Can I pick your brain beginning with your forehead dear?

I am having one of those forehead-to-forehead moments with my husband as he tells me that he is almost done outside, (Oh perchance did I mention that I am on the inside of the house and HE is on the outside?? Thanks to new windows a few years back we can actually OPEN the windows... I digress..) and I am somehow hoping beyond all hope that as we stand (well he stands and I sit) here with 5 of the six tugging on me and hanging out the window, that one: No one sees us and begins to recite "The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe," and two: that some how via osmosis all of the patience that Joel has just sitting in his big toe doing him no good at all finds me, envelopes me and makes me just hear the cries of our brood and just smile.


Wow that should so go down in the Guiness book of World records for the longest run on sentence.

And yes I MEAN forehead-to-forehead. I love it. It secretly means between the two of us that the world is still going to rotate whether we find something for Sunday dinner or not, that kids, loving them, teaching them, correcting them may not FEEL worthwhile at THIS moment, but by golly it IS. It means that we are still in love, best friends can tell each other secrets and have that wonderful "safe spot" to leave everything knowing the other will sift the wheat from the chaff and take what is worth keeping and throw the rest to the wind, chalking it up to a very.long.day.

Forehead-to-forehead we are not ashamed for our kids to see our "reconnecting" moment.

This is my beloved and this is my friend.

And this is all the "life processing" that goes on in a single 3 minute forehead-to-forehead moment between a sweet man who has been a 32 - 32 for I think way too long, and a frazzled Mom.

Carry on friends, carry on.

I'm a Rich Royalty

Growing up, my Pastor used to do something that made a real impression on me.

He would find himself in a "this is as good as it gets" moment, like coming home after a long day of work to a house full of kids (and stowaways..) who loved on him as soon as he came through the door. He would wrap his arm around them and pronounce with a broad smile,

"I'm a rich man!"

and usually in unison they would all reply,
"Why didn't you tell us???"

I loved those times and thought to myself what it would be like to have those "rich" moments myself when I had children of my own................



Isaac-the-hysick-the-high-sticky-stysick

Abby-babs

Caleb

Nase

Anna (or as I called her in this dress, "The human popsicle" :-)

Lanie-Girl




........Now I know.

Fevers and not so few words....

We have had a string of weird fevers sweeping our abode here on Haywood. None of the other "unmentionables" come along with it. Just a high fever. All was somewhat normal until it hit the 5th of the Mohican's.

Anna IS a talker.

For sure.

If you remember I have noted on here that all too often we were asked, "Is she four or five?" And with a grimace we would reply, "Um.....nnnnoooo she's TWO."

Well now she's three and her vocab is a growin' like her hair these days and having a fever to boot just about made her the chattiest little thing you ever laid eyes (or ears) on.

And was.it.ever.cute.

I sat with her in the blue chair of all wisdom and comfort, (Smile) and knitted and held her, and knitted and listened, and knitted and kissed her scorching forehead and so on and so forth. And while I did all these things, I told myself that this was so a "blogable moment" and when I had her interested in yet another Popsicle I decided to try to write down all of the questions she had just asked me or comments she made in a whopping 3 minutes time. Yes I mean 3 minutes!

Here goes:

My eyes hurt.
Why do we have blood?
I love Uncle Chris. (This is a story for another time!!)
I love cows, and birds.....and PIGS.
I love Alayna.
Do I ask a funny questions?
I love ALL my children.
When I sit down my culottes go up.
Do the Wilcox's know the baby name?
Do we have friends?
Are the Duggars and Wilcox's our friends?
I like my clothes.
What did I say?
Nathan said I was bad when I had my Princess pajamas on.
How come I don't have hand pockets in my culottes?
Can you pull my culottes down to cover my legs?
I love you.
I was gonna tell you that I love you.
What is a woodpecker?

And these were what I could remember and get on paper!


Now the cutest thing was that she would sniff her little button nose after about every other question or so. And just in case you were wondering these must have been rhetorical statements because I never had the time to answer them!! She just kept on a goin'!
Anna is just Anna. And we could just about love the stuffin' out of her some days. I love that you know how she feels about everything, whom she loves and how much she loves them.

Our smooth talker in action again...

Just love her.

Person of Promise

The story is told of 12 prominent businessmen from Minnesota who decided to pull their resources and head over to Rwanda for a two week trip in search of a "Person of Promise." This "Person" could be a Father a Mother a Daughter or Son, just someone who they felt could make a life for themselves given the right setting and the right education. At the end of their two weeks they had met several "some one's" who would fit their description and who had a desire to be something in life given the right turn of events.

Then something amazing happened. A man from the village they were in asked if they would go with him to check on a small group of people not heard from for a great while. They drove as far back into the wild as they could until they were hiking the rest of the way into the jungle interior. Heavy rain fell and as they approached the village it seemed like an almost waste of time and energy as they couldn't locate a single individual.

Finally a girl in her late teens met them and relayed to them that all of the adults in the village save a few elderly individuals had died from Aids, leaving only a large group of children and herself to care for them. These children had been scrounging the jungle in search of food to sustain themselves.

These twelve men without a word began to fix roofs and huts to the best of their ability in the pouring rain. One took off his coat and wrapped it around a small child with the other eleven following suit, until they had given every article of clothing they could save their underclothes. They made every effort to show these children that they would give them everything they could possibly give to help them.

And then in too short a time they were back in their jeep and gone, to fly back to the states the next morning.

They had found their "People of Promise."

It wasn't in the package they went out to find, but these children were full of promise and simply needed someone to care for them.

Now for a little transparency. Are you up for it?

Today is Saturday. We ate a good breakfast, listened to a kids radio program and I decided to stay home with my youngest while the rest of the fam went visiting.

Not so terrible, eh?

Today I just decided to stay home. I decided that the people Joel was going to visit were not my "People of Promise." Some of them on his bus route would not have even understood that I had come to visit, or can even fully acknowledge their care for Joel or I.

Interestingly enough today is pouring rain.

I am wondering if I exchanged places with one of those twelve men today if I would have the heart to do the same thing that they did, leaving me tired and wet and uncomfortable.

Today, this afternoon, If I don't even have the will to visit a few folks on our Handicap route, what makes me think that I would show the love of Christ to anyone and everyone God sends my way??

That is a shocking, terrible thought.

In fact what is worse is the fact that God may not be sending anyone here to Haywood, because He knows I will not care for them.

He knows I am too busy caring for myself.

I am looking for a "Person of Promise" who can make good on my investment and time in them.

He reminds me that I was once, poor, destitute, naked, and blind.

After all, I John 4:19 tells us that, "We love him, because he first loved us."

We couldn't even love Him unless He first loved us.

Do we love "them" because He first loved a dirty, rotten hopeless sinner like us?

And by "them" I mean everyone God sends our way.

We love to hear and share stories of people giving everything to help someone else, but are we even willing to give something???

Are you looking for a "Person of Promise" or are you promising to love on every single person God sends your way??




Hmmmmm....

Good thought.



If I do say so myself.

Life as we know it

Hello world.

Wow I have been away soo long I almost did not remember how to even sign in!

And most days I am without a computer at home during the day (which I LOVE) and most nights I am getting dinner on the table, getting it off the table, washing the table.....well you get the idea.

Come to think of it, my life kinda revolves around that table, doesn't it?

Anywho, It is late, the kiddos are sleeping, the husband is sleeping and I have a moment to check in.

How in the world are you? (That was for Tam)

I have thought about things to put on here, but tonight I am just gonna "shotgun" it and whatever tickles my fancy is gonna make it lickety-sizzle in this post.

On children:

My now recently turned 5 year old found a honest and truly Robin's egg outside and he, thinking it was one of the badly named Easter candies, "Robin eggs" decided to pop it in his mouth.

Hi-lari-ous.

Hilarious.

I dunno what was more side splitting to me, Him trying to eat it, or his slightly older brother understanding what happened and yelling to him that he "Killed a bird."

Yeah that was a day.

In other news my oldest and funniest told me, over dinner one night, that my food was so good he wouldn't be surprised if I was asked to "make the Marriage Supper of the Lamb in Heaven."

It has been said that a person can live three days on one good complement.

I think I can live all of eternity on that one. (wink wink)

Good times. Good kids.

On the home front:

We are having a blast with 6 chickens now. So when you think of it, I have 6 kids in the house and 6 out in the shed. Lest you think they were my idea they were not at all, but I will say that I whole heartily agree with anything that passes my "good idea" test. It is a simple two question exam:

1. Will it add to the humor of the family?
2. Will it be profitable to us?

Yes to both accounts, so enjoy them we will.

I have acquired a real enjoyment of knitting at present. Some have even sighted me in the blue chair with my thick glasses, knitting like a fiend with one eye on my needles and the other on my bird feeders right outside my window. And smiling like someone who has eaten brownies for breakfast and who has erased the word "laundry" from their vocab.

See I have a lazy eye and can do things like this.

Yes I have more "lazy" parts of my anatomy that will not take up any more space or mentioning here.

Life is more simplified lately. No t.v. No computer most days. Just a really old radio antenna and my singing.

Life is lovely come to think of it.

I keep hearing of facebook finds and friends and fiasco's and yes I do like to get on someone's for a while and look and see what this one and that one are doing, but then I am off like a hot potata and am sick of it like when you eat one too many Doritos.

Yeck.

So if you catch me on here, great, but if not, no worries. I am probably off on my new bike I got for Mother's Day riding up and down my neighborhood in my super long culottes and smiling 'cause I picked the bike with the largest seat in the whole store.

Seriously.

I am living, and loving and of course I am laughing.

And sometimes I am even wondering how you all are doin'.

Catch and Release Part II (Finally Hallelujah !!)

OK I KNOW it has been a while.....


I know....


I KKKKNNNNNOOOOOWWWWW!


Things have had my full attention. Besides I have had to mull this whole idea around a bit and take care of my own releasing so here I am at long last.

Release is my new favorite word. I just like saying it and typing it for that matter.

Release. It just brings me comfort.

If you are a Mom to many than you know that you wish you had this monogrammed on your nightshirt like I do.

I went on over to the Ole' Websters 1828 to bring you some definitions for this remarkable word:

RELE'ASE, v.t.

1. To set free from restraint of any kind, either physical or moral; to liberate from prison, confinement or servitude.

Matt. 15. Mark 15.

2. To free from pain, care, trouble, grief, &c.

3. To free from obligation or penalty; as, to release one from debt, from a promise or covenant.

4. To quit; to let go, as a legal claim; as, to release a debt or forfeiture. Deut. 15.

5. To discharge or relinquish a right to lands or tenements, by conveying it to another that has some right or estate in possession, as when the person in remainder releases his right to the tenant in possession; when one co-parcener releases his right to the other; or the mortgagee releases his claim to the mortgager.

6. To relax.

Check out that last one........ I think just saying the word out loud relaxes me frankly.

Anywhoo, It is time for you to take that person whom you have in bondage somewhere in your heart and let them go. One of my favorite quotes regarding forgiveness states that, " He who fails to forgive burns a bridge that he himself must cross." We all need forgiveness and surely somewhere in the recesses of our minds we grasp the Biblical concept in Mt 6:15 "But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

Not powerful enough for you? Try this parable in Matt. 18 on for size:

21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.
24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.
29 And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
31 So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.
32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

These and many talks with the Holy Spirit prompted me to do my own releasing. How about you? there are some reasons why we just cannot or will not release someone. Here are a few'

1. We feel like if we release them of our anger it will make what they have done to us of none effect, forgotten, and seem of little consequence.

2. We feel like we can continually punish them by harboring anger and resentment.

3. We feel like we are the ones able to harm them and reign recompense on them for what they have done.

There are a few problems in this scenario. We are putting ourselves in the place of God. Ps 75:7 "But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another." One of the greatest lessons I learned recently about resentment and this kind of anger is that not only does it harm YOU and not the person you have ought with, but when you put yourself in God's stead you are keeping Him from properly taking care of the matter entirely.

Hmmmmmm..... think about it.

Now, should we then get a Cheshire cat smile on and look at them with the one raised eyebrow that sports a "Hah! I am soo done with you and releasing you to God's judgement." look?

Nay my spiritual friends, though I will say I can sport one with the best of 'em.

I tie all this up with a quick story of my own. Joel and I were in college and had some things said and done to us that cut us to the quick. If taken to the right people we could have seen some anvils fall and some heads chopped off so to speak. Of course I was the one begging for mercy for those who had wronged us and Joel was foaming at the mouth to see them get their just desserts, just like usual.

I soooo jest.

I WANTED restitution. I wanted restitution with caramel and a cherry on top folks. But Joel reminded me of Ro 12:19 "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." Well I saw things his way and eventually I forgot that I even had an issue with that hurt and low and behold just about the time I did forget what do you think happened?

restitution. FULL restitution. God-delivered, and God-ordained, glorious restitution between us and the meanies who are now sweet lovable wonderful friends of ours.

I can tell you in all honesty that that would NOT have happened if I had still been quenching the Holy Spirit and squeezing the life out of the thing with my own two hands.

Release them folks. Not to judgement ON THEM, but allow God to work in your heart and theirs and restore you with them.

The only catching I want to do is to receive all the blessings God is gracious enough to allow me.

Go and enjoy the death of death this weekend.

Hallelujah for the cross!

Catch and Release Part I

I regret that I did not fill you all in on what a wonderful time we had a week or so ago at the Couple's Simulcast. It was so good and the Lord gave me a few thoughts for the blog that I would like to share. We ARE limiting our usage of the Internet to a few hours a week so part II to this may be a little while coming....just sayin'.

The Lord has been dealing with me regarding forgiveness. I am so "up to my ears" with this word at this point in my daily walk with the Lord that it pains me to even type it, but it must needs be done. If not, I fear a Holy Ghost outburst welling up inside me, triggered the next time a preacher stands behind the pulpit and says, "We need to forgive..." At which point I envision myself jumping to my feet and with arms raised upward frantically yelling......

"ALRIGHT! I GET IT ALREADY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"


Yeah you guessed it. I am also on a diet.


That explains a lot.


a LOT.

Anywho, The Couple's Simulcast dealt a lot with forgiveness. And one of the thoughts represented and that resonated with me was the fact that we need to "release" the person (your mate, a coworker, nursery worker, ex.) who has hurt you in some way. This was a new way of looking at an old problem.

We all have been offended have we not? And we surely cannot go day in and day out without intentionally or unintentionally offending someone.

Jas 3:2 "For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body."

Oh that I had an industrial strength body-bridle...... Ok back to the subject at hand.....

The thought came to me regarding "releasing" someone.

In order to "release" them, we have to "catch" them first.

Right?

Think with me. If you live in my neck of the woods we are "catching" a whole lot of miserable around here. The dreaded RSV virus is rearing it's nasty head with many an infant sick. Some of us have colds and flu's we are sharing and getting over and sharing again. We all sigh just thinking of Spring.

(Pardon me as I stop and sigh)

In all of my medical research ( I jest) I have not found any cure for a virus. While Chicken soup may indeed be "good for the soul," sounds good and tastes good, you have heard the old adage:

"Without medicine a cold lasts a week and with medicine it lasts seven days."

A nasty ole' virus just plain needs to run it's course.

I liken bitterness to a nasty virus. And for me, spiritually speaking, it has been a long cold Winter.

Now lest you think you have to "wait out" bitterness and unresolved anger, I will add that you can take the Bible prescription for anger and grab a big bowl of Matthew 18 and set yourself aright again lickety-sizzle.

But most of us just forget where we left the recipe for that good broth, or tell ourselves we can "get over it" on our own, no Spiritual home cookin' necessary.

Such was the case for me.

I am a good person!
I am not in the wrong here!
I am an Assistant Pastor's Wife!
I just learned that Job came first!

So this virus spread to my I's and yet I still refused the Great Physician's diagnosis.

Just as we know that most viruses have to run their course, we also know that they are contagious. As a cough or sneeze infects those around us, so gossip and a harsh spirit affect those we deal with day in and day out. In fact, very harmful viruses require a quarantine from others because the virus is so threatening.

Perhaps some of us should have a time of "quarantine" where we spend time with the Lord pouring over I John 1:9, allowing Him to carry our burdens for us, instead of risking harm to someone else.

Stop looking at me like that. You know.....

If we took as good a care of our spiritual health as we do our physical how wonderful would life be for us?

Before there is a flower there is a seed. This seed is sown in some way, shape or form and when it is sown under the right conditions, and on fertile ground it takes root and from that root comes the fruit from that seed....or in other words what that seed has produced.

In a sense the fertile ground "catches" that seed. It holds on to it and buries it. For a while you wouldn't even know it was there, but under the ground it sits, waiting, and breaking open to sprout a good long root to keep it in that soil. Eventually you see a sprout and if you are like me, what you thought was Johnny Jump ups becomes an ugly weed that you have nourished and patiently waited hand and foot on for several weeks!

Heb 12:15 " Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;"


Such are we. Notice that it says MANY. A comment is made, a promise is broken, a slanderous remark comes our way via a "friend who cares" and a seed begins to fall on the soil of our hearts. We shrug the hurt off, try to "forgive and forget" but in our weak moments we press the seed deep into the soil where for a while it is buried. No one would look at us and even know it is there. Sometimes we ourselves even forget it's precarious placement. But alas! After a few watering's via us recalling the incident in our minds, refreshing the pain once and again, this seed takes root and soon we see the flower of bitterness. We let it alone for a while, I mean even some weeds ARE pretty we tell ourselves, but the roots on this plant crowd out any others and we are left gazing at other's bouquets when we house one.lone.weed. You know you need to get rid of it, and you grab it by the horns and give it one big yank. You brush the dirt off your hand and smile. There you go, you have gotten it!

Um...no. You know the drill, you know that you have to dig deep into those tender tissues of your heart and pinch off any life to that root of bitterness, that now has affected your whole outlook on life.

You have caught yourself a hurt. A deep one at that and you have to get to the "root" of the problem and get your life on the right track.

How can you release yourself from this spiritual virus?

I am glad you asked........

We will pick up there in a few days. In the meantime, get plenty of good food and fluids (Mt 5:6 "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled) and a healthy dose of Vitamin C. "See Matthew 18" that is.


Physician's Orders!