I have an important announcement! My book is in production as we speak, with Trilogy Publishing! I am looking forward to introducing it before the end of the year!

Hell is Forever: The Way of Escape,

An In-Depth Look at Death and Hell, Providing Hope for the Hopeless

To keep up with news of my book and also Joe’s ministry, click the link below!

The Evangelism Trail” for August 2023\

Blessings from Professional Mom!

I love fireworks! The bang, the boom, the sparkles, the excitement! I love them! We are close to the 4^th right now and I find myself looking for venues that will have spectacular fireworks next week. I love fireworks.

My love for fireworks started out a little rocky. I remember that as a very small girl, I was under my daddy’s legs, listening and peeking at my first fireworks show at a beach in Virginia. I don’t remember being particularly scared or excited, mostly curious, but fast forward to my adult life and my passion grew and grew.

I must ask myself, is it the thrill of the fireworks or is it that I am so proud of my country that I want to celebrate in this fashion? Altruistically I will say the latter, so, let’s dive into that thought.

“My Country tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.” I am so proud of our country! The United States has been a beacon of freedom for its relatively short history. Think of it, a group of patriots launched an all-out revolution against tyranny and injustice. A small group of brave businessmen formed a governing body and penned what is a miracle document, The Bill of Rights, closely followed by the by Constitution.

When you study some of the founding documents or even take a class in Civics, you find that some of the concepts and arguments are downright brilliant, as in “God Ordained,” for example, the three branches of Government, Congress, Executive and the Supreme Court. Two with the powers “from the people”, and one that gets its power from following the Law. When you stop and think of how many different situations these men thought about, and how they managed to address things that had not happened, like civil rights and abortion (implied), it makes me know that God wanted this country to happen and wanted it to flourish.

My grandmother came to America on a boat from Italy in the early 1900’s, she was 12 years old and didn’t speak English, however, when her children were born (my dad included) she said to them “we are Americans, and we will speak English!” She knew what she had left, and she loved America. Personally, I’m not against people teaching their children their native language, but I was impressed with my grandmother’s resolve when I heard this story.

You may say, is there some point to your story? Well, there is! There are forces that would have us forget or become complacent about this awesome country we have and these freedoms we enjoy. It makes me want to wave an American flag around wherever I go!

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Editor’s note: Our Teach Sunday School friends have done it again! A perfect Summer activity to share with your children! It’s not free, but for a small price, your children can learn the books of the Bible in a fun and engaging way! This is so helpful for studying the Bible at home or referencing verses at church. Get yours today!

Hi-

We’ve posted a bunch of Bible quizzes/worksheets
on the website:

👉 Grab them here.

There’s a quiz for each and every
Book in the Bible.

They’re the perfect addition to any Bible lesson!

Enjoy!
Mary-Kate

Calling All Dads

As a mom, a Professional Mom, by the way, I don’t always understand the male point of view on some things. But I do understand that it is important, both to God and to the family.

God made man, then God made woman out of man, then He made the family. He never intended for women to raise the children by themselves. I do know some really strong ladies that have raised beautiful and productive children by themselves, however, the hole in that child’s heart that was not filled by a father will only heal with the love of our Heavenly Father. Fathers are important.

If you are blessed to have a loving wife and one or several children, I am so happy for you. You are one special person! As hard as it is to juggle all of the balls of life, i.e., work, work, work and home life, if you already take time to visit with your family at night or in the morning, take much needed vacations and help with school projects, you are a super dad and you can stop reading now. But if you come home after the children are asleep, leave before they get up and work all weekend, we need to talk.

There are many statistics and graphs on how much time we spend with our children daily, I like to think of “quality time.” For example, one of my favorite times with my family were our nightly dinners. This was a 2-year tradition when I lived in Florida from 12-14 years old. This was the only time in my life that I felt like we interacted as a family, and I got to know my father better than ever during those years. Usually, he was busy working and other places we lived, we didn’t sit around the table and eat as a family. Now, I loved my dad, but to say that we spent quality time together would be a stretch.

Please make time for your children. My brother used to read his baby, to toddler, to small child, daughter, the same book every night. That, I’m sure is a favorite memory for her. She is now a grown woman and though she lives away, when in town, she is his faithful sidekick. They nurtured a sweet relationship over the years. Your “tradition” may be different, but just a small amount of time, breakfast before school, supper time or bedtime, make the most special memories of time with Dad!

Here’s a conversation tip I learned as a trainer, Tell, Explain, Describe, yes, it spells TED. When conversing with your child, you usually say, “What did you do in school today?” And they say, “Nothing.” So now you can practice this great technique! You say, “Tell me what you did in art today?” (Or science, etc.) Or, Explain, or Describe. It is really hard for them to answer “nothing” with these specific questions. Practice this and it will transform your conversations!

In addition to making time to bond, please take your children to church. There is nothing that will make a difference in a child’s life more than worshipping and even serving with their dad. (Mom too!) It was Joshua who said, “Choose you this day whom you will serve…but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” Joshua 24:15. My favorite memories as a child were Vacation Bible Schools, which are now Bible Camps or Jesus Jam! If you can plan your vacation and volunteer, that’s all the better. Dad, you are the spiritual leader of your family and it’s time to step up!

So, these things I have mentioned that transform families, taking time, even a small amount, to communicate, making memories and traditions, and finally, taking your children to church, are up to you. Mom will fill in the gaps as she always does, but ultimately it is your responsibility to train your children in the Lord. You would not like to stand before the Lord one day and be embarrassed. “Did you raise your children in me?” “No, but my wife did!”

Calling all dads to step out and step up! Be the dad God wants you to be and your children will thank you with their love and respect!

Glory, Glory, Here’s the Story

What better time than Memorial Day to talk about Jesus. The sacrifice of our men and women in uniform speaks best to the love one man has for his country. Jesus’ sacrifice speaks of the love God has for mankind.

When I ponder the sacrifice of our soldiers and sailors, I am overwhelmed at the horrors many endured in their quest to “redeem” us from enemies, foreign and domestic. It makes me grateful for the freedom their actions have afforded me and my family.

My dad served in WWII and although he survived and lived a full life, his enthusiasm to serve his country was admirable. The son of immigrants, one of six children, his patriotism and love for America was very genuine. I’ll never forget how proud he was to represent our state on the Honor Flight that brought veterans to Washington D.C. He even wore a flag in his cap.

He and his 4 brothers all represented the US in all the branches of the military (except the Coast Guard.) I want this Memorial Day to be a “shout out” to all 4 (one still with us,) for their contribution to this country and their sacrifice in service!

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This is my second Mother’s Day post. I wanted to share this encouragement in loss because I want to tell you to be aware of some of these sad events when offering your Mother’s Day greeting.

Some who have lost their moms could “adopt” a mom at church, help a lonely neighbor or aunt who is childless.

You can help bring “the Joy back” by being a friend, sending a card or bringing food or flowers.

Don’t forget Mom on Mother’s Day and remember to think outside the box for ways to make this Mother’s Day great, for mom or bring Joy to someone who is alone. And by the way, it doesn’t have to be Mother’s Day to be a help and encouragement to someone.

PM

Sadness and Joy: Sharing A Mother’s Heart

Psalms 73: 26 says, “My flesh and my heart fail, but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever.”

Have you experienced something in your life that caused your “heart to fail”? Whether it was a sickness, your own or a loved one, death of a friend, spouse, parent, or most tragically, your child, there is a gripping hold on your life and heart that you think will never end. I am here to tell you, that sometimes it will not end the way you think. But there is “Hope in God” that the pain will ease, you will come out of that tunnel on the other side, and you will experience Joy again.

Give yourself time to heal. Time. To. Heal.

I was reminded recently of a young man that lost his wife to cancer. I would see him around the church on occasion. He looked really bad. He was in such a bad place for a long time. We were patient with him, not pressing him to “put on a happy face” and join us, but prayed diligently for his healing and that he would find himself again.

Fast-forward 4 years later and I just saw his wedding pictures on Facebook. God sent him a precious woman, not to replace his first wife, but to step in and be mom to his children and love him. He looked so happy! It took time. Time to heal. Trust God. Joy will come.

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Check out some of the things Joe and I have been up to with the ministry these days! All of his monthly newsletters are available on his website:

Joe McDonald Ministry

My mentor in child rearing is Dr. James Dobson. He’s been around to help me raise my 6 children and he’s still at it through Focus on the Family. Please use his insight to help with your kids, marriage or any issue that comes with being a family!

Focus on the Family