FUNNY FRIDAY

So, I am sitting out in our dispatch center, reading Tina's blog....looked up and...yep, same picture! Ha!

PRACTICAL JOKE

Dear Louise,
Thanks for the practical joke.

It was a gift that had me laughing my head off!
Love,
Thelma

Images taken from here and here.

NOW I LAY ME DOWN TO SLEEP

This is a pretty cool post today. Since you all have been praying for 7-11 Sam & her kids, they have moved from the motel and now are renting a little house. Someone gave them a complete living room set. Her son and daughter will each have their own rooms. Sam's daughter didn't have a bed, and was sleeping on an air mattress with a hole in it...had to be inflated several times a night. I lent them one of mine. And today, my church is working together to deliver them a pretty day bed and a couple of bikes!

If you will...please keep praying for them. The kids are still having some trouble in school and on the bus.

On another note, I haven't seen Robert all winter. I am worried about him and was hoping that with the warmer weather I would see him around soon. I am holding some bottle money for him.

Image taken from here.

TRUST

There is an exercise used to help teach the concept of trust,

That of closing your eyes,

And letting yourself fall back,

And trusting that the people behind you will catch you.

.

I find myself in that position with You...

Of finding myself and people I love standing on the edge of something

And getting ready to let ourselves go

With nothing to catch us but You.

.

And, so my God, here I stand on the edge.

Breathing in and breathing out-finding my center.

So I can fall back

Into You.

.

Here I come.

Catch me.

The name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous run to it and are safe. Proverbs 18:10

Image taken from here.

I am exhausted from my day on the road yesterday. Looked forward to having a productive day back in the office today. But...holy cow....it has been a rough one. This picture says it all!

Image was sent to me by my brother in an email...don't know the source!

A FEW INTERESTING READS

Three posts that I wanted to pass on:

My friend Tom Harry (read March 17 and 18). By the way, I had to look up Sisyphus.

My pastor, Mike, with a sermon from one of his favorite "dead guys".

And lastly, Pete, on transcending.

WHEW! WHAT A WEEK!

Enjoy your weekend, everyone! Get some Rest! Have some Fun! Sleep in!

Image taken from here.

RACHEL'S MOMMY

My girl has been pretty sick the past few days. Last night, she came into my room around 1 or 2 a.m. She was coughing so hard that she couldn't sleep. I had her take some medicine and then I propped her up in my bed with almost every pillow we have. Then I climbed in and just wrapped my arms around her and prayed for her. She kept worrying that she was keeping me awake (she knows I go to bed and rise early). Eventually, her coughing quieted, her breathing grew more steady, and I took off to sleep the rest of the night away in her bed.

Ah, how wonderful it was to squeak another mommy moment out of our 17 year relationship. The best job God has EVER given me was being her mom. I thought perhaps parenting was not in the works for me. But when I found out I was pregnant, it was like the song...I loved this little person growing inside me before I ever met her. Then along she came, first a tiny baby who captured my heart, growing into this young woman who I not only love, but someone I like and respect. Sometimes late at night, we sit and talk about the day, people, things, God. We
laugh. We pray. We dream. We ponder. We problem solve. We encourage. We worry. We trust. I can see us a few years down the line, meeting for lunch in the middle of our busy work days, confiding and gossiping and doing the girlfriend thing.

My girl is growing up. I have no clue whether God's plan is for our roads to run closely together but I know He does have adventures for her that I will not be invited in to. And I will learn to trust Him with her in a whole new way. So last night, it was a special thing to be able to be a mommy again, just for a few minutes, to this woman-girl, my daughter, my best friend.

Image taken from here.

SCOOP ME UP

When I was a small, small child

I was caught on the beach when a storm blew in suddenly

I just remember being scared and lost

The sand was stinging my skin, it was in my eyes, my mouth

I cannot remember if I cried

Suddenly....

A man came out of nowhere and scooped me up

He covered me in a towel

He carried me to safety

Last night I tossed and turned

Life, relationships, things.... felt like sand stinging my heart.

Scoop me up, Lord

Let me hide in You, the safety of You

Like a child

If I can only lock onto Your eyes, they will be my lodestar

They will guide me throughout the storm

Let me sense the steadiness of You

Scoop me up in arms that I know love me

Scoop me up

You are my Rescuer, over & over

Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,

for in you I trust.

Make me know the way I should go,

for to you I lift up my soul.

Deliver me....O Lord, I have fled to you for refuge! Psalm 143:8,9

Image taken from here.

CHILDHOOD FRIENDS

I was pulling out of my mom's driveway on Friday when I saw Denise in her mom's driveway. Denise lives out in California and we haven't seen each other since shortly after high school. We sat out in the middle of the street reminiscing. Some memories we shared, others we had to remind each other of. How differently we view our memories, yet how connected we are because of the years spent together.


We are going to try and spend an hour or two tonight catching up, if Denise can fit it into her schedule. She spent the weekend with one of her brothers and flies home tomorrow. She is a widow. She is childless. She just lost her job two weeks ago. She smiles and laughs the same as always. She said she left years ago to "start over". I wonder from what? I was lost in my own world, my own self when we were teenagers. Somehow, I didn't see Denise and the things that drove her to need to start over.


I am older and wiser now. I want to listen. I want to see Denise for the person, the soul who inhabits the skin...once the child I climbed trees with, played dolls with, played baseball with...now the woman who is a strangely familiar stranger. I want to know her hopes and fears. I want to give her the gift of friendship I was much too immature to bestow in our younger years.

Image taken from here.

7-11 SAM

The new clerk at my 7-11 is a single mom named Sam. She has a 9 year old daughter and a 6 year old son. A couple weeks back, when I went up to the counter I asked Sam what was wrong...she just didn't seem like herself. She started to cry but said that she would be fine.

Here is the story. She lives in a motel down the road. She was engaged but they just broke it off. And her son has been diagnosed as Bi-Polar with ADHD. He is getting more out of control and can be violent. Sometimes she has to leave work to go sit with him in the lunchroom because the school is requiring parental supervision for him. Yesterday, he was at work with her. Sam told me she would be driving him to school in a bit because he had been suspended from the bus. And one more suspension and he may be out altogether.

Sam is pretty much on her own. She has family but they are not supportive. She wants to find a better job

I asked Sam to let me know if there was anything I could help her with. I also promised her that I would be praying. I asked her permission to share her story with you because I know that many of you will "pray your guts out" for her and her kids. She welcomes your prayers.

THANK YOU

To My Envelope Angel,

Thank you very, very much. Your kindness is overwhelming!

Love,

The Macs

SOMETHING I LEARNED TODAY

Today I learned what a Luddite is, after seeing the word on Richard's blog.

image taken from here.

TODAY

yep. that's about how i feel today.

looking forward to tomorrow....

i anticipate feeling better,

it won't be a monday,

and

most importantly,

it is T-FABS birthday!

Image taken from here.

THE NOODLE NOSE TRAUMA CULPRIT

Image taken from here.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"I THINK I MAY HAVE NOODLE TRAUMA!"

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

be Thou my vision, o Lord of my heart

naught be all else to me save that Thou art

Thou my best thought by day or by night

waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light

Image taken from here.

THIS SIDE OF THE OTHER SIDE....

I started my blog exactly one year ago. Today, I will have been divorced for 4 years. For a long time, it felt like I was barely surviving divorce, and then it was like digging my way out.

But now, I am just...a mom, who works, who loves her kid and her dog and her family and her friends. A woman who likes to laugh alot and usually has alot to laugh at about herself. A soul who has been captivated by the King of Kings and who's sweetest moments are spent in quiet (and sometimes not so quiet) communion at His feet. A blogger...who would have thunk it since my millennium goal was to send just one email? A citizen who is part of many communities....those near and those more global. A student who is learning from the thoughts and experiences of others. A reader who has 5 or 6 books going at a time.

I pray for my ex-husband and his wife every day...but I don't long for him. While my divorce is my life's biggest regret and biggest failure....I have my eyes set firmly forward...on the future.

It is time. I am closing this book called divorce and picking up another!

Image taken from here.

WHAT I AM GIVING UP FOR LENT

Last Wednesday, our pastor taught on the season of Lent and Ash Wednesday. He talked about the ashes being made from palm branches and olive oil...palm branches, those very branches that were laid down before Jesus as He was welcomed as King into Jerusalem and the olive branch-the symbol of peace. He talked about this season as historically having an emphasis on prayer, fasting, and alms, on repentance and regeneration. As we read scripture together and prayed together, I suddenly knew what I would "give up" for lent.

As a child, I remember giving up sweets. I remember eating fish every Friday, since that day was the designated meatless day in my Roman Catholic traditions. I have to admit that once I became an adult, I rarely considered continuing this tradition as a necessary part of my life of faith. But as we talked last Wednesday, about letting God transform us through the traditions and practices of Lent, I came away with a fresh perspective.

I already mentioned, as we were praying God directed His spotlight on an area of my life that needs to be transformed. Just the night before, I had been praying about the burden of caring for my mother. I have been caring for her emotionally since I was 11 years old, and physically for about 16 or 17 years. I have complained about it. A lot. I have resented it. A lot. Circumstances are such that my daughter and I are living with her temporarily. It has not been pleasant and I have been very vocal about that. But what you hear me say has only been the tip of the iceberg of what I have carried in my heart.

So, for Lent, I am giving up complaining...especially about caring for my mother and where we find ourselves living right now. I am a bit excited to see how God will transform me through this time of "giving up". Last Thursday, I found myself complaining about something and only realized that I was, after I was done. Friday, I stopped myself a couple of times. I am coming to realize how much I complain. Now, I am not saying this is for everyone, but what I am starting to see in myself, is that my complaining has been leading to an ungrateful heart and an unloving attitude towards others. I have no idea what other things God will teach me through this time. I have no clue as to what visible things others may notice (or not notice for that matter). I just know that I want to keep my heart, my mind and my lips free of entanglements, free to offer up pure and holy sacrifices of worship and works. worthy of my King...who deserves every ounce of everything I have. Hosanna to the Christ!

Image taken from here.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"She sounds like a dead cat....

heh, heh...

well maybe not a

DEAD cat!"

Said while watching American Idol last night.