Speaking of LIFEGUARDS...

Today marks the celebratory last day of the West Chester University sweaty swim lessons. It's been up and down -- up for Levi, down for Jude. But starting just yesterday (day 9 out of 10!?) Jude finally decided he was no longer going to be nervous. (Thanks for not making me wait, buddy.) Being water safe is obviously our ultimate goal so Jude was enrolled to strengthen his swimming skills. Levi was enrolled just to tag along and have fun. And I don't know about you but, as soon as these swim teachers take my child by the hand, they immediately become very, very important to me. I don't take this stuff lightly at all. In fact today I noticed a mom almost blowing off the coach at the end of the lesson. Where I, conversely, thank them repeatedly, make my sons look them in the eyes and thank them sincerely, then wrap both of my arms around them and...well, sometimes I don't let go. And I don't just mean on the last day -- I mean EVERY day. Ha!! And because of my imaginary "relationship" with these teachers, on the last day I make it my goal to present them with a token of my profound thanks and give them something that will hopefully last into eternity. So in keeping with this tradition, yesterday the boys picked out their favorite gift card (Wawa. What else?) and a small, pocket New Testament for each one. After all, they spent two weeks teaching my children life-saving techniques, the least we can do is help them to save theirs. Upon leaving we present the gift to the teacher, then I have my legendary, lengthy and mildly awkward embrace - and I snap a photo. Today, Levi tugged on my shirt, "Mom!! Aren't you going to ask him?? ASK HIM!!!" "Jason, before we leave you, Levi wants to make sure that you're a Christian." "Yes, I am. I'm a Lutheran Christian." I answered him, "THAT WORKS!!" This short story isn't to magnify the good deeds of my family or to elevate your feelings about my evangelical children. My hope is that you will take a moment in your regular lives to reach someone for Jesus. Spread the Word. Salvation is GOOD NEWS.

Modest is Hottest

Dear Moms: Summer is here. I'm raising 3 boys. (Well, technically 4.) Please help protect the eyes, minds and hearts of boys and men everywhere by dressing your daughters (regardless of age) and yourselves in one piece swimsuits. In this oversexualized world we're living in today, they need as few temptations as possible. Now I know what you're thinking, "If Sheryl had only one rear end, she'd probably be wearing a two piece herself!" You might be right. You know my motto: If I was thin, I'd be dangerous. All kidding aside, please take modesty seriously. And if you haven't already, pick up a copy of Steve Arterburn's book, Every Man's Battle and learn what happens to the male mind when their eyes see things they shouldn't. Modest is hottest.

How Could I Ask For More

I'm gearing up for my Levi's 8th birthday tomorrow. Actually I'm not. I'm procrastinating because I'm not a good baker and those panda cupcakes I promised him are scaring me to death. But as I look back to those 41 weeks that I carried that child in 2005 and into 2006, I can almost taste, literally taste the feelings that I carried along with him. First the shock from an unexpected pregnancy, then fear and sadness that would wake me up in the middle of the night. As soon as my eyes would open, the tears would hit my pillow. Then I would sing with Nicol Sponberg and my friends in Selah, "In Jesus name, we press on..." to myself in my head. Hymns and sacred music were my antidepressants. I remember every day driving to work listening to the very same song on repeat, both to and fro (that's 40 min each way). Rita Springer, with Jesus' help, saved my life with her remarkable anthem, "I have to believe". If you only knew how many times in Paoli, Bryn Mawr and Lankenau alike I heard, "Have you considered terminating the pregnancy?" I was too scared to be offended, until later when it hit me. And after they discovered my baby's limb deficiency (week 12) they wanted to put me through the million dollar workup. Did I have cancer? Were those tumors? Was this genetic? Did he also have Downs? Or maybe he was a kangaroo?! Lord have MERCY. Finally by week 26 or so, I said no more. No more tests. This child is going to be born however Almighty God created him to be and there was nothing anyone could do about it. Oh, "...and I DON'T have cancer!", I told them. I am now so ashamed at the silly things that scared me then. I was so afraid that I wouldn't be able to hold him. Wouldn't want to look at his fin (that's what we call it -- he's our little Nemo.) I had no idea what being a mom would be like let alone being a mom to a child that was different. I remember having nightmares before he was born that onlookers would peek into the baby carriage, pull back his blanket, scream in horror----then run. But little did I know that this child would be born with blue eyes (even a greater shock than his limb difference) and end up doing television commercials. I had no idea that his favorite subject would be Bible and that he would dazzle us with his unending charisma and brain power. I had no idea the feeling I would get when I watch my parents love him to smithereens and proudly boast about his every move. My mother would squeal with every photograph she saw and my dad would brag about how the pictures I took of him were so remarkable. I had no idea what God had the power of doing. And I still don't know all that is ahead for him. For us. For me as God does a mighty work within me as his mother. Now, don't be fooled. I have not been tricked into thinking that he is going to be King Josiah; crowned at aged 8 - or leap tall buildings in a single bound. I am fully aware that this child could grow to dislike and resent me. Maybe even laugh in the face of our Lord. But for now I am going to hold onto the promise that Levi has been sealed - because of his childlike faith in Jesus. And today and everyday I will dedicate him to our Lord in hopes that he will find the calling upon his life and chase after it with all his might. The little tune I sang for Levi's dedication at COS:

There's nothing like the warmth of a baby in your arms | Watching him fall fast asleep I like to keep him safe from harm | Singing lullabies at night when no-one is around | Watching daddy's face light up with joy, he's the proudest dad in town

Thank you Lord. How could I ask for more.

There's nothing like the love I have for Levi in my heart | For You have formed his body and You've sculpted every part | He's the answer to the prayer, that my Granddad had for me | And I know You heard my parents' cries, when they were on their knees

Thank you Lord. How could I ask for more.

And now I rock my baby, in the chair that once rocked me | And daddy wants another turn to hold him tenderly | What we've learned through this child as we look into his eyes | The heartaches we go through are often blessings in disguise

Thank you Lord, Oh.... Thank you Lord. Thank you Lord. How could I ask for more.

(Words by Linda Hytha & Sheryl Weaver White)

PLEASE LISTEN TO RITA SPRINGER'S TUNE HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HttGLvjh8_8

It's only money

For those of you have ever experienced a time of unemployment or underemployment, this is for you. My husband is a project manager in commercial construction with a BA from Villanova University. Within our 13 year marriage, we are presently in what I believe to be our 7th layoff. The most painful was in 2009 lasting over 8 months. We had 3 boys at home - and our youngest was a newborn. Those months were long. Long and very, very painful. I was hormonal (post baby) and so was our teenage son, for reasons altogether different. (Oh, I'm laughing at myself. That was funny.) The togetherness was unending - and in a small house, there was really nowhere to be but together. I made so many mistakes back then for which I'm paying now, in part, with the fractured relationship we share with our oldest, now 21. I wish so badly I would have had more faith. That worry wouldn't have been my closest friend. That *I* would have been the one providing peace in the home instead of the one adding unnecessary strife to our mess. This time, in late October, my husband was blindsided with a layoff from a new job he thought was going fairly well. He was crushed (still is if you want to know the truth), but I vowed things would be much different this time around. I got on my knees by the bed that he was laying in and I buried my face. But when I looked up at him again, I said confidently, WE ARE GOING TO TRUST GOD. I so wanted this next layoff to prove to be a real growing, loving, nurturing time in our family. So I prayed for grace. Grace. Faith. And manna. I prayed that each day God would grant me the grace I needed to live out the very faith that I so often TALK about, WRITE about and SING about. The kind of immutable faith that would protect my children from feeling the sting of the drought we were going through. That hopefully when they are older they can look back and say, "we didn't have much, but we didn't KNOW we didn't have much." I prayed that God would then show His glory by providing for us in new and unexpected ways. So? The doorbell rang while I was cooking dinner. My hair was a wreck, I think I even had raw chicken on my hands (I'm an expert at cross contamination). A woman I knew only casually handed me $500. I couldn't believe it. Then again, I could. After all, THAT is how God works. My boys were squealing. "Look how God provides!", I told them. An anonymous envelope in the mailbox containing $40 reading, "Have dinner on us tonight" came the next day. A $300 check arrived in the mail from a girlfriend. An email from a gal I met at MOPS three years ago - who didn't even know about our situation, asked me if she could bring us dinner. Her husband was away and she had extra. A man walking alongside me at church one Sunday reached over to hold my hand (I thought, what a FRIENDLY CHURCH!) and slipped me $40. It was a day that my tank was nearly empty. Several other things happened each day that gave me the confidence to keep trusting God. A free chicken at the market - because it rang up wrong at the register. A bunch of baked goods from Great Harvest because they accidentally lost my order. An anonymous envelope left at our preschool containing $100. A gift card for groceries. Another gift card for groceries. There were so many things day after day that reminded me that our God is loving and that He LOVES to give good gifts to His children. Oh, here's a fun one. I was asked to sing at a church in Kennett Square. I had to make the trip during the week for rehearsal, then back again to serve on Sunday. That was a blow to my gas tank. I thought to myself, should I tell the church it's a hardship for me and ask them to help offset the cost of fuel? I thought back to my childhood when my father taught me to "do it as unto the Lord". So I told myself I would just trust God to provide. Low and behold, after singing at the 9am service, a woman I used to know from COS leaned over and slipped me two Andrew Jacksons. I laughed and laughed as I told her the story of my petrol predicament. This is the piece. The PIECE to achieving PEACE that passes all understanding. That piece is trusting in the strong name of Jesus of Nazareth. Don't get me wrong. Things are still pretty bad. This is the only year I didn't have one present to open on my birthday, but I didn't really care. I have peace inside. And our finances are still a wreck, the van is not inspected and our credit rating is probably in the sewer and I'm really not even certain we'll be able to stay in our home. But when you have eternal perspective you realize that the trials we face on this earth are only for a short time. What is really important is serving and loving God and helping others to receive eternal life in Christ. And, after that remember. It's only money. PHOTO CRED: Allie Skylar Photography

The thing I wish I never would have googled

Music is a glorious thing. It can make us laugh, weep, SOB even, dance, worship, think. It can help us remember a place in time long ago when we were in love or when someone we loved broke our heart. It can transport us back to being 4 years old eating stale crackers in a Sunday School room while a little boy with a horrible runny nose reached to grab your hand. Many can mark time by a certain favorite song. One of my most beloved shows these days is The Voice. I am blown away by the talent they found and cannot believe these people have to compete against each other. They're ALL winners to me! As a singer, they make me feel like I can't even pull-off a verse of the Itsy Bitsy Spider without embarrassing myself entirely. And when I sit down to watch this show each week, many times I have to squint to see the title of the song displayed on the bottom right-hand corner of the screen because I am just not acquainted with pop music any more. So when a boy named Nic Hawke did a really upbeat tune where he had to rap, sing in falsetto and pull off many parts, the judges went NUTS because "he single-handedly sang ALL the different elements of the song." (How many parts did he do? I asked myself.) It was an OK performance in my view. The boy definitely has talent; not my favorite, but I could appreciate it. Later that week, one of my favorite political pages on Facebook posted a clip from the CMA's with a teaser that included some of my favorite people from A&E's Duck Dynasty. I was intrigued and clicked on the link that featured Carrie Underwood doing a hilarious parody on 'ObamaSCARE' - bridged by a spoof of the so-called #1 hit, "Blurred Lines". I watched and laughed as Carrie quacked along with another famous Country artist (?). When Jase, Missy, Willie and Korie Robertson danced onto the stage, I listened to the tune and thought I recognized it from Nic Hawke's performance on The Voice. I wondered what all the fuss was about. I googled the video "Blurred Lines". The song had a funky, catchy beat. The girls were SO attractive. Not wearing much. Robin Thicke - I couldn't believe it was his father that I watched all those years star alongside Kirk Cameron on that innocent family show. I was hypnotized by Robin's blue eyes and focused closely on trying to understand the words. The video looked like trouble, but I kept watching. The music was seductive and the beat began to come alive in me. I didn't stop watching. Then I heard words like, "You want to hug me." (See now THAT'S cute!) Then, "What rhymes with hug me?" Ooops. Now this tune, those lyrics and images play over and over in my head. 3:00 in the morning on the way to the powder room. First thing out of bed. Fixing dinner. How shameful. Of all the things that should be occupying my mind, this tune is not one of them. I am ashamed that my God, who so masterfully created music and all the wonderful emotions and feelings that it evokes, has to listen to me hum this tune silently in my head. I can't get it out and I so wish I would have never googled it. For my brothers and sisters in Christ: I know the struggle I have with the world's music. It IS enticing. It IS creative. The dancing is often sexy and erotic. It IS catchy and many times very well done. But let's be very careful what we fill our ears and our minds and our eyes with. Don't be deceived that "it's just music"..."I can handle it". Music was created by God to have power to change our minds, our moods, our thoughts and desires, but the world has perverted it. I say - TURN IT OFF.

One Way Ticket to Contentment

Contentment. Grrrrr. Some days I just hate contentment. And after I catch myself going on and on and on in my head about what others have, don't you just hate it when you realize you have to have "that talk" with yourself about snapping out of it, getting a grip and being grateful for what you DO have?! It's hard. Especially in the part of the world where we live. My son came home from school the other day and said, "Edgar* lives in a mansion." I said, "How do YOU know?" "He told me." Great. Here I am --- my garage is falling down, the non-retaining wall is mimicking the garage, all the bills are backing up while my husband's out of work AGAIN, and..............EDGAR, only 7 years old, gets a mansion. Coveting. What a sorry waste of my time. Last week in Sunday School we learned that out of all the 10 Commandments, coveting is really the only one that can be done in secret. You can see someone steal. You can catch someone in a lie. You can witness a murder. But coveting.....that quiet, sneaky, secretive, malignant sin --- you can carry that out and nobody would ever be the wiser. Ouch. They take awesome trips. She's always driving a new car. They just bought a vacation home. They are so in love. Her house always looks perfect. She always looks like a million bucks. Her parents pay for her 3 kids' tuition? Her mother-in-law is so understanding. Her husband just got promoted AGAIN. WHAAT??And there you sit with those feelings of envy and how does it make you feel? Rotten. So allow me to testify, (and I'm talking to myself too) there isn't anything sweeter than the taste of THAT MOMENT you decide to shut all that down. Hasn't God always taken care of us? Hasn't He promised to meet our needs? Two days ago while in my car.......thinking.....moaning to myself.....I decided to go to God boldly for something. I said, GOD! WE NEED THIS! Friends, the very next day "it" (the very thing I prayed for) like Manna showed up at my front door. I'm not even kidding. I couldn't believe it, but then again -- I could. Because I know that's just how God works. Not always answering yes immediately, but always providing, always loving, always giving good gifts. So today I'm having a different talk with myself and I'm remembering how many sweet and special things I have and the little things that have happened lately that aren't exactly a paycheck, but are real things that remind me that God is sovereign, He cares for me and in Him I have all I need to be satisfied. I'm thinking about my darling, healthy and smart boys. I'm thinking that they have security in a home with two parents who love them. They attend good schools and have awesome teachers. They have a rich heritage of Godly men who weren't just Christians, but soul winners. I think about our tiny house, cozy and crowded but always entertained by the critters that live on our property and hide in our woods. I think about my dirty, old, crumb covered van. It starts EVERY DAY. You get the picture. So ALL ABOARD!! I'd like a one way ticket to contentment and I don't EVER want to come back.

*Not his REAL name. I mean WHO would name their child Edgar anyway?

Hurting with Hope

Yesterday I "accidentally" found myself on Pastor Levi Lusko's blog - a Pastor from Montana. I was on Pastor James MacDonald's blog and saw Levi's name in the column of blogs that J.M. follows. Loving his name, I clicked on it only to find his story one of the most helpful and inspirational things I think I've ever seen or heard or read. His blog isn't about "his story" -- it's about following Jesus. But because of modern technology, within just a few moments of clicking on his name, then being led to YouTube, I was able to read about his wife, children, his recent family crisis and the hope and the strength he has in Jesus and watch a few of his sermons online. What is it that's troubling you this day? What is it that you think is impossible for God to fix or redeem? I'm thinking of a few in my own life. I urge you -- listen to this dear young man who lost a young daughter unexpectedly just 3 days before Christmas, and watch how God works. Be filled with the Hope we have in Jesus because He is our only hope. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZPau-3uKFI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPVhap5lu_A http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHL5rmpOkzM