Happy Decumary!

Okay - I don't know why I even used that as the title - it's one of my pet peeves - and so is when people say "see you next year!" It's so cheesy!!!!

Anyway, so Christmas was very nice - evidently I was a better girl than I thought I was! We worked out the whole family-visit-logistics nightmare thing, and even found time to spend together as just the four of us! It was very nice to see my cousin again - we've never really been close, but it was great to feel included - even a little bit - with that side of the family.

Well, guess I'll see ya next year! Lol!

Dilemma

Okay, so I guess the GOOD news is that we're being included in a holiday celebration with part of MY family - yeah, I KNOW! But the bad news is working out the whole scheduling thing. Our work schedules and getting with his family just aren't jiving with getting with my family. I guess most couples get all of this ironed out early on in their marriages - not 16 1/2 years in, huh.

Suffice it to say, things are still up in the air, and I'm not seeing a resolution. *sigh*

Just a shame!

I apologize to the two of you who still visit my poor pitiful blog! I've been incredibly remiss, as well as blogging more often at the women's group page I've started - but even that's not very frequently! No excuses - just life...

Anyhoo - I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We did, for the most part. Poor Allen was very ill, so I was afraid I was actually going to have to cook the turkey - and believe me, NO ONE wants that! But, since we smoked the bird, it all worked out - very little bird-sitting. He's feeling much better and has returned to work.

Now the elder boy is once again feeling like he has the stomach flu - sigh - when will this end?! Come on Spring!

We've been studying Robin Jones Gunn's Take Flight in our Tuesday night book group, and it's gone very well, I think. The nicest thing about the book is that each chapter can stand alone as a discussion, so no one has to feel like they have to catch up if they miss a week. It's also great that the topics are varied in how deep they can potentially be. And we've definitely experienced that - lol!

In other news, I'm working on next year's retreat. God has been so good and provided a topic and corresponding verses - LOVE it when that happens! I'm just waiting for a potential speaker to give me an answer, and a Sunday morning communion leader to check her daughter's volleyball schedule to see if she can attend. The menu is planned, the program is designed, the spreadsheets are ready for information...I guess now all I need is a good follow-up to the prayer walk from last year. I'd really like to do something that Brandon Scott Thomas talked about Otter Creek doing a few years back, but I'm not sure about the logistics of asking everyone to stay out of their rooms for as long as necessary.

So that's it...Have a fantastical week! (depending on how long until my next post "a nice month, year, etc...")

Happy Thanksgiving!

May you discover new blessing for which to be thankful every day!

Much love!

November 11, 2008

Thank you Veterans and currently-serving personnel!

Not to panic anyone, but...

there are only 52 days until CHRISTMAS!!!! ACK!!!

I'm still here...

Yeah, I know. It's been a month (almost exactly) since I last posted on this blog. No excuses - at least nothing different than anyone else - busy, life, other commitments, blah, blah, blah. Same old story. Not that it should matter, but there ya go.

So, to catch up my three readers...number one son went to his first high school dance this weekend. His date is just as cute as a bug and as sweet as can be! He, of course, is nigh on obsessed!

Went to the football massacre in St Louis this weekend as well. I think we had a good time in spite of the score, though. It was the first pro football game for me and da boyz. Did the whole tailgating thing, too. Quite the experience. Something happens to people when they are outdoors - I dunno.

There ya have it...now, back to laundry...

Some things never change...

For example:
the government has changed hands numerous times...
sports heroes have come and gone...
different teams have won various world championships...
so many movies that were the next big thing have been relegated to
the dollar racks...
the newest songs are now "oldies"...

And then there's us...aside from all the obvious and outward changes, the only real change is that I love you more now than I did then.

Happy Anniversary, Allen. I am, in every thought of my heart, yours.

Hurricanes

Thankfully, the Gulf Coast seems to have, in essence, dodged a bullet. Gustav has moved away without doing as much damage down there as was predicted. And where has he moved to, you might ask?

Why - HERE!

Happy Blogaversary!

Yep - it's that time again! My fourth blogaversary! (Plus a month, but who's counting...) So, last year, we decided that the appropriate gift is an automobile, er I mean LEATHER. Yeah, that's what it was, and I simply like the interior of the that PARTICULAR automobile...well, yeah, THAT didn't happen...

So what's traditional for the fourth anniversary? Evidently, it's a bit more peaceful than leather - I mean, really! It's books and/or fruit...



Isn't that lovely?! So calming and relaxing - reminds me of a quiet summer afternoon in a gazebo...ah...





Much better than, say, something like this...




Um...yeah...

Think outside the box

I'm trying to get the ol' creative juices flowing in preparation for our women's retreat in February of next year. For a long time, I didn't think we'd be able to have another retreat because we couldn't afford it, but He always works in mysterious and amazing ways, and long story short, we're having at least one more retreat!

Last year, the theme seemed to come fairly easily for me, as well as the coordinating graphics for the program - ha! However, this year, as I try to find a theme to match my available pictures, He is confounding me with a theme. I guess that's what I get for trying to mold Him to what's convenient for me.

Humility

Yesterday morning, my elder son was part of a group that was "kidnapped" by the senior high youth group from church. They spent the day canoeing and swimming and then camped over night nearby. The parents of the kidnappee's were invited to the campsite for hte final touches on their "initiation" into the senior high group. I watched five young people wash five younger people's feet, one person at a time, and tell them how the older felt about the younger. At first, it was kind of a funny time for the younger crowd - someone washing your feet, in front of a crowd, after all, IS kind of giggle-making. At first. The longer these older kids humbled themselves and spoke to these younger kids, the more impact I saw. The younger ones started to really listen, and started to show some real respect for the act of service these older kids were performing.

I think it was a good lesson for everyone present.

Really???

Okay - I think I may be losing my mind - again...I've just spent the entire evening - an evening WITHOUT my DH or kids - on the computer. Playing games. And listening to Christmas music.


uh...yeah...

Monday

Hi - me again...

Nothing to say - or that I feel like saying right now - just wanted to let you know I'm still here...

...and then I read this...

"You only love Christ as much as the person you love the least." (Thanks a lot, Mother Teresa!!)

You know, I realize I ask for that holy 2x4 occasionally, but come on!!!

Little Orphan...Me

This weekend I think I came to a decision. That sounds weird, huh? Either I came to a decision or I didn't. Whatever.

Anyway, I am officially declaring my orphan-hood. I have one parent who doesn't want anything to do with me. Or my husband. Or my kids. At. All. That's one parent gone - by her choosing.

We have finally heard from my father. After six months. And he's just as warm and loving and concerned as EVER! (Please note the sarcasm...) After finding out his father and only remaining parent has died, his concern is not for his sisters, or his daughter or her family. No, his concern, and I quote, was "How much do I get and will it be in a lump sum?" Niiiice... Nothing about why he hasn't called or tried to contact anyone, nothing about the woman in the background feeding him questions. Nada. Zip. Zilch.

I know I should be the Christian woman I say I am and forgive and love and be sympathetic and all that, but I just don't feel it. Yet. And I know I should be grateful to still have my parents living, seeing as some people don't. But, the way I'm currently feeling...

Anyway.

moving on

Got back not too long ago from my grandfather's funeral. It was a very nice ceremony, if those things can be considered "nice."

I was doing okay - no, really - considering how uncomfortable I was with this side of the family (I don't really know anyone!) etc, when someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around expecting to find a long lost relative who hadn't seen me since I was "this high!" But it was two very dear sisters from our church. Down tumbled my calm facade like the walls of Jericho...I was so grateful they would take the time to travel out of town to be there for us. And even though they weren't able to sit with us, it was so comforting just knowing they were in the building.

The other thing that set me off was when the Job's Daughters formed the cross. They do it at the end of every meeting/function, but it still held a great deal of meaning. Even big old tough guy Allen was weepy.

And the third thing was when my boys put a Cubs ball cap on his casket at the cemetary. He was a HUGE Cubs fan! He's even wearing a Cubs tie, and my aunts had incorporated a ball cap into the casket arrangement.

The down side, other than the obvious, is that no one can locate my father. He's disabled and can't be by himself. No one has heard from him for quite awhile. He lives out of state, and we've been trying to contact him to let him know about grandfather's passing, but we can't find him. My aunt called the local law enforcement agency to do a welfare check and inform him, but we haven't heard back from them yet. Prayers appreciated...

...

My grandfather passed away tonight. He'd had a heart attack yesterday evening, and was deprived of oxygen for quite awhile. Allen and I went to see him today, and spent a few hours with my aunts at the hospital. He's finally back with my grandmother after nearly a decade apart.

Ugh...

Ever have one of those, well, lives? It seems like we are high up on satan's list, 'cuz we can't win for losin'! The past few weeks have been really tough, and I'm frustrated and discouraged and whiny and grumpy and...well, you get the idea.

Not looking for anything, really. Just needed to vent...

Semantics

So I'm officially another year older as of Monday. Not too big of a deal, although as my husband lovingly reminds me, I'm now IN my forties, not just forty! Thanks dear! Very quiet weekend overall.

School's over except for that pesky state-required hour - really, I mean, what's the point?! One kid wants to go, one doesn't. Whatev.

Work is work. I still am really enjoying it, and my boss seems to think I have something to contribute, because she keeps giving me things to do! Lol! As a matter of fact, she wants to meet for lunch tomorrow (away from the BIC) and put something else on my to do list. Hmmm...sounds intriguing...

Okay, well, life is progressing - some good, some not so much - but always blessed and forgiven - AMEN!

Goin' to Kansas City...

Okay, well, actually, we're BACK from KCMO! We went down there with some friends for a long weekend and we had a great time! Lots of music, lots of history, lots of FOOD!! Allen got to share one of his favorite neighborhoods with me, and it really was special!

We stayed in a beautiful old hotel - the Hotel Savoy. It's 120 years old, or so, and the old girl shows her age! But we both love old, classic buildings like that, so we were thrilled. We kept imagining the place in it's heyday, and how gorgeous it would have been.



This is a photo showing some of the stained glass windows on the first floor. The photo in my header is the stained glass window in the lobby ceiling...see what I mean?!

So we went to 18th & Vine, and explored all the history down there: the Blue Room, the Foundation, the Negro League Baseball Museum, the American Jazz Museum...and the people there are so amazingly friendly! They remembered Allen (or at least pretended to - ha!) and were so happy to see him again!

The music at the Blue Room and the Juke House and the Foundation was terrific, and I have discovered a new appreciation for jazz and especially the blues.

And then there was the food - have mercy it was great!!! Wow!!!

But we missed our boys, and judging from the number of calls we received, at least one of them missed us too. So we decided to come home early and take a day to recover before hitting the ground running once again.

Monday Monday

Hiya - don't really have anything deep and meaningful to say...just wanted to see if anyone even still checks in...I'm here. Doin' the laundry. Yup.

'Scuse me - those are my toes you're stepping on...

My Jesus - Todd Agnew

Which Jesus do you follow?
Which Jesus do you serve?
If Ephesians says to imitate Christ
Why do you look so much like the world?

Cause my Jesus bled and died
He spent His time with thieves and liars
He loved the poor and accosted the arrogant -
So which one do you want to be?

Blessed are the poor in spirit
Or do we pray to be blessed with the wealth of this land
Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousness
Or do we ache for another taste of this world of shifting sand

Cause my Jesus bled and died for my sins
He spent His time with thieves and sluts and liars
He loved the poor and accosted the rich -
So which one do you want to be?

Who is this that you follow
This picture of the American dream
If Jesus was here would you walk right by on the other side
or fall down and worship at His holy feet?

Pretty blue eyes and curly brown hair and a clear complexion
Is how you see Him as He dies for your sins
But the Word says He was battered and scarred
Or did you miss that part?
Sometimes I doubt we'd recognize Him

Cause my Jesus bled and died
He spent His time with thieves and the least of these
He loved the poor and accosted the comfortable -
So which one do you want to be?

Cause my Jesus would never be accepted in my church
The blood and dirt on His feet might stain the carpet
But He reaches for the hurting and despises the proud
But I think He'd prefer Beale Street to the stained glass crowd
And I know that He can hear me if I cry out loud

I want to be like my Jesus!
I want to be like my Jesus!
I want to be like my Jesus!
I want to be like my Jesus!

Not a posterchild for American prosperity, but like my Jesus
You see I'm tired of living for success and popularity
I want to be like my Jesus but I'm not sure what that means to be like You Jesus
Cause You said to live like You, love like You, but then You died for me
Can I be like You, Jesus?
I want to like You, Jesus

I want to be like my Jesus

This weekend...

Hiya!

Spent time with my grandmother this weekend - I can't tell you how much I adore and treasure that woman! She's getting on in years, and was telling us how she's already planned her funeral. It was disturbing and comforting at the same time - if that's possible. She's taking it all in stride and, bless her heart, doesn't want anyone else to worry about anything. She absolutely amazes me!

We were looking at old photos of her and my grandfather. They married when she was only 15, and then he went off to war. She lived with his family until he returned (can you imagine?) She just reminisced about their years together, and you can definitely tell that he's the love of her life. He died before I came along. She remarried twice, but it's STILL all about him.

She also gave me a gift this weekend. It's a ring that she had made from the stones in her wedding band and my grandfather's band. I was thrilled! She told me to make sure to give it to my granddaughter someday. I don't want to think about that for a loooooong time! LOL!

Anyway, we really enjoyed our time together, and she ALWAYS spoils us when we see her. It was also kinda nice to tool around the ol' hometown, too. Interesting, anyway...

See ya!

A new anthem?

On A Corner In Memphis

Saturday on Beale St. with the drunk and the searching
I hear an old man playing guitar
I can’t make out what he’s saying
But I can tell you that he’s suffered
And that he means every word from the bottom
Of what’s left of his heart… tonight

A few hours later, I slip into church
Singing songs about saving grace
One guy’s nodding off and another hates to be here
And we all mouth the words to save face
It’s 11:15 on Sunday morning
And I wish I was

On a corner in Memphis listening to the old man
Singing out his sorrows and laying down his pride
He’s telling me his story or at least his side
With no need to pretend and nowhere to hide

‘Cause we are all broken here
We’re are all ashamed
I couldn’t fool you if I wanted to
Our stories are too much the same

And what about this Jesus?
They say He drank with the poor and the blind and the lame
Do you think He’d like the songs that we sing?
Or would He feel the same as I do?
What if Sunday School was on Saturday night?

What if their heart-breaking cries of pain
Are the first hymns of tomorrow’s saints?

On a corner in Memphis, we’re singing with the old man
Crying for his sorrows and laying down our pride
He’s telling us our story, or at least his side
With no need to pretend and nowhere to hide

On a corner in Memphis
We’re singing out our sorrows
He’s telling us his story
With no need to pretend and nowhere to hide
On a corner in Memphis

Written by Todd Agnew
©2007 Ardent/Koala Music (ASCAP). All Rights Reserved.

Update

Just wanted to get my retreat impressions out there, as it were...

I felt like the women's retreat this year went really, really well! We worked on it, praying and planning and tweaking and refining for nearly a year. Our theme was Overflow, and I asked our speakers to prepare 20 - 30 minutes on that theme, and that was pretty much the only direction I gave them. And we stepped back and watched God bring it all together - so amazing!! Somehow, even over all the miles between everyone, He made everything nearly seamless! I had so many comments on how well everything came together, and how Spirit-filled the weekend was. I think the highlight for me was the prayer walk. I had so much positive feedback on that. One sister in particular said that even if we did nothing else for the entire weekend, the prayer walk was more than enough for her, and that Jesus met her in a very real way. I'm anxious to hear what others who attended the weekend thought of the retreat!

Now, on to the rest of the year...!

Hi!

Hiya! Sorry I've been away for awhile (again!) - no excuses butcept life. Trying to get ready for the retreat (yay! ACK!), trying to help Tyler get his grades up to ensure his eligibility for sports, trying to...well, you name it!

I've been faithfully reading blogs when I'm not deep in training others, but you all (?) know how that can be. I've been having blog-able thoughts, but haven't written them down or otherwise recorded them for blogging when I got home.

So. There ya go. Life is going on. Still in love with my wonderful husband, my sweet kids, my fuzzy dog, my amazing Lord. What more could I possibly say?

(PS - Hi Jenn! I'm reading your blog too, just can't comment at work...)

Long time no blog

Don't really have an excuse for my long absence, just haven't felt like I have anything to say. I've been reading everyone else's blogs as often as I can, but I haven't felt like writing my own. Right now I'm currently too stressed and down to think about anything other than trying to make it through the days. Happy winter, eh? Anyway, hopefully my funk will dissipate soon. I just need - well, I need a lot of things, but none of it's going to happen, so why bother wishing, right? Moving on...