Why do I ever worry?

Dad gnome and I hit the road today for the third time in search of a home.  We were feeling quite discouraged, thinking we would never find anything in our new city.  After we put on our gnome hats and loaded the car, we prayed that God wouldn't let us return empty handed. We drove in silence, not quite so confident.

First house, liked it...called about it: RENTED

Second house: NO

Third house:  hmm interesting..walk up to the door and there is a sign on it: "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Wink #1

We look around, hmm, we like it. walk out to the screened porch, and there is a PORCH SWING!....wow! THis is it! Wink #2

We hope we can get it...while we wait, we look at other houses,
no, no, too much, too little, baby kittens in the house(really...another blog for another day_)

We go back to the sweet realtors' office, to find out the news...YES!

While we are paying the deposit, I get a text from a friend about a sweet little girl..Her name is the same name as our new street!
 Wink #3

Why do we worry...He gives us so much more that we can ever ask, imagine, or deserve!

Lightning Bugs!

One of the most amazing creatures God has created are fireflies. We called them "lightening bugs".  I just love the way they light up a dark night and as a kid, I really appreciated how easy they are to catch.  You don't see them very often anymore around here. But we have been in places where  they were like lasers lighting up the side of the country roads.

Mom used to let me fill a mason jar with them, poke holes in the jar, and I would fall asleep with them by my bed.  The sad thing is, they would all be dead by morning. Daddy had the job of emptying the jar before I awoke

I don't really know if they are of ecological or scientific importance or if God just created them to put wonder in children's faces. I have never seen a child that wasn't amazed by the beautiful lightning bug!

I personally think they are a little "wink"...reminding us that there is still wonder and beauty to be found, and that awe can be found in anything.

Thank you Lord, for Lightning bugs!

Unpack the pointy gnome hat again!

"Life is a highway...." This is my song for today!  We are here at annual conference for our denomination. Another leg of our summer journey.  This is a good leg in our wanderings.

As a clergy spouse, I see people I only get to see once a year or once every other year, we catch up, we laugh about old times.  Some of these sweet people have been in our lives since we began this journey.  We were all going through the same things.  Wide-eyed, having just left our normal lives behind, and with kids in-tow embarked on this awesome adventure that is now our lives. Some of the people I get to see have been in our lives even longer, since college, even. Some faces even familiar as neighborhood pastors from my childhood.

This year it is bittersweet like everything else, we are moving.  Some of our friends are moving, some are staying in their churches this year.  But it is kind of a kinship.  They understand the moving process.  You understand the relief in the friends' faces that are not moving and you certainly understand the trepidation, anticipation and excitement mirrored back to you in the ones not moving.

Best of all, there is the assurance, that we all understand. That if God has called us to this place, to this time and this hour, he will be faithful to handle all of the details.  This verse says it best, 1 Thessalonians 5:24
"The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it"

That just doesn't go for me and mine, but for you too.  If you feel called to leave your comfort zone, to leave the familiar, it is scary, it is crazy, but He is not.  He is faithful, and He can do it.  Which means, you can too!

There is a song for everything!

My husband and I have been married forever, and somethimes I think we are just one person in the way that we think.  We are a little sarcastic, and tend to try to lighten tense moments with a quick comeback.  This is often a great annoyance to our children.  The other day, someone made the comment "Straight up", in just an ordinary way.  Well, I immediately burst out in a falsetto voice singing Paula Abdul's song by the same name. Everyone, just cracks up and we keep  singing her little tag line chorus "oh oh oh" all night. 

Sometimes, songs just say it better than words, or break up a tense moment. Today, we were singing Bon Jovi's "Living on a prayer" when the stress of the summer became palpable.

Tonight, as we sat around catching up, three or four songs came to mind. Some funny, some not so much.

Right now, I'm thinking something like, "Goodnight Sweetheart, it's time to go",
it is pretty late, after all.

As the daughter of a musician and a fan of music, I love music of faith, all kinds, contemporary, traditional and gospel. I love oldies, motown, country, classical, jazz, 40's , 50's and pretty much everything in between. So my head is pretty full of lyrics of all sorts.

I am so thankful for the gift of music and for the words we are given for nearly every situation in our lives.

When words won't do, hum a catchy tune!

"Good night, sweetheart, good night!"

Oooh...............I'm telling.....

Isn't that the age old saying of little kids? If they think someone has wronged them or they have been wronged in anyway, they will "tell". 

Wouldn't it be great if we could "tattle" like that as adults?

Where is the teacher or our Mama when:

-We get cut off in traffic?

-Somebody hurts our feelings?

-The check out lady at Walmart is mean to us?

-You think that somebody might have been rude in a text..maybe?

-Your car gets dinged?

-You can't get what you want when you want it?

Sometimes there is just nobody to tell....That is when it is time to put on our "big girl panties" and deal with it. Generally, it all works out, and we know this...but Sometimes we just want somebody to "tattle" to.  Friends will listen, but then sometimes, that's just not enough, and if you tattle too much, they just get tired of it...I know, because I am quite experienced in tattling!!!!

BUT Don't get too stressed, there is a solution----
There is an old song I just happened to remember, "Are you weary, are you heavy laden, tell it to Jesus alone."

Have a good day, and just remember, there is help for Tattlers..

Stained Glass

I love stained glass windows.  It is amazing to me that someone can take broken pieces of glass which by themselves are unique, colorful, different, and make something beautiful when placed together in their artist's hand.  The final touch is the coming to life of this image when it is illuminated as light shines through it. 

I am so blessed to have so many different people in my life.  They are by no means alike.  I love the diversity of my friends and family. Everyone is different and unique, and as I reflect on the beauty of each person, I am blown away.  How blessed I am for each person that God has placed in my life.  For the quiet, the joyful, the loud, the strong, the tender, the old, the young.  For each gift each person has brought to my life.  There are sayings I'll never forget, there are tears we have shed alone or together, there are arguments, agreements, life events, worship times, fun times and just plain silly times. Specific details I may not always remember, but your image and the place each holds in my heart will always remain.

We have been saying a lot of "Good byes" lately and because of this, I have been thinking about the people that have been in my life and I feel so thankful. 

I will especially smile when I think of how the master took us all with our unique shape, size and color, and from our brokenness made a gorgous image, created for each of us, illuminated with his love to carry in our hearts forever.

Thank you God for this window in my life.

Don't be a "sassafras"

Another one of dad's sayings.  In other words, it meant, don't have a sour attitude or a sour face. Very few things annoyed him, and that was one of them. Evidently the sassafrass root makes you have a very sour face...I don't know if its true or a "bull story" but that is what he said.  Pa Ross also ate sassafrass root hence, his nasty disposition!

If someone in our family was grouchy, we'd hear, "Don't be a sassafras".  He really didn't do well with negativity or conflict and poor thing, he got stuck with a house full of women!

I try to keep reminding myself of all of that, these days. Sometimes, life doesn't treat us fairly, sometimes, we don't get exactly what we want when we want it. and sometimes, we just have to wait. ughhhh......

So, I am counting all of my blessings daily, trying not to get annoyed with negative people, and lastly and most importantly, I am trying to remember that a positive attitude, patience, and knowing that God is in control, is sure a lot better than being a "Sassafras."

You are right, Daddy!