Hallmark Movie of Our Own

We don't typically get to see what's behind the work that goes into preaching a sermon, but Alex, our preacher, has been walking us through the process on Sunday mornings with his white on stage. Every story consists of four main things... setting, characters, conflict, & resolution. Conflict is in every story ever written because conflict began in The Garden. The clash of Light and Darkness. Everything was just perfect until the Serpent slithered on the scene. Actually, that whole scenario is for another blog, today I want to tell a beautiful Hallmark Christmas story that unfolded before my very eyes this past Saturday afternoon.
Dennis, my thoughtful husband, wanted to go get his 92 year old mother from the nursing home, where she has lived for the past 2 1/2 years and take her with us to his cousins annual Family Chili Dinner. I was a bit leary. As precious and as sweet as my mother-in-law is...she can fly off the handle, begin cussing and become rather irrate at the toss of a hat. So, needless to say, I was hesitant to take her away from her familiar surroundings for any length of time and since Dennis made the chili we would need to stay long enough to eat.
When we arrived at 3:00 pm to get her, she was in bed and only partially clothed. She wasn't asleep, but she began questioning and cussing and fussing as if she weren't totally thinking straight. I thought, "Oh, no." I looked at Dennis and he gave a little grimace. (THE CONFLICT, not between us, just what to do? Take her with us and risk this being a bad decision, or leave her behind to spend another lonely evening in her bed or chair. That was the conflict.
As we sat her up and began to talk to her about going, she said she wanted to go and thought she could make it just fine. I got her dressed, Den put her shoes on her, we bundled her up in my red neck scarf and her new gloves and started for the door, walker in tow. Half way down the hall she had to go to the bathroom, so Dennis went to get the car and I took her back to her room.
We finally got in the car, put the walker in the back and her in the front with Dennis were half way to Judy's when I realized I didn't have my purse! I'd laid it down in her chair when I took her back to go the bathroom. So we turned around, went back and got it. No unkind words were spoken...whew! But, it's now 4:20 and we were supposed to be there around 4:00. We got caught in Mall traffic and when we finally got to her house it was 5:00 and we were the first ones there. More conflict...we couldn't stay very long and we brought the "main course."
The first words out of Judy's mouth when she saw Ginny were, "It's a Christmas Miracle." She was so glad to see her favorite aunt, whom she hadn't seen in 3 years. Well, the time there was sweet and everyone finally got there and we ate at 6:00, took some pictures and at 7:00 and something like 10 degrees outside, we got Ginny back in the car and headed home. She began to get a little concerned that Dennis didn't know where she lived and fretted just a bit, but he assured her that he knew just where she lived and had everthing "in his pocket." That's what she asked him, "Do you have it in your pocket?"
The miracle is, she went to a family Christmas Party, she didn't lose it, she had a good time, she didn't fall down or apart. It was a perfectly happy ending. Dennis felt so proud that he was able to take her to see family. She thanked him profusely upon return to her room where the aides were waiting to help her get ready for bed...as if she remembered that she'd been to a party. She was grateful, even if she didn't remember it in the morning, she remembered it long enough to say "Thank you, Sweetie, for showing me such a good time." Precious memories, how they linger. It was a Hallmark movie of our own.

Depth

We had our "friends" Christmas 'party' last night. It's difficult to know what to call it, because it really wasn't a 'party'; not like we used to have. It's interesting to reflect on how things have changed over the years. Not bad by any means, just deeper. Deeper, more real, more reflective or our journeys.
We had a wonderful time. Everything was elegant and beautifully decorated. The meal was delicious. The fireside conversations enlightening and Paula gave us a gift...a challenge to consider how God has used this particular group of heart friends to grow us individually in the Fruit of the Spirit.
Though not everyone was there, she told how God had revealed a specific fruit for each of us. I went to bed thinking about how blessed I am to have friends who live out the list of fruit of the Spirit in my life, as well. After all, that was the challenge. Some were immediately clear, others could be several or multiple options. This year, 2009, I'll be more aware of how freinds reflect God's love for me and praise Him for His precious gift of forever friends.

All in the Family

Beth commented that she missed my blogging. That's all I needed to be inspired. I don't know why I haven't written lately...a lot is going on, haha, maybe that's the reason. I think sometimes when it's been a while since you've talked to someone, you keep putting it off because you feel distant and you're not sure where to pick up again.
To be honest, I am missing family, a lot. I can always tell when it's been more than three months since I've seen Allie, Will, Madeline, Meggie, Brooks and Jack. I get sad and have a really sick feeling in my stomach.
When we all lived in Texas I couldn't stand it from one weekend to the next. Then sometimes it was three weeks and I thought I'd croak before I saw them again. Then when they all moved away and left us in Texas, the time had to stretch out between trips and three months was just about the max. Thank Heaven for email and cell phones or I'd be in a real mess. Actually, I'm still a mess, it's just not enough.
And then, there are the "grown-ups" in our family. I miss "REAL FAMILY TIME." But, God has really blessed our time with Mom and Dad. We've been able to do some really fun things with them since we've moved back. I love being here with them. I often wish, as naively as it may sound, that all of our family could live in the same town. It would be so much easier to "pick up where we left off." Without the risk of being nosey, wouldn't it be nice to know...really know, how to pray for one another? I often wonder what's going on in MN, WIS, IL, TX, AL.
Blog reading could be that connection for me - if I could remember to log on and read them. I need to make that at least a weekly priority. After all, what I'm missing is Family. What's important is Family. And what's more important than praying for Family???? Not much I can think of.
If you read this in the next few days (Oct. 1), consider this a HUGE HUG and prayer for you and your Family.

The Mouth

The Bible has a l0t to say about the MOUTH...
Joshua 1:8 "Do not let the Book of the Law depart from your mouth; but meditate on it day and night..."
Psalm 19:14 "May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight..."
Psalm 40:3 "He put a new song in my mouth.."
Proverbs 16:23 "A wise man's heart guides his mouth..."
Proverbs 17:2 "Let others praise you, and not your own mouth..."
Matt.12:34 "Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks..."'
Romans 10:9 "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord', and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

I have done that. I have confessed with my mouth and believed in my heart that Jesus is Lord. I want the words of my mouth and the meditations 0f my heart to be acceptable to His sight.
But right now I have other issues with my MOUTH. I had mouth surgery last Monday
(July 21) and a week later I'm still in pain. Dr. Wong removed skin from the roof of my mouth and sewed it into my lower gums to stop the recession that began years ago as a result of my "aggressive brushing techniques." I have to tell the surgery itself was painless, but the recovery process is entirely PAINFUL.

The enjoyment of eating is gone. The ability to speak clearly is impaired. The swelling in my face makes me look different and laugh uncomfortably. And yet, I'm fine. I'm thankful it's over. I'm thankful Dennis is taking such good care of me. I'm thankful I'll never have to do it again. And, my advice to anyone who brushes your teeth with great vigor is...DON'T. My dentist told me to.."Floss twice as much and brush half as much." So, I thought I'd just pass that on for what it's worth.

Sunrise & Hummingbirds

In my re-commitment to catch God early in the morning I've shared in the the beauty of glorious painted skies and peeked into the amusing habits of birds. Ususally I hear the hummingbirds flutter in my ear, but this morning there are three big black birds cawing from the rooftop behind me. Where'd they come from, they've scared away the hummingbirds for the moment?
6:00 am, my favorite time of day. Any later, I've missed the sky-show; any earlier, it hasn't begun yet. My surroundings definitely aren't trees, hostas, koi, and waterfalls. But, when I was encircled by that beauty, I couldn't see the sun emerge from its bed.
So, thank you, God, for a new view. A view of your colorful, majestic handiwork, especially when you throw in a few puffy clouds. I'm trying to figure out how you can tell the difference between sunrises and sunsets, if you see one in a picture. A friend asked me that question once and I thought I knew the answer, but my answer to her wasn't exactly correct.
They're back...the hummingbirds!!! It's quiet now, no more cawing; only the fluttering of wings and the high pitched call of the crickets.

He put in a thumb and pulled out a blackberry

We picked blackberries until we were blue in the face.

God so cares about His children, that He sends new, precious friends into your life that love the same things you do. Our new friends the, Toomey's are precious Christian friends and they have a 3,000 plant blackberry farm. Mom loves them, too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CgfpismT1w

I love Rascal Flatts.