Belated Birthday Love

I bought my Uncle a birthday card. It's still in the trunk of my car. His birthday was on the 15th.
I didn't get one for G.G. Helped throw a party for her instead.
Yo Momma left town and I realized I had done nothing for her birthday. NOTHING! And so I started to post this yesterday on her birthday, got distracted and realized I had failed again! Sigh.

In lieu of a Birthday Card, here are 10 of the things I love about Yo Momma.

10. She is a mother through and through, always wanting to take care of the people she loves.
9. That she isn't afraid to try something new...hence the text messages with words spelled wonky.
8. Her fierce loyalty and support of her children. Don't mess with Yo Momma!
7. I love singing with her...even in the morning.
6. Her laugh and smile.
5. Her generosity and kindness to others. She makes friends everywhere! (Okay, sometimes that gets
annoying but in general, I love it.)
4. How she willingly adopts people into her family...thus the many children and grandchildren that
aren't related by blood.3. Yo Momma's cooking is the bomb!
2. Her hugs.
1. That she's my mom and my friend!

So, Happy Birthday Yo Momma! I'm pretty proud to be your kid.Meg (an "adopted" one), Me and Yo Momma in June.

G.G.

Last Friday, G.G. turned 80. I had full intentions of posting something wonderful in honor of her and got so busy putting together the huge PowerPoint presentation for her party, it just didn't happen. I've spent a lot of days scanning photos (over 200) and putting them into a slide show of G.G.'s life. It's been fun to go through pictures (some have wound up on my facebook account) and see the progression of her life and our family.

Here's G.G. at a year old. They just stuck her out in her high chair in a field.
She loved animals...look closely there is a chipmunk on her legs.
She was quite the fashion plate too.
I could tell which era the pics were taken in because of the hair too. Any guesses on when this one was taken?
The glasses here are awesome!
I could go on and on. The point is, that G.G. would tell you that she doesn't understand why we made such a big fuss. That her feelings were hurt when we wouldn't let her do anything and kept shooing her out of the kitchen. She might even tell you that she didn't need the party. That's okay. She can tell you those things. WE needed to tell her, to show her, to shower her with the love that we feel for the woman who keeps us all together.

G.G. taught me that family is important. My Aunt K was sharing a little bit of her impressions of G.G. before the party. Aunt K said that one of the things she loves the most about G.G. is that she is always there for her family and friends. If something happens and you need her, G.G. will be there. Aunt K said that she felt closer to G.G. than her own Mom at times. That there is a caring and love that is there that makes you know that you are special and loved.

Aunt K also said that the person that reminds her most of G.G. in that regard is me. What a legacy a Grandmother can pass on to her granddaughter. To be one that others can count on, whom you know loves you and cares and who will be there when you need them. It's a compliment that I hope to live up to someday.

G.G. Happy Birthday. I love you very much.

Community

Papa Bear was a country music fan when I was growing up. Lil Bro and I always gave him a really bad time about his twangy music, never wanting to listen to it. But listen he did. There was one time when a song came on the radio and Papa Bear turned the volume up saying "You have to listen to this song!" It was called The Chair and was sung by George Strait. It was my first encounter with country music where I actually LIKED it.

Years later, Lil Bro and I are country music fans. Awhile back Papa Bear commented on a CD I was listening to with these words "that's a little twangy". Ha! It's funny how times change. Not being one that wants to push my musical style on anyone (especially because I get REALLY tired of people's comments about country music...I get it, you don't like it, stop talking!) I hesitated for half a second when I came across this article. It seems the gentleman, Hank Cochran, that co-wrote the song The Chair, passed away recently. The night before he died a few musicians gathered around his bedside and took turns passing around a guitar and singing to and with him. It made me smile and get teary reading the article. Too many people leave this world not knowing what a difference they made in others lives and this is the kind of thing that makes me love country music...it's not just about the music, it's about living as a community of artists and cherishing those who have made an impact and influence on your life.

I think the church needs to take a few lessons from the country music world in that regard.

This week...

This week I have preached sermon number 1 twice.
Spent hours scanning and editing photo's like these (points if you can guess who is in the photo!)Ran a Worship Rehearsal.
Chatted with someone in Rome.Began building the worship service and sermon for this week.
Supervised and organized a Pool Party for Middle School youth.
Ran interference for a friend.
Spent time in conversation with a friend about the church universal.
Cried (not about the church).
Lunched with G.G.
Talked with a friend getting ready for Breast Cancer Surgery.
Contemplated how messed up life gets.
Ran youth group for High School.Worried about some of the high school youth.
Had lunch with one of the Young Adults.
Went to a movie with Young Adults (It's so fluffy!)
Spent a lot of time praying and writing sermon number twoand complied more pictures like these.Tomorrow is the Giants Game, after getting the oil changed on my car and brakes checked.
Saturday is cleaning day before the family arrives for G.G.'s party...and final sermon prep.
And Sunday it starts all over again.
Life is busy. I like it busy, I'm not complaining.
Oops, almost forgot, I made a little change too. :)

One foot

One foot in front of the other
that's how I'm walking these days.
Just one foot in front of the other
testing the ground with each step
for signs of weakness,
rocks,
pits,
anything that might make me stumble,
and tumble
and fall.

One foot in front of the other
that's how she's walking these days.
Just one foot in front of the other
testing the ground with each step
finding spots of weakness,
rocks,
pits,
things that make her stumble
and tumble
and fall
down
the
hill.

One foot in front of the other
down the road of life
we all travel.
Just one foot in front of the other
all the while reaching out a hand
looking for help.
Fingers brush, barely making contact,
panic sets in on the one falling
while the other reaches, stretches out their hand
to make contact,
to remind the other
that they are not alone,
that they are not the only one
walking one foot in front of the other
praying hard that the weak spots,
the rocks,
the pits,
the hills,
will just disappear.

Praying that the path will be made clear
that the ground will be made firm
that someday instead of one foot in front of the other
there will be dancing.

Songs and God

The night before Opinionated Friend left for Rome, Mel and I went through the CD collection O.F. was leaving behind. One of those CD's was by an artist named JJ Heller, which I immediately grabbed up. I didn't put the CD in my car stereo until the next day...which was probably a good thing, in hindsight.

I've listened to nothing else over the last week and been ministered to by the lyrics in a very potent way. I can't stop crying. There's a lot of stuff rumbling beneath the surface for me lately. And lyrics, such as these, just keep speaking to my soul.**

Your Hands
I have unanswered prayers
I have trouble I wish wasn’t there
And I have asked a thousand ways
That you would take my pain away
You would take my pain away

I am trying to understand
How to walk this weary land
Make straight the paths that crooked lie
Oh Lord, before these feet of mine
Oh Lord, before these feet of mine

When my world is shaking, heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave your hands

When you walked upon the earth
You healed the broken, lost and hurt
I know you hate to see me cry
One day you will set all things right
Yeah, one day you will set all things right

When my world is shaking, heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave your hands

Your hands that shaped the world
Are holding me
They hold me still

**If you want to comment, please know that the LAST thing I want to hear is placations about how God will make things right. I trust that. Virtual hugs are better. Thanks.

I've been remiss

I got so busy in DC that I completely forgot to introduce my blogger friends to the newest addition to my family.

Blogger friends meet my 2nd cousin Little Miss Lucy.
Lucy was born around the same time that I was sitting in the Gala Dinner in DC...kept checking my phone through the whole thing. Not sure if I what I was more anxious for, news on Lucy's birth or waiting to hear if my name was going to be called. :)

Welcome to the World Lucy! You are loved.

Cleaning

It's Saturday. All week long the fog has been a welcome friend in the mornings. Today, not so much. The air pouring through my window is much warmer than it has been the rest of the week. Perfect day to sort through things that have been piling up.

First up, the top of my vanity. Seriously haven't seen the top of it in probably over a year. It's the dumping grounds for anything that doesn't have a home. The garbage can starts piling up, paper recycling is filling and so is the bag for the Flea Market at the end of the month. There's a stack of pictures for K, cards bought but never sent, a pile of things for the bathroom cupboard, papers to be filed.

The catch-all drawer is next. Hair bands, more hair bands, hair clips. Huh. It's always funny that just about the time I get all of these types of things organized, I decide it's time to cut my hair (the appointments Monday). At least it will all be in one place! Make-up that's old, out! Paintbrushes, I wondered where those went. It's quite a feat but when the drawer is back in place, the top of the vanity is cleaned off there's a sense of peace within my soul. I like this clean look. It looks fresh, new, inviting.

So I start on the bills and stuff that's been piling up. Recycle, recycle, recycle, file. There are cards from Yo Momma from Christmases past, a card from M & L from two years ago...the message is pretty appropriate for right now...can't part with those. The envelope with papers from my last class at Fuller (I got an A, by the way), the receipt that says I paid a lot of money for that class, all filed away. Amongst a card from Meg I find an I-tunes card that has been missing for a long time. And there's 20 in a card from Staff Appreciation Sunday in October. I think it's been way too long since I went through this stuff.

It occurs to me, part way through, that this cleansing, this purging is much like the cleansing that I find in Christ. Not surprising that's where my brain goes, I'm preaching on forgiveness and love Sunday morning. Cleaning off, cleaning out this stuff helps me to feel a little less chaotic, out of control, more centered. Much like my relationship with Christ, I feel more centered, less chaotic, less out of control when I wade through the junk, confess, let go of things that are binding up my soul and allow Christ's love, compassion and forgiveness to enter in. It's good to go through this purging, both the physical stuff and the emotional stuff, to let go of what's holding me back from feeling peaceful and find that beauty that is around me and in me again.

It's Saturday, a little warm, but a great day for cleaning.

Goodbye for now, O.F.

I believe that God brings people into our lives for seasons, to help us find our way, to show us new visions, to help us dream new dreams or get in touch with things that we had forgotten. There are people that I can clearly see that God used to help guide me on the path of faith, some that helped push me into a career I never even considered and I can see that there are people that are in my life right now that God is using to help me think about the future.

Tomorrow Opinionated Friend leaves for Rome...permanently. She's moving there to follow the vision that God has been giving her since childhood, to be a missionary. God has clearly set her on this path and is clearly guiding her on the journey.

Opinionated Friend has been one that has helped me to dream bigger, see farther and trust in the mystery of God even deeper. We have laughed together, cried together, been frustrated, been silent, struggled with some of the same issues, been freaked out by a rat, been so tired we had uncontrollable giggle fests and wow, have we talked. There aren't many people that I feel like I can be the true me with but she's one. I'm blessed by her friendship and will miss her constant physical presence in my life something fierce! I am so proud to be her friend and anxious to see what God does through her life in the next few years.

Love you O.F.! :)

The silence

I'm multi-tasking right now. Eating dinner, texting a friend (who I get to see soon, yippee), watching NCIS (cuz who can get enough NCIS?), checking Facebook every so often and reading blogs. That's not why I'm adding blogging to that this though.

I was on my friend Brandon's blog (I lurk there often) and he posted song by a man named Andrew Peterson. I read his blog and knew that I needed to hit the button to play the 'video' and knew that I was going to blog the song myself as soon as the first verse was done.

Monday, as I was talking with a friend who has served as a kind of spiritual director for me this last year, it became pretty apparent to me that I'm in a holding pattern, waiting for God to do whatever it is God is going to do with my life and let me land wherever it is I'm supposed to land. It's akin to a God silence time, but not quite. I've been through those times before. This isn't that. This is a holding pattern.

But I do have friends right now who are in the God silence mode. So this is for them. There's no answer in this song, more of a recognition that Jesus knows and has been there before too.