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Category Archives: Life Stories

What shall we do with the drunken slug? Adventures in my garden…

07 Jun

SlugI try to be green.  I mean I recycle… I think that is about as green as I know how to be or really want to be.  I don’t try to be wasteful and I do try to be resourceful but I think light green is probably more likely my shade …. However, I did try to do something this year that I have never done before.. Gardening.  I grew up on a farm and remember going to the garden with my mom and aunt but also remember feeling like it was torture.  Not anymore… nope, gardening is way cool.  I figured it wouldn’t hurt for me to grow a few items to help stock our refrigerator in these cautious economic times.  So gardening is what I decided to do.  But since I knew nothing about gardening I decided to get my kids involved and then they could grow them and we would all learn together.  We bought seeds and a seed starter kit and went to work.  We had squash, dill, cilantro, peppers, sunflowers and more.  They grew and grew and we were so proud and still are.  The day came when it was time to plant them in the real ground and now they are growing like crazy…. One problem though……I have no clue if the plant growing is a weed or a vegetable…I think I yanked up some baby carrot tops today because I thought they were weeds…. still don’t know for sure.

Now the sunflowers, mammoth sunflowers, to be exact, I’m way excited about.  The first round of sunflower sprouts accidentally drowned while we were away on vacation and then after drying my daughter’s tears, we started over.  This time the sunflowers are in the ground and growing right along… that is, until yesterday.  Yesterday morning before I left for work I went to check on my little garden and the sunflowers since they are our newest addition.  I was heart broken at what I saw…. nothing.  That’s right.  Three of our little sunflower plants were gone.  Only a little stem was left to look at. sunflower My first thoughts were the weedeater… but I knew my husband wouldn’t have hit them.  My second thought was a rabbit but I couldn’t understand why a rabbit would only eat the sunflowers and not everything else.  I was highly disappointed but took heart because the other two baby sunflower plants were still going strong.  I figured that the rest of my garden was in danger but really didn’t have a way to protect them from the hungry rabbit so I just had to hold onto the hope that all would be well in the morning.

Later that evening I was doing some work when my daughter came from outside and told me to hurry, “Dad, found what ate the sunflower.”  I went outside totally expecting to see a cute but evil bunny when he stuck a little something in front of my face.  It was ugly and gooey and had been sitting right on top of the sunflower…. the culprit? A gray field slug.  I wasn’t completely convinced that it could do so much damage but I googled it and sure enough… slugs seems to love baby sunflowers.  I became immediately protective of my little seedlings and like any good mother, sought to get rid of the bully.  Again, I googled in search of a remedy and I also stated my disgust at this little slug on Facebook.

Amazingly, I must not be alone in trying to rid the world of ugly gray field slugs because people rallied to help me solve my problem. Some of the sweetest people I know jumped at the chance to tell me how to *cough, cough* torture those little slimy guys. First there was the whole salt thing.  I thought that slugs didn’t like the feel of salt on their slug bellies but no… apparently if you place salt on a slug it will tell you top secret government plots and then it will melt away as if it were in a scene from the Wizard of Oz… ewww… Then there were others telling me to practically plan a slug keg party… okay, maybe that is a bit much but beer is supposedly a slug’s vice and they will drink themselves to death…. or maybe it’s drown in their yeasty beverage… slugs-aug08whatever the death of choice for the slugs, I found it pretty comical that the little ugly, slimy sunflower murdering varmint could cause such a stir in good people.

I guess there are times when we just can’t put up with something and it tends to bring out something in us that we don’t always recognize until we’ve crossed a line. Peter was like that.  He had the tendency to jump at a situation and then Jesus had to stop him in his tracks.  I was reading in John tonight about the arrest of Jesus.  Peter got a little out of control… I can picture the scene.  He watched as the soldiers and priests arrived at the scene.  I can imagine him to be clinched-jawed and squinty-eyed as they stepped closer to Jesus…. he was angry and wanted to protect his buddy/teacher/friend/mentor from this posse.  He drew his sword and took off the ear of a servant named Malchus.  Now, you might think that Jesus would be thankful for Peter’s enthusiastic act but instead he had to stop Peter …. good guy, bad move…he just couldn’t put up with the thought of them mistreating his mentor.

You have to really love Peter… He was always reacting and wanting to do the right thing… like the time he told Jesus that he wouldn’t let him die or the time that he told Jesus that he wouldn’t let Jesus wash his feet… Peter’s intentions were always good or at least they seemed good but it was good in the eyes of man and not the eyes of God… sometimes it is so hard to know… Obviously, Peter had been hanging out with God for quite some time and still didn’t get it completely…

I guess that can be us today, too.  Feeling like we are doing the right thing because it seems to be the right thing……not necessarily because it is the thing God is giving us the thumbs up to but because we don’t want someone else to hurt or we don’t want to seem unloving or uncaring (isn’t that being the opposite of being like God?)… or maybe we want to seem angry and defensive (after all, didn’t Jesus get rather smart alec with those who were not willing to open their hearts)…. Peter could relate to reacting then thinking…. I’m pretty sure there are many of us who can claim that same attribute including me… I guess my next thought is how Christ reacted back… frustrated, stern and possibly even a bit angry…. that makes me very aware that when I react I need to focus on when God is giving me the thumbs up or thumbs down…

Now, does the Bible give any indication on how to treat a slug?

Matthew 16:21-23

Jesus Predicts His Death

21 From then on Jesus[j] began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead.

22 But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him[k] for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!”

23 Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”

John 18:1-11

Jesus Arrested

1When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was an olive grove, and he and his disciples went into it.

2Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. 3So Judas came to the grove, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.

4Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?”

5“Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied.

“I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) 6When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.

7Again he asked them, “Who is it you want?”
And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.”

8“I told you that I am he,” Jesus answered. “If you are looking for me, then let these men go.” 9This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: “I have not lost one of those you gave me.”[a]

10Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)

11Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?”

 
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Posted by on June 7, 2009 in Devotions, Faith, Fun, Life Stories

 

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Ugly is the new Cute…

04 Jun

A recent end of the school year field trip took us to a cookout at my daughter’s teacher’s house and huge yard.  The rain brought the class inside the house and to the dismay of Snickers, their dog, hundreds of little 1st grade fingers tried to get a grasp on the little shih tzu.  I totally understood why the kids wanted to get their hands on her.  She was so cute.  Now, we have a shih tzu and there are times when I think he’s pretty cute but there was something about Snickers that was different.  She had a bit of ugly going on that made her strikingly cute….Her ugly attribute couldn’t have been pulled off by a large dog because then it would just be gross but a little dog can get away with it… Snickers’ ugly attribute?  It was a lazy tongue… what I mean by that is that she walked around with her tongue constantly hanging out … not hanging out like she was exhausted and not hanging out because her tongue was overly long but hanging out about an inch because it was comfy.  It made what would be an average shih tzu incredibly cute.

My daughter and I had a little conversation tonight about the perception of cute.  As you may know a friend of mine recently adopted a Chinese Crested Hairless puppy into her home.   Eventhough Tasha has a bit of ugly going on, tashathe puppy has won the hearts of our daughters.   They love the fact that she is a lap dog and acts like a lap dog when our so called “lap dog” doesn’t like to be held.  When we pass the pet section in a store they look for cute clothes for Tasha… Moe doesn’t really like the whole clothes dressing up thing….Poor Moses P. Diddy Hall…. how fast they forget.  But my friend, Michelle, she is not limited to loving only the canine pet but she also has a little marsupial ( a Sugar Glider) that my youngest daughter is very attached to and my middle daughter, after spending just a little bit of time with, begs for permission to buy one with her own money… our answer is always,”No! What about Moe? We can’t get you to take care of him” and her retort is always, “I try but he doesn’t want to be held.”…what being held and needing food and water have to do with each other have in common, I don’t know but in her mind that is justification for more pets……. poor Moe…

nuggetSo back to the conversation about cuteness.  My daughter tonight was talking about how cute Tasha was… on and on and on she talked and finally I had enough and stated my thoughts,

“I don’t think she is that cute”

“What? Are you kidding me?” my daughter said

“No,” I said, “I mean she is sweet but I don’t really know that I would consider her cute”

“Well, I do.  She is just so little and so cute”

“Come on, Catie… What about Moe? He is so cute.  Just look at him.”

And at that moment, we both looked down only to find Moses P. Diddy Hall losing his supper right before our eyes.

“Ewwww!!!”  (that would be from both of us)

Gross is not cute, Moe!

Okay, Tasha is cute….

I guess all of that judging of what is cute and what is ugly and the fact that cute little Moe disgusted us all,  helped me remember that there are many ways to look at one situation (or pet) and eventhough he wasn’t referring to cute and ugly, Jehoshaphat’s orders of judging helps me remember to look at the situation as God would and let God be the judge… IMG_0014

Our conversation tonight ended with carpet cleaner, laughs, the understanding that ugly is in the eye of the beholder and complaints from Catie who had the honors of taking care of her dog’s mess.  …. Poor Catie.

2 Chronicles 19

4 Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, and he went out again among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim and turned them back to the LORD, the God of their fathers. 5 He appointed judges in the land, in each of the fortified cities of Judah. 6 He told them, “Consider carefully what you do, because you are not judging for man but for the LORD, who is with you whenever you give a verdict. 7 Now let the fear of the LORD be upon you. Judge carefully, for with the LORD our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery.”

8 In Jerusalem also, Jehoshaphat appointed some of the Levites, priests and heads of Israelite families to administer the law of the LORD and to settle disputes. And they lived in Jerusalem. 9 He gave them these orders: “You must serve faithfully and wholeheartedly in the fear of the LORD. 10 In every case that comes before you from your fellow countrymen who live in the cities—whether bloodshed or other concerns of the law, commands, decrees or ordinances—you are to warn them not to sin against the LORD; otherwise his wrath will come on you and your brothers. Do this, and you will not sin.

 
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Posted by on June 4, 2009 in Devotions, Faith, Fun, Life Stories, Uncategorized

 

No more Naps!! Well, unless I want a Hot Tub….

26 May

woman sleepingAn innocent little nap and poof! I’m a builder.  Yes, it may sound like I was dreaming and although I have been reading about Solomon building the temple… I wasn’t dreaming……..

Several weekends ago, I took a little afternoon nap.  While napping my husband thought that it would be a bit funny to snap a photo of his lovely wife sleeping her little heart out while he was also being overly productive and digging holes in our back yard.  Now, we had not discussed digging holes in the yard so when he came in with the news of his hard work while I was snoozing, I found it quite amusing…. killing time digging holes when he could have been relaxing.  It was during my laughing that he pulled out the enemy… the sleeping beauty photo (that’s me)… I began to listen to what he had to say at that point.  Well, he thought I was listening but I was really trying to concoct a plan to get his phone away from him and delete the photo… During this time I thought I heard him say, “Blah, blah, blah, sleeping, blah, blah, blah, digging holes, blah, blah, blah, 4×4’s, blah, blah, blah, patio, blah, blah, blah, pergola.”  I smiled, nodded in agreement and went to look at the holes in our yard.  There they were… four two-foot deep holes at the edge of each corner of our patio.  For years we have tried to cover our patio area with some sort of shade canopy but our backyard happens to be in a wind tunnel and after the first big storm of the season hits, the canopy flies away or at least bends to unrecognizable shapes.  Apparently, what I agreed to while drifting in and out of photo deleting plans, was helping him build a pergola over our patio. I might as well have agreed to helping build the temple in Bible because I had to clue what he was talking about.  I finally had to go look up the word pergola because I was getting the whole pergola/gondola  thing way mixed up and couldn’t figure out how four posts would mean anything for a gondola other than a docking spot and then I couldn’t figure out how an Italian boat would add value to our home… or even shade.

Anyway, after hoping the idea would go away and trying to find a better way than building it ourselves… I gave up and gave in to what will now be always known as the “Pergola Project”.  We borrowed a truck, bought the lumber, printed out free plans and went to work.  Neither one of us knowing what we were doing began to measure, cut and level…. We were clueless except for the fact that we had faith in my husband’s pergola dream and the free online plans.  As we were in the process of building, our neighbors, one by one, began gathering around.  Now, we have Great (that is with a capital G) neighbors and didn’t mind their advice nor their company.  No problem at all.  IMG_0214The problem came to be when we found out something that created in us a whole new feeling of insecurity.  Our neighbor had family visiting…. and it wasn’t just any family visiting…. it happened to be the brother-in-law… the brother-in-law who is a builder….not just any builder…. but a builder of really, really nice homes…. We had to up our standards right then and there.  We couldn’t have him look out the door and laugh at the bumbling amateurs across the yard…. but, it was hopeless.  We were bumbling amateurs and though we were following a plan we were also making it up as we went along. I’m thinking he was well entertained….

Well, with a few setbacks of rain and the end of daylight, the weekend project that we estimated taking about three weeks, actually only took one weekend.  Who knew that we could do it?  Well, I’m not going to give myself a pat on the back until a good windstorm goes through… if it stays grounded in cement then we can consider it a job well done.IMG_0220

So, I am vowing that naps, at least when my husband is home, are off limits.  No more naps… not so much because I could have stopped the Pergola project but because I don’t want another photo taken of me while I sleep… by the way, the sleeping beauty photo is in deletion heaven and I am now looking up more building projects.  I think I want a hot tub….. hmmm, maybe I should take a nap and see if my husband will level out the backyard so we can get started….

2 Chronicles 3

Solomon Builds the Temple

1 Then Solomon began to build the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to his father David. It was on the threshing floor of Araunah [j] the Jebusite, the place provided by David. 2 He began building on the second day of the second month in the fourth year of his reign.

 
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Posted by on May 26, 2009 in Faith, Fun, Life Stories

 

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Well done, American Idol….

21 May

Don’t you hate when you have to choose between two good things?

You know, things like:

  • American Idol or Biggest Loser
  • Vacation at the beach or Disney (all paid for, naturally)
  • Peanut butter or chocolate fudge
  • mountain fresh scent or lavender vanilla scent (obviously, buying laundry detergent has its perks)
  • Convertible VW bug or Convertible Mini Cooper (neither are a reality in my world but they are so cute)
  • Cute puppy or sweet, humane society, house-broken, four year old dog
  • Kris or Adam

Out of all of those listed above, there is only one that affected me tonight… I wish I could say it was the convertible or vacation issue but it was the American Idol two, Kris and Adam.  If you’ve followed along with me then you know I am a confessed AI fan.  I can’t help it.  I would miss it if I have to (I’m not addicted) but I sure don’t like to miss it.

So, tonight was the finale and after a season of greatly talented and quite entertaining (Thanks to Nick Mitchell/Norman Gentile) performers, it was time for the winner to be announced.  I truly would have been happy with either contestant winning but was pleased with the result, Kris Allen.  When Kris was asked what he had to say about his win he said something to the tune of, “Adam deserves this.”  All along Kris has been very humble about his ability and his talent while Adam has gotten quite a bit of  attention and praise from the judges and has a quiet confidence in his performances.  Regardless, Kris won,  Adam seemed genuinely happy for Kris and all is well.  Both will go on to be recording artists… no doubt.kris

Kris’s humbleness is hard for some to understand.  Simon even said that he didn’t really like it.  Personally, I see it as a sign of confidence…. Kris doesn’t need the limelight to feel good inside about his ability.  He seems to believe it is a gift that he didn’t deserve and knows it can be taken away at any time so enjoy it but don’t treasure it and have enough character to honor the other person.

I’m still reading about David in Chronicles and once more, David, a man after God’s own heart, is again shown why he is called just that.  The story in a nutshell is about David and the men he leads.  David is very thirsty and says outloud, “I wish someone would get me a drink from that well by the gate.” Three men heard this and they crossed over the enemy line, risking their lives, to go to the well and get David some water.  When they returned David poured it out refusing to drink it, not because he was playing a cruel joke but because these guys risked their lives just for David.  It was an action, maybe even a well planned action, to show that these guys had earned David’s respect and he was thankful for what they had done. The men became famous for their action.

Okay, lets put this is modern day terms…..I say to my kids, I sure would love a cold Diet Ale8 (local ginger flavored soft drink).  So my daughter gets on her sandals and makes a mile long walk to the store.  When she returns she is thirsty and tired but has brought me the drink.  I am impressed by her thoughtfulness,  but feel like, because she went to the trouble that she did , I should reconsider drinking it in front of her.. or drinking it at all.  I should instead dump it.  So I do… So did David.

Kris somewhat did that same thing tonight. He was humbled by a winning vote and I think would rather have shared the American Idol title than to see his friend and competitor, Adam,  leave with nothing.  Kris didn’t actually dump his title but he was willing to give Adam recognition for his talent and abilities.  As it usually works in the history of this show, the runner-up ususally does well too.  Adam will be on the radio in no time, I’m sure.  To me, tonight, Kris showed the gift of respect and humility toward another.

The show was great but that made it worth saving on my DVR.  Thanks, Kris! Well done.

1 Chronicles 11

15 Three of the thirty chiefs came down to David to the rock at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. 16 At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. 17 David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!” 18 So the Three broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out before the LORD. 19 “God forbid that I should do this!” he said. “Should I drink the blood of these men who went at the risk of their lives?” Because they risked their lives to bring it back, David would not drink it.
Such were the exploits of the three mighty men.

 
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Posted by on May 21, 2009 in Devotions, Faith, Fun, Life Stories, Videos

 

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Moses P. Diddy Hall… I appreciate you… sometimes

19 May

shih_tzu_puppy2I’m not sure that there is anything much cuter than a baby animal… well, not a baby narwhal but that is another story.  So, my friend sent me an email saying that she had found a puppy on the internet that she wanted.  A cute little girl whose photo was attached to the email.  I know when Moses P. Diddy Hall was a little ball of fur he was SO cute so I was excited to see this little fluff that she was so smitten with.  I popped open the picture with excitement to see a cute little fluffy, sweet puppy only to find a picture of a hairless little puppy with a comb over on her head…..okay, comb over is a bit dramatic but more like a frustrated genius scientist look… I will say that she wasn’t ugly andhairless puppy seeing her little round, puppy belly even made her a cuter than I would have guessed, but it sure wasn’t the picture that I thought I was going to see.  It was a photo of a Chinese Crested Puppy… .the hairless dog.  Now, some people may think that Moe wasn’t such a cute puppy because of his pug nose and big eyes and in comparison to this puppy I would say they might balance the scale.  So, my reply to my friend’s email was a quick,  “Cute but…..

Sam

Sam

They grow up” and I sent her back a picture of  Sam, the Champion Ugliest Dog… (a Chinese Crested adult dog who happened to win the ugliest dog contest several years in a row….And Moe… he tops that one… Well, it isn’t even a competition) I guess appreciation for some things is a matter of how you look at it.  I suppose Sam’s owners must have appreciated his uniqueness. So, when Moe is now doing something that I think is annoying or bothersome I can remember the photo of the ugliest dog and be thankful that at times, even when he smells, Moe is kinda cute… I can appreciate his cuteness.

It seems that I’m finding myself appreciating other things a bit more too.  The other night I was able to spend some time at the home where I spent the majority of my childhood.  My parents don’t live there anymore but fortunately it is still in the family.  I only spent a few hours there the other night but I could have stayed there forever.  It was an appreciation of that place that I had somewhat forgotten. The house is approximately 100 years old and has been renovated with the comforts of air conditioning and central heat while being able to sit in the glassed in room and enjoy the beauty of a vegetable, fruit or flower garden.   I can sit on the deck and smell fresh cut grass, hear the birds sing or crickets chirp while looking at acres and acres of rolling hills just as a family member may have done on the porch 70 years ago. I can remember sticking my feet in creeks, catching crawdads (or at least trying),ubwnk running in a yard so big that it would take up the whole cul-de-sac I live on now. It is beautiful.. and though I’ve always loved it there, I can’t say that I have appreciated it like I did the other night.  There was just something different.  Not sure exactly what it was that made me feel so blessed to walk through the grass or look at the trees I used to climb except maybe the fact that my daughters haven’t had that full experience.  They have played outdoors but not in the same manner.  Their outdoor life has been at a park or a small yard or a blacktop area where they have to watch for cars.  So, eventhough I never wanted to move from there when my family did in my young teen years, maybe my deep appreciation comes from having moved away and then coming back.

I guess that is the way it is with life in general. We can’t always appreciate until we recognize the obstacle, hardship or the opposite.  I think, had I stayed on the farm my whole life, I might be aching to get away.

I talked to the kids yesterday at church about Jesus feeding the 5000 with 2 fish and 5 little loaves of bread.  Something that I found interesting is that Jesus asked Phillip how they were going to buy bread for everyone.  I never really thought much about that question because the Bible says that Jesus was testing Phillip.  Maybe he wanted Phillip to say, “Jesus, do your thing…you have healed the sick and even done the whole food thing.  Remember?  You made water turn into wine..what are you waiting for?” .. But after studying it a bit I’m thinking that Jesus wanted Phillip to recognize the obstacle and the difficulty in meeting the need so that when he did do his thing it wouldn’t be taken for granted and it would be remembered as great.  Lots of people, little food… look what Jesus did.

My dog- sometimes annoying- take a look at the hairless dog and remember…. Yes, Moses P. Diddy Hall you are  appreciated

The farm-moved away- look at what my kids haven’t had- and remember the beauty of God’s creation and where I grew up- appreciated

So what else can I appreciate?   A spouse, a parent, a sibling, a child or a friend?  Maybe a house, a car, a yard or a bed?  Take time today to recognize the obstacle or the opposite of things in your life and appreciate today.

And by the way, my friend appreciated that little puppy enough to take her home…. Tasha is a new member of their family.

farmfarm2farm3

John 6

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

1Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick. 3Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4The Jewish Passover Feast was near.

5When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

7Philip answered him, “Eight months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

8Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9“Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

10Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. 11Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

12When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

14After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

 
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Posted by on May 19, 2009 in Devotions, Faith, Fun, Life Stories

 

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Mother’s Day… all my troubles seem so far away…oh, I believe in Mother’s Day

10 May
Anna Jarvis

Anna Jarvis

Anna Jarvis was on to something when she came up with the idea to dedicate a day to honor moms once a year.  Smart thinking… I wonder what her motives where….. You know, I wonder if she was a stinker in her childhood and finally grew up to realize that her mother put up with a lot and she was extremely grateful or maybe she did something really wrong and her mother liked to hold it over her head but was softened each year by the day long celebration or possibly Ms. Jarvis was a mother to a bunch of kids and felt like she needed the appreciation and started the day to get some. Actually, that sounds like something I might do.  I’m guessing that Anna’s motives were pure and she truly appreciated her mother… I would guess her mother was one who resembled a Proverbs 31:28-31 mother, (her children call her blessed) therefore she wanted to celebrate her life and love.

I’m a believer in Mother’s Day and I think a day to honor Mom is great.  Although my family is pretty great about letting me know I’m loved, I think there is something missing from Mother’s Day.  My family may be good about it but there are many mothers out there whose kids or husbands need that reminder to give mom a little of their appreciation.  Commercials on television, posters or sales in stores are reminders to some, but I’m thinking out of the box here… I think that when Ms. Jarvis began her day of celebrating Mom she forgot the ever important gift toting mascot.  You know,  Christmas has Santa, Easter has the bunny…. I think Mother’s Day, a very credible day to honor Mom, needs someone that moms can make requests to.  Now, I’m not advocating gifts of materialism as a sign of love…. in fact, lets make this Mother’s Day mascot have a financial limit… I’m thinking more on the lines of gifts of meaning… Like this would be my list:

  1. Sleep in Late (not happening)
  2. A two-hour long massage…okay, I’ll even take 10 minutes
  3. A restaurant or meal that I choose- even if it no one else wants it
  4. No one in the house argues… everyone is sickening sweet to each other
  5. Everyone watches Cold Case Files or American Justice on A&E and loves it
  6. The house is quiet unless requested otherwise

MotherGooseSee what I mean?  Those things aren’t costly… mothers_dayat least not costly in monetary terms and Mother’s Day would seem so trouble free.   So now who do we take them to?  What should this mascot be?  A goose, maybe?  (very motherly like)   How about a kangaroo? (Another motherly figure) Possibly even some rough looking muscle guy?  Or how about a little bird?  ( “A little bird told me….”)  I don’t know.  And what about the name?  Maybe “Mother’s Day Mother Goose” or “Mama Flyer” or “Mother’s Day Sparrow”… Or better yet.. It would be someone who could really get the job done…. Super Nanny Jo!

Supernanny Jo Frost

Supernanny Jo Frost

Okay, I realize that appreciation comes from the heart… there is not someone, or some mascot, who can create appreciation for a mom or anyone else for that matter.  It has to come from within for it to be true.  So if I want any of these things, it might not hurt to ask, but that will not be my true sign of appreciation.  For my kids to one day say, ” Thanks, Mom.  You’ve helped me be the person I am today by setting an example of how to be giving, loving and true follower of our Creator,”that would be a great gift of appreciation and that would be the Mother’s Day when I would truly feel that my troubles were far away.

(A special Thank You to my mom for setting a wonderful example!)

Proverbs 31

28 Her children stand and bless her.
Her husband praises her:
29 “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world,
but you surpass them all!”

30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last;
but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.
31 Reward her for all she has done.
Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.

 
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Posted by on May 10, 2009 in Devotions, Faith, Life Stories

 

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Big Hero, Lasting Legacy, God at Work… all in a Tiny Baby Girl

16 Apr

preemieToday I saw God at work. I saw a tiny, little hero leave a legacy in just a few, short hours.  The three pound hero was a beautiful baby girl who we’ve been praying for ever since we found out that her parents were expecting her… and surprisingly expecting her twin brother too.  The expectant dad and I work together and I am fortunately a part of a very close staff.  We were excited enough to find out that they were going to be first time parents, but when they added the twin part of the equation to the pregnancy all of us on staff were elated and couldn’t wait for the June babies to arrive……I already loved those little ones as if they were family… in fact, I was ready for those little ones to call me “Aunt Nancy.”

Several months ago, though, our friends received discouraging news about their babies.  It seemed that there was some trouble with one of the babies and things didn’t have a great outlook. With the discouraging news of low amniotic fluid for baby girl, came low percentages of the chance for her to make it to 24 weeks… likely both babies would not make it.  Eventually bed rest was the only solution and for two months, mom and dad have lived at the hospital.  It has become their second home.   Prayers went out, time went by and baby girl surprised us all.  She was doing remarkably well.  She was growing and moving and regardless of the fluid situation was doing quite well.  Baby boy was growing too, and according to experts should have been much bigger than his sister but she was holding her own.

Weeks passed and 24 weeks was long gone… each day was a milestone and each additional week was a miracle.  The goal was to get the babies to at least 31 weeks and hopefully to 34 weeks but knowing that at anytime mom could be rushed to the OR.

Today was that day, at 31 weeks the babies had grown so much that it was safer for them to be born than to risk the lack of fluid.  Mom and Dad were ready to deliver their babies and the rest of us were waiting in anticipation outside the delivery area.  When they were born baby boy was doing quite well… but more discouraging news for baby girl.  Her lungs weren’t developed enough and the doctors gave a grim outlook.  Their prediction was correct.  We were in the room as we watched Mom and Dad cuddle her, hold her and tell her goodbye.  Three hours after her birth little Addison was gone.

So how did I see God at work?  I guess one would think that God at work would mean a miraculous recovery for this little baby and we would be able to tell the world about how we saw a critical little baby become perfectly healthy… I had hoped that for my friends.  I didn’t want them to experience something that most never have to experience… .I hoped that God would work that way but that was not his plan… but as I left the hospital I began thinking about what, according to those giving medical advice, should have happened long before this date.  Little baby girl was not supposed to have lived this long but if she had died in utero then her brother would have likely died too.  Both would have had to have been born at the same time and little baby boy wouldn’t have had the developed lungs to get him through too. …

The more I thought about it the more I thought about the miracle that I saw today… a little, tiny baby girl saved the life of her brother…. she fought when others thought she couldn’t… she grew when others thought it was impossible… she arrived and gave her parents the joy of seeing her move her little hands and feet  and the joy of holding her in their arms… what a hero she lived to be and what a legacy she left behind… her brother.

My friends are not alone… they trust in a great big God who has a plan that we can’t always understand… they have friends and family who have gathered around them as they grieve for one child and rejoice in the health of the other… they also have experienced something that others have also experienced…. If you or one you know is going through a similar situation please know that there is a God who wants to comfort you through and  that there are others out there that have gone through what you are now… support can be found at:

http://www.climb-support.org/index.html
http://www.nationalshare.org/
http://www.missfoundation.org/

 
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Posted by on April 16, 2009 in Faith, Life Stories

 

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American Idol …. Stay Away From Me..,,,Well, You Don’t Really Have To….

09 Apr

Don’t you hate it when you tell yourself, “I will never…. ”  and then you do it? Like for instance-

“I will never gain that weight back”- 20 pounds later while sipping on a milkshake you wonder why your pants feel tight

or …

townandcountry“I will never buy a red car much less a minivan”- “Ma’am this van has everything you want and at this price it won’t last long…”  SOLD!

or….

“I will never keep the puppy if I constantly have to tell you girls to take care of him”- He is four years old.. you know where I’m going here

or….

“I will never be like  ‘cough,cough’ and be hooked on some reality show”- I get sucked into the American Idol tunnel two nights a week and can hardly wait for the next week’s show…

In my defense I like American Idol for several reasons-

  • Our whole family can watch it and worry very little about being surprised with foul mouths or sex talk
  • You can actually see some great singers as well as unbelievably eager but not so great singers
  • You can pick a favorite and watch how far they go(I actually picked one winner from his very first audition and I think I have again this year)
  • My favorite reason- the stories behind the people

I love watching the stories of the people who are participating.  Sometimes it is of hardships they have overcome or sometimes it is a little something about their life that helps them stand out. Like a few years ago there was a contestant whose father was in prison and she was raised by a loving grandfather, or like this year a contestant is young but is a widower… or even another one this year, Scott, who actually went home tonight, is the first contestant to ever be on the show that has been visually impaired.  As he left tonight he was praised for his encouragement for others.  Scott’s story, shown on the big screen week after week, showed that Scott isn’t that much different from anybody else…. He lived the life that was given and was grateful for the good and worked around the inconvenient. scott_macintyre_210x202

I think that is the great thing about faith… it has a way of turning the bad into the inconvenient.  Inconvenient is something that kind of messes up things or is that road that you really didn’t want to have to travel but it still gets you where you need to go.  Without faith, it is hard to see beyond the bad. It is in those bad times though that we are able to decipher if our faith is real… it is easy to have faith in the good times… that is the genie in the lamp kind of faith.. or then again, maybe that is not faith… our faith shows up in the dark times….faith is believing what you can’t see… yep, dark times… it is the hope in the midst of the faith that turns that bad into inconvenient.

We all have a story.  We all have traveled the road of inconvenience or darkness… some maybe even are traveling it now.  As we say goodbye to Scott this week on American Idol we can hold on to the “never” that God has promised us….

Deuteronomy 31:6

6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

God’s “nevers” are true…. Have faith and be blessed

 
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Posted by on April 9, 2009 in Devotions, Faith, Life Stories

 

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Another Great Holiday!! Might be the best so far

07 Apr

Though not always the same time every year, Easter is coming and we can all get excited about that ….I LOVE Easter!  (if you are not excited about that then feel free to ask me why I am)… April Fool’s Day has come and gone and what do you know?… my shoes really were untied…

But sandwiched in between these fine days is another overlooked holiday…. April 7th is No Housework Day!   And a Nobel Peace Prize was given to Al Gore???  What about the person who created this holiday??  Some priorities are so shifted…. Regardless, it is well worthy of mentioning… so if you are coming home to clothes on the floor, dirty dishes, etc, etc….. just overlook it.  If your personality doesn’t allow you to sit on the couch or go take a walk or play with kids while a mess is in the room then No Housework Day is a day to give someone else the duty.

Now those who know me might say, “Nancy, but doesn’t Chris do most of the housework at your house?”  And I would answer, “Yes” … but that’s not the point.  The point is that I can now I can have one day that I don’t feel guilty about it!

Enjoy your No Housework Day!

Oh, and by the way……. I have a wonderful husband and I love him much… housework or not!!

 
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Posted by on April 7, 2009 in Fun, Life Stories

 

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A Pharisee’s Cheer…….Go Big Law! Go Big Law!

30 Mar

When I was in sixth grade there was a realization that came to be in my life.  It was the fact that I was a Kentucky Wildcat. (For those reading outside of the Bluegrass State, I’m talking figuratively not literally) I’m not sure exactly how I came into that knowledge but it could have been the fact that I traveled with the Follett family numerous times to Kentucky football games and there was nothing like the pride of having a car horn that played the school theme song…… or it could have just been the fact that I thought some of the Wildcat basketball team guys were quite nice looking in their Converse shoes and striped tube socks… (Yes, I signed my name Nancy “Macy” on all of my notes to friends)   Regardless of how it came to be…..all I know is that sixth grade brought about my first true conversations of the University of Kentucky Wildcats and their rivals with all of mjay_shidlery friends at lunch that had never been before.  Sixth grade was also the year that I, maintaining my tomboy image,  decorated my bedroom in Wildcat Blue and White.. I was then envy of all of my Kyle Macy, Jay Shidler loving girl friends and the envy of all of my UK basketball player wannabe guy friends… I was, without a doubt, a blue-blooded, don’t talk bad about my Wildcats, type of follower.

As I grew older (and wiser) I maintained that passion and enjoyed watching a game with others cheering right along whether at a game or on television…. or even on the radio.  I just didn’t want to miss a game.  However, something happened years later that began creating a bit of confusion for me…. I was speaking with a family member who lived out of state and I mentioned that Rick Pitino had done something and they floored me with their response, “Now who is Rick Pitino?”  This was a well educated, former Kentucky resident and they had no idea who Rick Pitino was nor did they have a clue that he was the UK Basketball coach!  I was stunned… You mean there are people out there who don’t follow Kentucky Basketball? You mean there are people out there who think UK means United Kingdom? You mean there are people out there who don’t schedule their C-sections and wedding plans and vacations around the Final Four or the SEC tournament? It can’t be! But it was true… it didn’t dishearten me but it did open my eyes a bit.

ukA few years later I moved to Illinois, just a few minutes away from the city of St. Louis, Missouri.  I was completely disappointed that they rarely showed a University of Kentucky basketball game there and that there was far more talk of Cardinals baseball and Rams football than any college program…. I just couldn’t understand.   As years passed, I began to not be able to keep up with UK ball like I wanted.  I tried to catch as much as I could on the radio, internet and national broadcasts but eventually it kind of began to fall out of my interest as I started to see the fun of following the Rams or the Cardinals.  I was losing my blue.  (do you hear the moans?)

But now we are back in Kentucky and I’ll have to say that I was excited to be back in an area where there was such passion and enthusiasm about a nonprofessional sport.  However, for me, something is different now…. it is not that I’ve become necessarily less of a Wildcat because UK is still always my top team.. it is not that I’ve become a disinterested because I still love a good game… it is that my perspective has changed.  I was once totally consumed with being on the inside of the Big Blue Nation. I sent out Wildcat trash talk with the best of them and didn’t think for once that there might be others out there with passions focused in other areas..My thoughts were, you are either a Wildcat fan or you are wrong….My perspective has changed because I have now been on the outside looking in… It is still fun to cheer, it is still fun to have rivals, it is still fun to wear blue … but still my perspective is different….

Today in Kentucky there is talk of a new coach… the rumor mill (or possibly the fact mill) is telling of coach John Calipari’s interest in becoming the next UK Men’s Basketball coach.   Sports talk is everywhere… people are either super excited with the change or people are super upset with the change… regardless of their stance, it is everywhere.

(Disclaimer- I am not advocating that UK fans are like Pharisees…… this is not about “the fans”  but about one fan…. read on…)

I realized something today as I was reading about Jesus and the Pharisees…. I think my lack of ability to think outside Big Blue realm for years could have been comparable to the faith of the Pharisees…..the Pharisees were huge
“Big Law” fans.  Though the law was given as a way for salvation, it became flawed when the law began to become more important than loving God and those same people who were so focused on obeying the law were also breaking the law by their lack of love… enter Jesus… he came to fulfill the law and in doing so he ruffled a few feathers and made some people pretty angry in the process.  They were so focused on their Law Love that they couldn’t really love others… they were so focused on their Law Love that they couldn’t hear the truth though it was right in front of their eyes… Until they stepped outside and looked in they couldn’t see that there was authority in the truth that Christ spoke and that he was offering them fulfillment of their beloved law… he was the salvation they needed but they couldn’t get past the thought of “You either follow all of the law… even the ones we have made up…. or you are wrong”  (Are you seeing the comparison?)… I’m saying my UK fanatic ways were comparable to the fanatical ways of the Pharisee.

Jesus offered salvation to a man who was lowered by friends through a roof in order to be healed.  the Pharisees were focused on Jesus offering salvation that their thoughts consumed them and they totally seemed to overlook the amazing fact that this man who was paralyzed was now walking.  Truth in front of them and they couldn’t see it.

Now in comparing myself to the Pharisees… I would have totally been one of those folks who would have wanted to run a coach with a poor record out of town… I would not have considered it any less than being a loyal fan…But lowering myself to the level of meanness or hatred toward a coach who possibly had a bad year or two, an athletic director who has to make incredibly tough decisions, or a team of students (yes, pretty much kids) is not the true sportsmanship of a loyal fan… it would be my blindness of not looking at the picture from the outside and considering what the correctness or truth of a fan really is…. the Pharisees likely didn’t consider their anger or hatred toward Christ as any more than being a loyal follower of the law…. but it was when they became hateful and mean that they stepped away from their law and were blind to what was true….

Though I couldn’t have said it at the time, I’m glad now that I had the opportunity to step outside and look in…I appreciate the new perspective

That is what I’ll call a Pharisee moment… something that I am so focused on that I can’t see what the truth is. (and I’d probably even cheer it on… Go Big Law!)… and the sad thing, that realizing there was another way to look at life outside the Big Blue walls is not even of eternal value… it was just a total non-important Pharisee moment… nothing in comparison to choices I’ve made that are of spiritual worth… I’m sure I could name plenty moments like that one but would have greater depth and meaning such as….. going to church, hearing the words but not leaving with a changed heart…. or praying but only in motion not in heart… “loving” people at church but forgetting that “love” when I was out of that building or situation…..There are more… Thankfully, like Paul, God forgives a Pharisee… all we have to do is ask.

God, show me your truth.

Luke 5:17-26

17One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick. 18Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. 19When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.

20When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

21The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

22Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? 23Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins….” He said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 25Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. 26Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”

 
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Posted by on March 30, 2009 in Devotions, Faith, Life Stories

 

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