Is hanging on by my toes

Considering some of my friends need some humor this holiday season, I'd like to contribute a story from my daddy's red-necked past.

 

My daddy's mom was the meekest person I have ever known on the face of the planet. Had I not known grandma I would not know what meek meant. How she remained meek while raising 3 knot-headed, red-necked, trouble-making boys, I'll never know. My grandma was vertically challenged and portly, maybe even fluffy, but she was always so neat and clean. Daddy was a skinny, gangly runt with his dark hair slicked back.

Now when my daddy was in high school his daddy gave him an old, Nash Rambler. Nothing like the one pictured here. Because by old, I mean a rust-bucket that would back-fire. As a matter of fact, the brakes had to be pumped over and over, and he had to pray they would stop in time. It was old when daddy got it, but it didn't get any better. In order to open the door to this jewel, daddy had to put his foot on the car to yank open the door. When the person was seated, he would have to rare back and slam it shut, but that didn't mean it stayed shut. (Must not have had duct tape back then.)
 One day when daddy was a junior or senior in high school, he went to pick up grandma from her sister's house. He yanked the door open, got grandma settled and slammed the door. Once in the driver's position, he told grandma whatever she did "DON'T LEAN ON THE DOOR." With that being said, he backed out of the driveway and began driving home. He made a right turn off the street which was perfectly fine because his elbow was hooked on the arm rest, so it wouldn't fly open. Then he made a left turn. After completing the turn, he looked over at grandma and SHE WAS GONE! Her feet were hooked under the dash and her torso was hanging out of the car. He pulled over and laughing he helped her up reminding her not to lean on the door. Her rolled hair and make-up nicely applied was a mere memory for the brief spin had sense waves of wind through her freshly curled hair. She did not see the humor in any of it whatsoever, but of course, daddy did. To hear him tell it you would have tears running down your face.

I don't know about you, but this season, I've been holding on by my toes. I didn't plan anything extra. I turned things down, and yet life still about ran me over. The unpredictable happens. The predictable happens. Life happens. I challenge you to find the humor. Sometimes it's harder than others, but search for those pearls. Maybe you need to make a phone call to a friend you haven't seen in a long time and start telling about the funny things you did in your youth or maybe it's calling a storyteller who you know will get you to laughing in no time. I find when I laugh it relieves the weight on my shoulders even if it is momentary.
 Grandma is in heaven this Christmas. If she doesn't get sainthood (and we aren't Catholic), then I don't know who qualifies!

I wish you all a Merry Christmas.

Mary was a Momma

My son is 5 years old, and during this holiday season, I wonder when Mary was raising Jesus and she would look into His face, what did she wonder? What did she think? She didn't know what He was there to do. She didn't know the kind of end He would come to. She just knew that He was her baby boy. When He went into gales of laughter, she didn't see His purpose in life. She saw her baby boy. When He had nightmares or skinned His knee, she didn't see a Savior. She saw her boy. When she had to discipline Him, did she keep in mind He was God's son or did she just know He had to be brought into line…or did she have to discipline Him at all? The children she had after Him – would she compare them to Him? Mary was his momma.
Mary was a mom. If you are a mom, you know what that means. You know what it's like to hold that baby, to kiss those sweet cheeks. She was a momma responsible for raising a Savior. We think we have a daunting job raising God-loving kids today? Think about raising the Son of God. Ya'll, she was a young mom loving her baby not knowing she was raising a sacrifice, our sacrifice. I'm sorry, ya'll, but if I thought for one minute I would have to sacrifice my son or my daughter I would go on the run. You would see a side of me that you would consider dangerous. But God was gracious to Mary. He gave her what she needed when she needed it. The Bible said she pondered things in her heart. That was that momma's intuition. God was giving her glimpses to prepare her. He gives us what we need when we need it. He is gracious to us as we raise our children. He gives us glimpses and that momma's intuition to prepare us when we need it.

God knows what we can handle when we can handle it. He knew what Mary could manage and what would be too much. God is gracious that way. I don't know what my son or my daughter will go through in their lives. I don't know the struggles or difficulties they will have. I don't know who they will marry or if they will marry. If I knew what was around the corner, I would do my best to protect them and prevent them from ever being harmed or hurt, I would move heaven and earth to keep them safe. I am fierce about my kids. But by knowing what is ahead and protecting them from it, I would prevent them from growing and would limit their depth. Sometimes we have to place our children safely into the hands of the Almighty knowing that He loves them more and wants only the best for them. I feared putting my firstborn Erin into God's hand for fear that He would take her home to be with Him. But then I realized He would do whatever He needed to do, and I couldn't stop Him. By choosing to put her into God's hands, I chose to trust Him, and I acknowledge that He could take care of her better than I could. He could love her better than I could. Not only does He want the best, but He knows what is best even if it means that we or our children have to go through the hard and difficult times.

Just like we can't see what is going to happen in our own lives or the lives of our children, we have to choose to savor every minute we have with those we love. Mary just had to love and cherish the baby she held. She kissed those sweet cheeks and held Him to her. She held the Savior of the world in her arms and in her heart which is where we need to carry Him every day. It is so easy to love a sweet baby. Remember this season, that our salvation, the road to our redemption began with the birth of a baby to a momma named Mary. Put yourself in her shoes. Look at your children through her eyes the way she looked at her baby boy. Then remember the sacrifice her baby boy grew up to accomplish. My guess is Mary may have thought she couldn't handle seeing her baby boy now grown man hanging on a cross. The grief, the overwhelming grief she must have experienced, but God did not abandon that momma. He was with her every step of the way. There are some mommas who are grieving this season for a child who is lost, for a child who has died. My heart goes out to you. May the God of peace comfort you.

I know this seems as if I'm rambling, but I'm just writing down what comes to my heart and mind. Motherhood is not for the faint of heart – not then and not now. Cherish every day. Ponder things in your heart. Seek Christ first. Trust God with your loves. Merry Christmas.

Busy, busy, busy

Shopping for Christmas presents, picking up the children from school, going to events after school, and then there are the parties for school, church and work. To top it all off, I've received a new computer program that does some link analysis that I'll be doing for my whole unit; I'm working my desk and a coworker's desk; plus I've been handed a project that is going on three decades involving three different families that are now converging into one. I have practiced using the word "no." AND I didn't schedule a lot of parties. As a matter of fact, I backed out of some, but it doesn't seem to matter – more things are getting dumped in my lap at the end of this year. How does that happen?

The good thing is my time is in God's hands. My footsteps have been ordained if I will just walk in them. My focus remains clear. I just need to stay focused. It is okay if some things don't get done. People won't die. My friends won't disown me. Mass hysteria will not ensue. Riots will not take over on every front. Life will go on, and I will live to face another shopping season. BUT what impression have I left on people for this season. Have I shown them I know who is important that I know whose I am? Have I used gracious speech and exercise loving kindness? When someone assists me, did I acknowledge them and looked them in the face? Was I patient realizing the person behind the counter was another one of God's children? Because when all is said and done, what happens to me in this temporal moment doesn't compare to how I have treated others especially during this season when I should be reflecting my Father's disposition the most.

I encourage you to limit your coming and goings as much as possible. It's okay to say "No, thank you. We can't." I encourage you to breathe in through your nose and out with your mouth in big, deep breaths and see, acknowledge those around you. I encourage you to remember this is temporary -- the stress and fatigue you are feeling, but your witness may be what affects someone's life the most.

Keep your chin up. Keep your tiara in its place remembering your represent your Father.

…is thankful for hide and go seek

Proverbs 25:2 "God delights in concealing things; scientists delight in discovering things." (The Message) Don't you just love this verse? It's like He play "Hide and Go Seek" with His children knowing what joy they will have when they discover what He has hidden especially for them. The key is we have to seek. What are you searching for? What are you wanting God to reveal to you?

We will be starting "The Elf on the Shelf" tradition this year in our home. During the holidays an elf shows up to keep a list of all the good or naughty things children do and reports to Santa every night. In the morning, he returns to another location in the house, and the children have to search for him. It should be interesting. But as adults, we think sometimes that we've outgrown the Hide-And-Go-Seek game, but in reality we should never outgrow it because it gives our Lord and Savior such joy when He reveals to us or allows us to uncover and discover a truth that He had hidden.

I enjoy journaling even though I don't do it as much as I use to because of the blogging, but I enjoy going back reading what has happened in my life or in the lives of those I love. Because I can see a fuller picture of the events because of hind-sight, I can see how God has hidden things throughout my journey only to be revealed at the proper time. Have you ever had someone in your life for a season, and when the season was over, so was the person? It's not magical. God knew you were going to have a need; He prepared for the need and when you look back to discover how He did it. It reminds me of the time when my sister decided to make a throw quilt with the pictures of our children on it to give to my mom her first day of chemotherapy. My sister had never made a quilt and didn't even really know how to begin. At the time she was working at a nursing home, and one of the residents had family in. A family member heard Lori was going to try to make a quilt and came to check it out. This lady's hobby was quilt making, and she was in tending to the critical care of her loved one. She walked Lori through each step of the process, and when Lori was done, so was the lady's visit.

God's word is living and breathing. It can breathe new life into a stale Christian. Have you ever read a verse several times over the years, and then when in a crisis or in need that verse is suddenly so applicable it's as if He meant it for you for such a time as this? We have to seek.

Sometimes we have to seek something for which to be thankful. Not everyone will have a good Thanksgiving. They are bearing through it with people they don't enjoy. They are dealing with grief over someone who is not there. Hurt feelings. Hurt hearts. That is when it is imperative that we seek because when we find what God has hidden there is joy for us as well.

Seek ye first the kingdom of God…sound familiar? God wants to provide. He wants to give to you because it gives Him great joy, but You have to seek.

…Is in a Snarly Funk

Have you ever awakened in the morning with your teeth clinched, and you could just feel a bad attitude crawling up your back resting on your shoulders making knots out of your muscles raising your shoulders to where your earlobes normally are? Snarling and biting your tongue the best you can because the least little thing is jumping on your last nerve? Oh, how I hate it, and I woke up like that for the past two mornings. Anybody going where I'm driving?

Sunday morning Satan was all over me, and I felt overwhelmed, raw, and on edge – And that was the good side of me. One of the greeters at church who is also on my women in ministry team asked me how I was doing. I was honest. I said, "I'm making it." It is just all over my heart. I have nothing nice to say to or about much, and that is just not me nor do I like it.

I went on my way setting things up, and I headed to my office. There she was again. "Kristy, I sense your joy is gone. I know this because I feed off your joy, and it's not there this morning. What's going on?"

I had just blogged on our Women IN Ministry's blog at www.connectinghearts---onewomanatatime.blogspot.com about choosing joy, and here Satan was all over me robbing me of my joy. I've been fighting him ever since. (I really hate it when something I've said or something I've written comes back to bite me on the backside.)

I began that I had awoken in a funk, and I was tired of single-parenting. I felt like I wasn't being a good mom because everything was rubbing a raw nerve. I knew I wasn't much fun to be around either. How could I possibly encourage anyone today? How could I possibly be used of God?

Last night my family and I went to our church's Thanksgiving meal, and I have to say the fellowship went a long ways in encouraging me and lifting my spirits. But the next morning, here I was back down in the dregs with knots on top of knots. I keep telling myself, "I'll have 24 hours by myself once Patrick and the kids leave for Mississippi tomorrow morning. I'll use that time to get refocused before joining them."

I then turned to my quiet time because if I ever needed one it was today. I was reading My Utmost for His Highest, and as if he were speaking directly to me these are the things that stood out:

• "What we must beware of is not damage to our belief in God but damage to our Christian disposition or state of mind. 'Take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.' Malachi 2:16. Our state of mind is powerful in its effects. It can be the enemy that penetrates right into our soul and distracts our mind from God…Until we get back into a quiet mood before Him, our faith is of no value, and our confidence in the flesh and in human ingenuity is what rules our lives." I NEED QUIET ALONE TIME WITH GOD WITHOUT INTERRUPTION OR DISTRACTIONS.
  
• "Another thing that distracts us is our passion for vindication. St. Augustine prayed, 'O Lord, deliver me from this lust of always vindicating myself.' Such a need for constant vindication destroys our soul's faith in God." YES, LORD, HELP ME TO SUBMIT AND RELEASE.
  
• "When we discern that other people are not growing spiritually and allow that discernment to turn to criticism, we block our fellowship with God. God never gives us discernment so that we may criticize, but that we may intercede."
  

My encourager did it right. She took me aside, raised my eyes to focus on what is important in life without criticizing once, but ultimately, it's up to me to keep my eyes focused in the right location. Sooner or later, Satan will leave me alone, and this weight on my shoulders, this heaviness of spirit will be lifted. There is always hope.

Putting Someone You Love into the Hands of the Master – Blue has surgery

Blue is my son's highly-treasured, blue elephant that he has had since he was born. Of all the little critters given to my son, he instinctively chose Blue to be his cherished love. And Blue has been well-loved. When Pearce needs to calm himself, he uses the tip of Blue's trunk to rub against the palm of his hand or under his nose. The stuffing behind Blue's shoulders was non-existent because Pearce had carried Blue under his arm for years. If you take Blue down the nursery wing of our church or school or go in the preschool area, people recognize Blue as belonging to Pearce. And while many people recognize Blue and have held him it's only Pearce's love that gives Blue any value, any worth on this earth. Blue's value is priceless.

Something tragic happened November 9th weekend. Pearce found a hole in a seam where Blue's mouth would be if Blue had been made with a mouth. When he discovered it, Pearce was gravely concerned. There was no other alternative, but to allow Blue to spend the night somewhere else in order to be repaired. As a matter of fact, we thought Blue was going to be gone a week! Sunday morning, Pearce bravely handed Blue over to Mrs. Jackie who lovingly took Blue into her hands, cradled it, looked at the hole, and said, "I can fix this." Then in her inspection of Blue, she realized that some of Blue's stuffing was gone. "Do you want me to put more stuffing into Blue?" She asked me. I told her if she could do it, please.

That afternoon I received a phone call from Mrs. Jackie saying she had added some stuffing and stitched Blue up good as new. That night was a little stressful for Pearce without his Blue in his bed, in his arms, but he knew that Blue was in good hands. Tears were still shed.

Monday morning could not get here fast enough. Patrick took the kids to school, and they headed straight to Mrs. Sunni's desk where Blue would be waiting. When Patrick handed Blue to Pearce, Pearce exclaimed, "He's heavier. He ate!" What a joyful, peace-giving moment to have Blue returned to the one who loves him immeasurably. Patrick asked Pearce if we could retire Blue since he was full, fixed and returned in good condition. Pearce said, "Yeah, that's not going to happen."

Pearce will continue to love on his beloved Blue. He will continue to sling him around by his trunk. He will continue to take Blue everywhere he goes. And he will continue to love on Blue daily meaning Blue will need more repairs in the future.

You know, even though Pearce loves Blue with all his heart and he would mourn and grieve for him, Pearce had no clue as to how to fix Blue. He had to hand Blue over to a master seamstress who not only recognize Blue's tear but also saw a need that Pearce hadn't. Blue needed to be fixed on the inside -- restuffed.

Who of you have loved someone but couldn't fix them? Who of you have loved someone that has been your comforter but when they were hurt or something was wrong you didn't know how to repair or mend them? Who of you have been in a relationship that is strained or difficult at best? Do what Pearce did. Take them to the Master and leave them.

The Master not only sees the obvious things you do, but He sees the internal things that need healing and fixing that you cannot. It may grieve your soul to leave that person in the hands of the Master because that means relinquishing what you considered as "control" over the situation. It's also scary to leave that person because you don't want them to think you've turned your back or abandoned them. It's scary because you don't know what is going to happen to them. What if that person is you? Are you afraid of what the Master may do?

You may be the only one who loves your Beloved as deeply as you and you may find your Beloved as precious and priceless as Pearce does Blue, but it is the Master who died for your Beloved. And there is no greater love than this that a man lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)

Here is the bottom line, the Master isn't called "The Master" for nothing. Our God and Savour knows all that has been and all that will be. He wants to work it all out for the good of those who love Him. It is called TRUST! Trust Him with the one who is hurt. Trust that He not only sees what you see but things you aren't even aware of that needs healing. Place your Beloved on the altar. Step back and keep your hands off and wait. Pray for a healing. Trust for a healing. Pray for a return to you. The Father who was so eager to have the prodigal son return in the Bible is also the Father who wants you to trust Him with your Beloved. Will you?

Is pondering Super Heroes

Today, Erin said something rather profound for an 8 ½ year-old, little girl while she and her brother were playing super heroes. She came up and told me, "There is nothing great about being a normal kid." The conversation she was having with me was about being labeled "normal" really isn't a sign of greatness. Can I tell you how that pleased me? I could be wrong in my train of thought, but bear with me for a moment.

Being "normal" by today's societal standards are not the standards that Christ set out for us to follow. Children disrespecting parents and authority in general. Children ruling the home.

I don't want my daughter to feel like she has to fit in, in order to be confident in who God created her to be. I don't want my daughter to receive her value from her peers. I want it to come from her family who loves her and from her relationship with Christ Jesus.

Then the other aspect, why be ordinary when God has made you to be extraordinary? It was a quick glimpse she received, but tonight when I lay down with her, I plan on hitting on this subject more and encourage her in her thinking.

God doesn't make us cookie-cutter style. You are an original.

God doesn't make want you to be anyone else. He has a special purpose designed that you are to fill.

God wants you to be the extraordinary person that He knows you are because that is how He made you.

God uses His children in extraordinary way for His glory and His purpose and to our benefit. Is that awesome or what?

Thank you, God, for an awesome kid.