Every time a child is born, so is a mother.  

An eternal bond is formed.  

As you grow, your mother is there.  

There to tuck you in, to cheer you up.  

There to teach.  There to send you off and to listen when you call.  

There to encourage you as you explore, create, and dance the night away.  

There to encourage, to build faith.  

There by your side, when others have left you.  

There in good times and hard times.  There in the details of daily life.  

Life doesn't come with a manual, it comes with a Mother.

This Mother's Day thank the women who have loved, mentored, and mothered you.

Each mom has gifts, talents, and passions she can share with her children.  As we share with love, we can increase the happiness and unity in our homes.

Our example can encourage and inspire our children.  We can empower them to create beauty, to accomplish, and to serve.

It’s never too early or too late to start.  Amazing things can happen when we do our best.

This beautiful video of Jenny Oaks Baker and her daughter performing Baby Mine is a sweet example of a mom who is sharing her talents with her children.

Patriotic Moms everywhere are concerned about our country.  

We care deeply about America and the legacy of liberty we leave for our children.  

Many are asking, “What can I do?  How can I make a difference?”  Here are some simple, yet powerful, suggestions.


Consider Your Situation

Reflect on the Things You Value Most.  Faith, family, freedom...these are things many of us hold dear.  They guide our thoughts and are reflected in our daily activities.  What are the thing you value most?  What are your priorities?

As mothers, I believe one of our first priorities is to nurture our children.  I agree with Ronald Reagan who said, “The family has always been the cornerstone of American society. Our families nurture, preserve, and pass on to each succeeding generation the values we share and cherish, values that are the foundation of our freedoms.” 

When we nurture our children well we prepare them to lead happy, purposeful lives and make the world a better place.  If that’s all we do, we have done something of infinite worth.  It’s hard to overestimate the value of a Nelle Reagan or a Sonya Carson.  These were both humble women in difficult circumstances who changed the course of history.  Any mother who gives her best to teaching her children the “values that are the foundation of our freedoms” leaves a precious legacy.  

Some mothers have other opportunities as well.  You may want to improve the quality of your child's education, make your city a better place to live, help teen moms, teach others about the importance of constitutional government, or help elect good leaders.  We each need to look into our hearts and decide what we can and ought to do to make the world better. 

Decades ago, long before we moved to our community, a group of families decided to work with the public school system to create a school that would provide an outstanding education, with a focus on basic skills and an understanding of history.  It took many years of effort, but they succeeded beyond their dreams.  Their service will have a lasting impact on our family and many others.


Think About Your Season in Life.  At each stage of life we have important things to accomplish that may be difficult or impossible to do at any other time.  What is your season?  What are your current opportunities and constraints?  Where should you focus now?

I recently received a loving letter from my 19-year-old son.  He gently counseled me to give my best efforts to mothering his younger brother (and my youngest child).  He reminded me that I will have all the rest of my life to pursue other interests, but we only have a year and a half before this young son leaves home.  When he added, “Like me.  :),”  his words brought tears to my eyes.  He’s doing exactly what we want him to do, but we really miss him.  I can’t go back and do things for him now that should have been done while he was at home.  Each season is unique.


Assess What You Have to Offer.  What are your talents, resources, and abilities?  Are you a willing worker?  A persuasive speaker?  A cheerful teacher?  Make a list of your gifts, character traits, skills, habits and other things you bring to the table that can help move your cause forward.

Include unique talents and abilities.  One influential leader I know was famous for her home-made chocolates.  With fabulous flavors, fun packaging, and thoughtful notes, this leader created many thoughtful gifts.  Her culinary efforts were an important part of her superb team-building skills. 


Review Your Circle of Influence.  Stephen Covey taught that we each have a circle of concern (consisting of all the things we would like to be able to influence) and a circle of influence (consisting of the things we really can influence)  The paradox is that the more we focus on our circle of concern, the less influence we have.  On the other hand, the more we work within our circle of influence, the larger it grows, and the bigger the impact we can have on our circle of concern.  Don't worry if your circle of influence is small at first.  It will grow.


Decide If You Can Accomplish More Working on Your Own or With Others. 
If you're able to accomplish more working with others, identify who you know (or could meet) who has the most influence in the area(s) you are most interested in.  Contact them and offer to help.  Ask them how you can best support the cause.  Enlist the help of like-minded friends. 


Prayerfully Set Goals 

After you’ve taken time to carefully consider your  situation, use the information and insights you've gleaned to prayerfully set your goals.  Ask yourself, "What do I want to have happen?"  Write down what you want to accomplish.  Be specific.  Set measurable targets.  Review your goals often.  Refine them as needed.  This step gives you clearer vision, purpose, focus, and commitment.

Be sure to pray for God's guidance and help with your efforts.  Throughout our history, miracles have happened when ordinary people did their best and relied on God to help them when their own efforts were not enough.  


Create a Plan 

Your plan is your carefully-crafted, step-by-step map, that guides you from where you are to where you want to be.  It gives direction, commitment, and energy to your efforts.

The plan is where you pull everything together.  

• Give your plan a meaningful title.  
  
• Describe your purpose and values.
  
• Explain your goals.
  
• Create a timeline of measurable milestones.
  
• List the specific tasks you need to complete to reach the milestones, dividing them into easy-to-manage chunks.
• Document key information about schedule, resources, and budget.  

Implement Your Plan

Each week review your plan and prepare to meet your milestones.  

• Set goals for the week.  
  
• Set aside time on your calendar to complete the tasks.
  
• Each evening evaluate your day and plan the next day, listing specific tasks you will work on.
  
• Coordinate with family and team members as needed 

Record and Evaluate Your Efforts  

Keep a journal.  When God guides you, or answers your prayers in other ways, write about it in your journal.  This sacred record will be a great blessing and source of strength for you and your family.  

Keep a record of your efforts -- what you did and what the results were.  Write down and learn from your successes and failures.  Review your journal regularly.  Great people throughout history have tended to keep a journal.  Many believe the insight and refinement of thought they gained from writing in a journal was the secret of their success. 

Making a difference is a lifelong effort, but as you consider your situation, prayerful set goals, create and implement a plan, then evaluate your efforts, you will grow in your ability and influence, and leave a meaningful legacy for those you love!

Sure love the Dodge Super Bowl ad about farmers!  

So grateful for those who sacrifice and work long hours  to grow our food! 

The transcript of the message and the original Paul Harvey version (with more insights) are below.

Paul Harvey's words of wisdom continue to inspire us long after they were spoken.  So it is with the wise words Patriotic Moms speak to their children.  They echo in minds and hearts long after they are spoken.  Even though it sometimes appears the words have fallen on deaf ears, when nurtured with love and kindness, they are like seeds that can grow and bear fruit long after a patient gardener is gone.  In that way, we have much in common with the farmers who are praised in this ad.

May God bless you in the precious work you are doing in your homes!  Nothing is more important!

And on the eighth day, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, "I need a caretaker." So God made a farmer.

God said, "I need somebody willing to get up before dawn, milk cows, work all day in the field, milk cows again, eat supper, then go to town and stay past midnight at a meeting of the school board." So God made a farmer.

God said, "I need somebody willing to sit up all night with a newborn colt and watch it die, then dry his eyes and say,'Maybe next year,' I need somebody who can shape an ax handle from an ash tree, shoe a horse with hunk of car tire, who can make a harness out hay wire, feed sacks and shoe scraps. Who, during planting time and harvest season will finish his 40-hour week by Tuesday noon and then, paining from tractor back, put in another 72 hours." So God made the farmer.

God said, "I need somebody strong enough to clear trees and heave bales, yet gentle enough to yean lambs and wean pigs and tend the pink-comb pullets, who will stop his mower for an hour to splint the leg of a meadowlark."

It had to be somebody who'd plow deep and straight and not cut corners. Somebody to seed, weed, feed, breed, and brake, and disk, and plow, and plant, and tie the fleece and strain the milk.  Somebody who'd bale a family together with the soft, strong bonds of sharing, who would laugh, and then sigh and then reply with smiling eyes when his son says that he wants to spend his life doing what Dad does. "So God made a farmer."

As she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children an untruth. Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same. However, that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard.

Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he did not play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy and that he constantly needed a bath. In addition, Teddy could be unpleasant.

It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then putting a big "F" at the top of his papers.

At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review each child's past records and she put Teddy's off until last. However, when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise.

Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners... he is a joy to be around.."

His second grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an excellent student, well liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle."

His third grade teacher wrote, "His mother's death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best, but his father doesn't show much interest and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken."

Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and he sometimes sleeps in class."

By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy's. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper That he got from a grocery bag Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents. Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was one-quarter full of perfume.. But she stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist. Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, "Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom used to." After the children left, she cried for at least an hour.

On that very day, she quit teaching reading, writing and arithmetic. Instead, she began to teach children. Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class and, despite her lie that she would love all the children the same, Teddy became one of her "teacher's pets.."

‎149 years ago today, President Abraham Lincoln gave one of the most important speeches in American history.

The Gettysburg Address lasts less than three minutes, but it is known as one of the most influential speeches ever given.  

At a time of great turmoil, division, and suffering, President Lincoln’s words were healing and unifying.  They invite all to give increased devotion to “a new birth of freedom."

Here are two very different renditions of the Gettysburg Address.  I love both!  

The first one shows meaningful pictures that give context  for the speech.

The second one is super cool for moms to watch.  A two-year-old boy recites the address from memory.  If we use our time well, our children are capable of happily learning and remembering much more than we realize.  And they are much more likely to remember the things they memorize when they are young.  How wonderful for them to carry our heritage in their minds and hearts!  

A man came home from work and found his 5 children outside, still in their pajamas, playing in the mud, with empty food boxes and wrappers strewn around the garden.  The door of his wife's car was open, as was the front door to the house, and no sign of the dog.

Walking in the door, he found an even bigger mess. A lamp had been knocked over and the throw rug was against one wall.  In the front room the TV was on with the cartoon channel blasting.  

The family room was strewn with toys and various items of clothing. In the kitchen, dishes filled the sink, breakfast food was spilled on the counter, the fridge door was open, dog food was spilled on the floor, a broken glass lay under the table, and a small pile of sand was by the back door. 

He quickly headed up the stairs, stepping over toys and more piles of clothes, looking for his wife. 

He was worried she might be ill, or that something serious had happened. He was met with a small trickle of water as it made its way out the bathroom door. As he peered inside he found wet towels, scummy soap and more toys strewn over the floor. Miles of toilet paper lay in a heap and toothpaste had been smeared over the mirror and walls. 

As he rushed to the bedroom, he found his wife still curled up in the bed in her pajamas, reading a novel... She looked up at him, smiled and asked how his day went. 

He looked at her bewildered and asked, "What happened here today?"

She again smiled and answered, "You know every day when you come home from work and you ask me what in the world I do all day?"

''Yes," was his incredulous reply.

She answered, "Well, today I didn't do it."

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.

As Patriotic Moms, we love our children with all our hearts! 

We want to teach them the things that will allow them to be happy and rise to their potential.  

We want to pass on the great legacy we have received as Americans.

But life is busy, and sometimes we don't have as much time as we'd like to teach things that really matter about America.

PatrioticMoms.com wants to help!  We've added a "Teaching" tab to our menu and are gathering great lessons, videos, stories, and activities to teach children about America.

It's still a baby, but this will become a valuable resource for Patriotic Moms and their families!  

Why don't you click on the LEARNING tab on the menu above and take a look?  

Please leave a message if you see something you really like or if you have suggestions that could help your family.  

We have lots of visitors every day.  Your suggestion may help many others too.  Thank you!!!

“Children should be educated and instructed in the principles of freedom." ~ John Adams


"Every child in America should be acquainted with his own country. He should read books that furnish him with ideas that will be useful to him in life and practice. As soon as he opens his lips, he should rehearse the history of his own country." ~ Noah Webster


“A primary object should be the education of our youth in the science of government.  In a republic, what species of knowledge can be equally important?  And what duty more pressing…than…communicating it to those who are to be the future guardians of the liberties of the country?”              ~  George Washington

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!