AN OPEN LETTER TO ALL FACEBOOK GROUP ADMINS (this is a long one)

What the beans is an open letter anyway? Isn't anything you publish or write that's written open? Who knows. I just wanted to be like all the other cool kids by writing my own open letter.

Since the beginning of Facebook, millions of people have enjoyed certain groups created for like minded people to share thoughts, sell things, help neighbors, buy stuff, post silly puppy videos, relive memories, etc... I personally have joined many groups and even started some of my own.

So, given the fact that Facebook is a means to facilitate social interaction, can someone please explain to me the phenomenon that equates Facebook Group Admins with bullies? Good gracious, I have never seen such an unfortunate group of people with such profoundly inflated senses of self. What's wrong? Do I sound mad?

Here's what happened.

In an effort to make some money and begin living a life of minimalism (tricky because my mate is a maximalist)I have joined the big, scary world of eBay selling.

And being self-aware of the need for coaching in this area, I joined a FB group -- a support group of sorts for eBay sellers. This particular group had probably 12k members and was very active. How helpful it was to be able to lean on other sellers for advice and input and what a great way to learn.

I noticed that in almost every post however (questions about shipping, packing, airing grievances about low-bidders, etc...)the commenting option was shut off and hence read, "Commenting Has Been Turned Off". Hmmm. That was strange. Did someone say something offensive? I looked again. Not that I could see! Again, another post about "...what do you think would be the value of this...?" I wanted to leave a comment about something that I'd seen that was similar, but again - the commenting was turned off and wouldn't permit any more input.

After noticing about 8 or 10 instances of this, I started to become annoyed. I sent a private message to the Admin which read:

"Hi! I'm new to the eBay group.
I'm just wondering why you are so quick to turn off commenting? I'm a member of many groups, and admin three of my own. Why so heavy handed? What's the harm in allowing a benign conversation to continue?? If it's a friendly exchange, why interfere?
Thanks!"

I waited a couple days to see what her response to me would be. Certainly she would answer me. Or would she? Maybe she'd blast me. I was preparing myself for the worst. I looked at the FB message screen and didn't see any evidence that she had yet read my message. (When you message someone with whom you have no connection, the message hides in an "other" folder that you have to purposely look for. It doesn't automatically notify you.)

I searched for the group so I could post a query. Where was the group? Wait a minute. What? She deleted me?? For what??? For an innocent question?

I don't mind telling you, this infuriates me. This is not the first FB Admin I've encountered with an inflated sense of self. What in the world would possess these admins to rush to hit the block button?? Did they train under Nero? Did they grow up going to summer camp for Spartans? Do they dip their insubordinate members in wax and burn them at the stakes in the palace garden?? Watch it! One wrong move and you're TOAST! GIVE ME A BLEEPIN BREAK. Where's the humanity? The tolerance? The grace? Just answer a question, for goodness sake!

For almost this reason alone, I started a group of my own. Unlike some of the other groups I run, I wanted to create this group for the EXPRESSED PURPOSE OF BEING THE MOST LOVING, MOST PERMISSIVE, MOST GENEROUS Admin there ever was. (You might think this is dramatic, right. ;) )

This Nation of ours is under attack. We are divided over politics, faith, the fate of the ACA. WHY would someone, a supposed adult, choose to behave this way?

If you're still reading, God bless you. You're quite the patient friend.

So that all happened a couple weeks ago. THIS NEXT STORY JUST HAPPENED DAYS AGO.

Along with my eBay selling, I'm pretty actively involved in FB Yardsale groups. But some of my favorite groups got too big and that lead to people not following through, "Passing" a lot more, etc... It became a headache.

So with my PayPal account, a printer and some cute poly mailers, I can ship things from home! So that's what I do now. It's easy and fun and I'm quite good at it!

This last week I posted 2 pairs of my boys' shorts on an Under Armour page. A very active page for which I was so grateful; I'm able to sell a lot quickly. The shorts? 1 pair of Under Armour, the other Nike. I sold both within an hour.

Later I went back to check something and couldn't find the group. Huh? I just sold something. Where did they go? Was I blocked? Are you kidding? Turns out Nike products are not permitted and they have a no-tolerance policy, so I got the boot. And not only the boot, but blocked - which means I can't even SEE the group should I choose to look it up. No tolerance. No warning. I'm a friendly seller. I post nice pictures, good descriptions. Fair prices. I'm honest. But so long! I've been vaporized.

I wrote to the admin of the group to see why I had been ejected, she didn't read my message, but her underling did. I explained how sorry I was. It was an honest mistake. I'm a part of many groups and I forgot that THAT was the group that didn't permit Nike. I also explained that I was very compliant, obedient and would never deliberately defy the rules.

She said the rules were strict, she couldn't reinstate me but would be "happy to add me to two other similar groups". Ok. I thanked her very much.

I enjoyed immediate selling success in this new group that permitted mostly all name brands. But I tread very carefully because I noticed that this new admin was carefully policing a lot of posts; adding her unsolicited opinion here and there.

In this group I answered someone's question using FB's reply feature. (If you know FB you know the reply feature.) In the post (of the shorts I was selling) the admin wrote just moments later, "USING REPLY IS FORBIDDEN IN THIS GROUP. I CANNOT GIVE ANOTHER WARNING."

Another warning? I just joined a few hours ago? OK. Sorry. The reply feature is sorta' automatic for FB users, anymore. But Ok. I'll be more careful.

(Reader, are you still there? I know this is boring. I'm boring myself!)

I found a shirt to fit my son - it was the right size and would fit my husky boy. The seller's original price was $13.50. But she had written in the comments that it was now reduced to $13. I wrote sold, gave my email address but when the invoice came through PayPal, it said, $13.50.

I wrote within the post, "Sally, I'm so sorry, I realize this is petty, but you invoiced me for more than the asking price." I waited a few days for a reply. But instead of hearing from the seller, enter the friendly admin...

"I have read all the edits and it was indeed $13.50."

No. I pointed out the date stamp of the $13 price adjustment and took a screen shot and said, "At 7:20p, she wrote $13." (It was right there!!)

Admin: "It's petty to squabble over $.50. It was obviously an honest mistake. People make honest mistakes all the time."

(Did you hear that? Then how come I wasn't extended the same grace?)

I then wrote, "But when *I* make an honest mistake??" "I'll gladly pay the invoice now. Thanks for your gracious understanding."

I went back to find the post so I could notify the seller but I couldn't locate it. Couldn't find the group. Couldn't find anything. SHE EXPELLED ME FROM THE GROUP?

I immediately messaged the admin, "WHAT in the WORLD??".....then, "I'm sorry, this recipient is not available...." SHE BLOCKED ME, so I can no longer message her, find the group, buy or sell my things.

I AM OUTRAGED. WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE WHO BEHAVE LIKE THIS? They sit at their computers and bulldoze and annihilate anything and anyone that stands in their way or disagrees with them?? No dialogue? No explanation? Who are you Kim Jun Un??

These admins don't know me! They don't know how much I love people! They don't know that my mother is the original church lady that Dana Carvey's character played in the SNL skit. They don't know that I always pay for the car behind me in the Chik-fil-A drive through or that if the guy in my rear-view mirror in traffic looks annoyed (gives me a hand signal?) because he has to wait for me to make a left hand turn, I will abort my intended route and take a detour just so he's not inconvenienced.

So on Good Friday as I was feeling dejected, misunderstood, unheard, judged, betrayed and mistreated by someone I didn't know, guess who came to mind?

The admin that I mentioned above lives in Kentucky. I looked her up. And I was ready to send her a smelly, dead fish in the mail. Then I read Romans 12:21
"Do not repay evil for evil, but overcome evil with good."

So who wants to buy some Under Armour shorts?

Why nothing else can satisfy

Prince, Heath Ledger, Whitney Houston, Bobbi Kristina Brown, Chris Farley, River Phoenix, Elvis Presley, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Williams, Michael Jackson, George Michael

... A long list continues.

Hollywood high-rollers who appeared to have it all but just couldn't cope with life on terra firma.

Fame, money, fame, money, and fame. Shoes. Gucci bags. Numerous homes. Travel. Women. Anything money could buy. Fame. And more money. But clearly, those things aren't cures for the hurts deep within each of us.

Have you ever asked yourself why?

The One that created you, that created me, created us with, as the song goes, a "God-shaped hole" in all of us. That longing for something, for satisfaction, for peace, for answers, for 'why am I here?' --- for something Supernatural can only be filled by our Maker Himself.

Jesus says in John's gospel, "But whoever drinks the water I give them will NEVER THIRST..." and Jesus continues..."I am the Bread of LIFE. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." (John 4:14 and John 6:35.)

These poor souls were tormented by this longing for something more, but instead of running toward God, they ran from Him - and to things that couldn't satisfy their longings.

God can be known and He wants you to know Him so He can satisfy the hunger and thirst in you.

I do hope you'll consider these things.

Thank you Father

Nobody really prepares you for that time in your life when the roles are reversed and the strongest man in your earthly world begins to weaken.

This is happening right now to me, and being an eye witness to it is almost suffocating.

A man characterized by the tenacity, internal fortitude and hardworking grit of three men, a man with a strong constitution, always in-charge, has an answer and a plan for every situation (even when you didn't ask), a born leader, never ever give up attitude, GPS in his brain (he knew every exit number of every toll road by heart), shoulders strong enough for all of us to lean on...

Don't misread this; he's not acutely ill, but I see changes in him - and it feels way too soon.

In what seems like the time when I need my daddy the most, when I'm wrecked and tempest-tossed, to whom can I turn?

The answer: Jesus. The byproduct of watching my hero grow frail - it causes me to fall harder into the strong arms of my Heavenly Father, staying low and dependent on Him which is ultimately where I should seek safe refuge.

Proverbs 18:10
"The name of the Lord is a STRONG TOWER. The righteous runneth into it, and is safe."

This is one of his favorites he quoted me yesterday. And from the KJV. ALWAYS the KJV...

"So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the spirit of the Lord shall raise up a standard against him." Isaiah 59:19

If I were thin, I'd be dangerous

Sometimes, like every day, I ask myself - had I been born with a knock out bod, or legs that could stop a clock, would I be happy? (Uh, yeah!) If I could trade this hypo-metobolic, swashbuckling mess for a svelte, statuesque physique, would that change my life for the better? (Uh, HECK YEAH!!) If I looked more like, say...oh my gosh, any ONE of my numerous, gorgeous real-life friends (and not Fakebook friends, I actually know these gals) would I have more money? Be happily married? Good question.

Although I know what God's Word says about comparing myself to others and I GET that He Himself made me beautiful and unique (yaddah, yaddah, whatever), these are questions, maybe even lies, I let float through my head during a normal day.

Last night while watching the 3rd and final Presidential Debate (insert boos or hollers here), I thought it would be a scream if I bet my friends ---- "If Hillary wins, we all get nose-piercings!" I thought about announcing that to my pals and them rolling their eyes at me instead of howling in laughter like I did. Wouldn't that be rad? I'm how old? Oh, I forget. But I'm ready for some drastic midlife crisis slash piercing. (Oh how lame. Is that the best I can do?)

...Sorry, I was just finishing up serving the children a massaged kale salad for lunch. Ok fine, Red Baron frozen pizza.

Then I thought a tattoo would really shock 'em. But then I remembered I don't have any area, rather mass, on me that would be an acceptable canvas for ink. I hate my arms. My back. My legs. My... Well I DO have a very handsome arches. So a tattoo on the soles of my feet? Oh, this is just dumb.

Don't believe me? Take my friend Trulissa* for instance. She's beautiful, smart and slender. She's married to a lawyer and presently lives in Italy (formerly a resident of Hawaii and who knows where she'll end up next. Certainly not Eddystone.) She has the perfect life because she is pretty, right?

Then there's my friend, Smaroline*. With the looks of a Glamour Magazine model (is that still in publication?) she too is married to a lawyer, lives very, very comfortably, she travels and her husband is her best friend. Because she is stunning, right?

Lastly, my friends Mindy*, Planet* and Tadrienne* (it's so hard to pick just one). Oh and my cousin Mauren*. All married to men that adore them. They live in homes the likes I've only seen in magazines, are happy, travel, have the wherewithal to buy virtually anything they want. All because they're so good looking, right?

Surely that can't be the truth, but fighting these thoughts has become my job of late.

So what does God say about me?

Proverbs 31:30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. (Now we're talkin'!)

And because years ago I decided to stop living for myself and gave my heart to Jesus,

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

I may not feel like radiant royalty, but God says that I am. So I'm just going to have to take Him on His word.

Maybe it's a good thing I'm not drop dead gorgeous. I'd be dangerous.

*Names have been changed to protect the fabulous.

Things Commonly Heard on the Road to Chapter 11

You know what's fun? Living a life that's so amusing, it's worth writing about.

Herein is a list of things commonly heard being the wife of a guy who's been out of work a lot.

THEM: Awwww. How's it going? Any leads?
ME:(I curl the corner of my mouth, shake my head lightly and exhale...) No.

THEM: So how's he doing?
ME: The same.

THEM: But you haven't lost your sense of humor. You're still so perky!
ME: Yeah? Here. Let me high five you. In the face. With this chair.

THEM: But what about that job he interviewed for...you know, a couple months ago?
ME: Oh yeah, that? Yes, he's the CEO of that Fortune 500 company now. And I have a private jet.

THEM: So have you thought about going back to work?
ME: Yes. Yes I have. I figure between running the household and homeschooling my children, the graveyard shift would be a perfect fit for me. I would just have to give up sleeping.

THEM: Well, please let me know if I can do anything to help.
ME: How about you list me as a dependent on your AETNA PPO for a few months. Retroactive to 2015.

THEM: Is he depressed?
ME: Is the Pope Catholic?

THEM: And what would you like on your burger?
ME: Government cheese, I guess.

THEM: I saw the other day 7-Eleven is hiring!
ME: Oh. You're so pretty.

THEM: I want to help! I'D LOVE TO HAVE YOU ON MY TEAM (read: I'll earn commissions by being my downline) in RODAN & FIELDS!!
ME: (Get the paddles.....charging......CLEAR!!)



To those of you who genuinely care, this is all in good fun. Thank you for your concern. xo

Avoiding the Pitfalls of Adoption

This is a story warning about pet rescues, specifically dog adoptions, and may only interest some of you. So read, or skim, at will. Here we go....

Sometimes, when the head of the home is unemployed, he has a lot of extra time to search 'the internets' for free stuff, good deals and lots and lots of dogs looking for their "furver" homes. (If I see that phrase one more time.) This isn't a husband bashing post, I'm just simply laying the foundation for this story. One would think these hours would probably be best spent, I dunno, replacing faulty bath fixtures or maybe purging the garage of our tool hoard or maybe even looking for work. (Again, not a bash, just making suggestions aloud. And this is nothing I haven't said to him personally.) Recently we found ourselves in the home of a puppy foster mother with 6-8 adoptable 8 week old puppies. Fascinating! But where did they come from? How did she acquire them? And more importantly, WHAT THE HECK WERE WE DOING THERE?

Rewind to Christmastime: We had our eyes peeled for a canine companion for my mature parents. After seeing an ad on the Chesco SPCA site, my husband took a road trip the very next day to see the pooch. He arrived two hours before they opened to secure his spot in line. I proudly equipped him with my impressive list of personal and Vet references because I'm acquainted with their rigid (and understandably so) application process. Ha. So much for that. He was the only patron there! After a rather cold welcome, they spent an unusual amount of time cross-examining him about his application; about the cats we had to put down nine years ago and the fact that the kitties we recently rescued from a junkyard weren't spayed or vaccinated yet. (They were only months old!) They went out of their way to try to pin something inhumane on us. It was ridiculous. The next day we called and learned our application was not accepted due to our "questionable pet history". (Yeah. We are cruel, not to be trusted.)

Fast Forward to February: Paul whispered something to me and flashed his phone in front of my face; an advertisement for adorable Pug puppies being fostered in Chester County. I thought the puppy was cute and that was that. He showed me the post on Craigslist and I said, "YOU CANNOT SHOP FOR A PUPPY ON CRAIGSLIST!" (I roared, actually. It helps me get my point across quicker.) He told me to relax and showed me that the Craigslist ad provided a Facebook page owned by the same organization. Well, that made sense as the SPCA and many legitimate rescues have FB pages. Hesitantly, we made an appointment to see the puppies (a Pug/Bulldog has been on our list for so long) after all, if we got there and it didn't feel right, we'd move on. We'd escaped the SPCA empty handed several times previously, so I knew we had the ability to say no. Before making the appointment I spoke to the foster mom on the phone at length. She seemed like a nice gal, probably around my age, and tenderly spoke of these particular Pug puppies being surrendered after 'the death in a family (in Pennsylvania) left a grown man with special needs as an orphan; unable to care for the dog and her five or six puppies'. Aw. That WAS a sad story. I asked about several of the other puppies available on their Facebook page. "Where are all the adoptable ADULT dogs??" They seemed to have unlimited litters of 8 week old puppies! So many more than I had ever seen before! I was told that this rescue was just getting started -- and being new didn't have the funding needed to care for adult dogs that usually come with expensive health issues (arthritis, allergies, etc...) She assured me that they DO adopt out adult dogs, but those dogs were featured on her sister's animal rescue site; an outfit in Media, PA under a different name. They are more established and have the wherewithal to handle older dogs. Oh? Ok.

Seconds after we arrived in Spring City to see the Pug pups, my son immediately fell in love with a male Pug. Together my son and I admired his enormous eyes and funny features. But when I looked across the room I found my youngest boy with 7 puppies sleeping on his lap and he was in love, too. He pointed to one puppy in particular that stopped his heart. My husband (yes, we're still married at this juncture) picked up the sleepy puppy and held him six centimeters from my face. "LOOOOOK how CUUUUUUTE!", he squealed. I quickly snapped, "Get him away!" I wanted nothing to do with helplessly falling in love with more than one puppy that day.

I dragged my husband outside and we had words over this very issue. I guess I lost that debate... His reasons included the size of the puppies - "they really won't eat much, their waste is small, in comparison, and they only have small teeth so they can't really do considerable household damage..." My husband left a deposit and we were to return 4 days later when the pups were old enough to be released.

I worried for four days straight, stared at the ceiling, put the milk in the cupboard, didn't answer my phone. What in the world are we going to do? We cannot get two more puppies and my husband isn't changing his mind.

A year ago, during a visit to Lancaster County, we accidentally ended up at the home of an Amish breeder. He was our buggy driver during a tour of the back roads of Lancaster and I immediately made him my close, personal friend (whether he liked it or not) and within a matter of minutes learned that he and his wife bread English Bulldogs. (Our favorite.) Mr. Esh needed a ride home after his shift and I immediately offered to take him home!! WHY NOT!!?!? When we dropped him off, he graciously invited us to see his dogs, his home, walk his property. We were in love. Later that day, we came back to meet his wife who handles all the dog biz. She seated us at her kitchen table. It was warm, dimly lit and comfortable. She had dinner simmering on the stove. (Oh, the irony! Earlier that day we had paid "Plain & Fancy" for a tour of a mock-up Amish home. This was way more authentic.) After our visit, we left our number for her to notify us when the next litter of pups arrived.

During our Lancaster vacation and back at the hotel, I started doing some research and came up with some very concerning facts about breeders in the 717 area code. I shared some photos and my friends suggested I was most likely at a puppy mill. I was in denial. But they had very few dogs. It was clean. Not a lot of barking. My husband thought I was nuts.

I contacted a very well known rescue in the Greater Philadelphia area by email. I wanted to learn more about how to I.D. a puppy mill. She said it was pretty easy. If the breeders are Amish, it's most likely a mill. They breed for money. (But don't all breeders?) They don't name the dogs, they are left in rabbit hutches, they are unheated and they produce litter after litter until they are unprofitable. The owner of this local rescue (Finding Shelter) was so helpful and begged me not to get a puppy from the Esh's. I had made my mind up that she was right and I wanted nothing to do with Amish dog breeders any more. (My husband still thought I was nuts - "Not everybody's out to get you, Sheryl.")

Back to the present-day situation. My stomach churned for days and we set up a meeting to pick up the puppies in Spring City. But before then, I made a call to the owner of this rescue. I had lots of questions. Why did they have so many puppies? Where did they come from? When you adopt from the SPCA, the animals come spayed and neutered to prevent more unwanted puppies! Why didn't this rescue take the same precautions? "I'm sorry to grill you, but I'm just trying to make sure you're a bonafide rescue." I asked and she answered. She had ALL the right answers. "We're just a bunch of moms who rescue puppies." Awwww. Isn't that special? I forced myself to trust her.

When it was time to fetch our puppies, the foster mother offered to drop off the puppies since she was coming "to the mall" that night. Oh. That was nice. Saves us a trip. Little did we know she wouldn't be coming to our home, but meeting us at 7pm, in the dark, in the cold, in a remote area of the PARKING LOT of the mall. She handed us the puppies, said they hadn't eaten yet (it was 7pm!!)because she was at work all day, gave us the vaccine report and that was it. She had two other puppies in the car being picked up at the same time. Oh, and the check? Was made payable to her. Not the shelter. I KNEW IT.

Welp. Here we were. The owners of two new puppies from a dealer. Not a shelter. I was going to be the shame of the dog park. Tarred and feathered, no doubt.

Please use caution and do your homework before getting a dog from a dealer (posing as a rescue.) Clues that I suspected but ignored: 1) The foster mom was a single mom with 3 children, working as a waitress, trying to keep her home. Surely she wasn't fostering because she had lots of extra time??? Needed more responsiblities?? 2) The Facebook page they ran didn't have the option for patrons to grade them with a review. 3) The payment was made directly to the foster, not a shelter with a 501c3. 4) The application they made me complete was too abbreviated and they never checked my Vet or personal references. 5) Days after the adoption, I texted the foster with questions about coccidia. She answered me by saying she was in North Carolina. (Picking up more puppies?????)
6) My spirit of discernment (womens' intution) was on amber alert. I should have stopped there.

My plans are to report this shelter and foster to PA Dog Law and share my story so others don't end up ensnared in the same mess. Here's where to go...
http://www.agriculture.pa.gov/Protect/DogLaw/Pages/default.aspx#.VuqdlOaH_hA

*DEALERS MASQUERADING AS RESCUES:
Hinde's Animal Safe-haven
STAR Wags & Whiskers

*EXCELLENT RESCUES I RECOMMEND
Delco SPCA
Finding Shelter Animal Rescue
Francisvale Home for Smaller Animals
S.N.O.R.T. Short Noses Only Rescue Team
among others...

Christmas Newsletter 2015

Due to some recent cut-backs and markedly reduced cash flow, this year's Christmas greeting will be electronic. So if you can SEE this, read it. It's your Christmas card. It begins here >>> Rejoice! It's that time again! That time of year, full of wonder and mystery. Where newsletters from family and friends far and wide come pouring in! Perfectly staged family pictures, taken by paid photographers, each out-doing the next. Families gracefully stretched out on giant throws, nestled between the high-reaching brush of a deer tick infested field during Fall's peak photo shoot season. Fashionably costumed in harmonious Pinterestesque-looking hues. "Behold, A Savior Is Born!" is really spelled more like, "Sebastian's excelling in all of his studies. He was awarded summa cum Tootsie Roll among his 3rd grade peers...he also toured with the boys' choir to Prague, so we decided to meet up with him and ride camels through Egypt on the way home...anyway, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!" Listen, I don't begrudge you all the nice things you've worked hard to do and have. Scratch that. Maybe I do. Nevertheless, don't feel sorry for me. The wonder continues in our home. It's just a little different than yours. For instance, every day I wake up and wonder if the heat will work... If the phone's just off the hook, or perhaps my service has been suspended. I wonder if my pants will fit. Or if this will be the last time we survive another crack at the Russian roulette I play with questionably out-of-date poultry products. Or if anyone notices that I haven't really tried to do anything cute with my hair in over two, OK six years. I wonder if my A1C really is reaching fatal highs. And perhaps, if I play my cards right and I put off having a baseline mammogram one more year, maybe I won't be alive long enough to actually have to have one. I wonder if it's possible that my neighbor can actually hear the family feuds that take place in the driveway and perhaps that's the reason she no longer talks to me. Well, enough about me. I'm guessing you want to hear how my perfect children are doing? So, Jake is 23 now. And things are great. Yes, all those charges were dropped. Levi is 9. We've been working hard to address the bullying. He's no longer allowed to target Muslims on the playground, and he's under strict instruction to only go after girls half his size and greater. And Jude. He's 7 and ALMOST potty trained. Atta boy! As for the homeschooling, I've decided to give the boys a year off to decide what they want to do with their lives. (You don't ever want to push kids too hard.) Paul is still unemployed so I'm using this opportunity to experiment with welfare provisions. I'm excited to announce my new holiday cookbook, "Easy, Elegant Entertaining with Government Cheese". Look for it on Amazon in the coming days.

From our nearly repossessed home to yours, MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY 2016!

In all seriousness, anything we have is more than we deserve and God's been gracious and faithful all year long, as always, despite our complaints of temporary, worldly struggles. Even the very air we breathe is a gift. Just to live another day in this country, proclaiming our faith in Him without fear of losing our heads, is something we highly underestimate. Happy Christmas wishes and love from all of us at The White House.

Matthew 1:21 “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”