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Just a spot to share some wisdom from God's Word for women of all ages...

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Life As I Know It....A Mother's Day Tribute



My Mom:
My mom is a wonderful mother…and she’s my best friend.  She has loved me through really great times and through some of the worst times of my life.  We may not always understand each other, but the deep love of a mother and daughter is one of the greatest gifts a daughter can know.  My Mom is a prayer warrior.  The time spent on her knees literally and figuratively have most likely rescued me from deep dark pits of despair and have sustained me over the years.  She boldly entreats the throne of God on behalf of her children and we have been the blessed recipients of those prayers.  She is also a witness for the Lord Jesus Christ and dedicated her life to serving faithfully in the church in music ministry, women’s ministry and mentoring others.  She’s a consummate hostess and I have learned much about making others feel comfortable in my own home from the lessons learned by her hand.  She has truly lived out Proverbs 31 in the presence of her husband and children. 

My Grandmothers:
My Mom’s mom was an entrepreneur.  She ran her own beauty salon in the South side of Atlanta and dedicated herself to helping women look beautiful.  She was a lovely woman  and probably not appreciated enough for the many selfless things she did for others.  I spent many a Sunday afternoon at her home with my cousins after church – she had gotten up early and started a big lunch for her family and often we all enjoyed a batch of homemade peach ice cream on the back porch in the summer time.  She was an amazing business woman… and she may not have had the cleanest house, but we all loved being there with her and my Granddad.   

My Dad’s mom was a homemaker, seamstress, gardener and a golfer!  She had a way of making you feel awesome and served some of the best food you ever put in your mouth.  She spoke her mind and was fun to be around.  I still, to this day, miss her garden vegetables and homemade soup.  You could have one of those tiny bottled Cokes when you visited, but just one.  She would ask the grocer which apples would “spit in your eye”… she liked them crisp and juicy.  She won a few golf trophies in her day and was quite a character, but you didn’t talk to her on the phone in the mornings until she’d had her coffee.  Personality-wise I think I’m much like her…

A tribute to Sarah and Ryan’s Mom:
I am blessed to have two very precious step kids.  Ryan is an independent fellow, very smart, conservative and handsome.  We don’t see much of him, but he will show up for food. 

Sarah lives at home and is my unexpected blessing.  A college kid, she’s in and out like the wind and sometimes at a pace that can leave a breeze… but she’s grounded spiritually and is a loyal friend. She is beautiful and looks much like her mother….

From what I have learned over time, Mary was a beautiful woman that loved her family.  She had incredible faith in God that gave her strength and fortitude through some very rough times.  She was an amazing example to her children and husband.  I’ve stumbled across various things she wrote and what I found was a woman who put her faith in God and trusted him completely for the outcome.  I cannot imagine her thoughts or her heart when she faced the remaining days she had on earth… I cannot imagine the prayers for these two kids.  But I know she would be proud and pleased with who they are and what they have become.  She certainly deserves great honor and recognition for Mother’s Day.

Many of us are surrounded by or have been blessed to have truly amazing women in our lives.  My heart felt thanks to those who have loved me and invested in me over the years.  


Friday, May 10, 2013

Life As I Know It….. Bedtime Story



I love an opportunity to go to bed on time or early even.  There’s always this grandiose idea that you’ll go right to sleep, get a full eight hours in and feel totally refreshed the next morning – it’s such an awesome thought.  It’s such a great thought and idea, that I’ll even plan how the next morning is going to go.  I’ll wake up feeling wonderful, have a quick snack and toss on the sneakers and go outside to walk in the beautiful morning sunlight.  I get giddy thinking about it.  Reality is that I might sleep ok (eh), but I’m never fresh, I’m pillow hugger and a bed magnet all rolled into one.  I hate the alarm, I don’t want to get up, I have sleep in my eyes and I hit the snooze 3 times.  Now I’m running late, I have to get a shower, fix breakfast which includes caffeinated coffee, literally drag two dogs around the neighborhood to pee and poop (no you don’t have time to sniff the clover much less pee on it!) then toss on some work clothes and race out the door to the car for work.   There is absolutely no time for any irregularities or variances to the schedule. 

One of the main reasons I don’t get in the bed early is because I married a night owl and his off spring is a night owl.  I am a regulated person whose sleepy timer goes off between 9:30 and 10:00 pm without fail.  And even if I make a normal bedtime this still doesn’t make me a morning person.  None of us can make a coherent sentence until after 10:00 a.m. and then that’s pushing it.  Oh we can get up before the crack of dawn if we have to but it needs to be for something good (like a trip out of town).  We all shuffle around like 80 year olds first thing and look like we belong in the nursing home.  If you come to visit, just keep quiet until you hear one of us speak first.  Loud sighs do not count as words.

The other night my peaceful sleep was interrupted by an invasion and I’m still having trouble getting over it.  My night owl daughter had friends over late and the TV was on.  I just couldn’t tune it out so I did venture downstairs to remind them that I was going to attempt to awaken at 6 am.  No problem, volume down.  I had settled back into bed when I heard a crazy noise.  In my mind I decided my youngest pup had probably gotten into the trash and pulled out something to chew.  I flipped on my trusty flashlight to find her sleeping peacefully.   Ok fine lay back down.  Noise starts up again.  This time it must surely be my oldest dog that snores like a sailor.  Trusty flashlight on, find the dog… yep, sleeping peacefully.  My mind is still not fully functioning and I lay down again.  (Did I mention hubby is sleeping peacefully too???)  Bless his heart.  I close my eyes and then I place the sound, it is above my head and it is tiny little feet scampering in the attic.  Squirrels!   

These little rascals had backed up a U-Haul, hired two men and truck and were moving in.  I’m pretty certain they had their little stereo blaring and had brought in a keg of beer.  Frat party.  They had staked off an entire section of the attic from the master bedroom to the bathroom.  Luxury living….wood floors, well insulated and in a fairly upper class neighborhood.  They quickly ran from one end of the upstairs apartment to the other arranging furniture, hanging pictures and unloading boxes.

Meanwhile I am underneath with my trusty flashlight following their movements.  I am wide awake and madder than an old wet hen.  I go turn on an overhead light and peruse the room.  Both dogs are still sound asleep and so is hubby.  Nary a movement from the three of them.  Both dog breeds are European and from stocks that were originally bred to protect the home from rodent invaders.  Obviously Westernization has ruined these two. 

My sweet hubby is breathing lightly and still sound asleep.  I shake his arm and ask loudly, “do you hear that?”  He’s a gracious fellow and politely asks what I’m referring to.  I point to the ceiling and say “that” as five squirrels race across the attic floor in their Nike sneakers they just found in the box marked “shoes.”  He is not amused and lets me know that he’ll take care of it.  I should go back to sleep.  He’s kidding, right?

I manage to get the light off and crawl back in the bed fearful one of those critters will fall through the ceiling and landing on me a la “Christmas Vacation.”

Sleep still eludes me as low flying helicopters begin to circle around our neighborhood for about an hour.  I watch far too many cop shows for my mind to think it is anything but police looking for a criminal…but it did make the squirrels quiet down.  Hummm, had these wiry rascals just escaped the nut house and now the cops were in hot pursuit?  I’m the one going to be ready for the nut house soon… I can tell.

Did I go to sleep?  Well eventually.  I mean I guess I did since I had to wake up to hit the snooze button three times.  Lucky for me I’m off tomorrow and can sleep in a bit, but the sad thing is I’m going to be making a trip to the DMV which most of us fondly call the Little Shop of Horrors.  …..Squirrel!