by: Russell Turner

Are you glad for the chance to put your child to bed? Is this a great time for you and your kids or is it serious business? Is it a time in your day you look forward to, or do you have to grit your teeth to face the struggle? Bedtime is a terrific opportunity for us and our children. Spending just a few minutes with each of our children at bedtime can offer us the chance to really connect with them in ways that during the day, which is often hectic, it is much more difficult.

I love bedtime. Not just the expectation of peace and quiet after they're asleep, but the opportunities for meaningful conversations that so often arise. When bedtime rolls around, my kids will do anything to stay up later. A function of this is everything that they said or did that hasn't come up during the day will come out. A lot of times this is when the most insightful questions, problems they may be facing, or just funny things that happened to them pop up. This is a great opportunity for me to hear about many important aspects of their lives that I might otherwise miss. It's also the perfect time to discuss these things in a quiet private setting. It gives me the chance to do some real parenting. I can take these opportunities to teach them about life, about God's purpose, and about their purpose.

On every birthday my girls try to negotiate a new (later) bedtime. They aren't always successful but when I'm deciding on a bedtime I always make it a half-hour earlier than they really need to be in bed. Then I tell them they can read for a half-hour before finally turning out the light. This accomplishes two goals. They think they're getting away with something, and more importantly, it allows me time with each of them. I don't feel rushed, or that I'm keeping them up too late. Some nights we can take up to half of their reading time talking about their day.

We need to remember not to use this time as a reminder of poor behavior that may have happened during the day. There are plenty of other opportunities for that. This is a time to clean the slate for the day, to listen, and set an optimistic tone for the new day. It is a time for forgiveness and for soothing hurts. You children will feel safe and secure in your love, and you will feel at peace as well.

Since my girls were very young we have said our nightly prayers together. This is another opportunity to teach our children about God, his love, and his place in our lives. I also give each of my girls a blessing every night. This is so important to them that when they are away they call at night to receive their blessing over the phone. This is the blessing I use:

Oh gracious and heavenly Father, I thank you for my daughter/son (first, middle, and last name) whom I love more than anything. Please send your angels down from heaven to watch over her/him tonight, until tomorrow. In Jesus precious name I pray. Amen.

I understand the pressures of today’s world. Two jobs, working late, meetings, and important household tasks. It is sometimes difficult to be there at bedtime for your children. We all have to make our own choices about this. Please ask yourself if the choice to be at your children's side during these short, precious, and critically important moments is the right one? As parents we have a profound effect on our children in those last moments of the day. I know the last thing I want my girls to remember before they drift off to sleep is how much I love them, and how much they love me!

ort time period of 7 to 21 days, the egg is fertilized or destroyed, and conception takes place.

During Conception several eggs are released by both ovaries. Ovulation is triggered by the body releasing luteinizing hormone, or LH. If sperm is successful in fertilizing the egg, it results in a series of cell divisions increasing in number every 14 to 18 hours. The embryo, containing about 50 to 100 cells, reaches the uterus about five days after ovulation. It then expands and hatches through the accompanying eggshell to implant and replicate.

Timing the cycle from Ovulation to Conception is important, in that women sometimes are too stressed out or physically unfit to go through with the process. A woman�s emotional and physical health plays a major role in her productivity quotient. To test this quotient, instruments such as Fertility Monitors, Ferning Microscopes or basal body thermometers are useful. Sometimes these tests or instruments prove ineffective if women are going through menopause symptoms, impaired liver or kidney function or polycystic ovarian syndrome. Certain antibiotics, like tetracyclines, affect a woman's cycle of hormonal contraception, fertility treatments or hormone replacement therapy. Equally important is the timing of birth control pills. Traveling, change of jobs, illness, weight loss or vigorous exercising can affect Ovulation.

On occasions, such as sex during fertile time, some women do not conceive immediately, or the egg does not implant even with Ovulation. The problem is the timing of intercourse, since Conception takes place with Ovulation and it is spoiled by hard work, stress or problems. So plan sex on the day of ovulation or, at most, two days before it, taking into account that men need up to two days to regenerate their sperm reserves. Strategize Conception and Ovulation by maintaining an Ovulation calendar to predict fertile dates, end of menstrual cycle and possible due dates.

Ovulation and Conception are major issues in a woman's life, Conception is more likely to be successful if a woman maintains a calm attitude through activities and diet that enhance fertility.

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