There are a lots of summer weddings going on right now, and one that is creating some buzz is the one of Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former U.S. President Bill Clinton and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The media is covering everything from the secrecy of the wedding details to Chelsea, raised Methodist, marrying a conservative Jew. There’s also talk that the wedding may cost $1 million on upward.  Rumors are that Chelsea’s wedding gown will be designed by either chic designers Vera Wang or Oscar de la Renta.

Some reports say that guests may include Oprah and Steven Spielberg – but not President Barak Obama, who said he wasn’t invited and that two presidents at a wedding would be one too many. (I thought this remark was hilarious.)

Reporters are supposedly going on private properties in Rhinebeck, NY, where the wedding is located, and a Norwegian photographer and a newspaper editor have been arrested for trespassing on Astor Courts estate, which may be the location of the wedding.

Really, I can’t imagine starting off a marriage with this kind of media frenzy!  It reminds me of sharks feeding, and blood everywhere.  Weddings are stressful enough as it is.  This isn’t helping them to start off on the right foot!

Marc and Chelsea will have the usual challenges, no doubt – working through the (BIG) male/female differences, adapting to each other’s personalities, learning to communicate well and how to handle disagreements,and  balancing work and family.  They also will have to adjust to married life with the pressure of  paparazzi, the scrutiny of the public eye, and their differences of faith.

I’ve certainly never been a fan of the Clintons, but I do hope for the best for this young couple and that they can endure the course, finishing the race well – not wind up another sad statistic.  Marriage is a marathon, not a sprint.

In the weeks ahead, I’ll be sharing more about marriage, from some things God is putting on my heart, so stay tuned. 

Below is a cute video of a couple just pronounced husband and wife…in this social media era.

Let me know what you think. If you have any comments or questions, email me at elizabethdjones@gmail.com.  Just click on the link and enjoy!

Video tour

Whether you are a first time visitor or a faithful reader and/or subscriber, I want to welcome you to my website Tablet Of My Heart. I am so glad you are here!  There are so many websites online, and they all navigate differently.

I LOVE WordPress and believe it is simply the BEST, but I wanted to give you a tour of my home on the web which includes screenshots (my newest learning curve!). This article can help you understand how to more easily navigate my website – a more personal tour guide.   

Just click on the link below for your pdf article, and enjoy!  If you have any questions, email me at elizabethdjones@gmail.com.

Tour of my website

It’s so hard to believe because it seems just yesterday I was holding her as a newborn in her soft, white blanket. The years have flown, and as I look back in retrospect, I ask the question that haunts all moms from time to time when we’ve had a bad hair day and have been too impatient:  Have I been a good mother?  Am I a godly example to her of a wife and mom?

I fear that sometimes I am much more in need of being taught by God, than me being able to teach her anything.  And so many times Leah teaches me profound things that come straight from the throne of  God.  ”Of such is the kingdom of God.”  

There are times that I fuss too much about trivial things like her wearing the Panda shirt too often (her favorite shirt she’s had for over a year and won’t give up) and that I don’t tell her nearly enough how wonderful, beautiful, and great she is. (I do tell her these things – just not enough!)

That I need to smile, laugh, and relax with her and my family much more, and work less sometimes.  My family is my greatest treasure, but do they really know it?  Or am I sometimes too absorbed in other things?

That I don’t want my tombstone to be engraved with, “She liked a clean house,” but instead with, ”She loved  others like Jesus did.”

That I remember soon, all too soon, Leah will be grown – as her older sisters are –  and the house will be much, much too quiet and my regrets much too loud.  What then? 

As I lay in bed tonight, my heart filled with love for her and my eyes wet with tears, I am amazed that the years have passed so fast. My baby is driving now. My prayer is that with the rest of the years I have her here at home, I will consistently “ponder these things” in my heart, as Mary did, and BECOME by the power of Christ in me the great, godly mother she needs and I so desire to be.

And that one day –  by some miracle of God, by my own willingness to be completely broken and transformed before the Lord – yes, that one day, Leah and our other daughters will be able to look at me and say, “I’m so glad you are my mother, and that you have shown me how to be a woman of God” – before driving away to her destiny.

Are you experiencing purposeful, passionate living for Christ – and passing it on to your children?  Join Tara McClenahan and Beth Jones for an exciting, fun webinar coming up on Tuesday, July 27, 2010, at 11 a.m. Central Time!  This is Module #2 of 3 P’s in a Pod: Prayer, Purpose, Passion.

Tara is an anointed speaker and writer, and is a Christian Parenting/Life Coach associated with Ibloom, an organization dedicated to inspire Christian women to allow God to have an impact in and through their lives.  Tara’s focus is helping Christian moms have an impact on their children’s spiritual development by being a Godly example and nurturing them as God gives us guidance in His Word.  Her website, Live Your Legacy Today, is  at http://taramcclenahan.com/.

I am SO excited Tara will be joining me for this event! I am also thrilled that this time, attendees WILL be able to chat during the webinar. Now I have my own webinar room at Christian Women Affiliate, which has great webinar features.

Now, why should you attend this webinar?

• It’s fun! You will make new friends and be able to network!
• You will be encouraged and empowered to discover and fulfill your purpose, pursue your heart’s passion, and intentionally pass on a Godly legacy to your children!
• You will learn something new!
• No expensive costs! (It’s free to attend.)
• No hassles, no crowds or waiting in line, no parking places to worry about!
• You get great bonus goodies just for coming!
• You will both see and hear the speakers on video and be able  to chat with the speakers and attendees in real time during the webinar presentations!

It’s going to be great.  Are you excited? Well, I am. I can’t wait! 

To learn more, just click here.  Listen to the video testimonials about my first webinar, 3 P’s in a Pod: Prayer, Purpose, Passion, which was the launch-off for this July 27 webinar and more to come.

But hurry!   Space is limited for this webinar, so be sure to sign up today.

You may remember my friends Pat and Kim Weber, who adopted the special needs baby from China, Hadassah. 

Many other people and I prayed for her to be part of the Webers’ family by Christmas 2009, and God answered our prayers.  Well, I finally got to hold Hadassah in my arms this week! 

Pat had to do some work in Kansas City, MO, and he and his family wanted to visit his mom who’s been sick in the hospital with pneumonia – plus, everyone here wanted to meet Hadassah!  (Please keep Pat’s mom Betty in your prayers.)

On Tuesday our youngest daughter Leah and I drove to their hotel in Overland Park, KS, to see Kim and the kids while Pat worked, and enjoyed the hotel’s swimming pool and hot tub.  “It’s a hard life, but somebody’s got to do it!”  The Kansas City rain cleared long enough for all of us to get in the water awhile, then we walked a block  for a lunch of philly cheesesteak sandwiches at Chartroose Caboose.

It was so good to see Kim and the kids again, and Hadassah is gorgeous and so sweet!  She has a very calm, peaceful personality.  She is thriving in this loving family, learning English words quickly, and most importantly she’s learning about Jesus!   She is even using her hand some that was defective at birth.  The fingers on this hand are even straightening some, and she is in regular physical therapy to work with it.  Her progress in physical therapy has been great.

Hadassah is in very good health, gaining weight on Kim’s delicious, home-cooked meals. She is so well bonded to her parents and siblings, it is just a God thing!   And Hadassah  loves Sesame Street. 

In the first video below, you will see Kim and her beautiful kids.  Hadassah likes to see herself on camera, so she came over to me while I was trying to film to look at her “picture.” 

In the second video, you will hear Hadassah saying my name (YES!), some of my family’s names, and the names of the characters on Sesame Street.  The “sausage” Megan is holding at the end of the video is the long pillow for the hotel couch that Hadassah loved to play on, lol!

Hadassah is adorable.  Oh, I wanted to keep her here! 

Thanks again for all your prayers for her, and please continue to keep Pat, Kim, and their family in prayer for provision for the adoption.   When I saw Hadassah and held her, all I could do was just praise God for this miracle of love.  Hadassah is living proof that God answers prayer!

Kim, Hadassah, Megan, and Nathaniel Weber

Hadassah saying names

The ebook goes into more depth for each of the three points that I covered in the webinar –  prayer, purpose, and passion. This ebook will encourage and empower you to walk in your God-ordained purpose and destiny. Best of all, it is just $10.00 and includes bonus goodies!  To learn more and to watch video testimonials about the webinar, just click here.

If you missed this first webinar, be sure to sign up for my personal mailing list at the top of the page on the right hand side to get all the latest updates for some exciting things ahead.

I am planning another webinar for the end of July (Module 2 of Prayer, Purpose, and Passion), so stay tuned.  An anointed speaker is joining me, and I am so excited about this! 

 You can make new friends at the webinars, view the presenters on video, and chat with the presenters and other attendees in real time!   AND, there will be more bonus goodies!   It’s going to be so much FUN and I can’t wait!

Again, to learn more about my new ebook and to watch video testimonials, just click here.

Do you have a consistent, daily quiet time with God?  Are you fulfilling your purpose?  Are you pursuing your passion?  

Well, my webinar encourages and empowers you in all three of these areas. I want you to live your passion out loud – to really enjoy your life and to fulfill your great destiny in Christ. 

The ladies who joined me for this event and I had fun. If you missed it and are disappointed, don’t worry – it’s now available for sale!  And there are more webinars coming up in the months ahead!  Just stay tuned.

If you are not already on my personal mailing list, be sure to go to the top of the page on the right hand side and get signed up today. That way, you won’t miss any new updates about the upcoming webinars.

To learn more about how you can get your copy of my webinar, click here.

Beth Jones

What are some of your plans this summer?  This week our daughter Leah and I did some “pet sitting” for friends who took a trip to Michigan.  Below is a brief clip of Tucker (red golden retriever) and Grace (part Beagle puppy).  They were always glad to see us as well as the cat, Todd (who’s much more calm than the dogs, who love to jump on you.) Tucker also enjoys playing “soccer,” chasing the ball and picking it up with his teeth after you kick it.

This summer I have a checklist of things to do.  Have you made your checklist?  What are your summer plans?

• Become more of a student of God’s word
• Do fun things with my kids and grandkids
• Take some road trips to someplace new
• Go on at least a mini-vacation with Ray, ALONE
• Read some new good books. Eat, Pray, Love is on my list to read -although I do NOT agree with palm reading or eastern meditation!  The movie with Julia Roberts comes out soon, and I can’t wait!   The  trailer’s lines intrigued me – “Who are you?….Risk everything…I used to have this appetite for my life.”   My favorite line that Julia says in the trailer is, “I want to go someplace where I can marvel at something.” 
• Get at least a little tan (each summer I should win the award for whitest legs)
• Increase my productivity and fruitfulness for God without being just busier
• Exercise regulary (3-4 times weekly minimum), applying the ideas from the Fat Loss Motivation Report.
• Somehow get to the beach this summer!  A must!
• Have more webinars and prepare for my two speaking engagements in the fall
• Laugh more – savor the blessing of life from God!

Below,  enjoy the brief clip of the dogs, Tucker and Grace. Don’t you just love dogs’ happy expressions?

Here is the movie trailer from Eat, Pray, Love with Julia Roberts.

Here is some encouraging feedback from Mara, who attended the webinar.  http://hisfave.com/2010/06/what_a_blessing/

Frankly, I was scared to death to do this webinar!  It was a huge step of faith for me. I had never done a webinar before and didn’t know how to do it, but I researched it and talked to a friend who had done them before.  Next, I prepared my power point, posted a blog about it, tweeted about it to invite women to come, and then just stepped out in faith – like Peter getting out of the boat to walk on the water toward Jesus!  

Sometimes we just have to trust God and take that first scary step.  He will be there to help us every step of the way.

I am planning to have more upcoming webinars with other speakers, so if you are not already subscribed on my personal mailing list, be sure to sign up today at the top of the website on the right hand side to stay connected and to get the details.   The next webinar will probably be in July with another speaker, and it is going to be GREAT! 

When you sign up on my mailing list,  you will receive my free special report, Keys To Intimacy. You will also receive articles, audios, ebooks, and other bonus goodies, that will encourage you in your daily walk with God and to fulfill your destiny in Christ.

Today at noon central time, a licensed family counselor, Celeste, with Innervision Christian Counseling, is interviewing me live on air on radio station WMUZ (103.5 FM – The Light)  in Detroit, MI.  The program also plays simultaneously in St. Louis, MO.  Celeste will be talking to me about my testimony, my website, and my products for sale here.  

I will be sharing on 3 steps to your dreams and fulfilling your purpose in Christ.   This was an unexpected blessing this week, and I am very thankful to God for this wonderful opportunity.  You can tune into the station here.

Beth Jones