We had the meanest mother in the whole world! While other kids ate candy for breakfast, we had to have cereal, eggs, and toast. When others had a Pepsi and a Twinkie for lunch, we had to eat sandwiches. And you can guess our mother fixed us a dinner that was different from what other kids had, too. Mother insisted on knowing where we were at all times. You’d think we were convicts in a prison. She had to know who our friends were, and what we were doing with them.

She insisted that if we said we would be gone for an hour, we would be gone for an hour or less. We were ashamed to admit it, but she had the nerve to break the Child Labor Laws by making us work. We had to wash the dishes, make the beds, learn to cook, vacuum the floor, do laundry, and all sorts of cruel jobs.

I think she would lie awake at night thinking of more things for us to do. She always insisted on us telling the truth the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

By the time we were teenagers, she could read our minds. Then, life was really tough!

Mother wouldn’t let our friends just honk the horn when they drove up. They had to come up to the door so she could meet them. While everyone else could date when they were 12 or 13, we had to wait until we were 18. Because of our mother, we missed out on lots of things other kids experienced. None of us have ever been caught shoplifting, vandalizing other’s property or ever arrested for any crime. It was all her fault. We never got drunk, took up smoking, stayed out all night, or a million other things other kids did. Sundays were reserved for church, and we never missed once. We knew better than to ask to spend the night with a friend on Saturdays.

Now that we have left home, we are all God-fearing, educated, honest adults. We are doing our best to be mean parents, just like Mom was. I think that is what’s wrong with the world today. It just doesn’t have enough mean moms anymore.

PASS THIS ON TO ALL THE MEAN MOTHERS YOU KNOW.

By “date” I am referring to anything you can do alone for a couple hours with your wife/girlfriend. If you have kids, you might just have to bite the bullet and pay a sitter for a couple of hours, but at least the date itself can be free!

I have found that creativity is often the source of the most fun and it doesn’t cost a thing! On the other hand you can often spend a lot of money doing the same-old-thing and not have any fun. These are a few ideas that have worked for us.

1. Have a photo shoot | FREE

Grab your digital camera and start driving around town together and stop at scenic locations and start taking pictures of each other. Be goofy. Be creative – think like an artist, don’t just take the same old fake smile centered pictures. Get out of the box and take some weird pictures! Take 100-200 pictures and go home, download Picasa, pick your favorites and stretch your creative muscles even more by adding various effects to each picture.

2. Have a movie marathon | FREE – $5.00

Of course the library is great for books, but most libraries now have an extensive selection of DVD’s as well. Go pick out a few of your old favorites then swing by the grocery store and pick up your favorite snacks. Turn off the lights, grab a blanket and cozy up for a night in the great indoors.

3. Go house shopping | FREE

Even if you aren’t in the market for a new house, just go browse anyway. There is just something fun about the home-browsing process. Pick a developing area and check out a few of the display homes. Make a list together of the things you like and don’t. This is also a great way to get some design ideas and to find layouts that you may want in the future.

4. Go play a sport together | FREE

Play basketball, tennis, soccer, catch, ride bikes together, rollerblade, or anything else. It is fun, you get to breathe some fresh air, and most of them are great exercise as well. How is that for multi-tasking?

5. Plan a vacation | FREE

As I write this I am counting the days to my next vacation. You could almost argue that the anticipation up to a vacation provides as much enjoyment as the vacation itself. So why not start planning one? Even if it will be two years away, it is still something to look forward to and will get here sooner than you know it. There are a million vacation related sites to get your brain churning and help you get ideas. Once you figure out where and when, start budgeting for it!

6. Dinner and dancing at home | FREE – $30.00

Make a playlist of your favorite slow songs and let them start playing. You can then cook your favorite meal together, put out some candles, the fine china, and have a relaxing and romantic dinner together. Once dinner is over, leave the dishes until the next day! Slow dance and think about each other like you did when you were dating.

7. Go on a picnic | FREE – $20.00

I can still remember the first picnic I went on with my wife (girlfriend at the time) and it was so fun. I made us her favorite type of sandwich, got her favorite chips and drinks, packed a basket up with food and blanket and we headed to our favorite park. We found a great secluded location right next to a stream that ran through it and threw our blanket down. We ate, relaxed, and talked for a while. We then wandered around the park and I played her a couple songs on my guitar. Guys you may laugh, but girls love it!

8. Play a game together | FREE

Find an old board game in the closet. Scrabble, Checkers, Chess, Yahtzee, Monopoly, or anything else you both enjoy. If you don’t have the boards themselves you can play online. Scrabble, Checkers, Chess, Yahtzee, and Monopoly.

9. Go camping | FREE – $50.00

One of the reasons I love camping is because all the distractions are (or should be) left behind. You can sit under the stars next to warm campfire and just talk to each other for hours. It is just a great cheap way to break out of the monotony of the daily grind. If you don’t have a tent you can get one for as cheap as $25 at Walmart. Sleeping bags can be as cheap as $10. Pack a cooler and hit the road.

10. Go for a moonlight walk | FREE

If you have a beach near you, I am a little bit jealous, and you should go there – often! If you are an inlander like the rest of us, you just need to find another place. But even a subdivision sidewalk will do. There is something very romantic about walking around at night, especially under the moonlight. Tell your spouse all the things you love about them and walk slowly.

God’s armor brings victory because it is far more than a protective covering. It is the very life of Jesus Christ Himself. “Put on the armor of light,” wrote Paul in his letter to the Romans, “…clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 13:12-14) . When you do, He becomes your hiding place, and shelter in the storm–just as He was to David. Hidden in Him, you can count on His victory, for He not only covers you as a shield, He also fills you with His life.

This life in Christ begins with learning, affirming, and trusting in each part of the armor. The first part is truth–God’s revelation of all that He is to us, all that He has done for us, and all that He promises to do for us in the days ahead. This enduring truth is written in the Bible, revealed by the Holy Spirit, and realized through Jesus Christ. It cuts through all the world’s distortions, deceptions, and compromises. When you study, memorize, live, and follow truth, it enables you to see the world from God’s high vantage point. Putting on the first piece of the armor means feeding on truth through daily Bible reading and making it part of yourself.

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Belt of TRUTH - know the truth about God
Deut. 4:39; Psalm 23:1; 18:1-3

Breastplate of RIGHTEOUSNESS – The Righteousness of Jesus in you
Psalm 100:3; Rom. 3:23-24, 6:23; Gal. 2:20-21; Phil. 3:8-10

Sandals of PEACE – Inner peace and readiness
Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:14; John 14:27, 16:33, 20:21

Shield of FAITH – Living by faith
Rom. 4:18-21; Heb. 11:1; 1 Pet. 1:6-7

Helmet of SALVATION – Salvation through Christ today and forever
Each day : Ps. 16, 23; Heb. 1:3-6
For eternity : 2 Cor. 4:16-18; 1 Thess. 4:17; 1 John 3:1-3

Sword of the spirit GOD’S WORD – God’s Word countering spiritual deception and accusations
Heb. 4:12; Matt. 4:2-11; 1 Pet. 3:15; Ps. 119:110-112

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To put on the “full armor”–and enjoy a daily and eternal love-relationship with Jesus Christ, thank Him for what He has shown you in His Word. Know the Scriptures behind your prayer so that your words and faith are grounded in the authority of the Bible. Then pray through each piece. You can use the following prayer as an outline:

* The belt of truth: Thank you, my Lord, for showing me the truth about yourself. Thank you for reminding me that You are the only God, the Creator of heaven and earth, the King of the universe, my Father who loves me, and my Shepherd who leads me. You are my wisdom, my counselor, my hope, and my strength. You are everything I need each day.

* The breastplate of righteousness: Thank you for showing me the truth about myself–that on my own I could never be good enough to live in your presence. Thank you for taking my sins to the cross and offering me your righteous life. Lord, show me any sin that I need to confess right now, so that nothing will hinder me from being filled to overflowing with your Spirit. [Take time for confession] Thank you for forgiving me and for filling me with your righteous life.

* The sandals of peace: Thank you for the peace you give me when I trust and follow you. Show me how to help others find that peace.

* The shield of faith: Thank you for helping me have faith in you. I choose to count on everything you have shown me about yourself–and everything you have promised me in your Word.

* The helmet of salvation: Thank you for promising me salvation both for today’s battles and for all eternity.

* The sword of the spirit, the Word of God: Thank you for the scriptures you have given me to memorize. Please show me which one(s) you want me to use to cut through deceptions and gain your victory in any battle I may face today.