VOTING

Remember the old voting booths? You would walk into a small booth, the curtain would automatically close behind you, and then you would flip the lever next to your candidate's name?

Image taken from here.

STAR STRUCK

I was recently telling a friend about the time I almost got to go to a birthday party at Stevie Wonder's place. The party was for the sister of Syreeta Wright, who he was married to at the time. My aunt and her grandmother were friends. I can't remember exactly why I couldn't go, but I have always regretted it. Can you imagine the bragging rights? To be able to say, "Oh yeah, that time I was at Stevie's house...."

I admit it. I am star struck. To be able to say that you know or have met a famous person, is a very cool thing. I remember when Magic Johnson was the Grand Marshall of the Detroit's Thanksgiving Day Parade back in '88. I had a friend who had an office right on Woodward. My brother and I were watching the parade from the second story balcony when I heard someone say, "That's Magic Johnson!" I yelled, "Hey Magic!" He looked right up at me and waved!

My sister-in-law loves to tell about the time she met Bill Clinton when she was on trip to New York. My friend had his picture taken with Rick Warren. A guy I go to church with has a picture with Ravi Zacharias that I am so jealous of, because I think I have bought all of Ravi's books!

What is it about meeting or seeing a famous person that makes us feel like WE are special? We are all like that, even if we hate to admit it. We all have a story of the famous person that intersected our life at some point. I think it must be the longing that each of has to BE special. To be significant. To matter. To belong. To create. To accomplish. To be recognized. To maybe simply be noticed.

The reality is...in Jesus Christ, we are special. We were created in the image of the Creator. We are significant because Jesus graciously and gloriously redeemed us by dying for our sins, and then rising victorious. The One who is worthy of all glory and honor and adoration, sets His eyes on us and sees us. Knows us.

I don't know about you, but that excites me more than anything. In the words of Stevie Wonder, it causes me to pray, "Lord...signed, sealed and delivered....I'm Yours!"

Image taken from here.

RENEWING VOWS - PART 2

(In this pic Matthew, Tracey, Pastor Rob, Kyle, Michael)

I love weddings. It is always an honor to be invited to join the celebration as people you care about cross that portal from singleness into marriage. Being invited to share in the celebration of renewed marriage vows takes on a whole different level of special. There is something wondrous about witnessing couples who have lived the day to day of married life and say "I still choose you."

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I have been to several vow renewals, each one a cherished memory. I remember sitting with my friend, Carole, in a salon as she was getting her hair done. She was surprising her husband. He thought he was officiating as my husband and I renewed our vows. I sat in the chair next to her as the hairdresser was styling her hair into a beautiful updo. I was transfixed as I watched her transforming from my dear friend, into a beautiful bride. I thought I had never seen her lovelier, until I saw her standing across from her adoring husband, a total expression of love and devotion radiating from her face. Breathtaking!

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My sister-friend Tracey (that's her and her family in the photo above) can "out Martha" Martha Stewart. I have seen her fashion beautiful roses from toilet paper (during a shower game!) She always adds these incredible touches to anything she decorates. I was sitting at a ministry meeting waiting to head out to my friends' house for their vow renewal. My cell rang and it was Tracey. "Can you come. I need you right now." I don't even remember if I said goodbye as I sprang from that room to go help my friend. Remembering that moment reminded me of how much I love this friend and how often she has come to my rescue. Tracey looked stunning. Again, she was transformed from my dear friend, into this beautiful bride. Her home was perfectly decorated, all these touches of flowers in just the right places around the rooms. I recall how much she had put in to this event, wanting everything to be special and beautiful and romantic as she looked in to her husband-groom's face and said "I still do!" Kyle choked up as he said his vows and I loved him for loving my friend so much that the thought of their union evoked such emotion.

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This summer, one of my favorite couples, Amy and Craig, will be renewing their vows. Everyone can see how they love each other, how they take care of each other. A family with two children now, they haven't lost that sparkle in their relationship. I cannot wait!

RENEWING VOWS - PART 1

There were alot of divorces on my dad's side of the family. My (soon to be) husband had been divorced. All that history of divorce in our backgrounds scared me. So in an effort to break this chain of divorce we would bring into our marriage, we planned on renewing our vows every 5 years.

Year 5. I was working full time and putting myself through college. Our 5th anniversary fell on a Saturday. I had a morning class and an afternoon class. We met our pastor at church during lunch, just the three of us before God, as he lead us through vows of commitment and promise. I cried the whole time. Because, with some life behind us, the words we were promising to each other, the traditional marriage vows, took on a much weightier meaning than they had on our wedding day. It felt very sacred.

Year 10. Killing two birds with one stone, our vow renewal was also the cover for a surprise party for our pastor (or was it his wife? I can't remember which now.) Several couples gathered together at church and, once again, we recommited ourselves before God and friends "to love, honor and obey...as long as we both shall live." It was simple and beautiful and fun. It wouldn't be long after that we learned that God had plans for us that we had given up hoping for...we were going to become parents!

Year 15. My husband, my daughter and I gathered in Pastor Rob's office. Pastor Rob, like a brother to me and an uncle to my daughter, knew what was left unspoken. He knew the struggles. We repeated those vows while our little girl played at our feet, unaware that her parents were locked in battle, in turmoil. I silently prayed, "Oh My Lord. Help me get through this without breaking down. Help me to live out these vows."

Year 20. Me: "Our 20th anniversary is coming up. Do you want to renew our vows?" Him: "I don't care. It's up to you." We didn't. And divorced after 23 years, we never made it to Year 25.

TUNELESS

So, I think I may have told you that I really do not sing well. I like to tell people that Rachel was the only baby who ever cried when mom sang a lullaby.

Last night we discovered that not only can I not sing a tune, I cannot tap a tune either! Rachel introduced me to this game on her Ipod. "Hail to the Chief" was the one that made her fall out in side-splitting laughter.

While we are sure she got her musical genes from her dad, we KNOW she got her laughter genes from me!

Image taken from here.

SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT AS ME

I read this book last week. Started it one day and finished it the next. It isn't a long read, however, it will keep you thinking long after you have turned the last page.

Have you ever wondered if one man could make a difference in the life of another? The authors answer this question as they lay out their lives and relationship in a very honest, intimate and vulnerable way.

As they changed each others lives, they will now change their readers lives. Only the hardest and coldest of hearts can read this and not be touched.

duh.....

I inadvertently deleted my links....don't have time to correct them today...so, if you don't see your link....hopefully I will have you back before long!

INTRODUCING....(DRUM ROLL PLEASE!)........

I wanted to introduce you to my friend, Venetia. The first time I saw her, at church, I thought she seemed like a beautiful person, graceful with a sweet, kind face. Now that I have gotten to know her, I can definately say....she is a beautiful young mom and as sweet and kind as she appears! She has a lovely family. She loves Jesus. And I am glad to count her as a friend!

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Please stop by her blog and say hello. I told her how wonderful bloggervillites are!