A friend shared this inspirational video about a teenage mother who sacrificed what she wanted for what was best for her son -- and the beautiful blessings that came from her sacrifice.

Birth mothers don't give their children up because they don't love them.  They love their baby so much they are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice so the baby can have a better life.

Adoption is all about love!  Wish everyone, especially adopted children, could see this video because it gives a powerful perspective on the great love that is part of adoption.  

If you know someone who is looking for a great family, I know an awesome family who has been waiting and praying for a child to adopt.

LOVE this! Tim Harris owns his own restaurant -- where hugs are on the menu! The sign says, "Tim's Place: Breakfast, Lunch and HUGS!" 

Tim has Down Syndrome -- and is, we are told, the only restaurant owner with Down Syndrome.

Greetings guests at the door with a hug -- you can see the joy he gets from serving people food -- and from giving a little bit of love!

As Tim says, "We serve breakfast lunch and hugs: hugs are the best part!"

The Albuquerque restaurant calls itself "the world's friendliest restaurant!"

Owning a restaurant has been a lifetime dream: "When he was 14 years old, he said he wanted to own a restaurant."

Tim sums up his philosophy of being a restauranteur -- and life: "Food is food. I give them a hug and then they all feel better!"

Check out Tim's website: World's Friendliest Restaurant

"I love everything about marriage!" pretty much sums up Nancy Reagan's experience as the wife of Ronald Reagan.  In fact, Nancy declared that life began when she met "Ronnie."  

This heart-warming interview is full of insights into one of the great romances of modern America. Nancy's words of wisdom are valuable for any couple trying to build a happy and lasting marriage.


  

“The spirit that Conner and Cayden show every day, and in every race, is in perfect keeping with what we look for in our annual SportsKid of the Year search.  

They are true examples of the good that can be accomplished through sports and we are proud to honor them.”   

~Sports Illustrated

I love sharing these videos about Governor Mitt Romney!  

Not only do they help us know him better, and realize what a great President he will be, but they are so inspiring.  After watching them, I want to be a better, kinder, more capable person.

In this latest video, "some of the ladies from Mitt Romney's cabinet in Massachusetts talk about Mitt's ability to connect with other people. 

"He went out of his way to spend time with Gayl's sister and her friends from an adult day care center for the developmentally disabled, won over Deb's uber-democrat grandma, noticed Ellen's daughter who was overwhelmed by the swearing in ceremony, called constituents to congratulate them for extraordinary citizenship, took time to connect with a single mother who wanted to meet him, and supported Renee while she dealt with a brain tumor."

None of these things by itself is a big deal, but they illustrate his way of living.  He genuinely loves people and lives a life of empathy, kindness, and service.

Virtue: Compassion

Our friend, Patrice, over at GetToKnowMitt.com, is creating some great videos about Mitt Romney.  

She is doing a wonderful job of collecting stories that help us get to know the character, competence, and kindness of the real Mitt.   

If you are like me, watching theses videos will do two things:

1.  Help you want to be a better person.

2.  Make you want to vote for Mitt and do everything in your power to help him get elected.

Our video for today is called Mitt Loves Ann.  In it, Natalie Crate, former executive assistant to Governor Romney, shares her memories of how Mitt and Ann were examples to her of what true love really is.

It's no secret that Ann Romney is a favorite around here, so expectations were high for her speech tonight.

And she was even better than we expected!  Hope you enjoy what she has to say as much as we did.

Transcript of Ann's Remarks

I want to talk to you tonight not about politics and not about party.

And while there are many important issues we’ll hear discussed in this convention and throughout this campaign, tonight I want to talk to you from my heart about our hearts.

I want to talk not about what divides us, but what holds us together as an American family. I want to talk to you tonight about that one great thing that unites us, that one thing that brings us our greatest joy when times are good, and the deepest solace in our dark hours.

Tonight I want to talk to you about love.

I want to talk to you about the deep and abiding love I have for a man I met at a dance many years ago. And the profound love I have, and I know we share, for this country.

I want to talk to you about that love so deep only a mother can fathom it — the love we have for our children and our children’s children.

And I want us to think tonight about the love we all share for those Americans, our brothers and sisters, who are going through difficult times, whose days are never easy, nights are always long, and whose work never seems done.

They are here among us tonight in this hall; they are here in neighborhoods across Tampa and all across America. The parents who lie awake at night side by side, wondering how they’ll be able to pay the mortgage or make the rent; the single dad who’s working extra hours tonight, so that his kids can buy some new clothes to go back to school, can take a school trip or play a sport, so his kids can feel… like the other kids.

And the working moms who love their jobs but would like to work just a little less to spend more time with the kids, but that’s just out of the question with this economy. Or that couple who would like to have another child, but wonder how will they afford it.

I’ve been all across this country for the past year and a half and heard these stories of how hard it is to get ahead now. I’ve heard your voices: “I’m running in place,” “we just can’t get ahead.”

Sometimes I think that late at night, if we were all silent for just a few moments and listened carefully, we could hear a great collective sigh from the moms and dads across America who made it through another day, and know that they’ll make it through another one tomorrow. But in that end of the day moment, they just aren’t sure how.

And if you listen carefully, you’ll hear the women sighing a little bit more than the men. It’s how it is, isn’t it?

It’s the moms who always have to work a little harder, to make everything right.

It’s the moms of this nation — single, married, widowed — who really hold this country together. We’re the mothers, we’re the wives, we’re the grandmothers, we’re the big sisters, we’re the little sisters, we’re the daughters.

You know it’s true, don’t you?

You’re the ones who always have to do a little more.

You know what it’s like to work a little harder during the day to earn the respect you deserve at work and then come home to help with that book report which just has to be done.

You know what those late night phone calls with an elderly parent are like and the long weekend drives just to see how they’re doing.

You know the fastest route to the local emergency room and which doctors actually answer the phone when you call at night.

You know what it’s like to sit in that graduation ceremony and wonder how it was that so many long days turned into years that went by so quickly.

You are the best of America.

You are the hope of America.

There would not be an America without you.

Tonight, we salute you and sing your praises.

You know how some songs reach out and touch your heart?    

"One More Day" is a song like that!  It's a beautiful and poignant reminder to treasure the moments we have with those we love.  

Although written a couple of years ago, it seems especially meaningful now.

One More Day

Sung by: Three2U
Written by:  Bobby Wayne Tomberlin and Steven Dale Jones


Last night I had a crazy dream
A wish was granted just for me
It could be for anything
I didn't ask for money
Or a mansion in Malibu
I simply wished, for one more day with you

One more day
One more time
One more sunset, maybe I'd be satisfied
But then again
I know what it would do
Leave me wishing still, for one more day with you

First thing I'd do, is pray for time to crawl
Then I'd unplug the telephone
And keep the TV off
I'd hold you every second
Say a million I love you's
That's what I'd do, with one more day with you

One more day
One more time
One more sunset, maybe I'd be satisfied
But then again
I know what it would do
Leave me wishing still, for one more day with you

Leave me wishing still, for one more day
Leave me wishing still, for one more day 

On this mission of winning the hearts of my children, I have wondered:

How can I win their hearts?

What is it that causes them to trust me with their hearts?

Is there really hope for winning the hearts of all my children?

Then I began to think about those people in my life who have won my heart.  What is it that makes me willingly trust them with my heart?  It will be the same for my children regardless of personality. As I turned to scripture to develop a plan to win their hearts here is what I found.

"He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers,"  Malachi 4:6

It is not in my own strength that I can win the hearts of my children, but through the power of Christ working in their lives.   Through Christ alone, I can win the hearts of my children.

So, here are five ways to win the hearts of your children.

1. Listen to your children.  This sounds simple enough, right?  But, what I am talking about is more than just that.  Listen to their lengthy, detailed, lengthy, dramatic, (did I mention lengthy?) explanation of the picture that they just drew, the dream that they had last night, or the conversation that they had with a friend.  Listening to the "little things" now not only wins their hearts, but it creates a bond that will cause them to trust you with the "big things" later.  Don't the people who listen to you win your heart?  The same is true for your kids.  Listen to them.  Listen with your eyes. Listen to as much as is possible and you will win their hearts.  "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." James 1:19

2. Serve your children with joy.  Early in my parenting, I found that I was serving my children all day, every day, but, I wasn't doing it with joy.  I would complain about the amount of work (or a sigh...that is a true measure for me) and that was causing my children to pull away from me.  Who wants to be around someone who resents the work you create for them?  It became a barrier to winning their hearts.  The Lord began to challenge me in this area.  I had no idea what my lack of joyful service was doing to my kids.  Now, I try to give the "Chick-fil-a" answer.  Have you been to Chick-fil-a?  Their employees always say "my pleasure".  It really is my pleasure to serve my children...even when they are grown.  I am training myself to say "I would be happy to...".  And, you know what?  This amazing attitude of joy is contagious.  Now instead of guilt, my children are giving me their hearts and serving alongside with...well, with more joy than before...haha.  Joyfully serving your children is serving the Lord.  Serve your children with JOY and you will win their hearts.

3. Trust your children.  Doesn't it just do something to you when you know that someone truly trusts you?  So, trust your kids.  Sometimes it's painful and you may have to just turn your head and let them learn from their mistakes.  But, more often than not, they emerge triumphant, beaming with the joy of their new accomplishment.  And, you had complete confidence that they would triumph...well, in their eyes anyway:)  Trust your boys with appropriate risks.  God made them to be risk takers and they will take some risks. Each time that I trust my children, I win a little more of their hearts.  Trust your children in developmentally appropriate areas and you will win their hearts.

4. Respect your children's opinions.  Sometimes I disagree with my kids...big shock, I know.  But, respecting their (many times immature) opinions on issues and giving them a chance to stretch those wings builds their trust.  It may be as simple as what vegetable is gross or as complicated as which candidate gets the vote in the upcoming election.  But, in respecting their opinions, I am laying a foundation for future communication.  You don't have to agree with them or encourage them in immature opinions but respect them enough to let them have their own opinions.  Respect their opinions and you will win their hearts.

5. Smile at your children.  Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in the daily grind and forget to smile at your children.  A smile communicates love and adoration.  They will return that love with another piece of their hearts...and a smile too:)  This is another area that has taken training for me.  But, I am learning to give them a big smile each time I make eye contact with them.  It may make the older kids a little uncomfortable at first (it did one of mine...haha) but now that same child returns my smile (even though a little shy still) and it is a fantastic thing.  "They waited for me as for showers and drank in my words as the spring rain.  When I smiled at them, they scarcely believed it; the light of my face was precious to them.  I chose the way for them and sat as their chief;."  Job 29:24  Smile at your children and you will win their hearts. 

I am still in the midst of this heart-winning mission but, honestly, I expect it to be a life-long mission.  Never give up.  Keep winning their hearts!

Glenn Beck enlisted the help of composer Clyde Bawden to create a beautiful song reflecting his love for America.  

This is what Clyde created.

Hope you enjoy the power and beauty in this amazing music as much as I do!