EXERCISING MY RIGHTS!



my family with Junior, poll worker extraordinaire

 Today was election day.  Not ANY ole election day.  It marked the first time that 2 of my three kids would be able to exercise their right to vote.  Of course me being the Mommy I am, for me it was a photo op!  So at 7am this morning we were walking out the door to travel to the Boardtown Precinct to cast our ballots.  I wanted everyone to wear Red, White and Blue but the Red Olympics themed Pop Tarts were as close as it was gonna get. 

Now understand that the only person who really had to get up at 7AM was CariAnna because she had to work.  It was important to me to make this a family affair (minus Tommy, he voted early) so everyone sacrificed for me and came down stairs Bright Eyed and Bushy Tailed....ok that's a lie, but no one was complaining out loud.  After checking to make sure everyone had their picture ID's (I do this often since the one time we headed out to Florida for a cruise to the Bahamas and Tucker discovered he had left his ID at home and we had to drive all the way back to Ellijay and get it....lesson learned!) we were on our way!  I contemplated belting out America the Beautiful but I figured out really quick that some people were not in the mood.....I just hummed it to myself!

Now we had been discussing voting for a few weeks and how it is important.  Now in my opinion, if you don't vote, you do not have the right to complain.  Now I can guarantee that is one Right I will never forfeit!!  It is important to me to be able to voice my opinion......sounds like Freedom of Speech to me Huh?  One of the rights we were promised by our founding Fathers.  Now, Tommy told me not to go here but this seems like the perfect place to voice my opinion about Chik-Fil-A......Mr. Cathy has a right to believe how he wants and run his company how he sees fit as long as he is not showing hatred towards others.  I, too, have the right to feel and believe how I want to.....we do not have to agree.  I will answer to GOD for me and you will answer for you.  I personally am not a drinker......does that mean I am gonna refuse to buy groceries at Ingles because they sell alcohol?  No, it is my right to believe what I want too and I should NOT  have to defend myself if I want some Waffle Fries!!  What I do not have the right to do is be unkind and mean to others, no matter what they believe.  LOVE ONE ANOTHER FOR LOVE IS OF GOD!!!!  (Sorry Tommy, it had to be said!)

Back to the voting...when we arrived at the precinct, of course in a small community, we were met with hellos from all the polls workers who new us on first name basis.  Junior, poll worker extraordinaire, met us in the parking lot.  He told us his job was to make sure that no one with a campaigning sign came within 150 of the building....really?   I think in our small community we would be more likely to be worried about people who might come in bearing arms.  You do not have to worry about that with me though.   I can't bring myself to bear my arms.....they are way to flappy!

Natalie, of course was still to young to vote but she has assisted me, as have all the kids, with voting since we used to vote in those machines with the curtains that closed behind you.  This is the reason she HAD to go with us even though she would not be casting her ballot.  NOT......today for the first time ever, they told me no one could accompany me to the voting machine!  I was devastated.....as was she,  but only because I had made her get out of bed at 7AM for nothing!  So today, I voted alone for the first time in 21 years!  None the less, I was a proud Mama with one of my children standing on each side of me as we exercised our right to vote!!!!  Now this particular scene was going to be a photo op for me but Natalie did not take the picture of the three of us voting, so I guess I will just have to engrave this day in my mind and pray it is a memory I never lose. 

This was a milestone day for me and my kids.  Voting and exercising our rights is important.  But I pray I never lose sight of the fact that my kids also have the right, and it is my responsibility as their parent to make sure they know GOD and understand that they have a responsibilty to him even more so than to our country.   Someday in this country we may have to choose between the good ole USA and GOD. That will be the day that I, as their Mama, will know if I have done my job.  It is my job as their Mama to make sure they do not look at me on judgement day and say, you never told me.  They have the right to know the bible and they have the responsibility to do something with it. 

We have the right to do alot of thing and these rights protect us.  There is no way we are gonna always agree with everyone.  Sometimes we just have to agree to disagree.  Its like a certain man in my life told me, "If everyone liked pallets......there would be no more pallets in the world."   He is just never gonna like my pallet table!!! 

MAMA, HAVE YOU CRIED TODAY?

Mama, have you cried today?

This is the question Tucker loves to ask me.  It is this little game he plays with me because he knows that I cry at the drop of a hat.   My Mama asked me when she read my blog for the first time, "Why did you choose the name, Misadventures from a woman on the edge?  Is something wrong?". Well, I figured with as many crazy things that happen to me in my life, Misadventures seemed to fit, and well, I am ALWAYS on the edge of something.  Today I might be on the edge of a breakthrough and in 30 minutes it may the edge of a breakdown.  The latter if Tucker has anything to do with it.



Could my eyes be anymore swollen from crying?



Since the last day of school, CariAnna's junior year of high school, I think I have probably cried at least once a day.  Sometimes more, some times less, but the averages are stacked against me.  At first I Am sure that my family thought I was on the edge of a Mental breakdown but they have learned to live with it and now it is abnormal if I do not cry......according to Tucker.....at least once every 24 hours.  So he does his best to make sure he says something super sentimental and sweet to me each day to make it happen.  

Here are a few examples:

"Mama, what are you gonna do here all by your self over the summer when we have all moved out?".  I don't know son but I will ponder on that tonight while I cry myself to sleep.  Thanks for helping me to start planning my later years in this empty nest!

"Mama, I think today for my High School graduation, I will wear my hair combed over to the side like you combed it for my Kindergarten graduation." to which Daddy says, "Son, go back upstairs.   You are not helping her deal with this at all."

"Mama, if I have anything in this world to be proud of its that I have a Mama and Daddy that love each other and have been married for 24 years and I know without a doubt you will be married 24 more plus some.  I told that to my whole class today at school.  Some of the kids said I was lucky.  I already new that!"

These are just a few of the ones that he said in the past 2 months.  This does not even take into account all the heart breaking songs he forces me to listen to.  

Crying is just a part of life.  I come from a tender hearted family.  If you know my brother you would understand.  He can hardly ever stand up in front of the church without his chin beginning to quiver.  I love that quality in us and I hope we never outgrow it.  When you get to the point when your heart is so hard that it will not break?......you have a problem.  

Crying is OK.  Even Jesus did it.  On one occasion Jesus shed a tear of compassion.  When he came into town, his friend, Lazarus, had died.  I don't think he was crying for Lazarus.  I think he was crying because of the pain that Lazarus' family was enduring.  Everyone needs someone to care. People  generally do not care how much we know until they know how much we care.  Showing compassion to others will open their hearts to you.  The world would be a better place if we worried less about putting people in their place and more about putting ourselves in the place of others.

Another time, Jesus shed a tear of sadness.  Jesus had done all he could to get the people to believe in him yet their were still so many who doubted.  I know people in my life who never give the afterlife a second thought but I hope I am living my life in such a way that they see Jesus in me and my family.  Jesus let his tears take him to the cross.....my tears must bring me to tell my friends about the cross.

Jesus also shed a tear because he struggled.  His death was coming and yes, he struggled with it!  In the Garden of Gethsemane he cried and prayed that GOD would find another way but there was no Plan B. 

Here comes the AHA moment...........Jesus stresses for me.  He knows every sleepless night I have.  He knows every tear I shed and he understands.  I think he became human for this very reason......to really be able to understand me.   Everyone has problems, but if I am wise I will let those troubles drive them to pray to a merciful and understanding GOD.  

Jesus wept so why shouldn't I.   I may cry for many reasons, happy or sad, but that's ok.  We sing this at worship......

Break my heart, dear Lord.  Tear the barriers down.  

Show me with convicting tears the glory of your crown.  

 My heart is hard, my souls so weak.   The ways of evil cut so deep.  

I need you Lord to come inside, and gentle break my heart.

I pray that I always have Jesus in my heart to gently break it when I get too big for my britches.   But in the mean time, I am sure Tucker will keep me on my toes.  He has decided that making me cry once every 24 hours was just to easy.  He just informed me he was gonna step it up to every 12.  I gotta go to Walmart.  I got a feeling I am gonna need more Kleenex.

SITTING BY THE PHONE

Tucker atop Pikes Peak in Colorado...14,110 feet!

Saturday was a glorious day.  Tucker returned home from a 10 day road trip with his grandparents.  Now 10 days may not seem like much but to this Mama it was an eternity.  Tucker is a full head taller than me (about 6-4) and he gives me what I call my "Mama chin hugs".  My head fits perfectly under his chin when he hugs me.  I was missing that alot.  You see we have always had a philosophy....if we can't all be there we don't need to be there so being away from our kids for an extended period of time  hardly ever happened. 


Every time the phone would ring I would leap what ever was in my path to answer it hoping it was him.  If I didn't hear from him fairly often I would call him.  Tommy even admitted he was breaking company policy by getting on Facebook to see if he had posted any pictures.  Facetime on the Ipad was a lifesaver in the evenings as I would get to chat with him Face to Face to hear about his adventures of the day. 


I was the exact same way when CariAnna was away at college or Natalie is gone with friends.  And it all rings true when Tommy is at work.  I just long for that phone to ring so I can hear the voice of my loved one. 


Being alone is my fear.  I DO NOT LIKE IT!  Don't get me wrong.  I am not in denial.  I know it is inevitable but I am dreading it like crazy.  I think I am subconsciously preparing myself for Empty Nest.  I have many many projects started around my house that I swear I will finish later.  I think in my mind later means, "someday when I have nothing else to do."   Will there be a day when I have nothing else to do?  My Mama says no!


Well, here is my AHA! moment.....I will never be alone!  God tells me “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5.  It seems to me that he is the GOD of the Empty Nest.  His children leave all the time.  But he promises us that when we get our lives back together he is waiting with a forgiving heart and an ear to hear all about it! "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."  1 John 1:9


Today, (you know I love a good deal), I had a 2 for 1 AHA! moment.....GOD sits on his throne and anxiously awaits to hear from me.....his child.  When is the last time I talk to him intimately.   Sometimes when Tommy calls I tell him my days was boring but he always says, "I still want to hear all about it because I love you."  I may not have life changing requests for GOD everyday but he still wants to hear from me.  "Casting all your cares on him, for he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7. 


I hope my kids know that I will always be just a phone call away....waiting to hear from them!   The phone, like prayer, is our lifeline to our family.  My grandparents have been gone for almost 20 years and I still remember their phone number.....###-2073.  It was an important number.....wish I could still call and get an answer. 


Well, I suppose this ole bird should get out of bed now and stop pondering on sitting in an empty nest and start my day.  I do, somewhere in my heart, want my fledglings to leave the nest and experience life as I have but I'm not gonna rush it.  It will happen soon enough.  Right now, I gotta find something exciting to do today so I can have something to tell Tommy when he calls.  I don't want him to think he is married to a boring lady!!  I have a reputation to uphold. 


"Hey GOD,  stay close to that holy phone today.......I'm may be calling you back sooner than you think!!  And could you have Papaw and Granny close by?  I would love to hear their voice again."

STAYING GROUNDED

Eeyore and Me

Anyone who knows Tommy, my sweet husband, knows that he is Eeyore with a positive attitude!  He does normally have that little black rain cloud following him around but he takes it all in stride.  This was the case on July, Friday the 13th, 2012. 

I am going to try and make this a short story even though it isn't (my brother will appreciate the Readers Digest version)

His job had taken him to Houston Texas where his week had been less than glorious....disgruntled employees make for a disgruntled boss....nuff said!  Also, he was away from us and he hates that!  Go figure!!  He was to fly out at 11:30 am from Houston to Atlanta....not!!  Here a simple list of his roadblocks...
**  8:30 am  "Thank you for checking in 3 hours early sir but most likely your flight will be delayed due to the weather"
**  "May I have your Attention passengers.....your flight will be delayed due to weather in Dallas"  SHOCKER!!
**  "May I have your Attention passengers.....your flight to Atlanta will be delayed another 30 minutes due to weather in Dallas
**  3:40 pm...."May I have your Attention passengers...we will now be loading for the Atlanta flight."
**  "May I have your Attention passengers....there will be a slight delay in departure because the luggage is not balance"  SERIOUSLY!  At this point I, being the healthy girl I am, would volunteer to move my fat behind to the other side to balance things out.
**  "May I have your Attention passengers....please remain quiet for your preflight instruction and by the way....we will be delayed on the runway due to no flights being allowed to land in Atlanta...you guessed it..WEATHER!"
**  "May I have your Attention passengers...  the FAA will not allow us to keep you on the plane any longer so we will be returning to the gate.....we will be waiting for a gate assignment." TICK TOCK TICK TOCK
**  "May I have your Attention passengers....they tell us we may take off in 30 minutes so don't get off......we are just gonna open the door."  Thank goodness for some fresh air!
**  "May I have your Attention passengers...we have used our gas waiting so we are going to have to wait here for the fuel truck to come and refuel the plane.  Then we should be ready for take-off."
**  "May I have your Attention passengers....We have taken on too much fuel and now the plane is too heavy.  We will be waiting for the fuel truck to come back to us and unload some fuel."

People, I do not make this stuff up!  It was in GOD's plan for Tommy to stay grounded!  Not sure of the reason but I know he had one. 

The other day I ask my Mom what she thought about my Blog.  She had not mentioned a word about it but I knew she had read it because she creeps on our Facebooks, I know she does!  This was her response, "I think it makes you sound more educated than you really are."  I really was not sure how to respond to that.  When I told Tommy what she said he told me I was lucky to have a Mom who would always help me stay grounded no matter what. 

It is GOD's plan for us all to stay grounded.  Staying grounded is very important.  GOD's plan for us is not always our plan for ourselves and to have someone in your lives to remind you of that is priceless.  We should surround ourselves with people who genuinely love and care about our well being.  Ephesians 3:17-18 also reminds me that I should be one of those people who love, care and pray for the well being of people!  "And I pray that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ."

I was not offended by what she said.  It just took me by surprise.  She has always been my biggest fan in anything I have done....even when she thought it was stupid (never try to clean the house on roller skates....trust me).   But really....my biggest fan is Jesus Christ and his father GOD and anyone or anything he puts into my life to keep me grounded I should be thanking him for everyday.  Even if sometimes its not what I want.

**  8:30 pm  "May I have your Attention passengers....We are ready for take off.  Your flight should be arriving in Atlanta at approximately 11:30 pm.   We are not gonna do the preflight instructions again....if you can't remember...TOO BAD!!
**  11:30pm "May I have your Attention passengers....We have FINALLY landed in Atlanta, Georgia.  Thank you for flying United Airlines"

I LIKE ME !!

Recently I was waiting in line at the store and as I usually try to do I let 2 ladies go in front of me.  They had less items than me. I was then forced to listen to the most odd conversation coming from them ever. First off, let me say I am not so sure they were not a couple but that is another story for another day!

 Lady #1 was telling the story of her new jewelry purchase. I could tell by the way she was talking that it was in her tongue. Now I will admit I am not a modern woman in the piercing world. But do people with pierced tongues not realize that they talk like Scooby Doo? Lady #2 was telling her she would not regret it. By looking at all the soup she was buying I'm thinking she was already regretting it.

Why do people think they have to physically change themselves? Now don't go thinking that I am condemning piercings.  I am NOT saying this is wrong. I just think people should love themselves for who and what they are. For the most part I think I am a Mature woman. Now you could probably ask the church youth group and they would disagree but I think I am mature. Maturity comes, in my opinion, when you are happy with who you are, regardless.

My sister-in-law worked for the GBI as a Morgue photographer and she says that those tattoos and piercings do not stay where they were put the older you get.  A friend of mine brought this question to my attention....Do you think that Sir Isaac Newton figured out the law of Gravity by watching the womens bodies of his day?  It's simple gravity, People!!!!  I think if I got a tattoo I would have it placed about 6 inches higher than that actual spot I want want it.  Now that's planning ahead!

I will admit I have had the thoughts of getting a tattoo.  Maybe the words "YOUR NAME" on my rear end.  Then I could say to someone....I bet $10 I have "your name" tattooed on my rear end.  EASY MONEY!!  Not really but there was a brief moment when I considered having Tommy's name somewhere out of sight, of my Mama, of course.  I then realized that I do not need his name tattooed on me when he has the most vital part of me.....my heart.   Maybe that is we go wrong.  We are more worried about how we look on the outside that the things on the inside are left neglected.  God doesn't make junk we make junk out of what God makes.

I am happy with who I am....a wife, a mom, a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a friend,  but most importantly a Christian.  I do not need to impress anyone.  People who really love me, love me for who I am....ME. 

I don't need the paraphenalia to like myself.  My ears were pierced when I was 12 and most days I forget to put in earrings (thats 45 seconds longer I can sleep).  I will admit to recently purchasing several pairs of earring to fill up the super cool "SHABBY CHIC" earring holder I made from an old door frame.  But really all I need to wear is the attitude of "How can I let Jesus Love you through me?"  I should be an instrument of God's love in the lives of those around me.  I can do that by....offering an encouraging word.....a helping hand......a sacrificial gift, like sharing my lunch with a co-worker who forgot theirs.  Better yet, take the guesswork out of this and go straight up to someone and just ask..."How can I let Jesus love you through me today?"  And then do it.

The Bible says in James 2:14-17... What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

When you are a Christian it is a good feeling to like who you are.  You should strive for this everyday.  I can wear my faith on my religious t-shirts, WWJD bracelets, Bible verse tattoos or cross hanging piercings but unless I actually DO SOMETHING it is all for nothing. 

"Excuse me?  What was that ma'am?  I'm sorry I do not know what aisle the Scooby Snacks are on.  Yes,  I will be glad to tell your friend that you will meet her at the MYSTERY MACHINE."

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES

"I love you because you are proud of where you come from!"

That was one of the cards from CariAnna in my birthday deck of cards.  It's true.  I have been lucky enough to come from 2 amazing families.  Don't get me wrong.....there are some crazies in my family but isn't there one in every family?  You know you are thinking of one right now!!  Well, I love all of them, crazy or not, and I want my kids to grow up to appreciate and cherish the little things and the crazies alike.

With this in mind I needed to find a place for us to have family photos made.  I knew I wanted somewhere that meant something.  Somewhere that when we looked back at the pictures in 40 years there were generations of stories to tell so I chose my Granny and Papaw's Place.  I knew I would love the photos but I never knew how much until today when I saw them.

The first area was the barn.  I remember as a kid this place would be piled high with the hay the family baled each summer.  There was nothing more thrilling that riding on the top of the truck while the men folk loaded the bales of hay one by one.  I can smell that fresh cut grass like it was yesterday.   All of us kids could not wait for the barn to be filled again because we always played in there every Sunday when we would go there for dinner.  We would begin at the bottom of the pile pulling out bales of hay out making a maze throughout the very large stack. Once we got toward the inner core of the pile we would pull out enough bales to make an awesome clubhouse hidden from our unsuspecting Papaw.  That is until one day as he was on top throwing down hay for the cattle he was very shocked to find our clubhouse when he fell into it from the top.   As I think back on this amazing feat it scares me to death!  If it had caved in on us while inside I am sure we would have smothered to death.  I distinctly remember it being about 200 degrees inside there but we did not care.  It is a memory I will carry with me forever.

Of course the kids had to have their picture made on Papaw Dock's tractor.  My Papaw Dock had Alzheimer's all during my kids life so they never really new him as the fun, practical joker he was (most likely why he didn't get mad at us about the clubhouse).  I hope someday when they look at this picture they can know that the hard working attitude that worked this very tractor on a farm to feed 8 kids, in a time when if you didn't work....you didn't eat,  is the same one I pray they have.  I felt him there that day!  He would love me kids, I know he would!

And then there was Papaw Dock's old wrecker.  Wow....as we walked across the hill there it was.  Grass growing high around it, rusting away as quickly as the time has flown by.  When the Photographer ask me if she could use it for pictures I didn't think much of it. She asked me to step up onto the back.   I was instantly transformed into the little girl who, many many years ago, would hold on to the cables on each side of the beam and walk to the very top.  I felt like I was 10 feet tall.  Now if you looked at it today you would just think it is a rusty pile of junk.  I want my children to know that this very wrecker pulled their Daddy out of the ditch on a New Years Eve night when he hit a patch of ice on his way home from going with me to a church party.  First night he told me he loved me.  Tommy says even today when he hears Foreigner's song I WANNA KNOW WHAT LOVE IS  he thinks of that accident because it was playing on the radio.  I am sure there are 1,000's of stories of how he got up in the middle of the night and help people out........a testament of his life. 

Granny let us use one of her quilts for the photo shoot.  She was having a very good day.  She is 94 years old.  Doesn't always know who you are but she knows that she loves you, she is awfully glad you came to see her and you better come back soon.   Papaw has been gone from the earth for a few years but for many years before that he, in his own words,  just wanted to go home.  When I looked at this picture all I could think about was how Granny and Papaws love will always be wrapped around my family, like this quilt.  They passed it down to my Daddy and he is passing it on to us and we WILL pass it on.

Families don't visit each other like they used to.  We are guilty of that.  I would not trade those Sunday afternoon memories for anything.  I know as we get into those teen years and older we have so much to do and family is not at the top of our priority list.  As I get older those priorities have changed and family get more important to me every day.  This is my prayer for my children, my family and my friends......make all your family a priority......when their gone it will be too late. 


My sweet Granny is 94 years Old


[A special Thanks to my friend April Pittman McFarland at Little Mustard Seed Photography for the photo session.  I wouldn't trade it for nothing!  You rock and we love you!!]

IT'S CALLED MATURITY......I THINK!

So yesterday I took Natalie to have a pedicure. I had won a free pedicure gift certificate and I let her use it at Spectra Day Spa (maybe if someone from there reads this they will pay for advertising). While standing at the counter checking out we picked up a price list and were looking over it when Natalie asked the dreaded question...."Why would a lady wax her chin?". A tear came to my eye as I thought to myself.....my baby is growing up and it must be time for the talk!

Now this is not just any ole talk. We already did the birds and the bees, the monthly gift, and the don't do drugs talk. No, this is the dreaded.......YOUR BODY WILL TURN AGAINST YOU talk. I have dreaded this one and their Daddy will be NO HELP AT ALL. I guess I should get my thoughts together before I sit the girls down for this somber and devastating news.

1. When you have children......you will lose brain cells. You will no longer be as smart as you once were. Just ask the kids, they will tell you how you don't know anything.

2. Eventually you will be able to save money on bras. After breastfeeding 3 kids, I was able to start wearing tube socks instead and they come in a multi pack for around $10.

3. Good news.....you will get rid of that face acne but the the bad news is it will just move around to your back and sometimes your backside depending on how sweaty you have been.

4. That brings me to being sweaty. The temperature will never suit you. You will be hot one minute and before you can sit down from changing the thermostat you will be cold then you will go right back to hot as soon as you change it again. I personally think this is nature cruel way to get us to exercise.

5. Exercise! Now I have a firm stance on this one. I am against it. People will tell you to do this but I stand by the good book. 1 Timothy 4:8 tells us that exercise profiteth little.

6. If I may use a catch phrase from Diamond Dave the Hillbilly Ninja, "don't be waxing things that don't need waxing". Well this does not ring true for a lady. You will have hairs growing from places they got no use growing from. And yes honey, your chin will be one of those places. Now if you wish to be She-Ra, princess of all body hair and you decide to wax unseen places, I suggest you first read http://justmejulie.wordpress.com/2009/12/29/funny-waxing-story/

7. Find yourself 2 really good friends, one older than you and one younger than you who will take the solemn vow to pluck those hairs from your face when you are too old to do it yourself or if you find yourself in a coma and can't perform your own duties. Now you must return the favor to them. Never ask your husband to do this.....that's just wrong! Why 2 friends you ask? Well if one of them passes on first you still have someone to fall back on. Works the same for them. Don't judge!!

I know there is more I could tell them but I am sure they will be in tears by this point crying out, "WHY??" Physical maturity is inevitable. I personally think it is Proof that God has a sense of Humor.

While telling them all these things is necessary I can't forget my duty as a Christian Mother to make sure they also know about Spiritual Maturity. Growing old is guaranteed but growing spiritually is a choice. I must not skip over the last part of the verse in 1 Timothy 4:8 which reads..."but godliness is profitable unto all things having a promise of the life that now is and for the life to come."

Am I growing spiritually? This would be the first place I should start. My children will know whether I am or not. I should be their example. Thinking back to when you were a babe in Christ......you were so on fire for God. Has that fire faded? Think about how often you prayed........when was the last time you prayed? You couldn't wait to read your bible........when was the last time you even pick it up?   If we don't see a lot of progress then we may be Christians but still wearing diapers.

Ahhhh diapers....I guess I will cover that subject next time.

A WATERFALL, SWIZZLE STICKS AND A DECK OF CARDS

A week ago I celebrated the 20th anniversary of my 23rd birthday.  Now to some folks that would be 43rd birthday but not me.  I prefer to stick to the 20's as long as possible.  This might look like a form of denial but as long as it eases my soul that's all that matters.  I could care less what others think.  That's just the kind of gal I am.

I gave my usual "DO NOT buy me anything!" speech but as usual it fell on deaf ears (or selective hearing depending on who you ask).  I give this speech each year for several reasons...........

1.  I am cheap.  (they would never search for a coupon for what they were buying)
2.  I do not need anything.  (suspect I am already a borderline hoarder)
3.  They should spend their money on themselves . (I spend my money on them why shouldn't they)
4.  I would rather DO something with them any day as have stuff.

Eventually all three of my wonderful children produced a gift for me.  I loved them all but the actual present itself was not at all the gift I received. 

Natalie was first.  She came home from town with a super cute table cloth and a set of Glass Swizzle Sticks with chickens on them.  We recently purchased ( used of course) an outdoor table and chairs for our porch.  We are loving eating our meals outside on the porch.  We have spent many mornings and evenings sitting and talking outside at the table.  We have also became quite fond of "fruity" drinks ( non-alcoholic, of course) which we found that a Swizzle Stick is helpful to keep it stirred up.  Natalie, her BFF Kayla, and I had spent a long time one day in Walmart searching for Swizzle Sticks and never found them.  Natalie's gift to me was her way of saying I love the time we spend together as a family and I want that to continue. 

Tucker got up and ask me to go with him to run some errands.  He needed to go to Home Depot to check on a Lawn Mower blade ( insert shameless Plug here----T.A.L. OUTDOORS SERVICES----We are here for all your outdoor jobs.  No job is too big or too small for us:)  When we walked into Home Depot he confessed that he had lied.....he actually had brought me there to buy me a new pump for my waterfall and goldfish pond.  I have put off buying a new one for 2 summers because I could always think of something else that was more important to buy.  I love the peacefulness of sitting outside by my pond on a cool evening with the family and sometimes alone.  Tucker's gift to me was his way of saying I love the time we spend together as family and I know you find a peace and tranquility there alone sometimes.  We also spent the day together talking and just riding around.  That was the cherry on top of the Sundae......He wanted to spend time with just me!

CariAnna had been working in her room for several days and I had continuously ask her, "Whatcha doin?"  and she always responded  "None ya business".  I even tried to snoop a little bit but she ran me out.  Finally she came down and handed me a deck of playing cards tied together with a ribbon and said  "Here is your birthday present, sorry it is so lame but I am broke."  As I looked at the top card she had written 30 REASONS I LOVE YOU by: CariAnna.  I began to flip through the cards and by the about the 10th cards I had to stop because I could not see through the tears that were streaming down my face.  I hugged her and told her it was NOT lame and I would carry it in my wallet forever except I was pretty sure my wallet would not close with a deck of cards inside it.    CariAnna's gift to me was that she wanted me to know that even though she had no money to spend she want me to know that I meant the world to her.  As a mom of 3 teenagers that is something that you pray for but aren't always sure of. 

The real gifts here were not the material things but the time and thoughts and sacrifices that were put into each of them.  The gifts were very different but I love all the gifts equally.  God must understand this principle better than anyone.  That is why he cherished the widows mite over the the big bucks he received from the hypocrites.  Someone could offer me a million dollars right now for my pump, swizzle sticks/table cloth and deck of cards and I would say no way!

Many time I think of things I could give to GOD as a gift....teaching Sunday School,  cooking a meal for someone,  speaking to a visitor at worship,  a hug to someone who looks like they are having a bad day......but I brush it off as not important or I convince myself I will not be good at it or I just wait for some else to do it.   SHAME ON ME!! 

The truth is that GOD cherishes the quality of our passion over the quality of our performance.  He values sincerity over perfection.  And he loves the giver more than he loves the gift. 

I need to remind myself of this daily.  In fact I should probably make a note and stick it on my mirror so I can see it every morning.  It will remind me that my Father in Heaven loves my heartfelt gifts to him---not because they are perfect gifts but because he loves me with a perfect love. 

By the way, the reason she only used only 30 of the 52 cards was because I would not leave her alone while she was doing it.  I kept coming to her room to see what she was doing.  I told her I was just making sure she wasn't doing drugs in there or something.  I think it was her way of telling me I do not play with a full deck!

To Him The Glory,
DeAnne

SHABBY CHIC

All my friends know that I LOVE to repurpose anything.  The fancy name these days is "Shabby Chic".  Recently when I hauled 2 pallets to my Father in laws wood shop and asked him to help me put them together to make an outdoor table he looked at me like I had 3 eyes!  To him all he saw was, in his own words, " A stack of old pallets"  But to me I saw an awesome outdoor table that was gonna cost me nothing and recycle something that was no longer usable.

There are days I would like to be recycled into something else.  I think maybe the one thing that needs to be recycled in my life is the woman who stares back at me from the bathroom mirror each morning.
Am I the only one who looks at herself sometimes and think, "So many flaws, so little time!"? Maybe I could be hauled away and bring back as someone nicer.  More spiritual.  Immuned to PMS and moodswings.  Better at housekeeping.  A size 9 body. Just kidding on that last one!

 In fact, if I could pick one thing for GOD to change about me -- one thing for him to recycle into something better -- the thing I'd ask for is a really nice helping of faith.  I'd love to be able to trust him more.  I'd love to stop second guessing all the stuff he allows into my life.  I'd love to stop asking ,"But why, Lord?" and start asking, "What?" and, "How?" as in,  "Okay, so what do you want me to learn from this?" or "How can you use this in my life and in the lives of the folks around me?"  I think that's what I'd want.

I'm talking like getting "recycled" like it is a fictional concept, when really it's something the Lord does really, really well.  Why else would we use the words like "born again" or why would the Bible call us "new creations"  to describe what happens when someone decides to follow Jesus?  Why else does the Bible say that, through our relationship with Jesus, "old things have passed away and all things become new"?
Truth is, the Bible is overflowing with promises of new beginnings and second chances.  Over and over, it tells us stories of folks just like me and you getting to live new and improved lives because a relationship with Jesus is transforming(or recycling) us into something we can never be on our own.

"Okay, Lord, I'm all yours.  Change me!"  I will admit these aren't the easiest words to say but, its a prayer that GOD would love to hear us all say and he is always ready to answer in the way that is best for me. To GOD we are never an "old stack of Pallets" that need to be trashed..  Sometimes we are just a stack of pallets waiting to be made into an outdoor table that is truly "SHABBY CHIC".  All we have to do is ask!!
To him the Glory,
DeAnne