"Train a Child in the Way He Should Go..."

My baby girl turned 10 today...in her words, "Good-bye to the days of single digits. Forever!" She's a little dramatic...it's her dad in her. I cannot believe she's 10. I thought about it a lot last night lying in bed with her, saying prayers and then just snuggling. She told me she would always be my baby girl. I told her I wish I had a time machine so I could go back to when she was 3. I can't believe it. Where did all the time go? In half the time, she'll be learning to drive a car. In another 10 years she won't even live at home anymore. Have I been a good mom? Have I done my best? Ten years gone...have I trained her up in the way she should go? Yes. I've made mistakes, plenty to be totally honest. And I know there have been days that I know I could have done better. But, this I know is true. Katie loves Jesus. She trusts him. She believes that what he says is truth. She desires to study His Word. And her fruits of the Spirit are amazing to behold! I worry about her teenage years, broken hearts, girlfriend drama, term papers and prom...but I do believe that when she is older, she will not depart from her faith! That is what I'm holding onto today. That is what is comforting me when I think about rocking her in my arms and miss her being a baby girl so much it's making me cry. God is holding her in the palm of His mighty hand; and nothing can take her out of it. Happy Birthday Katie-bug!

~J

Proverbs 22:6

Girlfriends

Alrighty, here's the skinny...the 3 chix and a group of girlfriends headed to the beautiful Gulf Coast this past weekend for some much needed R and R. It was glorious! Our conversations were varied...deep and trite...funny and serious...high school and marriage...spiritual and secular...a lot about gardening...and for some reason we even talked about the Myers Briggs Personality test (and some even took it on the lap top)...Nerdy??? Ummm...yes, but we love it!!! We spent hours on the beach, some (well really one) swam in the freezing cold waters and others huddled under hooded sweatshirts, sunglasses and beach towels, looking very Unabomber-ish! And those wonderful girlfriend conversations that make you laugh so hard you're crying or cry so hard you just have to laugh! We held hands in a circle, looking at God's amazing creation, and went from speechlessness to prayer.

I am so thankful for my girlfriends...All of them ~ the ones that went on this trip and the many more that didn't. So let's give it up for Girlfriends ~ who let us laugh and cry and be ourselves! Who love us desite our faults! Who eat fried seafood with us while talking about dieting and exercising! Who'll drive way out of the way for frozen custard! Who'll complain about their husband's snoring, but never yours! Who would have never been your friend in High School, but find an intimate connection with you as an adult. Who'll still play beauty parlor with you ~ telling you how wonderful your anti-aging skin products are working and will straighten your humidity curled hair and paint your toenails! Who'll call you up because their Bible study is so moving, they just need to tell someone. And the ones who make you cry just by looking at you, because they understand you. The lifelong friends, the brand-new friends...God has brought them all into your life for such a specific purpose...what a blessing you are to me, and to each other!

"Anyone who says that they don't need a girlfriend just hasn't found a good one yet!"

~J
(ENFJ)

...and a special shout-out to my girlfriend, Amy O. in Monkeytown! Thanks for the pressure to blog again!!! I love you!

Whatever It Takes Lord...

I just had the most amazing experience with God. You know how some people will say, "God told me..." or "I heard God's voice..." Well, I had one of those moments last week...but for me, God may need to talk a little bit louder!!!

Okay, in preparing for mission opportunities in conjunction with D'Now at our church, I was asked to speak to a group of women about parenting/being a Christian mother. My first thought was, "Seriously...you've clearly never been to my house or talked to my children about this idea!" But I was extremely humbled by this and gladly accepted the opportunity, but was somewhat uncomfortable and felt terribly un-equipped. Within the next few weeks I was faced with a very difficult situation with my relationship with my own mother. One which she's not even aware of and one which I wasn't even sure I was ready to turn over to God or really willing to even pray about yet. I was smack dab in the middle of being a victim and vindicated in my anger and bitterness. Then my lovely almost 11 year old daughter (who is my clone, bless her heart) decided that she needed to take a stand, right on top of my last nerve, and dare me to find fault with it. She and I came to mental and emotional blows daily, which, for me, turned into spiritual blows every night when I would process my day with my Heavenly Father. During this time, I was feeling the self-made pressure to prepare for my "talk" and figure out what in the world I was going to say. So, I dove into the Word...looking for what God wanted me to share with these women...I read Proverbs about a mother's teaching; verses about being kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other and others about being imitators of God (Eph); verses about discipline (Hebrews) and then in Joel (who knew?!?) was about traditions of families...it literally goes on and on! I flipped through old devotional books for "mothers" to find words of encouragement and the joy found in being a child of God, raising their children for God. I felt like I could give a good message, but felt so uncomfortable with being the messenger. At the very least I would start by explaining how I was the least likely women to share on this topic, but I knew it was good because it was God's.

Well, a few days ago, I got a phone call about the mission project and what my role would be that day. As it turns out, lots had changed and the day had gone through many different looks before it came to the most recent change. There would be no speakers that day. WOW! I knew right that second, with a smile on my face and tears in my eyes, that God is so amazing! I wasn't gathering information to speak to other women...God was speaking directly to me. He knows me. He loves me. And, He's comforting and encouraging me with His Words. He knows me so well that He knew I wouldn't take the time to do this for myself...but I would do this for someone else. He needed to speak to me, for me to hear His voice! And he spoke directly to my heart, and to my stubborn will, and to the daughter and mother that co-exist within my spirit. Oh, He is so good to me...please let Him be good to you! Seek Him!

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. JOHN 16:33

~J

ADVENT CONSPIRACY

"Everyone wants Christmas to be meaningful...but instead it becomes shop, shop, shop! Credit Cards, Traffic Jams, To Do Lists, Useless Gifts. Then off to church...Noel, Noel, Noel. Sometimes we're just glad just to survive it. Did you know Americans spend 450 Billion dollars on Christmas every year...EVERY YEAR! So, I ask...How did Jesus celebrate? Jesus game himself...relationally, incarnation, time, space, presense. Do you see where this is going? What if you bought fewer gifts (that sweater she won't like, that random gift certificate, that toy he doesn't need), and instead of buying that gift, give something valuable...like your time! Talk, Eat, Sled, Bake, Bike, Read, Play, Create, Craft ~ TOGETHER! Make gifts like when you were a kid. And remember...that money you didn't spend? What if you gave some of it away??? To the poor, the hurting, the lonely, the hungry, the sick, the thirsty."

For more information on making this Christmas different, please visit www.adventconspiracy.org It's an awesome website who's moto is WORSHIP FULLY~SPEND LESS~GIVE MORE~LOVE ALL

Make this Christmas the most memorable ever!

J

For All My "WICKED" Friends

I'VE HEARD IT SAID
THAT PEOPLE COME INTO OUR LIVES FOR A REASON
BRINGING SOMETHING WE MUST LEARN AND WE ARE LED
TO THOSE WHO HELP US MOST TO GROW IF WE LET THEM
AND WE HELP THEM IN RETURN
WELL, I DON'T KNOW IF I BELIEVE THAT'S TRUE
BUT I KNOW I'M WHO I AM TODAY
BECAUSE I KNEW YOU...

LIKE A COMET PULLED FROM ORBIT
AS IT PASSES A SUN
LIKE A STREAM THAT MEETS A BOULDER
HALFWAY THROUGH THE WOOD
WHO CAN SAY IF I'VE BEEN CHANGED FOR THE BETTER?
BUT BECAUSE I KNEW YOU
I HAVE BEEN CHANGED FOR GOOD...

IT WELL MAY BE
THAT WE WILL NEVER MEET AGAIN
IN THIS LIFETIME
SO LET ME SAY BEFORE WE PART
SO MUCH OF ME
IS MADE OF WHAT I LEARNED FROM YOU
YOU'LL BE WITH ME
LIKE A HANDPRINT ON MY HEART
AND NOW WHATEVER WAY OUR STORIES END
I KNOW YOU HAVE RE-WRITTEN MIINE
BY BEING MY FRIEND...

LIKE A SHIP BLOWN FROM ITS MOORING
BY A WIND OFF THE SEA
LIKE A SEED DROPPED BY A SKYBIRD
IN A DISTANT WOOD
WHO CAN SAY IF I'VE BEEN CHANGED FOR THE BETTER?

BUT BECAUSE I KNEW YOU...

BECAUSE I KNEW YOU...I HAVE BEEN CHANGED FOR GOOD.

Unexpected Blessing

Today I had an unexpected blessing. My middle daughter E had a fever and had to stay home from school. Granted, when I first realized that my well-planned day was shot I did not see it as a blessing, but I tried to make the best of it. After the medicine kicked in and E was feeling better we decided to go to lunch together. This in and of itself was special because she generally has to share her time with her sisters.

As we were eating, I told E I loved her. She told me she loved me back and then we began playing a silly game we sometimes play comparing my love with her with her love for me. I always tell her there is no way she can love me more than I love her. Suddenly her eyes well with tears and she tells me "Mommy I love you so much that it makes me cry." OK, I lost it. We both sat there with tears streaming down our faces, with her telling me she wished she could have a fever every day so she could spend more time with me, and how she was so thankful for me being her Mommy and for all the things I do for her. We ended the meal with her snuggled up next to me, still crying and talking about how special our time together was.

Now, more than likely she was too heavily medicated.

But still.

And I really needed the encouragement after S poured green food coloring into every possible crevice in her body last night. (And I do mean EVERY possible crevice). Fortunately, she went to preschool today with only one green toe and slight traces of green under her fingernails.

The Lord reinforced to me today the verse from Proverbs 16:9- "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." God wants to be in charge of our day every single day, and His purposes will prevail, even we have carefully made plans. So many times He has to stop me in my tracks so that I don't miss what he has to show me.

Thank you Lord for my interrupted day and the gift of extra time with my daughter. May I always seek to use my time wisely and for Your glory.

L

Where does the time go?

My baby turned 9 today. I can't even believe it, 9...that's crazy! I remember her birth like it was yesterday...I was almost 8 months pregnant...I came home early from work because I wasn't feeling super great...I was pulling ALL of my things out of the kitchen cabinets - I mean like every Tupperware bowl and lid, every Pyrex casserole, all my plates, cups, bowls, everything...and my water broke! Yet, right then and there, right in the middle of watching Oprah (at least I have changed some things over the last 9 years)...I called sweet Paul and said, "You're not going to believe this, my water just broke!" And then he said, "I really doubt it." Well, there you have it - cause he'd know! Well, about 10 hours, a fainting husband, and one push later...was Katie B. Oh, what a beautiful girl! She's been amazing ever since. Her Poppy says she has an old soul. He is so right. Tonight saying her prayers she asked God to "turn the bad men to good, to believe in You and go to church"..."help the soldiers protect us and not get killed"..."Keep us safe through the night and wake us up with the morning light"...these are all part of her "ritual prayer" that she says every night...but she ALWAYS adds a fresh prayer to the end...tonight’s made me cry. "Thank you for giving me my parents, and my sissy, and for making my life so good, so far."

Thank you Lord for giving me my Katie...and making my life SO good, so far. Amen.

"J"