The Bible says that a "greater love hath no man than this: that he lay down his life for his friends." I believe that the parental version is this: "greater pain hath no parent than this: that they have to hold down their small child for three big shots."
Now, I know...she hasn't experienced the half of the pain if that's what she thinks...but today, for me, it is absolute truth. Caleb & Micah both had Dr's appointments today. It was one of those "Oh, Lord, I hope I made the right decision about this doctor..." kind of appointments. This was the first time we've been to him and, to be perfectly honest, under my strong and confident exterior was a Mom who was really wondering on the way to the clinic if she'd made the right choice. I've been to Dr's who have not a care in the world for what the patient thinks and I find it difficult enough when it's me I'm having to defend...I can take quite a bit before I get testy ...but these are my babies we're talking about now! Mr. or Ms. or Mrs. Dr. who doesn't want to take seriously the concerns of MaMa Duck ain't getting too far into the little pond, if ya know what I mean! I'll have those little ducklings to another Dr. faster than you can shake a tale feather! (okay...enough of the cheesy animal analogies!)
SO, ANYWAY... We got to the clinic, checked in, handed the receptionist all our paperwork and sat and waited a while. (not too long since we were the first on the books for today...yea!) We went back to the little room and the nurse had some forms for me to sign and yada-yada-yada. The boys were themselves ~ active and curious ~ and I was hoping this was going to be a relatively quick morning appointment. In by 8:15...out by 9:30. yeah. right. The Dr. came in and he was very nice. (whew! Thank You, Jesus!) He has three boys of his own and is very understanding of parental concerns and questions. As we talked about Caleb's allergies and Micah's endless green nose all fears I had about the decision I made were laid to rest.
So, as I said earlier - both boys had to get shots. Caleb simply had to get his 5 year old shots (he's 5 1/2) and Micah hadn't had shots since his 9 month check up. (I KNOW! I beat myself up enough for all of us so just don't say it!) :) Thankfully at three years old you don't get any shots so he simply had to play catch-up. Caleb was first up to bat. After his eye test and all the typical checks - ears, nose, throat, etc. - on both boys the Dr. left and Nurse Meanie Pants came in with these two innocent looking plastic tubs. She carried weapons of terror in those tubs. They were long and rather innocuous looking tubes, but on the ends were needles at least 10 inches long! No, seriously. I didn't look at them because I hate needles (don't ever tell my boys that!) until she was getting ready to stab my oldest child and then it was a quick glance as I prayed desperately that it wouldn't hurt for some odd reason ~ surely God would have mercy on my child and take the pain away, wouldn't He? I told Caleb it would just prick a bit and then it would be over (was that a lie?) and then I asked him to name all the brave people he could think of. Now, I was hoping to hear things like "Daddy, Mommy, PaPa Pete, PaPa T, etc. etc. etc." However, I took it all in stride as he began his litany of superheroes..."Superman, Bibleman, Spiderman, LarryBoy..." (yeah, I have to agree...there's something odd about hearing a talking cucumber be referred to as brave...but, hey! He's five!) So, the first one went in and his lip quivered and he said "ow"a lot but he held it together. "Way to go, Bubber! You did it! You were as brave as Superman! Okay...let's look over here now...don't look at the needles...look at me. Who else is brave?" Just as he started to say "well, Spiderman is brave" she jabbed that saber into the back of his upper left arm and he jumped and started to WAIL. Oh, my. Houston, we have a problem.
When he jumped the nurse jabbed the needle a bit and then tried again - not good - that immunization was ruined. After what seemed like 15 minutes but was probably more like 2 he was calming down as we prayed for extra courage to finish his shots. Earlier, when we were talking about getting shots he was initially saying he didn't want any shots. I reminded him that in order to go to Kindergarten he had to have his shots. Ah! Mother of the Year Award! I said the magic words that made it all worthwhile! Well, after Nurse Wicked-Witch-of-the-West practically amputated my sons arm I reminded him of it again in the form of a question..."Caleb, do you want to go to Kindergarten in the fall?" Now, what child in their right mind would answer affirmative to that question after being stabbed? Thank God my child has a brain! His immediate response was a firm and decisive shake of the head. Take the award back...words are just words. The nurse had to leave to get a new needle of the immunization that ended up leaving two big bruises and lots of blood on my sons arm and when she came back in I was in position. She stood behind him as I cradled my left arm around his head and pressed him lovingly to me (while firmly keeping his right arm immobile) and held his left hand with mine telling him to squeeze my hand if it started to hurt again. Nurse I-have-the-worst-job-in-the-world wasn't as mean so much as she was praying she wouldn't shake as she stabbed my poor innocent baby again, and within 30 seconds both shots were in, Caleb was wailing again, and I was fighting not to join him. Ah, one down, one to go.
Micah was next. Now, before the nurse (she really was not mean at all...) came into the room I was contemplating how to do the shots. Caleb tends to be a bit more dramatic in his reactions to things (I have tried to figure out where that comes from!) but Micah is younger so I was trying to decide who could be the "tough role model" for the other guy. Well, of course, Caleb was the logical choice, but after his experience I was understandably worried about Micah's response to his turn. Thankfully his shots would all be on his left thigh and I could sit down and hold him on my lap for his shots. However, we don't call Micah "Bam-Bam" because he's a little girly-man! I was in for another fight and struggle as I put his legs between mine and held his hands in mine and wrapped my arms around him so his arms formed a make-shift straight-jacket. Nurse I'm-praying-this-one-goes-better was armed and ready and went Bam! Bam! Bam! on my little angel's leg as he cried and screamed and fought to be free. Within 45 seconds the entire ordeal was over and other than two little boys laying on the floor acting like they'd just been run over by a Mack truck and my own eyes fighting back the urge to spill forth everything was A-Okay.
I had promised the boys breakfast after their shots - their choice - so after filling a couple prescriptions we were off to Krispy Kreme. We really should have headed to Red Robin or something since it was closer to lunch than breakfast, but why not? We all just endured a traumatic moment in our lives and why not put them on a sugar high and give those immunizations something to work against? :) I don't remember the last time we had donuts and I really don't care what anyone thinks ~ those boys deserved some sweetness in their lives today. *wink & grin* And, yes, if we were in Texas we wouldn't have gone to Krispy Kreme, Aunt Mary! :)
I feel like I should go warm up the Karaoke machine with a Gloria Gaynor tune (she sang, "I will survive" for those of you unfamiliar with the disco era), but instead I think I'm going to go warm up my side of the bed. Before I go, though, remember this: You can do all things through Christ's strength ~ I'm living testimony to that today! If it weren't for Him I would've been on the floor with the boys wailing over the pain of life right along with 'em. Goodnight...
Saturday, May 14, 2005
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Kindergarten
Today was the Kindergarten Open House at Caleb's Elementary School. Scott and Caleb & I all went together (I'm really glad Scott's job allows that kind of flexibility in his schedule that he was able to attend...I know Caleb wouldn't have felt as confident as he did if Scott hadn't been there). After dropping Micah off at a friend's house we drove to the school in a bit of anticipatory silence. It was obvious that Caleb was excited...he was just taking it all in and looking ahead to where we were going and what was coming next. Scott and I were a bit more solemnly quiet. I don't know if we were in the same place mentally ~ I tend to doubt it but you never know.
I was in the place of thinking I wish I was one of those "on top of it" kind of Moms who knows where everything is in their house and doesn't need to take time to stop and think about where they put that so they'd know where it was when they needed it. (This is one of those times when I think Scott probably was thinking the same thing I was...he wishes I was that kind of Mom many times, too! :) Thankfully they have that in him and I can step in the for the spontaneous fun stuff ~ we balance each other well.) Yes, as you can probably guess from what I was thinking it dawned on me at the last minute that I needed another form for his registration and although I know exactly where it is I need a key to get to it...and it's the key I cannot find at this moment. UGH!!!!! So, after telling myself NOT to believe the voice in my head telling me exactly what they thought of my orginizational skills I began to think about this whole Kindergarten thing.....
I remember very little of Kindergarten except Mrs. Van der Aarte and the really cool wooden kitchen with little sink and refrigerator and shelves we got to play with. I didn't like the stove then either. :) I remember Mrs. Van der Aarte had blonde hair that she wore in a really high beehive ~ of course, I was probably all of two feet tall so it probably wasn't that high ~ and she was pretty and smiled a lot. She was really OLD, too!! I swear she was probably as old as Mom and Dad!! I remember she made us feel safe and she read great stories to us and I remember walking all the way down the really long hall in South Sioux School to her classroom feeling like I was such a big girl. And I'm almost positive I cried on the first day. I'm pretty positive I did because I seem to remember Mom putting on that strong but gentle Mom face and telling me I'll be okay and walking away before it got really hard to leave.
The strange thing is I don't remember Kindergarten being a really academic year. Maybe it was, but to me (and this is so surprising knowing how serious I am) it was just a really great time to play with my friends! Okay, if Scott were standing beside me he'd groan and say, "oh, brother!" Hmmm....I seem to remember most of my school years being exactly that ~ a great time to play with my friends and learn something in the process.
Caleb seems to be that way. He had no trouble walking down the hall talking the big student's head off; his teacher said he had a good time and had lots to share...and when we went on our bus ride after our meetings were over and the bus driver lady asked if there were any questions Caleb was the only one to raise his hand. Yup. The only one. Time kind of stood still for Scott & I as Caleb told the bus driver (and the entire bus) that "sometimes my dog likes to eat dirt." Polite chuckles and chuckles that said, "thank God that wasn't my kid!" flittered about the tinny interior of the bright yellow school bus as the bus driver smiled and lovingly responded to a child's innocent statement. Any worries I had about whether he was gonna make it kind of drifted away.
Yes, Caleb will do okay. It's his Mom I'm a bit worried about...
I was in the place of thinking I wish I was one of those "on top of it" kind of Moms who knows where everything is in their house and doesn't need to take time to stop and think about where they put that so they'd know where it was when they needed it. (This is one of those times when I think Scott probably was thinking the same thing I was...he wishes I was that kind of Mom many times, too! :) Thankfully they have that in him and I can step in the for the spontaneous fun stuff ~ we balance each other well.) Yes, as you can probably guess from what I was thinking it dawned on me at the last minute that I needed another form for his registration and although I know exactly where it is I need a key to get to it...and it's the key I cannot find at this moment. UGH!!!!! So, after telling myself NOT to believe the voice in my head telling me exactly what they thought of my orginizational skills I began to think about this whole Kindergarten thing.....
I remember very little of Kindergarten except Mrs. Van der Aarte and the really cool wooden kitchen with little sink and refrigerator and shelves we got to play with. I didn't like the stove then either. :) I remember Mrs. Van der Aarte had blonde hair that she wore in a really high beehive ~ of course, I was probably all of two feet tall so it probably wasn't that high ~ and she was pretty and smiled a lot. She was really OLD, too!! I swear she was probably as old as Mom and Dad!! I remember she made us feel safe and she read great stories to us and I remember walking all the way down the really long hall in South Sioux School to her classroom feeling like I was such a big girl. And I'm almost positive I cried on the first day. I'm pretty positive I did because I seem to remember Mom putting on that strong but gentle Mom face and telling me I'll be okay and walking away before it got really hard to leave.
The strange thing is I don't remember Kindergarten being a really academic year. Maybe it was, but to me (and this is so surprising knowing how serious I am) it was just a really great time to play with my friends! Okay, if Scott were standing beside me he'd groan and say, "oh, brother!" Hmmm....I seem to remember most of my school years being exactly that ~ a great time to play with my friends and learn something in the process.
Caleb seems to be that way. He had no trouble walking down the hall talking the big student's head off; his teacher said he had a good time and had lots to share...and when we went on our bus ride after our meetings were over and the bus driver lady asked if there were any questions Caleb was the only one to raise his hand. Yup. The only one. Time kind of stood still for Scott & I as Caleb told the bus driver (and the entire bus) that "sometimes my dog likes to eat dirt." Polite chuckles and chuckles that said, "thank God that wasn't my kid!" flittered about the tinny interior of the bright yellow school bus as the bus driver smiled and lovingly responded to a child's innocent statement. Any worries I had about whether he was gonna make it kind of drifted away.
Yes, Caleb will do okay. It's his Mom I'm a bit worried about...
Saturday, May 7, 2005
Mommy
I am the mother of four children. Yes, you read that correctly ~ FOUR. This post is an open letter to each of them. As I look forward to celebrating Mother's Day with two of my four children I am filled with what it means to be a "Mom," and the desire to do it to the very best of my ability. At times I think I fail miserably. At times I think I should be awarded the Mother of the Year award. All the time I wonder how I could ever live my life not knowing this incredibly demanding, rewarding, frustrating, incredible and challenging time of my life.
Dear Sophie, my first child, my sweet little girl, how precious you are! For months I talked to you before you were born knowing you were going to be a beautiful little girl ~ and now I look at you and I am in wonder and awe over just how beautiful you really are. Not only on the outside, sweetie, but on the inside, too. When your Mommy tells me about how friendly you are and how you have such a heart for Jesus I know my prayers were all heard while I carried you in my tummy. I prayed continually that you would know peace and joy in your life...God is so good to give you so much of both in such abundance!
Soph, never could I imagine life without knowing you. I pray constantly for you even now ~ that you would have above all else a peace knowing you are loved by so many and that you would never doubt my love for you. The greatest gift I have been given came when I was carrying you inside of me. Without you in my life my relationship with Jesus would not be what it is today. Thank you, dear Sophie, for being the gift God used to change my life for the best. My gift to you on this day is a Bible verse that makes me think of you and that I pray for you... it just seems to fit you. :) Psalm 18: 28 - 30 "Lord, You have brought light to my life; my God, you light up my darkness. In Your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall. As for God, His way is perfect. All the Lord's promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to Him for protection." You are strong and beautiful, Sophie and I love you, sweetheart. With all my heart I love you. I am proud to be your Tummy Mommy.
Dear Little One, the one I'll never know on this earth. The day I found out I was carrying you inside of me I wanted to sing praises, jump up and down and shout it from the mountaintops. Instead I went to Babies R Us and put together a very special package for your Daddy. I'll never forget the look on his face when he came into our bedroom and saw that Winnie the Pooh diaper bag sitting on the bed. He was so confused! And as he opened it and pulled out a bib and a blanket and a rattle and some other things it began to dawn on him that we were going to be a family. You couldn't have wiped the smile off his face if you had tried. For the next two weeks we looked forward with hope in who you would be. There are some who would say that wasn't enough time to know you and to become attached to being your Mommy, but anyone who has been through a situation like it knows that just isn't true. I look forward to meeting you one day. Until then, have fun with Jesus and your cousins and know I will never forget you and the joy you brought for a very short time. I love you. Psalm 30: 11-12 "You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to You and never be silent. O Lord my God, I will give You thanks forever!" Until we meet in heaven...
Dear Caleb, My Bubber, what an incredible little man you are! At five years old I am continually amazed at how smart you are. You can wrap your mind around a difficult concept and make it make sense to Micah (and to me!) in such a way that it makes me think you are much older than you are. And yet, the very next minute you may ask me to help you tie your shoes or pour your milk and I am brought back to the reality that you are still my very big little boy. Caleb, do you know what I love most about you? Your heart. I love to hear you pray for your friends each night ~ even the friends who aren't exactly the nicest to you ~ that God will be with them and keep them safe and help them to know how much He loves them (in your words..."even when they are mean.") I never knew I could love someone so much who could bring such a clarity to all of my bad qualities! :) You bring out both the best and the worst in me, my sweet boy, and I thank you for accepting me for me. For telling me when I come to you and ask for forgiveness for yelling instead of dealing that you love me like Jesus loves me and that you won't hold it against me is a gift, Caleb. I love to watch you ~ today at the park as you rounded up all the kids and led them into the chore of picking up pine cones and filling the holes of the tree I heard you say, "good job, team! You did it! Now, on to the next thing!" and they all followed you over to the play structure where pinecones became money in the makeshift store. You will make a great leader someday, Caleb. My constant prayer for you is found in the Bible in the story of the Caleb you are named after. The first part of Numbers 14:24 tells what kind of man he was..."But my servant Caleb has a different spirit. He follows me with his whole heart..." Hold on to Jesus with all of your might, Bubber, only He will never fail you, and when you keep your heart focused on Him He will make your paths straight. I love you, Caleb ~ You truly are my sunshine!
Dear Micah, the boy with the golden smile! How you can make me laugh, little one! At almost three years old you are the epitome of the youngest child. You insist on doing it yourself, you love to follow your big brother and do all that he is doing, you make people laugh with your wit and your antics, and you love to be right smack dab in the middle of it all. I have loved watching you grow up, Micah. Being your Mommy has changed my life ~ in so many ways. You have taught me that life is worth living even when it's not quite what you expected. And, yes, you have so much of your Daddy in you that when it's not what you expected you will make it what it was supposed to be! Today on our walk you wanted to fix all the little things you saw that were out of place. The crack in the trail...that simply should not be there, Mom! The cigarette butt on the sidewalk outside someone's house...oooh! Mom, this isn't supposed to be here! You make me think of that television character I love so much, Monk. Your shoes have to be lined up just so if you're going to put them away, but when you're playing with the bean-pot in the playroom it doesn't matter if they're all over the floor. You are so multi-faceted and as you get older I enjoy seeing the character God has made you to be. You, too, will touch many lives, Micah and I pray that the words from the Prophet you were named after will be the motto of your life, "The Lord has shown you what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8. I love you, Micah ~ more than I could ever put into words, I love you.
And finally...if I could end this post with a special letter to a very special lady who taught me in so many different ways what a Mom is....
Dear Mom, do you realize how beautiful you are? I mean it. Do you know you are beautiful? You are beautiful on the outside ~ pretty smile and eyes and just plain beautiful. And you are beautiful on the inside. I remember many days growing up seeing your heart spill out your eyes as your desire to raise children who love God with their whole hearts seemed to not be working out like you wanted it to. The pain of knowing your hearts deepest desire may very well not become reality was overwhelming at times as you struggled with each one of us ~ Tami, Todd and me. And yet you never gave up on that prayer. You never stopped loving us or loving God or respecting Dad.
And speaking of Dad...I've never heard you say anything degrading about Dad, Mom. You may have shown your frustration over something he was doing, but you never put words to it. That is powerful to someone like me who is much too free with her criticism and judgements of people. I long to be like you in that area. Thank you for that model in my life.
Mom, do you realize you were a "love and logic" mom before Jim Fay or Foster Cline ever thought of writing a book? I remember fighting with Todd and you made us sit in kitchen chairs with our knees touching until we could look at each other and apologize and tell each other we loved each other...and MEAN it! You allowed consequences to be natural...and many times painful knowing they were often the best teachers. Thank you, too, for that model. You knew that out of pain can come character and wisdom...two things that really can't be taught. In my deepest pain, though, you never let me think there was anything wrong with me. (now, to back up the bus here a bit I have to say before my deepest pain you wondered many times what was wrong with me, but when it mattered.... *grin!*) When I was five months pregnant and unmarried and it was a Saturday night you did something powerful in my life that was simply you being you. You came downstairs and asked if I'd like to go to church with you in the morning. I don't remember if you verbalized it, but it was clear that you knew it would be difficult and you wouldn't blame me for not wanting to go but that if I did you wouldn't be embarassed to have me go with you. I knew you loved me for me that day. Thank you.
Mom, I haven't been an easy child for you to raise. We're so very different from each other in so many ways and yet alike enough to butt heads like the best of them. You felt pushed out many days and I felt pushed on, but today, on Mother's Day, 2005 I want to stand before all who are reading this and let them know that I am blessed to have YOU, Lucy, as my Mom. I arise and call you blessed, "There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!" I love you, Mom.
Love,
Trayc
Dear Sophie, my first child, my sweet little girl, how precious you are! For months I talked to you before you were born knowing you were going to be a beautiful little girl ~ and now I look at you and I am in wonder and awe over just how beautiful you really are. Not only on the outside, sweetie, but on the inside, too. When your Mommy tells me about how friendly you are and how you have such a heart for Jesus I know my prayers were all heard while I carried you in my tummy. I prayed continually that you would know peace and joy in your life...God is so good to give you so much of both in such abundance!
Soph, never could I imagine life without knowing you. I pray constantly for you even now ~ that you would have above all else a peace knowing you are loved by so many and that you would never doubt my love for you. The greatest gift I have been given came when I was carrying you inside of me. Without you in my life my relationship with Jesus would not be what it is today. Thank you, dear Sophie, for being the gift God used to change my life for the best. My gift to you on this day is a Bible verse that makes me think of you and that I pray for you... it just seems to fit you. :) Psalm 18: 28 - 30 "Lord, You have brought light to my life; my God, you light up my darkness. In Your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall. As for God, His way is perfect. All the Lord's promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to Him for protection." You are strong and beautiful, Sophie and I love you, sweetheart. With all my heart I love you. I am proud to be your Tummy Mommy.
Dear Little One, the one I'll never know on this earth. The day I found out I was carrying you inside of me I wanted to sing praises, jump up and down and shout it from the mountaintops. Instead I went to Babies R Us and put together a very special package for your Daddy. I'll never forget the look on his face when he came into our bedroom and saw that Winnie the Pooh diaper bag sitting on the bed. He was so confused! And as he opened it and pulled out a bib and a blanket and a rattle and some other things it began to dawn on him that we were going to be a family. You couldn't have wiped the smile off his face if you had tried. For the next two weeks we looked forward with hope in who you would be. There are some who would say that wasn't enough time to know you and to become attached to being your Mommy, but anyone who has been through a situation like it knows that just isn't true. I look forward to meeting you one day. Until then, have fun with Jesus and your cousins and know I will never forget you and the joy you brought for a very short time. I love you. Psalm 30: 11-12 "You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to You and never be silent. O Lord my God, I will give You thanks forever!" Until we meet in heaven...
Dear Caleb, My Bubber, what an incredible little man you are! At five years old I am continually amazed at how smart you are. You can wrap your mind around a difficult concept and make it make sense to Micah (and to me!) in such a way that it makes me think you are much older than you are. And yet, the very next minute you may ask me to help you tie your shoes or pour your milk and I am brought back to the reality that you are still my very big little boy. Caleb, do you know what I love most about you? Your heart. I love to hear you pray for your friends each night ~ even the friends who aren't exactly the nicest to you ~ that God will be with them and keep them safe and help them to know how much He loves them (in your words..."even when they are mean.") I never knew I could love someone so much who could bring such a clarity to all of my bad qualities! :) You bring out both the best and the worst in me, my sweet boy, and I thank you for accepting me for me. For telling me when I come to you and ask for forgiveness for yelling instead of dealing that you love me like Jesus loves me and that you won't hold it against me is a gift, Caleb. I love to watch you ~ today at the park as you rounded up all the kids and led them into the chore of picking up pine cones and filling the holes of the tree I heard you say, "good job, team! You did it! Now, on to the next thing!" and they all followed you over to the play structure where pinecones became money in the makeshift store. You will make a great leader someday, Caleb. My constant prayer for you is found in the Bible in the story of the Caleb you are named after. The first part of Numbers 14:24 tells what kind of man he was..."But my servant Caleb has a different spirit. He follows me with his whole heart..." Hold on to Jesus with all of your might, Bubber, only He will never fail you, and when you keep your heart focused on Him He will make your paths straight. I love you, Caleb ~ You truly are my sunshine!
Dear Micah, the boy with the golden smile! How you can make me laugh, little one! At almost three years old you are the epitome of the youngest child. You insist on doing it yourself, you love to follow your big brother and do all that he is doing, you make people laugh with your wit and your antics, and you love to be right smack dab in the middle of it all. I have loved watching you grow up, Micah. Being your Mommy has changed my life ~ in so many ways. You have taught me that life is worth living even when it's not quite what you expected. And, yes, you have so much of your Daddy in you that when it's not what you expected you will make it what it was supposed to be! Today on our walk you wanted to fix all the little things you saw that were out of place. The crack in the trail...that simply should not be there, Mom! The cigarette butt on the sidewalk outside someone's house...oooh! Mom, this isn't supposed to be here! You make me think of that television character I love so much, Monk. Your shoes have to be lined up just so if you're going to put them away, but when you're playing with the bean-pot in the playroom it doesn't matter if they're all over the floor. You are so multi-faceted and as you get older I enjoy seeing the character God has made you to be. You, too, will touch many lives, Micah and I pray that the words from the Prophet you were named after will be the motto of your life, "The Lord has shown you what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8. I love you, Micah ~ more than I could ever put into words, I love you.
And finally...if I could end this post with a special letter to a very special lady who taught me in so many different ways what a Mom is....
Dear Mom, do you realize how beautiful you are? I mean it. Do you know you are beautiful? You are beautiful on the outside ~ pretty smile and eyes and just plain beautiful. And you are beautiful on the inside. I remember many days growing up seeing your heart spill out your eyes as your desire to raise children who love God with their whole hearts seemed to not be working out like you wanted it to. The pain of knowing your hearts deepest desire may very well not become reality was overwhelming at times as you struggled with each one of us ~ Tami, Todd and me. And yet you never gave up on that prayer. You never stopped loving us or loving God or respecting Dad.
And speaking of Dad...I've never heard you say anything degrading about Dad, Mom. You may have shown your frustration over something he was doing, but you never put words to it. That is powerful to someone like me who is much too free with her criticism and judgements of people. I long to be like you in that area. Thank you for that model in my life.
Mom, do you realize you were a "love and logic" mom before Jim Fay or Foster Cline ever thought of writing a book? I remember fighting with Todd and you made us sit in kitchen chairs with our knees touching until we could look at each other and apologize and tell each other we loved each other...and MEAN it! You allowed consequences to be natural...and many times painful knowing they were often the best teachers. Thank you, too, for that model. You knew that out of pain can come character and wisdom...two things that really can't be taught. In my deepest pain, though, you never let me think there was anything wrong with me. (now, to back up the bus here a bit I have to say before my deepest pain you wondered many times what was wrong with me, but when it mattered.... *grin!*) When I was five months pregnant and unmarried and it was a Saturday night you did something powerful in my life that was simply you being you. You came downstairs and asked if I'd like to go to church with you in the morning. I don't remember if you verbalized it, but it was clear that you knew it would be difficult and you wouldn't blame me for not wanting to go but that if I did you wouldn't be embarassed to have me go with you. I knew you loved me for me that day. Thank you.
Mom, I haven't been an easy child for you to raise. We're so very different from each other in so many ways and yet alike enough to butt heads like the best of them. You felt pushed out many days and I felt pushed on, but today, on Mother's Day, 2005 I want to stand before all who are reading this and let them know that I am blessed to have YOU, Lucy, as my Mom. I arise and call you blessed, "There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!" I love you, Mom.
Love,
Trayc
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
It's hard to say goodbye
I'm ending this post with a devotional from the "Homeword Crew" again. (Jim Burns) If you'd like to check out their website just click on the title of this post. ("It's hard to say goodbye")
Three years ago this summer three things happened that have kind of changed the way I look at life. Two of them have crept back up on me recently so if you'll indulge me I'd like to share with you some insights and heartaches I've gained through them. I'll apologize in advance if I take a lot of your time. Reading in stages is completely understandable! :)
#1 ~ our youngest son, Micah Scott, was born on June 5. Micah's birth was a scheduled C-section so there were no surprises there. The fact that he was a boy was not a surprise ~ thankfully I had learned that earlier in the pregnancy and was able to go through a bit of a grieving process before he was born. You see, I long for a little girl to have tea with and to play dress-up with and to instill in her the beauty and strength of who God made her to be. Maybe it's a desire to "do it the right way" or maybe it's just that whenever I allowed myself to wonder if I'd ever get married and have a family a little girl would be in the picture. So I grieved a bit before Micah was born. (By the way...God is so good! I am thankful beyond words that I was able to do that grieving before he was born and I was able to hold him and behold the wonder of a him in my arms just as I did with his brother...and with his sister many years earlier.)
However, the fact that a "him" was born into our family isn't what changed my life. It's the fact that HE was born into my life! You see, Caleb was a pretty easy baby. He was calm and slept well and his personality was just so sweet. Going into son #2 I figured it would be no problem. Have you noticed how sick of a sense of humor God has sometimes? I'm just kidding! It's not really sick as much as it is unbelievable. Micah as a baby was the exact opposite of Caleb. I personally think it was because I had way too many doubts about the abilites of mothers with hard babies. I didn't think they couldn't handle it, I just figured there had to be something they weren't doing that would turn the whole thing around. I know!! Hello!? Earth to Trayc! Well, God took care of that. He gave me Micah. Now, before I go on I have to say that I love this little guy with my whole heart ~ I'm simply stating facts. I also can see now the gift of that experience as I come in contact with Moms of all stages with young children. I am able to relate to them all due to the wide variety of past experiences...I know what it's like to surrender your child into God's hands and trust Him with the future...I know what it's like to have a baby who makes you look like you're a great Mom just because they're so easy...and I know what it's like to have a baby who makes you wonder if you were ever cut out to be a Mom just because they're so strong-willed. (hmmm...I wonder which one I was ~ a Caleb baby, I'm sure! LOL!)
Micah taught me that there is nothing certain in this world. There are no definites. There will always be situations where no matter what you do to change it it is what it is and that's that. There will never be anything in your future that you can say how it's going to turn out without any shadow of a doubt. There will never be another person in your life who will be the person you need them to be every time. There will never be a time when you can say "this for sure" will happen because we have planned it well and we are just so on top of it. There will never be a day when you can make your list and make sure everything on it gets done exactly as you planned. Life is too uncertain. The only thing that is constant is the love of Christ and His faithfulness. For three years I've been trying to learn and remember that. Somedays I hit it on the head. Other days it hits me on the head. Thank God for brand new tomorrows!
So on to event #2 ~ Grandma Tooley died. I can't say I was especially close to Grandma Tooley, but I admire the lady tremendously. I mean, hello! She gave birth to FIFTEEN children!!!! All hers! Not a blended family....she gave birth to fifteen children! That in and of itself is worthy of the Motherhood hall of fame in my book! As I stop and think about it for a moment most of the women in my life are women I admire. My Mom is one of the most disciplined students of the Bible I know ~ My Aunts Mary, Bess, Vera, JoAnn, Susan, Sandi and Lyn are women who I think are fun, funny, strong and world-changers I am proud to know ~ Donna, Betsy and Leslie are women of Faith I want to be like when I grow up ~ my sister...you already know how I feel about her ~ my friends Jennifer, Jennifer, Tracy & Tammy are strong and beautiful women I am proud to know ~ I don't know that I've chosen them, but I know I am surrounded by incredible women. Grandma Tooley is kind of the matriarch of the bunch. She is definitely a "Martha." With 14 kids running around there wasn't much time for coffee and coffee-cake around the table with friends. No, I suppose it was more like baking bread and making dinner in the kitchen with friends (and man, could she cook! Cook of the Week in the Sioux Falls Argus Leader in 1976). She passed on that Martha syndrome to the women in our family ~ I don't fit in too well there. I'd much rather sit at the table and hear stories and hearts speak than worry about the gravy getting lumpy-bumpy...it caused some trouble growing up...remember that word "spoiled?" :)
Okay, so how did her passing change my life? Well, the obvious is that when someone you love passes away your life changes whether you want it to or not. The not so obvious in this case is that I wasn't able to go home for her funeral. My brother was in the middle of the ocean on a Navy ship in a time of war ~ I was sitting in Redding, CA with two little boys wondering why on earth I wasn't in South Dakota with my other family members who shared the history of a beautiful woman. This is one of those situations that is what it is and that's that. I said I can't change the situation, but I didn't say it can't change me.
I no longer look at people and events as no big deal. In fact, I don't think I ever did. I believe roadblocks don't stop you from doing what you need to do, priorities do. I believe in keeping your priorities in the correct order, but I also believe you need to evaluate priorities every now and then and re-shuffle the ones from #3 on down. (#1 - God, #2 - spouse, #3 - children...and #3 gets reshuffled only when they're on their own and you need to step out and let them grow up) Therefore, I believe that even though I had just given birth to a son a few weeks earlier and my husband was traveling something could have been worked out for Caleb, Micah and me to be there where I could grieve with those who knew the lady I was grieving. I'm not whining - I'm stating facts and taking a chance of baring my heart. I guess in some way I need to write this because not being at Grandma's funeral is a regret I will have until the day I die....along with not being at my nephew's wedding that same summer. There are other regrets and none of them have anything to do with things ~ they all are regrets over not being there for someone when I had the opportunity to celebrate their life.
If you have someone you'd like to celebrate, please share it in the comments section. Just click on the underlined "comments" and a new window will pop up ~ you can leave your comment there. If you have any problems with it you can e-mail me, too. singwithtrayc@hotmail.com I'd love to sit and hear your stories and listen to your heart speak ~ celebrate someone today, honor their memory, do what you have to do to have no regrets when they're not there anymore.
Here's that devotional I mentioned at the beginning...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Grief & Reconciliation
The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. Psalm 23:1-3
We buried my dad recently. After two weeks of battling complications from surgery, his body was tired, worn out and ready to rest. It is said that there are only two things in life that are certain: death and taxes. I’d rather pay taxes today, tomorrow, and everyday than lose someone so near to my heart. If you’ve lost someone close to you, you understand this, too.
Grief and sorrow are painful links in the chain of life that bind us together. Even though we come from different generations, different ethnic groups, different socio-economic backgrounds, or different educational backgrounds, there are some things that bring us together. Sorrow and grief do just that. They are universal experiences, universal emotions. C. S. Lewis, one of the greatest theologians of modern time, penned A Grief Observed after the death of his wife. In it he says, “There is a sort of invisible blanket between the world and me. I find it hard to take in what anyone says. Or perhaps, hard to want to take it in….I dread the moments when the house is empty. If only they would talk to one another and not to me.”
Grief brings with it an unbearable pain, even to believers. In his most well-known Psalm (Psalm 23), David bares his soul and expresses his devotion to God even when things around him are dark, frightening and confusing. He hangs on to the promise of the Shepherd: to look after His sheep. This picture is continued in John 10:14-15 as Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me -- just as the Father knows me and I know the Father --and I lay down my life for the sheep.”
In times of grief, it is easy to feel lonely, isolated and misunderstood. We need to give ourselves permission to feel the fullness of these emotions. Even Jesus grieved over the deaths of close companions like John the Baptist and Lazarus. It’s the paradoxical truth that love is accompanied by pain. But what would life be like without the opportunity to love deeply? I was fortunate. I had many good years with my dad. Like many, we had some rough times to navigate through, but we took the time to heal some deep wounds and to renew a relationship that ended with no regrets.
Perhaps you are hurting today. Have sorrow and grief replaced the joy you shared in a relationship with someone? Why not make today a day of reconciliation? Yes, you may have to put aside your pride, admit your own wrongs and take responsibility. Or you may need to lovingly confront someone who has hurt you. Today is a new day and a new opportunity to begin again. Perhaps the person you need to forgive, or need forgiveness from, is already gone. Take some time and write a letter, granting forgiveness or asking for it. God has a way of transcending time and bringing healing even when the person is no longer present.
There is no better time than today. Live your life with no regrets. Love deeply. Forgive often.
GOING DEEPER:
1. Make a list of those with whom you need reconciliation. Begin today to restore relationships.
2. Who needs to hear the words, “I love you,” from you today? Start today and tell them every time you see them.
3. Maybe you need to grieve today. Set aside some time to feel the fullness of your emotions and allow God to be your healer.
FURTHER READING:Psalm 23; John 10: 1-18; Psalm 13
This devotional was written by Leslie Snyder.
Three years ago this summer three things happened that have kind of changed the way I look at life. Two of them have crept back up on me recently so if you'll indulge me I'd like to share with you some insights and heartaches I've gained through them. I'll apologize in advance if I take a lot of your time. Reading in stages is completely understandable! :)
#1 ~ our youngest son, Micah Scott, was born on June 5. Micah's birth was a scheduled C-section so there were no surprises there. The fact that he was a boy was not a surprise ~ thankfully I had learned that earlier in the pregnancy and was able to go through a bit of a grieving process before he was born. You see, I long for a little girl to have tea with and to play dress-up with and to instill in her the beauty and strength of who God made her to be. Maybe it's a desire to "do it the right way" or maybe it's just that whenever I allowed myself to wonder if I'd ever get married and have a family a little girl would be in the picture. So I grieved a bit before Micah was born. (By the way...God is so good! I am thankful beyond words that I was able to do that grieving before he was born and I was able to hold him and behold the wonder of a him in my arms just as I did with his brother...and with his sister many years earlier.)
However, the fact that a "him" was born into our family isn't what changed my life. It's the fact that HE was born into my life! You see, Caleb was a pretty easy baby. He was calm and slept well and his personality was just so sweet. Going into son #2 I figured it would be no problem. Have you noticed how sick of a sense of humor God has sometimes? I'm just kidding! It's not really sick as much as it is unbelievable. Micah as a baby was the exact opposite of Caleb. I personally think it was because I had way too many doubts about the abilites of mothers with hard babies. I didn't think they couldn't handle it, I just figured there had to be something they weren't doing that would turn the whole thing around. I know!! Hello!? Earth to Trayc! Well, God took care of that. He gave me Micah. Now, before I go on I have to say that I love this little guy with my whole heart ~ I'm simply stating facts. I also can see now the gift of that experience as I come in contact with Moms of all stages with young children. I am able to relate to them all due to the wide variety of past experiences...I know what it's like to surrender your child into God's hands and trust Him with the future...I know what it's like to have a baby who makes you look like you're a great Mom just because they're so easy...and I know what it's like to have a baby who makes you wonder if you were ever cut out to be a Mom just because they're so strong-willed. (hmmm...I wonder which one I was ~ a Caleb baby, I'm sure! LOL!)
Micah taught me that there is nothing certain in this world. There are no definites. There will always be situations where no matter what you do to change it it is what it is and that's that. There will never be anything in your future that you can say how it's going to turn out without any shadow of a doubt. There will never be another person in your life who will be the person you need them to be every time. There will never be a time when you can say "this for sure" will happen because we have planned it well and we are just so on top of it. There will never be a day when you can make your list and make sure everything on it gets done exactly as you planned. Life is too uncertain. The only thing that is constant is the love of Christ and His faithfulness. For three years I've been trying to learn and remember that. Somedays I hit it on the head. Other days it hits me on the head. Thank God for brand new tomorrows!
So on to event #2 ~ Grandma Tooley died. I can't say I was especially close to Grandma Tooley, but I admire the lady tremendously. I mean, hello! She gave birth to FIFTEEN children!!!! All hers! Not a blended family....she gave birth to fifteen children! That in and of itself is worthy of the Motherhood hall of fame in my book! As I stop and think about it for a moment most of the women in my life are women I admire. My Mom is one of the most disciplined students of the Bible I know ~ My Aunts Mary, Bess, Vera, JoAnn, Susan, Sandi and Lyn are women who I think are fun, funny, strong and world-changers I am proud to know ~ Donna, Betsy and Leslie are women of Faith I want to be like when I grow up ~ my sister...you already know how I feel about her ~ my friends Jennifer, Jennifer, Tracy & Tammy are strong and beautiful women I am proud to know ~ I don't know that I've chosen them, but I know I am surrounded by incredible women. Grandma Tooley is kind of the matriarch of the bunch. She is definitely a "Martha." With 14 kids running around there wasn't much time for coffee and coffee-cake around the table with friends. No, I suppose it was more like baking bread and making dinner in the kitchen with friends (and man, could she cook! Cook of the Week in the Sioux Falls Argus Leader in 1976). She passed on that Martha syndrome to the women in our family ~ I don't fit in too well there. I'd much rather sit at the table and hear stories and hearts speak than worry about the gravy getting lumpy-bumpy...it caused some trouble growing up...remember that word "spoiled?" :)
Okay, so how did her passing change my life? Well, the obvious is that when someone you love passes away your life changes whether you want it to or not. The not so obvious in this case is that I wasn't able to go home for her funeral. My brother was in the middle of the ocean on a Navy ship in a time of war ~ I was sitting in Redding, CA with two little boys wondering why on earth I wasn't in South Dakota with my other family members who shared the history of a beautiful woman. This is one of those situations that is what it is and that's that. I said I can't change the situation, but I didn't say it can't change me.
I no longer look at people and events as no big deal. In fact, I don't think I ever did. I believe roadblocks don't stop you from doing what you need to do, priorities do. I believe in keeping your priorities in the correct order, but I also believe you need to evaluate priorities every now and then and re-shuffle the ones from #3 on down. (#1 - God, #2 - spouse, #3 - children...and #3 gets reshuffled only when they're on their own and you need to step out and let them grow up) Therefore, I believe that even though I had just given birth to a son a few weeks earlier and my husband was traveling something could have been worked out for Caleb, Micah and me to be there where I could grieve with those who knew the lady I was grieving. I'm not whining - I'm stating facts and taking a chance of baring my heart. I guess in some way I need to write this because not being at Grandma's funeral is a regret I will have until the day I die....along with not being at my nephew's wedding that same summer. There are other regrets and none of them have anything to do with things ~ they all are regrets over not being there for someone when I had the opportunity to celebrate their life.
If you have someone you'd like to celebrate, please share it in the comments section. Just click on the underlined "comments" and a new window will pop up ~ you can leave your comment there. If you have any problems with it you can e-mail me, too. singwithtrayc@hotmail.com I'd love to sit and hear your stories and listen to your heart speak ~ celebrate someone today, honor their memory, do what you have to do to have no regrets when they're not there anymore.
Here's that devotional I mentioned at the beginning...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Grief & Reconciliation
The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. Psalm 23:1-3
We buried my dad recently. After two weeks of battling complications from surgery, his body was tired, worn out and ready to rest. It is said that there are only two things in life that are certain: death and taxes. I’d rather pay taxes today, tomorrow, and everyday than lose someone so near to my heart. If you’ve lost someone close to you, you understand this, too.
Grief and sorrow are painful links in the chain of life that bind us together. Even though we come from different generations, different ethnic groups, different socio-economic backgrounds, or different educational backgrounds, there are some things that bring us together. Sorrow and grief do just that. They are universal experiences, universal emotions. C. S. Lewis, one of the greatest theologians of modern time, penned A Grief Observed after the death of his wife. In it he says, “There is a sort of invisible blanket between the world and me. I find it hard to take in what anyone says. Or perhaps, hard to want to take it in….I dread the moments when the house is empty. If only they would talk to one another and not to me.”
Grief brings with it an unbearable pain, even to believers. In his most well-known Psalm (Psalm 23), David bares his soul and expresses his devotion to God even when things around him are dark, frightening and confusing. He hangs on to the promise of the Shepherd: to look after His sheep. This picture is continued in John 10:14-15 as Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me -- just as the Father knows me and I know the Father --and I lay down my life for the sheep.”
In times of grief, it is easy to feel lonely, isolated and misunderstood. We need to give ourselves permission to feel the fullness of these emotions. Even Jesus grieved over the deaths of close companions like John the Baptist and Lazarus. It’s the paradoxical truth that love is accompanied by pain. But what would life be like without the opportunity to love deeply? I was fortunate. I had many good years with my dad. Like many, we had some rough times to navigate through, but we took the time to heal some deep wounds and to renew a relationship that ended with no regrets.
Perhaps you are hurting today. Have sorrow and grief replaced the joy you shared in a relationship with someone? Why not make today a day of reconciliation? Yes, you may have to put aside your pride, admit your own wrongs and take responsibility. Or you may need to lovingly confront someone who has hurt you. Today is a new day and a new opportunity to begin again. Perhaps the person you need to forgive, or need forgiveness from, is already gone. Take some time and write a letter, granting forgiveness or asking for it. God has a way of transcending time and bringing healing even when the person is no longer present.
There is no better time than today. Live your life with no regrets. Love deeply. Forgive often.
GOING DEEPER:
1. Make a list of those with whom you need reconciliation. Begin today to restore relationships.
2. Who needs to hear the words, “I love you,” from you today? Start today and tell them every time you see them.
3. Maybe you need to grieve today. Set aside some time to feel the fullness of your emotions and allow God to be your healer.
FURTHER READING:Psalm 23; John 10: 1-18; Psalm 13
This devotional was written by Leslie Snyder.
Monday, April 25, 2005
12,000!!!
How many babies were born to girls 15 and under in 1996? The answer is my title~ 12,000!!! I chose a low number ~ 1,000 ~ thinking maybe it should have been the next possible answer (5,000), but I was shocked when I scored my test and the actual answer is 12,000!!!!!
If you'd like to know more about what's going on with today's youth, and find out how you can help make a difference in those whose lives you touch, go to the link posted above. (click on the "12,000!!!") Scott & I have purposely removed most of the opportunities for our boys to watch TV just for the sake of watching TV. We have videos they watch (Veggie Tales, McGee & Me, Adventures in Odyssey) whenever they want to watch a movie, as well as movies (The Incredibles, Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang, Herbie the Love Bug series, etc) when we say that's okay, too. However, we've unplugged the Dish from their playroom and the tv downstairs is usually tuned to the satellite music channel instead of a show. I began to see the need to cut out the amount of TV they (we) watched a few months ago and have been weaning our family of it ever since. I don't believe we'll ever be a TV -free family, but I can say we are much pickier about what we watch now.
So - my challenge for today.... Turn the TV off. (It IS National Turn Off the TV Week this week ~ April 25 to May 1 ~ so why not?) Grab a book and read to your kids. Grab a book and read to yourself. Read the newspaper...the funny pages instead of the obits...the life section instead of the top news section. Go for a walk and look at the tulips (I love living where tulips bloom again!) or the spring flowers. Or...shock of all shockers...talk to each other! Type in "icebreaker games" on google.com and find some questions to ask each other you normally wouldn't. We had a blast doing just that last week at AWOL. You'll enjoy re-connecting as a family or with friends and your life will be enriched instead of entrenched.
Here are some other ideas to enrich your life...
Check out an audio course teaching a foreign language (we're currently learning German in our home).
Check out your local Parks & Rec for classes and courses of all types for all ages.
Go to an antique store as a family...look for one "odd" thing for each family member and then go someplace where you can write a story about the person who originally owned it and how they used it...or get a video camera and make a "documentary" about it.
You get the picture.... Have fun with this life you've been given! Remember...the JOY of the Lord is where our strength comes from. No wonder why studies show that laughter is good medicine.
So...Enjoy today - you've only got 24 hours of it and then it's gone. You'll never have this day back again. Take the time tonight to write down 3 things you're thankful for...do it every night and you'll have a thousand things you're thankful for in a year!
Well, Scott's in Sunny Florida receiving an award and the boys and I are going to go for a walk in the rain...Ciao!
If you'd like to know more about what's going on with today's youth, and find out how you can help make a difference in those whose lives you touch, go to the link posted above. (click on the "12,000!!!") Scott & I have purposely removed most of the opportunities for our boys to watch TV just for the sake of watching TV. We have videos they watch (Veggie Tales, McGee & Me, Adventures in Odyssey) whenever they want to watch a movie, as well as movies (The Incredibles, Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang, Herbie the Love Bug series, etc) when we say that's okay, too. However, we've unplugged the Dish from their playroom and the tv downstairs is usually tuned to the satellite music channel instead of a show. I began to see the need to cut out the amount of TV they (we) watched a few months ago and have been weaning our family of it ever since. I don't believe we'll ever be a TV -free family, but I can say we are much pickier about what we watch now.
So - my challenge for today.... Turn the TV off. (It IS National Turn Off the TV Week this week ~ April 25 to May 1 ~ so why not?) Grab a book and read to your kids. Grab a book and read to yourself. Read the newspaper...the funny pages instead of the obits...the life section instead of the top news section. Go for a walk and look at the tulips (I love living where tulips bloom again!) or the spring flowers. Or...shock of all shockers...talk to each other! Type in "icebreaker games" on google.com and find some questions to ask each other you normally wouldn't. We had a blast doing just that last week at AWOL. You'll enjoy re-connecting as a family or with friends and your life will be enriched instead of entrenched.
Here are some other ideas to enrich your life...
Check out an audio course teaching a foreign language (we're currently learning German in our home).
Check out your local Parks & Rec for classes and courses of all types for all ages.
Go to an antique store as a family...look for one "odd" thing for each family member and then go someplace where you can write a story about the person who originally owned it and how they used it...or get a video camera and make a "documentary" about it.
You get the picture.... Have fun with this life you've been given! Remember...the JOY of the Lord is where our strength comes from. No wonder why studies show that laughter is good medicine.
So...Enjoy today - you've only got 24 hours of it and then it's gone. You'll never have this day back again. Take the time tonight to write down 3 things you're thankful for...do it every night and you'll have a thousand things you're thankful for in a year!
Well, Scott's in Sunny Florida receiving an award and the boys and I are going to go for a walk in the rain...Ciao!