Mother’s Day Gift Idea

Here are two easy, fun ideas for Mother’s Day gifts:

- Find a really cute photo of you and your siblings as youngsters, frame it, and watch Mom smile.

- Use this idea my kids did this year:  Take a look at this cute Mother-of-the-Year award videoclip my kids sent. 

“Outdo one another in showing honor” (Romans 12:10)

“Honor your father and your mother…” (Ephesians 4:32)

He made it there! My husband is now in Kiev Ukraine, where he’ll teach a Christian Leadership class at Kiev Theological Seminary these next two weeks.   Steve’s a gifted teacher, and he loves the opportunity to assist our SBC missionaries (Mary Ellen and Joel Ragains) and encourage these young Ukrainian ministry students.  The last time he did this class, God truly blessed in many ways.  Please pray for him during these days.

I’m sure he’s having a yummy bowl of borsch for lunch right about now…

What a weekend!  My daughter, Autumn, came up from Texas, and we had the privilege of “tag-teaming” to lead our state mom/teen daughter event called Metamorphosis.

What a fabulous group of young women and moms! God truly blessed me as I observed those growing relationships and their sincere commitment to shine for Christ.

You should’ve seen all the special ways the host church, Calvary Baptist in Greenwood,  enhanced the event. They had gigantic, gorgeous butterflies everywhere, a coffee-house, video games, frame-making, butterfly cookies….

The fashion show was  fabulous, the laughter was loud, and moms and teens were from every end of Indiana. 

Autumn’s back in Texas; the girls and moms are back home, and I’m totally exhausted…just enjoying reflecting on a well-spent weekend with some of God’s precious daughters.

There was a downpour on Easter Sunday.  We’d taken a whirlwind trip to Texas for my niece’s wedding in Weatherford on Saturday afternoon.  Before we caught the plane home, we went to the Easter worship service at church with our son.

Easter is such a treasured day of worship for Christians, as we celebrate the resurrected Christ. Churches plan extra services, overflow parking, and often welcome the largest crowds of worshippers of the year. When the rains came on Easter Sunday morning, how would churches handle that?

The church we attended stepped up to the challenge.  As people exited their cars, they were met by parking lot greeters who handed them an open umbrella, instructing them to just give it to the usher at the door.  The umbrellas were recycled over and over as grateful attenders arrived.

In the churches where Steve pastored in years past, we purchased golf umbrellas with the church logo, and kept them ready for such a Sunday. Ushers would escort people–especially elderly and those with small children–into the church. The “traveling umbrellas” idea that was used Sunday, however, services the masses.  Will your church be ready for the next sloshy Sunday morning?

Keep on shining!

And congratulations, Jennifer and Stuart!

So many of you have encouraged me through the past years as I worked toward my Masters of Theological Studies degree at Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.

Well, my diploma is in hand!  I couldn’t wait until it was framed to show it to you.

Thanks for your prayers and encouragement. I appreciate my husband, who had more faith in me than I did myself. And I thank my God for seeing me through.

Now pardon me while I go jump up and down.

I thought you might like to see the brochure for Metamorphosis–the mom & teen daughter event where my daughter, Autumn, and I will be speaking in May. I can’t seem to copy it correctly, so check it out at

http://www.scbi.org/images/events/downloads/metamorphosisbrochure

or just go to www.scbi.org and see the details.

Pray that God will use this fun weekend to encourage His daughters.

Oh, and here’s another photo of Autumn and me — I think it was a year or two ago…

The past 4 weeks, we’ve traveled to

Texas – for the state execs annual meeting

Indiana (home) – Indianapolis for state-wide women’s retreat

Illinois – for a pastor’s wives retreat with Three Rivers Association of churches

Ohio – to visit son, Justin, for a day (he teaches at Ohio University)

Richmond Virginia – for meetings at the International Mission Board

and next weekend I’ll go to

Gatlinburg TN – for a statewide women’s conference at Gatlinburg Convention Center.

And that doesn’t even count Indiana cities where Steve’s spoken -  Franklin, Connersville, Frankfort.

So I’m just lounging at home…Before we head for Crawfordsville tomorrow!

What a blessed life!

It’s a mother-teen daughter getaway sponsored by the State Convention of Baptists in Indiana, and my daughter, Autumn, and I are excited to team up to speak!

Online registration for Metamorphosis is now available at www.scbi.org

Okay, so I can’t get the whole clipart to show up here, but I can assure you that this will be worth your weekend!  If you have a teen daughter, hope you’ll join us!

If you know a teenage girl…

or if you know a mother of a teen girl…

tell them about this mother/teen daughter event.

I’m really excited about doing this speaking engagement as a mother/daughter team with my daughter, Autumn. It’s an Indiana state-wide event on April 24-25, called Metamorphosis.

My daughter, Autumn Wall, has worked with teen girls in her church in Waco as a Bible teacher and youth minister, as a summer youth minister in Brownsburg IN, and as a missionary to youth in England. Bring your girls–I assure you that they will really connect with her, and she’ll challenge them to live joyfully for God. And I can’t wait to share with the moms! There will be breakouts for moms and daughters, a fashion show, music and fellowship and fun.

For details, call the State Convention of Baptists in Indiana office – Allison Kinion (317)481-2400, or check out www.scbi.org.

Hmmm…if you know a teenage girl or the mother or a teen girl, maybe you could even scholarship them to attend.

Pray with me that God will bless their socks off!

No, I have no real wedding photos yet, but here’s a snapshot of the getaway to prove it:

they’re hitched!

Autumn and Yale’s wedding was a fabulous, fun, God-honoring, tear-jerking, giggle-provoking, heart-rending, joyful event.  I’ll add some details in upcoming “idea” posts, of course, but suffice it to say that this MOB (mother of the bride) relished every minute of her only daughter’s wedding day. The bride and groom and all their guests had a wonderful time of celebrating.

I snapped this photo during a prayer (with my eyes closed of course.)  I’ll post some real photos later on.

Friends and family came from California, Indiana, Ohio, Oklahoma, Arkansas, San Antonio, Humble, Garland, Fort Worth, etc. and several of their youth and coworkers came over from England, too. Here are snapshots two youth, Mark and Emily, who surprised them by coming from England.

Short summary -  There were dear friends and family who came into Waco from all over; the bride’s daddy actually made it through the vows without sobbing outloud (he did a really great job, of course), the rehearsal dinner was hilarious and fabulous;  Autumn was the most relaxed, happy bride you ever saw; the groom was cool and handsome; there were zillions of Kodak Moments (and the photographer captured them all I’m certain); Aunt Susan saved the day; the weather was perfect; her brothers’ (Tylor & Justin’s) Dr. Pepper toasts were poignant; the bride & groom were adorable; the “outlaw” relatives are amazing; the reception was a blast; and there were several moments that probably should be on America’s funniest videos someday! It was all so personal and beautiful—there I go sounding like the mom. You had to be there.

Now I just hope the bride and groom are still on good terms with the groomsmen, once they find their duct-taped luggage…

Gotta run…I’m laundering the handkerchiefs now.