[Audio http://cbsboston.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/november-24-2010-money-matters.mp3%5D

None of us want to live with our kids but if you have not done retirement planning 101 you may end up living with one of your kids having the same problems as King Lear.

So if you want to ignore my warnings here about retirement planning, tomorrow as everyone is seated around the table begin the selection process.

Which of your kids is the nicest or the wealthiest? Choose that one and be nice to that one perhaps exclusive of the others so when the time comes you can move in with them. If you only have one kid your choices are eliminated.

Sound harsh? Not really! Modern medicine has given us the ability to live longer lives. We can get a liver transplant, joint replacement; we take medicine to control our blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes We need to plan to live 35 years or more in retirement. And as we age we will become frailer. Studies have shown that people spend more time planning their two-week vacation than their retirement.

While you are peeling vegetables or making pies today talk to your spouse/your partner about retirement planning. He or she should be helping you with the vegetables so you’ll have some quality time together. Start the retirement conversation.

• What are your goals for retirement?
• When do you want to retire?
• Where do you want to live in retirement?
• What do you want to do in retirement?
• Do we have enough money to retire comfortably?

That’s a good beginning, but to make retirement a reality you do need to plan. Start with looking at the assets you have set aside in your retirement plans. At the rate you’re saving will you have enough dollars to live on in retirement?

Have you ever taken the time to figure out how much more you’ll need to save to have a comfortable retirement? Choose to Save is a website loaded with calculators where you can get some help. Also check the website of your retirement plan provider to see what educational materials they have to offer to help you figure out when you will be able to retire.

Make a comfortable retirement a reality for none of us want to live with the kids! Think about being a 100 years old and living with your 75 year old son!

One more thing: Thanks to a faithful listener, Bob Sprich, for reminding me about King Lear and his personal dilemma.

[Audio http://cbsboston.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/november-22-2010-money-matters.mp3%5D

National Family Week celebrates strong families. And since Thanksgiving is the holiday where families try to get together it seemed an opportune time to talk about families and money, which is not an easy subject to bring up. Most families would rather talk about the Patriots.

I know I have talked about this before but it is important. Where are all the important papers of your life? If something should happen to you do your children, your parents, your spouse, your partner, or your sister know where all the important stuff is kept?

This is not just a problem for the elderly. Having someone in your life who can access your important stuff is crucial at every age. And is the important stuff organized and filed so they can find it? You don’t want them to have to ransack your home looking for your important papers.

What about a list of the important people and their phone numbers and addresses. For example, you live in Massachusetts and your son lives in NY. If something should happen to him do you have his friends’ phone numbers, his next-door neighbor’s number? A list of the important people in his life. His doctor? Does he have that information for you? You may never need it, but and buts are always big, if it’s ever needed……..

Now consider what would happen if you had an accident in NY while visiting this week for Thanksgiving and needed someone here in Massachusetts to find your important documents. Could you tell them exactly where to find them? Could they pay the bills while you convalesced in NY?

Have you done your estate planning? A recent survey finds that only 40% of Americans have wills. If you don’t have a will the state you reside in when you die has one prepared for you by state law.

Do you have a Durable Power of Attorney and have you signed a Health Care Proxy? These are important documents. A power of attorney allows someone to act on your behalf legally and financially if you should be become incapacitated.

A health care proxy allows someone to make medical decisions for you if you are not able to make those decisions. You can download copies of the Massachusetts Health Care Proxy and bring them with you for everyone on Thanksgiving.

They have Tupperware parties why not Health Care Proxy parties! Once you have these documents let the important people in your life know where you keep them.

One more thing: Just mention Terri Schiavo and you get a reaction from people.

The Florida Supreme Court got involved, the Governor of Florida and the President. Do you want these people messing in your life and telling your family what to do?

Check out my website and download the worksheet Document Locator.

Did you know we set aside a week every year to celebrate the family? Next week, November 21-27 is National Family Week. How fitting to have a week to celebrate the family unit, the foundation of society.  The National Family Week website, alliance1.org, puts it this way:

National Family Week is based on the premise that children do better when their families are strong, and families do better when they live in communities that help them succeed.

Amen! And I would add to that, those families do better when they attend churches that help them succeed as a family. Julaine Appling has a saying, that as the family, so the state. That could be applied to several different layers of society. As the family, so the church. As the family, so the community. The point is communities, churches, the state—we’re all only as strong as our family units…

Read the rest of WFC’s radio commentary here.

Listen to/download the MP3 here.

Celebrate your family this National Family Week!

National Family Week 2010 is taking place between 31^st May and 6^th June and is the UK’s biggest celebration of family life. With over 5000 fun family events and activities running across the country, there’s something for every family to enjoy throughout the first week of the summer half term holidays.  The website has details of your closest Family Week Picnic, Family Week Sports Day and other special events, as well as details on how to join the UK’s bid to win the Guinness World Record for the Largest Simultaneous Three-Legged Race.

In January 1945 two Lancaster bombers crashed in separate incidents near the village of Hoveringham in Nottinghamshire. Both crews lost their lives. Fast forward now to the 21^st century and when Lady Helen Nall was trying out her new metal detector on her land, she came across what appeared to be an ordinary piece of scrap metal, but which her brother recognised as a part of an aircraft. It was from one of the planes that crashed all those years ago.

Lady Helen decided to research the series of events and has succeeded in tracking down the families of the aircrew. Now she has put all the results of her research into a book called The Courage of the Small Hours [£10.99 978-0956550002] which was published recently. There is to be a memorial service at the end of the month. Find out more from the “This is Nottingham” website.

May – Robin Hood Month in Notts

Last week saw the release of the new film about Robin Hood starring Russell Crowe.  The film tie-in book Robin Hood: the story behind the legend [Tor Books £6.99 978-0765366276]by David Coe was published earlier this month. Of course there are dozens of books about Robin Hood, but there’s another new title which is supposed to be the true story behind the legend: A Brief History of Robin Hood by Nigel Cawthorne [Robinson Publishing £8.99 978-1849013017] came out at the end of April. Mr Cawthorne is the author of about 80 books (so far) and has contributed to many more. One of his series of books is the “Sex Lives..” series – Sex Lives of the Popes; Sex Lives of the US Presidents etc etc.

Successor to Catherine Cookson?

When the last of Catherine Cookson’s many books had been published, everyone, particularly public librarians, began to speculate which author might succeed Catherine Cookson as the most popular author  as far as library issues were concerned. I remember that Josephine Cox was tipped to become the successor, but in my experience this didn’t happen. In fact no author seems to have truly taken her place.

Josephine Cox was at that time and still is extremely popular: her latest book is out in paperback this month: Divorced and Deadly [Harper £6.99 978-0007301430]. Josephine Cox began writing the “Divorced and Deadly” stories for signed up members on her website. They are all about Ben Buskin and his friend Dickie Manse. Ben is caught in bed with his wife’s best friend and gets the heave ho. Being totally unable to cope on his own, he eventually moves in with his best mate Dickie. Together they stagger from one disaster to another, including a holiday in Blackpool where things go totally haywire. Sounds like some kind of domestic disaster novel, but it appears to be Ms Cox trying to prove that a man can’t cope on his own. It’s supposed to be really funny.

National Family Week

From 31^st May to 6^th June it’s the National Family Week in Britain. What’s this got to do with reading? – well June 2^nd has been set aside as the Family Week Story Time day when parents are being encouraged to spend a little time reading with their children. The National Literacy Trust says that when parents read with their children or encourage them to read in other ways, they do better at school . In fact, says the Trust “Without adequate literacy skills a child is less likely to succeed at school and to become a happy and confident young person”. Let’s hope the message gets through to as many parents as possible who will heed the advice and share stories and read with their children throughout the year.

For more information go to the NLT website

As the next posting will be my 100^th, I’ll be looking back at some of the best books I have come across in the past 2 and a bit years. I’ll also have an interview with Jane Streeter who organises the annual Lowdham Book Festival. At the time of writing, the Lowdham Book Festival 2010 website is in preparation. In a few days’ time try http://www.lowdhambookfestival.co.uk

The bench is now finished and we have installed one half of the mosaic feature. Later this month, the other half of the mosaic will be added to complete the project.

With the fresh season upon us, you will see our beautiful mosaic stepping stone kits springing up in lots of new places!! Fred Aldous in Manchester city centre is one of our new retailers

Deputy Majority Leader Lou Lang

(Chicago, IL) – December 2, 2009. The Child Care Association of Illinois today bestowed its “Champion for Children” award on Illinois House Deputy Majority Leader Lou Lang (D-Skokie) for his relentless legislative advocacy in behalf of Illinois foster families.

Lang received the award in conjunction with efforts by groups across the country to celebrate National Family Week in honor of children and families in their communities.

“Rep. Lang has long fought to adequately reimburse Illinois foster parents for the cost of care and more broadly has long been a leader in child welfare reform,” said Marge Berglind, President of the Child Care Association of Illinois. “And we are proud to grant him our ‘Champion for Children’ award this year.”

Lang, a House lawmaker since 1987, said, “Marge Berglind, the Child Care Association and foster parents are the real champions for children here in Illinois, but I humbly accept and appreciate the honor on behalf of the work they perform.”

National Family Week, founded in 1968 and directed by the Alliance for Children and Families, embraces the premise that children live better lives when their families are strong, and families are strong when they live in communities that connect them to economic opportunities, social networks, and services.

Specifically, in 2010, the Child Care Association of Illinois will be focusing on two key legislative agenda items that aim to bolster Illinois foster families:

• Protecting the current level of foster parent reimbursement in the face of enormous Illinois budget deficits

• Imposing a fair method for calculating foster parent expense reimbursement rates in the future.

“Foster parents have had only two increases in eight years to pay expenses to feed, clothe, house, and transport foster children, and inflation has deeply eroded the value of the static state reimbursement,” said Berglind.

“As inadequate as it is, still, we must protect the current reimbursement against any cuts next year as Illinois struggles to balance its budget.”

On average, an Illinois foster parent spends $703 per month—of that $281 comes out of the foster parent’s pocket, Berglind noted.

A national report on foster parent under-funding released two years ago by two national organizations and the University of Maryland said Illinois’ average rates (for children 2, 9, and 16) were $380, $422, and $458 per month and they needed to be raised to $661, $757, and $830 to meet actual costs.

Last year, legislation was sponsored by Lang to provide a one-time payment of $24 million to the state’s 7,500 foster parents. The payments would have averaged $145 per foster child.

“It’s an embarrassment that that the state seeks volunteer foster parents to care for abused and neglected children and then refuses to pay the full cost of care,” said Lang. “The very least we can do is inflict no further financial harm on foster parents next year.”

Once budget deficit pressures recede, Berglind says the Child Care Association of Illinois will resume its campaign to raise foster parent reimbursement rates.

Lang received the award at the Hyatt Hotel in Lisle on December 2 during the annual meeting of the Child Care Association of Illinois.

National Family Week is supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.

Deputy House Majority Leader Lou Lang (D-Skokie)

(Chicago, IL) – November 18, 2009. – The Child Care Association of Illinois will bestow its “Champion for Children” award on Illinois House Deputy Majority Leader Lou Lang (D-Skokie) for his relentless legislative advocacy in behalf of Illinois foster families.

Lang will receive the award in conjunction with efforts by groups across the country to celebrate National Family Week in honor of children and families in their communities.

“Rep. Lang has long fought to adequately reimburse Illinois foster parents for the cost of care and more broadly has long been a leader in child welfare reform,” said Marge Berglind, President of the Child Care Association of Illinois. “And we are proud to grant him our ‘Champion for Children’ award this year.”

Lang, a House lawmaker since 1987, said, “Marge Berglind, the Child Care Association and foster parents are the real champions for children here in Illinois, but I humbly accept and appreciate the honor on behalf of the work they perform.”

National Family Week, founded in 1968 and directed by the Alliance for Children and Families, embraces the premise that children live better lives when their families are strong, and families are strong when they live in communities that connect them to economic opportunities, social networks, and services.

Specifically, in 2010, the Child Care Association of Illinois will be focusing on two key legislative agenda items that aim to bolster Illinois foster families:

• Protecting the current level of foster parent reimbursement in the face of enormous Illinois budget deficits

• Imposing a fair method for calculating foster parent expense reimbursement rates in the future.

“Foster parents have had only two increases in eight years to pay expenses to feed, clothe, house, and transport foster children, and inflation has deeply eroded the value of the static state reimbursement,” said Berglind.

Rep. Lou Lang, Marge Berglind (left), CEO, Child Care Association, and Gladys Boyd (right), President, Illinois Foster Parents Association at a press conference last year on foster parent reimbursements.

“As inadequate as it is, still, we must protect the current reimbursement against any cuts next year as Illinois struggles to balance its budget.”

On average, an Illinois foster parent spends $703 per month—of that $281 comes out of the foster parent’s pocket, Berglind noted.

A national report on foster parent under-funding released two years ago by two national organizations and the University of Maryland said Illinois’ average rates (for children 2, 9, and 16) were $380, $422, and $458 per month and they needed to be raised to $661, $757, and $830 to meet actual costs.

Last year, legislation was sponsored by Lang to provide a one-time payment of $24 million to the state’s 7,500 foster parents. The payments would have averaged $145 per foster child.

“It’s an embarrassment that that the state seeks volunteer foster parents to care for abused and neglected children and then refuses to pay the full cost of care,” said Lang. “The very least we can do is inflict no further financial harm on foster parents next year.”

Once budget deficit pressures recede, Berglind says the Child Care Association of Illinois will resume its campaign to raise foster parent reimbursement rates.

Lang will receive the award at the Hyatt Hotel in Lisle on December 2 during the annual meeting of the Child Care Association of Illinois.

National Family Week is supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.

Originally I had planned to start writing this on World Turtle Day, but circumstances got the better of me and I bypassed not only the celebration of heroes in a half-shell but National Escargot Day too. And now here I am, deadline looming large, at the start of National Family Week.

Not heard of National Family Week? Neither had I – this year’s the first one. The week promises a celebration of, yep, you guessed it, “your family”. What a concept; positive, hopeful, with mass market appeal by the bucket-load. And a perfect way to attract a diverse range of businesses and D-list celebrities looking for a bit of free advertising – so perfect it could have been thought up by a PR company. Guess what? It was. Recently it seems like every day and every week is ‘National This’ or ‘World Appreciation’ that. This month we had only two days to recover between British Sandwich Week and National Vegetarian Week, which finished the day before National Family Week began. Is it just me, or is all this just a sophisticated PR exercise? Surely to be a vegetarian you are required to behave like one for more than one week a year; and probably also for more than one week at a time. And I would be willing to bet that sandwiches appear in the lunch-boxes of the majority of Brits daily rather than annually. Some of us even eat vegetarian sandwiches, which is probably why the two national weeks cannot happen at the same time. And the days and weeks just keep on coming. While you’ve got your diary out, why not make a note of National Running Day, National Electronics Week and National Badger Day, all coming up soon.

At first I thought I was the only National Week cynic, but there are others. Whilst idly googling creative names for other potential weeks, I stumbled upon a blog on an ethical website attacking National Watercress Week as pointless. Now, although I was thrilled to find a kindred spirit, I don’t think watercress is the worst offender – at least it is seasonal and thus has a ‘week’. Ok, a few weeks, but still.

The problem is that watercress is a plant; it grows in the ground and then we eat it. The family, on the other hand, is a social and moral institution which makes us feel warm inside. It’s marketing gold. Hence why family favourites from across the land, from Gordon Brown, to Richard and Judy, to Miss England 2008 are jumping on the bandwagon. Even celebrity saucepan endorser, sorry, chef, Antony Worrall Thompson is getting in on the act by choosing us a family recipe. Ain’t that sweet? And if all this wasn’t enough, on completion of this piece, I popped out to the shops and was greeted with a poster of a smiley, dark-haired beauty wielding a glass of branded fruit drink. Diaries out again folks, it’s National Mango Week.

Published in The Leither June 2009

The initiative, announced as part of a programme of over 2,500 National Family Week events throughout the country, is intended to support the best new ideas to improve family life and encourage the use of ingenuity and creativity to enhance family relations.  Applications will be accepted from a wide range of groups and almost any idea – from a product, to a particular service, event or campaign – will be considered.  Successful applicants will get the chance to discuss their ideas with senior politicians and will receive cash from a funding pot of £150,000 to turn their social dreams into a reality.

The programme has been launched in response to a recent National Family Week survey which found that the majority of British families would like to spend more time together playing games, having meals or doing educational things.

The closing date for applications is 31 July 2009.

For further information visit:

http://www.nationalfamilyweek.co.uk/view.The-Big-Family-Idea

Source:  BLF

… TPO Company: Butterflies

This show is thought for kids between the ages of 3 and 8. They will love getting involved in this multi-sensory experience where they can follow the life of a butterfly or chase caterpillars. From the people who brought us the Japanese, Kurdish and Italian Gardens Triology, Teatro di Piazza or d’Occasione’s latest work uses the same touch sensitive carpet to allow children to paint virtually or compose music with their feet. TPO Company: Butterflies is just part of the UK’s first ever National Family Week at the Southbank Centre, which includes a number activities for all the family to enjoy.

Where: Southbank Centre: Purcell Room, Belvedere Road, Phone: 08716 632 501.

For more information about this and the other family shows go to:

http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/

…Night at the Museum 2 at the Imax BFI

In Night of the Museum 2 we meet again wtih Larry Daley, who’s now making a living as an inventor and is saddened to hear that his reanimated friends at the Natural History Museum are being shipped off to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. However, when he receives a distress call from miniature cowboy Jedediah, he rushes to the rescue, only to discover that Egyptian ruler Kahmunrah  has come to life and is planning to enslave mankind. Fortunately, help is at hand, in the shape of a reanimated, fast-talking Amelia Earhart, General, a bobble-headed Albert Einstein  and a giant squid. Unfortunately, Kahmunrah has assembled a trio of powerful allies, including Napoleon Bonaparte, Ivan the Terrible and Al Capone. How will this end?

For more information:

http://www.bfi.org.uk/

… Udderbelly Festival London

A huge upside down purple cow might be a slightly strange place to hold an arts, comedy and music festival, but it looks like it’s going to be one of the best places to see live performances during spring and summer 2009. Taking place from Friday 29th May Sunday 31st May, the Yarnbards family comedy event at the Southbank Centre aims to finish the May half term with a bang. Kids aged seven and over can laugh out loud to a series of improvised comedy sketches, and there’s plenty of oppourtunities for audience participation too.

Where: Southbank Centre: Purcell Room, Belvedere Road, Phone: 08716 632 501.

For more information about this and the other family shows go to:

http://www.underbelly.co.uk/index.php

… Half term at Globe Theatre
A range of family events are taking place for half term at the Globe Theatre, including a special production of The Comedy of Errors, as well as an exhibition. Go behind the scenes at The Globe for tours and see how the theatre shows are put together, from rehearsals and costume to staging and acting the part.

For more information:

http://www.shakespeares-globe.org/

This Wednesday is the beginning of Booktrust’s very first Bedtime Reading week. As part of National Family week this lovely idea is to promote the joy of reading together and snuggling up with a book at bedtime. And with the statistics that were released earlier in the year that only 1 in 30 dads read to their children at bedtime, it is a campaign that couldn’t come soon enough.

There are lots of great things over on the Booktrust website including top tips for sharing a book at bedtime, recommended reads for reading aloud, books with a bedtime theme and books with an inclusive theme. There are also activities, games and ideas for having your own bedtime reading event.

I’m sure you’ll want to read more, so head on over to the Booktrust website. And you can also check out my post about the Bedtime Reading week on Bookstart’s blog.

There will be many events across rural England, want to find out more?

Or if it is time for you to settle down, why not find a rural partner today at Kissinggates.com

So many holidays and such little time.  I love finding out about little known special days….Today, Cinco de Mayo…. Tomorrow- The Great American Grump Out (yes, refrain from getting your grump on for one whole day)

But there is more… Yesterday, May 4,  was Respect the Chicken Day.  Though there weren’t any local events to celebrate it… or atleast none that I was aware of… I could definitely picture a parade or a bunch of poultry holding signs and bawking …

Please Respect the Chickens... Okay, so let’s think of the good things about the chickens and respect them….. Chickens are cute and fuzzy and are great at alarming the senses as they wake you in the early morning … they provide pleasantry to the eye as the rooster’s red comb…..  Okay, I can’t do it… I can’t respect the chicken or at least not in the way intended by the poultry concern people… Chickens are only cute and fuzzy  like when they are like two days old then they become incredibly awkward and ugly and I’m not even sure their mother’s think they’re cute….. they are only great at alarming the senses as they chase you around the barnyard trying to peck your head off…and the rooster’s red comb thing.. just gross… I can respect the chicken at Sonny’s Bar-B-Que though.  It is tasty.

I can also respect other chickens… or at least a certain kind I read about yesterday on Respect the Chickens day.  I was reading in I Kings about Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel.  My personal paraphrase is this…. Elijah challenged hundreds of prophets of the false god, Baal.  He challenged Baal to burn up the altar and of course, Baal let his prophets down.  God, on the other hand was an incredible showman and lit up the altar, consuming even the rocks, after it had been drenched in water.  When everyone saw this they fell flat on their faces and declared God as the one true God…  These people who fell on the ground in fear for their lives after they had seen God at work are who I will call chickens… but with respect….. so why respect them? well, because they had been standing up against God but when God showed himself they were afraid and threw away their pride and bowed before God and stated who they would worship… but there is more they were asked to prove this by gathering up the false prophets who had been leading and teaching them and bring them back to be killed… those “chickens” had to show that they were serious and they did… they had been knee-knocking scared but could have run away or could have been stubborn and prideful but they were “chicken” enough to respect God’s power

So I do respect some chickens… those who respect God enough to know that He doesn’t fool around with who He says He is..nor does He fool around with his power….

Enjoy the sixth of May and remember to leave your grumpy at the door!

1 Kings 18:16-40

¹⁶ So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah. ¹⁷ When he saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?”

¹⁸ “I have not made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the LORD’s commands and have followed the Baals. ¹⁹ Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”

²⁰ So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. ²¹ Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”
But the people said nothing.

²² Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only one of the LORD’s prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. ²³ Get two bulls for us. Let them choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. ²⁴ Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The god who answers by fire—he is God.”
Then all the people said, “What you say is good.”

²⁵ Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.” ²⁶ So they took the bull given them and prepared it.
Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. “O Baal, answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.

²⁷ At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.” ²⁸ So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. ²⁹ Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.

³⁰ Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come here to me.” They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the LORD, which was in ruins. ³¹ Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, “Your name shall be Israel.” ³² With the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs ^[c] of seed. ³³ He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, “Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood.”

³⁴ “Do it again,” he said, and they did it again.
“Do it a third time,” he ordered, and they did it the third time. ³⁵ The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.

³⁶ At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. ³⁷ Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”

³⁸ Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.

³⁹ When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The LORD -he is God! The LORD -he is God!”

⁴⁰ Then Elijah commanded them, “Seize the prophets of Baal. Don’t let anyone get away!” They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there.

Firstly, I was contacted by ITV who is looking for a parent coach to be part of a panel of experts for a daytime lifestyle programme they are trying to get commissioned. They want Sue Atkins of Positive Parents to appear in a screen test this week with the view to appearing in the pilot episode being aired at the end of April.

Sue was also asked by the team behind the National Family Week to be a judge for the UK Family of the Year competition – a great thrill as there are only going to be five judges. Read Sue’s blog about this.

Then I put Sue in touch with a national journalist for her expert opinion to be included in a piece about family life that appeared in the main section of the Sunday Times yesterday (22nd March 2009) – read Fond Fathers Nurture a Family Revival.

The icing on the cake was that Sue is now the resident parent expert on a superb website called Mum Knows Best – a site that is designed to help and support mums-t0-be, new mums and experienced mums alike on their precious journey as a mother. Sue’s articles and advice are found on the experts page.

Wonder how that great week for her can be topped? Mmmm, must get my thinking cap on for that one …..

Families strengthen our communities by teaching important values such as compassion and honesty to their children.  Families also offer a supportive environment and help ensure that children grow into responsible members of society.  By providing guidance and unconditional love, parents shape the character of their children.

My Administration believes that the strength of our Nation is built upon the foundation of strong families.  To help support families, we have doubled the child tax credit, reduced the marriage penalty, and lowered tax rates.  We are also committed to promoting positive youth development.  The Helping America’s Youth initiative, led by First Lady Laura Bush, supports organizations, including faith-based and community groups, that continue this important mission.

All Americans are grateful to our Nation’s military families, who have stood by their loved ones in times of war and peace.  Our country will always be especially thankful for the sacrifices of our military personnel and for their devotion to duty and their love of country.  During National Family Week, we pray for their safe return and for the families who await them at home.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 18 through November 24, 2007, as National Family Week.  I invite the States, communities, and all the people of the United States to join together in observing this week with appropriate ceremonies and activities to honor our Nation’s families.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-second.

GEORGE W. BUSH

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Article adapted by God Only Weblog from original press release.
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Contact: White House, Office of the Press Secretary, 202-456-2580
The White House