Good morning! Hope everyone is doing well moving into our holiday week. Planning barbecues? Blueberry picking? Strawberry shortcake? Fireworks?

My publisher -- B&H Publishing Group -- recently launched a new website, showcasing their authors and their books coming out. Check it out at: www.pureenjoyment.com

Every summer, we have a small family reunion with my cousins' kids. It's a chance for our kids to get to know each other. We have a blast. A few years ago, we began driving to Tyler and playing laser tag. There's just nothing like shooting your relatives to enhance any family reunion. Well, then the laser tag place closed. So we tried to figure out what to do next ... we came up with a water balloon fight. The first year, my sister and I planned it, filled up all of the balloons secretly and surprised the kids. They loved it. So now, it's tradition.

Now though we don't fill up the balloons in secret anymore. Our old fingers need help! I usually sit outside with several of the teens and fill up the balloons while they tie them. It's a great opportunity to find out what is going on in their lives. Of course we all get soaked ... sometimes accidentally, sometimes not so accidentally. But it's good bonding time.

What do you do to occupy teens and bond with them?

My new cover has arrived. What do you think?

My niece is getting married this weekend! I'm so excited for her. In many ways, she feels like my own child. So it also seems a bit impossible that this is happening. Recently, with my sister, I gave her a bridal tea. The morning of the tea, I woke up with words spilling out of my heart. I am not a poet, so don't expect this to rhyme. I read this to her at the tea with lots of happy tears. Here it is:

Melissa and Jon sitting in a tree
k-i-s-s-i -
Stop! Halt! Hold the phone!
I'm sorry but kissing is just not allowed.
Melissa, after all, is only a baby.
Aunt Laurel is looking at you like a creature from Mars, not exactly sure how to hold you, what to do.
Oh, no, you're two and drawing very precise lines while 'writing' in my journal.
Or are you five, and dancing in a recital?
Or is it that Christmas you decided to be baptized?
Or the summers you came and helped me with my children?
The years pile one on top of the other.
The pictures in my mind whirl past.
Watching each milestone has been such a joy.
We cheered, cried and rejoiced with you at each one.
And now, at twenty-one ? alright, twenty-two (on Monday)
You're reaching several milestones at once. Give us a few minutes to adjust, because even though now we talk about religion and politics, movies and books, sometimes we see that little girl, Cinderella, running through the house as the clock strikes twelve, running from her prince.
The clock has struck and now you're a college graduate. You're all grown up. You're?
Melissa and Jon sitting in a tree
k-i-s-s-i-n-g
we can't wait to see what all the future brings.

Sunday, we were about to dig into a meal of pasta and salad, celebrating my hubby, my children's father and how much we love him with a big blueberry cobbler. So, as usual, hands clasped around the table, we bowed our heads to pray. My daughter (age 8) decided she wanted to pray. "Dear God, Thank you for my daddy and for this food. And ... oh yeah, happy Father's Day!" She looked up and said, "Cause God's the best father of all."

We found Hershey in March 2003. She was lying in the middle of a two-lane highway. As I drove my minivan, carrying my two preschoolers and three dogs past, she looked up at me. I had to go back. I'm so glad I did. In spite of a terrible concussion, a wounded leg and my pathetic help in her delivering two preemie kittens, she was the sweetest cat. We worked hard to try to save her leg but eventually we had to have it amputated. She adjusted to her three legs without trouble. Despite her inability to see well, probably due to the concussion, she was a sweet companion. She would seek me out every night about ten o'clock when I'd finally sit down. Before I even touched her soft fur, she'd start purring. When my shihtzu (alpha dog), Muffet, died in 2005, my lab was loosing tufts of hair from stress. Hershey stepped up to the plate and became our "alpha dog." Friday, after a long struggle, Hershey went to the 'Rainbow Bridge' to wait with Muffet. We miss her.

It wasn't too long ago that we did see a real snake in our back yard. We filmed it, then searched online to discover it was a rat snake. And it slowly slithered under the fence and into the neighbor's yard. I'm sure it stayed there. And there are no more snakes in my yard. But that's one reason I jumped a mile (or so it seemed) when I saw that fake snake yesterday.

But I was reminded of an event that happened not long after I got married (coming up on 13 years ago). We lived in a different house. I'm sure when my husband bought that house, he imagined Baywatch in the backyard as it had a pool. Unfortunately, he met me the weekend after he moved into that house and his dreams died a quick death. LOL!

That pool had these huge trees surrounding it. One tree would drop all it's leaves in the pool. Then the next month, the next tree would deleaf. Then the next. So we were constantly scooping leaves out of that pool. My husband would just dump those leaves into an trench that ran along the backside of the pool. It was about 4 feet deep and it made a lovely compost area. And I was not happy about it. I decided one weekend when my husband's father was visiting (and willing to do chores) that we'd all get back there and get rid of those leaves. I was the first one into the trench. And the first one out. Screaming a scream that Psycho would have been proud of, I left the pile of leaves and the thirty-some-odd snakes in that mess to the boys.

What is it about snakes that is so disgusting and creepy? Yet, when they're safely behind glass, I can honestly say they are fascinating to watch. But I don't like them in my yard!

This morning, in my effort to do more household chores that I've been putting off, I tugged on old clothes and trudged outside to do my least favorite chore. And I may have discovered a reason never to face this task again!

One of the flowerbeds in our backyard had an influx of weeds. Ugh. It really showed my inattention. And it was actually a nice lesson to my kids this week as we talked about relationships with family members and friends and especially our relationship with God and what happens when we neglect those relationships. Weeds build up.

A hydrangea plant had died. So I grabbed hold of the hard dry sticks and pulled. It didn't take too much effort for the plant to pull right out of the ground, roots and all. But as I was pulling, and staring intently into the plant, I saw a gaping mouth and a forked tongue. I jumped back. I'm sure I probably gave a bit of a yelp as well! My heart was hammering. Daring to look closer, I leaned back toward the flowerbed and saw the gaping mouth and the red forked tongue. Neither was moving. Then I recognized the 's' curved body. It was a plastic snake that once belonged to my son. It was enough of an excuse to put off that chore for another day.

Mission (of painting son's room) accomplished. Next project: guest bedroom. I've already painted big patches on the wall to test the color. Today, I'll buy the paint and tape the windows and doors and baseboards. Be careful. Anything sitting still too long in my house could be subjected to a new color of paint.

It must be our recent trip to Disney World and all the roller coasters jarring something loose in my brain, but I've been thinking about the different kinds of roller coaster riders. I am the reluctant rider. Every turn, every loopity-loop, every gigantic hill (which always leads to a sharp drop off -- as in what goes up must come down), I clench the lapbar tighter and tighter. Often I will have a smile on my face. Not because I'm having fun. I'm not. My teeth are actually clenched. The smile is for the benefit of anyone who might be watching so they think I'm okay with the ups and downs, twists and turns. I'm brave. Right? Nope. I'm scared. I hate heights. I hate feeling out of control.

Then there are the crazy roller coaster riders. Crazy? Yep. They throw their hands in the air. They have a maniacal laugh as they face a gigantic hill. The scream and laugh as they go down, down, down and loopity-loop a half dozen times. They are having the time of their life.

Which made me wonder if there is any correlation to how roller coaster fanatics and chickens face real life? When trouble comes (and it does, doesn't it?), do the crazy roller coaster riders, throw their arms up, praising God anyway, letting the moment flow over them, absorbing the rush of wind, the fear or pain, and then quickly moving on to the next peak or valley in their life?

Do the scaredy-cats like me, see a valley coming or a twisting curve in life and grab onto anything that seems stable, the bible, God, friends, food for comfort? Squeezing their eyes tightly shut, scrunched down in their seat, do they pray for the moment to pass, swear they'll never put themselves in that position again, promise anything to God (first born children, reading the bible through in one sitting, whatever it takes) for Him to miraculously get them through this turbulance?

In real life, I guess I'm a bit of both. Which are you?

A while back I was asked one of those weird groups of questions, like what's your favorite animals, and all the questions have underlying meanings, like that's how you feel about your mother or death or somesuch. One of the questions was: if you were in an all white room with no doors or windows, what would you do? My answer: paint!

I've picked the color. The rickety ladder is in the bedroom. The paintbrush and rollers are waiting. Today, I begin painting my son's room. My husband and I have painted a couple of rooms in our house together, but this is my first time alone. Yikes! I'm a bit nervous. It could spell d-i-s-a-s-t-e-r, as in spilled paint, globs of mess. Or it could be another kind of disaster altogether. If I'm successful, then watch out world! I'll have a paint brush in my hand and nothing will be safe!

Fear can be a good thing. And fear can be a warning. Fear of falling off a cliff is a good, healthy fear. Natural and normal. Recently on the Tower of Terror I faced that fear. I didn't like it. And don't worry, I'm not about to skydive to try to conquer it. Fear of snakes is a normal fear. God gives us those natural reactions to help protect us.

But what happens if we have a fear that isn't so normal or natural? I've faced down a lot of those fears in the past few years. I've learned to embrace fear, realize it's often doubt and fear from the evil one, trying to stop me from doing what God wants me to do. So with a lot of prayer, I step into those fears.

My eight year old daughter has been battling a fear lately. Just so you know, she loves to perform. She enjoys her dance classes but she lives for recital. She's also been in little musicals and never gets nervous. She just loves performing. I marvel at her because I'm so different. God gifted her with an ability to sing. It did not come from me. Or my husband. A recessive gene somewhere? Anyway, she's always loved singing. She's even told me she thought God wanted her to sing for him. But in the last couple of years she's grown shy about singing in front of people. Believe me, she can belt out a song and I can hear her all over our house. But she turned reticent. So believing this was a fear she needed to get over at a young age, I signed her up for voice lessons. She loved the lessons but all year she dreaded (shall we be honest...sobbed, cried, pleaded) the recital. It was drama of the highest level. I kept reminding her how she loves to perform. Our whole family encouraged her. But still the fear persisted. I asked her who she thought might not want her to sing since God has given her this gift. She answered, "Satan." So we prayed about her recital and the day finally arrived.

Let me just say, God is so good. He is faithful when we cry out to him. We prayed for his shield, his protection. Yesterday was her recital and she was calm and sang clearly and beautifully. It bolstered her confidence to get through that performance just like it bolsters our confidence in the Lord when he helps us through difficult situations, things we fear.

Remember: God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

update on Hershey, the sick cat: I forcefed her this yucky looking (and smelling) high caloric food all weekend. She utters a low, pathetic growl but she's fairly compliant. She's a good patient. But she's still not eating on her own. She's not worse, but she's not really any better either. So for now, I guess we'll just continue on. Thanks for the prayers!