyes of one who remembers his wonderfulness then you are going to be ok. If you look at him expecting perfection then he will always feel like he can't measure up-and will probably stop trying. You do not want that. I lay out my husbands underwear, T-shirt, socks, towel and washcloth, don't let him get up to get a glass of tea-but make sure I get it for him...I do all of these things not because of any perfection but the more you put your husband in a position of KNOWING his worth to you the more secure and relaxed your marriage will be.

Its a "heart thang" ladies...it isn't about the tea.