The Little Lessons

How many two-year-olds do you think know what this is:



My two-year-old knows. We passed one at a construction site this week and she got really excited, pointed to it and said, "Mommy...I want to play in that playhouse!" I explained to her that this was a "porta-potty," a bathroom for the men to use who were working on the building. It took her a while to digest that and she must have asked "huh?" five times. Finally, it sunk in and she simply said, "Okay."

I love the opportunity to teach her about the world around us. Now, do I think that she really needs to know about portable toilets at this juncture of her life? Probably not. But toddlers are so curious about everything and her brain is like a sponge, just soaking in everything around her. As a stay-at-home mom, I am so privileged to be with her every day so I can play a part in her learning as we experience life together. I get such a kick out of seeing those little wheels turning. It goes something like this:

Me: How many porta-potties do you see?
BK: One!
Me: What color is it?
BK: White!
Me: Who uses it?
BK: The men working.
Me: Where do they go in?
BK: In the door.

That's the end of our porta-potty lesson...I figure that's all she needs to know for now.

On Googling...

My next assignment in my Sociology class is to write an essay on the Love Canal. I'm embarrassed to say that I had no clue what that was, but after doing a quick Google search (don't you love Google?), I found all the info I need for research on my essay. By the way, for those of you who do not know, the Love Canal (named for William Love) was a massive toxic waste dump in Niagara, NY, which later was covered over and a community was built on top of it. Later, the residents began getting sick and there was an unusually high incidence of birth defects linked to the oozing chemicals under their homes and school.

A few days ago I read a post on a friend's blog that told about her attempt to find some old acquaintances from high school and college days. I decided to Google some names that I remembered from high school to see if anything came up. I found the business website of one guy, emailed him to see if he was the same one I knew, and we got caught up on "what's been happening with you?" and "whatever happened to _____?" High school was not a great time for me and I don't have many memories from then, but it was really good to reconnect with someone from my teenage years and I have enjoyed my communication with him. I look back on the shy teenager I was...so painfully self-conscious...and even though I know it was really me, I hardly recognize that person any more. These days, I am bolder, more self-confident and hopefully a little wiser about myself...and about life.

It is harder to find the girls I knew back then because we change our names frequently. So, in case anyone is trying to locate me from long ago, my maiden name was Deidra Tate back then and hopefully Google can help you find me.

Walking in Pain

As I begin this post, it is in the wee hours of the morning. Not being a morning person by nature, this was not the planned time for me to arise...but my leg had another idea. I woke up with searing pain in my calf...a leg cramp so severe, I almost screamed out in pain. I nudged my dear hubby awake, urgently asking him to help. He tried, but to no avail. I was afraid to move, but I knew I had to walk...even if I didn't know how I could. I stood and all I could do was prop myself on the wall. After a time, I was able to limp down the hall, stumbling at first...dragging my leg...still in the grip of the terrible cramp. I walked through the kitchen and in to the den...then back and forth in the den. As I walked, I could feel the muscle loosening. Finally relief came.

In that moment, it occurred to me that what I had just experienced physically compares to emotional experiences as well. Sometimes emotional pain comes suddenly and it can be so severe...crippling even...that all we want is to lie still. We want a quick fix...anything to stop the pain. We turn to others for help, but often they cannot help, even if they try their best. Sometimes we just have face the pain and walk through it.

Fortunately, we have a God who has promised to never leave or forsake us...even in the dark night of the soul...when the pain has us in it's grip with such strength that we aren't sure if we will ever not hurt again.

As long as we are here on earth, we will go through junk...it's the price we pay for living in a fallen world. I'm sure glad that He didn't leave us to fend for ourselves.

Praising When It's Hard

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess his name. (Hebrews 13:15 NIV)

What is a sacrifice of praise? I believe that this is the praise that we give when we are in a hard place...when all we want to do is curl up in a ball and hide...when even the thought of praising hurts...this is sacrificial praise...and it has to be so very sweet to God's ears. Why? Not because He enjoys seeing us hurt...but because it says to Him that we trust Him to take care of us in the middle of our mess and to bring beauty from ashes to restore us.

As we begin to praise, an amazing thing happens. Our focus shift from our problems to His glory. Here is an excerpt from a devotional article I wrote a few years ago:

"Psalm 69:39 tells us 'I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.' It is a choice of the will. We can make the choice to fill our mouths with praise and thanksgiving no matter what we feel like or see. And when we make that choice to be thankful and praise instead of grumble and complain, things begin to change. In Jonah’s case the Lord caused the fish to spit him out on the shore. We might not always see an immediate change in our circumstances. But our hearts begin to change. Things that we thought were important no longer are. In the light of eternity, most of the things that we get upset about are pretty small anyway. And even in the really, really bad things that happen to us, God has promised to never leave or forsake us, and He will use what the enemy meant for our harm to turn into something good."

He is good.

He loves you more than you can ever imagine.

Just in case you needed a reminder.

Where Does The Time Go?

I can't believe it has been almost three weeks since I have posted. There is much to post to catch up on the happenings here.

First of all, a couple of weeks ago, we were all sick with sinus junk. Poor hubby was stuck with it the longest. We finally all recovered...and now BK woke up with a runny nose this morning. *big sigh* I'm just ready for us all to be well for a while.

I forgot to post some news about Mike. Last year, he was asked by someone at the school where he teaches, about writing the curriculum for a Biblical History class that they were considering offering this year as an elective. It would be the first time such a class has been offered. Mike gladly wrote the curriculum and submitted it. When he left for summer break, he had no idea if they would be offering the course, or who would be teaching it if they did. He was so happy to find out when he returned that they were offering it and had enough sign up for the class...and that he would be teaching it! There is no textbook...he is using the Bible...which is the best textbook of all. : )

I am taking an online class this semester...Intro to Sociology. I'm working on my first essay now...the topic is the childhood obesity epedemic in the US. For all of you who know me, you know that I have personal experience in this subject, although I'm trying to keep it objective. It is hard to write truely objectively though because we see the world through our experiences and beliefs.

My nephew Josh has a blog and he has posted several times since arriving in India. He is such a special guy. He is overwhelmed at times by all that he is experiencing, but he's learning more about love in the short time he will be there than some of us will ever know.

I have a new hobby. About a month ago, I started scrapbooking. Since then, I have spent many happy and relaxing hours scrapping. I have a mountain of photos...both of BK and the grandkids...so I have my work cut out for me.

Last weekend I attended a women's retreat with a group of ladies from where I used to attend church. It was a wonderfully relaxing and encouraging time. It was so good seeing ladies that I haven't seen in many years.

We had a great Labor Day weekend. The three oldest grandkids stayed with us Saturday night. We took them to the Natural Science Museum Saturday afternoon. The Hunters of Prey exibit is cool...if a little gruesome. Their goal was to show the different varieties of food that these birds eat...and they suceeded...dead mice, fish, possum, etc.

On Sunday, we all went to visit a church that we used to attend several years ago. They have a great Children's Church and the boys enjoyed it. BK is getting more and more used to staying in the preschool...what a relief! When I started to leave, she ran to me, hugged me around my knees and twirled around to go play. I found out when I picked her up that she was bitten by another child. I want to teach her to punch out kids that try to be mean to her. What I really want to do is find the brat that bit her and spank him. I don't want her to learn biting from these kids...and I don't want to have to worry about her being hurt when I leave her. It's never easy being a parent, is it?

Yesterday, we went to one of my sister's to swim in her pool. My son and his family came too, so it was wild with five munchkins running around...but lots of fun.

I think that catches up with what has been going on here the last month. I'll try not to wait so long to post next time.

Well...He's Gone

My niece Nan's son Josh flew out this morning to follow his heart on the adventure of a lifetime. This journey will take him to India, where he will be doing volunteer work in a hospice until December.

This is one seriously courageous young man.

Please pray for him and the group he is traveling with. Also his family, who are so proud of him and his commitment, but whose hearts are heavy at his departure. We will surely feel a void until he returns safely to us.

On his blog, there is a video of Mother Teresa speaking about the poor and suffering of Calcutta, India. She also says, "Stay where you are -- find your own Calcutta. Find the sick, the suffering, the lonely, right there where you are -- in your own homes and in your own families, in your workplaces and schools."

We don't all have to climb on an airplane to find our mission field. We might just have to drive across town...or walk next door. Imagine our world if we all ministered to our own Calcutta...one hurting soul at a time.

"If we are the body
Why aren't His arms reaching?
Why aren't His hands healing?
Why aren't His words teaching?
And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them there is a way.
Jesus is the way."
If We Are The Body Lyrics Artist(Band):Casting Crowns

Don't Fret

From The Eagles Wing - written by me several years ago. BTW...this is one that I should probably reread everyday as a reminder.

Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (NIV)

You don’t have to look very hard today to find people who are worried and stressed, and just about at the end of their rope. (Sometimes we only have to look in the mirror!) God’s word is a clear guideline for having the peace in our lives that we all desire.

I struggle with this myself. I will hear teaching on trusting God, and someone will say, “Well, how do you know if you really trust and have faith in God until there is a problem in your life that is so big that if He does not solve it, it won’t get solved?” And because it really is my heart’s desire to see God working in a mighty way in my life, I will think that the next time a crisis arises it will be my opportunity to really believe God to come through for me. The problem is that when I am right in the middle of a storm, for some reason I tend to forget about all of that and start trying to figure out how I'm going to fix the problem. Usually I have worked myself into a good stressed-out mess before I get really desperate and call out to God. He is always so faithful, and even though He doesn’t always answer in the way or time that I would have chosen, I know that His way is always best.

But how much better for all of us if we can learn to follow the guidelines in Philippians 4:6-9:
-Don’t worry or fret about anything, no matter what your circumstances look like.
-Come to Him with a thankful heart--for who He is, for what He has already done for you, and for what He is going to do for you.
-Be specific in your prayer requests.
-Continue to make your wants known to Him.
-Exercise your will to choose to think about good and true and pure things.
-Practice what you have learned and received from God, and model your way of living after it.

The promise of God is that His peace, the peace that nobody can even understand, will then guard our hearts and our minds in Jesus. There are many ways that He imparts His peace to us. I have felt a supernatural peace that just enveloped me like a heavenly hug. I have also experienced peace through a word from a friend, an anointed song that touched my heart, and memories of how God has brought me through hard times in the past. I believe that these are some of the ways that the Holy Spirit ministers peace to us.

How it must grieve Him to see us suffer with the cares of this world when He has made a way for us to experience His peace and rest. And of course the enemy of our souls just loves to get us stirred up and get our focus off God. Satan will use any trick he can to divert us from pressing on toward a closer relationship with our Father. The battle is in our minds, and the choice is ours.

Let's be challenged this week to make a fresh start and to look at the problems that are facing us through spiritual eyes, knowing that our God is loving and faithful and is well able to meet our needs.

Update On My Son

Thank you to those of you who prayed for my son. He ended up with several different diagnosis, but he saw a new doctor today and we are hoping that he finally knows what is wrong and can be treated.

Simple Joy

Check out BK's magic bean stalk.



Nine days ago this was a bean that BK planted at the Farmer's Market. Every time I pass by and glance at the plant, I cannot believe how much it has grown...it's almost creepy.

I wonder how much bigger the thing can get.

BK wonders how we can climb up once it gets big enough.

Simple joys of childhood...this time in the form of a bean in a cup of dirt...mixed well with a healthy dose of imagination...both hers and mine.

Ewww....

You haven't lived until you have been...um...upchucked on.

I think I believed that those days were over for me...oh no. Baby girl has been sick this weekend. She was fine when we put her to bed Friday, then she woke up around midnight with a very high fever (103.7). I was holding her a short time later and...well...I saw it coming, but there was nothing I could do...she got me, my bed, and the floor. This was a first for her and she was very upset. It takes a lot of strength (not to mention a strong stomach) to stay calm in those situations...but I did...and I managed to calm her down too. After getting her cleaned up and making sure she was okay, only then did I get a shower.

A mother's love is funny like that. No matter how selfish we may have been pre-children, something happens to our hearts after they are here. Their well-being takes priority.

The commercial is right...having a baby does change everything.

P.S. She is feeling much better today...right now she is dancing to a Wiggle's song. Oh...the resiliency of youth!

Count the Cost - Eyes Wide Open

One half of knowing what you want is knowing what you must give up before you get it. ~Sidney Howard~

This quote came in an email this morning. The strange thing is that I just read the same quote somewhere else in the last few days. Hmm…could someone be trying to tell me something?

Life is full of choices. What we tend to forget is that there are always consequences to our choices.

In the passage in Luke 14:25-35, Jesus is telling a large crowd of people who are following him to count the cost. He seems to be telling them that it would be better for them to take some time to think about what it will require to be a disciple before they embark on the journey, than to only begin and then find that it is too hard.

26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple.”
33 “In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.”
34 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?”
35 “It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” NIV

These were strong words for the crowd. It must have been hard for many of them to accept. The love and charisma that had to exude from Jesus caused many to want to follow Him. However, I don’t think it was ever a numbers game for Him. He did not have pews to fill or a building fund that needed members to contribute. He required much more than a few bucks in the offering plate. He wanted it all…all of their money and possessions, along with their total and absolute devotion.

Where did we ever get the idea that He expects less from us today? Some may think Jesus is asking too much, but we are still called to be His disciples. Not only are we called to be disciples, we are called to help others become disciples as well.

Discipleship is not easy and not everyone will be able to meet the requirements. Maybe we all need to spend some time reevaluating our lives and counting the cost of following Him. It may cost us everything we have. The things we hold on to are the things that hold us back. Can we afford to give it all up?

The bigger question is…can we afford not too?

Ragamuffin Diva

A friend introduced me to a blog site. The writer is full of wit and wisdom...grins and grace...with a healthy dose of reality mixed in. Check it out: http://ragamuffindiva.blogspot.com/

Please Pray For My Son

My grown son is having some potentially serious health problems...with no health insurance. In our country, unfortunately, that can be the kiss of death. Please pray that he will be able to find the health care he needs and that the doctors will be able to help him.

I Shall Not Be Moved

I have decided to post some devotionals that I wrote several years ago for a weekly newsletter called The Eagle's Wing. Here is one:

Don’t you love the glorious time that we have with the Lord and His people on Sundays? It is so encouraging and uplifting. And then the alarm screams in your ear on Monday morning, and you realize with a sinking in the pit of your stomach that it’s back to the “real world” - the real problems, the real pain, the real attitudes, the real traffic. YUCK!

I realize that the Lord desires for us to have stability in our lives. We are “up” one day and “down” the next. Riding that emotional roller coaster. Please know that I am not pointing a finger at anyone, because I stand in line and buy tickets for that ride way too many times. The stability comes from a growing intimate relationship with our Lord.

The difference between dead religion and a real relationship with God is whether or not we can use it in the “real world”. The Bible tells us that the law kills, but the Spirit brings life. The reason that the law kills is that we can never keep it perfectly. It was not given for us to keep, but rather to show us that we cannot keep it, and therefore need the Lord to make us righteous. Dead religion teaches the law. The rules. The dos and don’ts. All the right hoops to jump through to make yourself look like you have it all together. But they neglect to tell you what to do with the empty void inside you that nothing ever satisfies. That longing of the heart to be loved unconditionally and completely - to be known and accepted, just as we are.

It is the Father’s desire for us to have an intimate relationship with him. In fact, that is why we were created. When we are involved in that kind of relationship with our Father, a lot of the “stuff” that would otherwise blow us away is put into perspective. That is why I say that the Spirit brings life. He brings His life into our lives. See, the ultimate goal is not just to die and go to heaven, although that will be glorious to spend eternity praising God. Jesus came to give His life so that we can have life, and life more abundant (see John 10:10) right here, right now.

This abundant life is not a carefree life with no problems. I don’t see that promised anywhere in God’s Word. Quite the opposite actually. We are promised trials and tribulations and persecution. But even with all of these troubles we are told that we are more than conquerors! (Romans 8:37)

So the stability does not come from living a problem-free life. The stability has to come from Who we know to be in control of all the circumstances that surround us. I want us to look at a passage of scripture in Psalms which you may be very familiar with, and see if we can learn anything about the stable life: “Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.” (Ps. 1:1-3 NKJV)

In the natural I can’t think of anything more sturdy and stable than a big old tree, with its roots down deep in the earth. It reminds me of the old hymn that I used to sing as a child, “I shall not be, I shall not be moved. I shall not be, I shall not be moved. Just like a tree planted by the water, I shall not be moved.” This is the stability that I long for, and if you care anything about going on with God, I know that you do too. So let’s look at the verses in Psalms to see what we can learn together.

We see that God considers us blessed when we:
*Do not seek the council or advice of ungodly people
*Do not spend all of our time fellowshipping with sinners
*Do not join in with those who scoff or mock
*Delight in God’s Word
*Think about His Word day and night

The scripture goes on to say that we will be like that tree planted by the water, with our leaves lush and green, and producing fruit; the sweet-smelling, precious fruit of the Holy Spirit. And look at the promise in the last line: Whatever we do will prosper! What a blessing!

I will be the last one to argue with you that life is hard. Sometimes it seems unbearably hard. And our emotions are very fickle. We can be swinging from the chandeliers one minute and sucking lemons the next. These are the times that we must move beyond what we feel, and look inward to see what we really believe. The stability and security come from knowing that even though everything in this world is subject to being “shaken”, the God in whom we put our hope and our trust cannot be shaken. Nothing takes Him by surprise, and nothing slips by Him unnoticed. A few verses down in Ps. 1:6 it tells us that “The LORD watches over the path of the godly...”. He knows right where we are and what we are going through.

So even on Mondays, when we face the thought of heading back into our chaotic world, let us take courage and strength from the fact that it’s not dead religion that gives us a reason to face the challenges of each new day, but rather the knowledge of Truth that comes only from our love relationship with our Savior and Lord. Join me in my new battle cry, “I SHALL NOT BE MOVED!”

Is Customer Service Dead?

I am not kidding you when I say that the last week has been an eye-opening experience in the lack of good customer service. Whatever happened to "the customer is always right?" Here are just a couple of examples:

Case #1
Mike's laptop got broken this week when BK accidentally knocked it on the floor. It seemed like a simple repair, but the place we took it had to ship it to Memphis. Once there, they diagnosed the problem and just needed a small part to repair it. Unfortunately, it was a brand-specific part, so they called the manufacturer to see about ordering the part. Not only would they not sell them the part (they want to be the only ones to repair), but they said they would not just replace the small part, rather they would replace the whole mother-board!! Mike tried calling them himself and they were SO RUDE to him. So basically, the laptop is trash now because I'm sure it would cost as much to fix as to just go buy a new one. We do not have the money to buy a new one, so he will have to do without for now I guess. He really needs it too, because he's a teacher and the computer in his classroom has been broken since last year and the school won't fix it.

Case #2
I went to order new glasses at EyeMart Express. Because of the high index prescription, I ended up waiting almost two weeks for them to come in. When I went to pick them up, the first thing they told me was that they had broken the frame I had picked out, so they were giving me temporary frames (ugly) to wear until they could order a replacement. Then when I put them on, I realized the lens were very thick, even though I ordered the thinner ones. They insisted that this was the thinnest they could get them. I told them to look at the ones I was wearing and the prescription had not changed. Instead of being apologetic, they acted as if I should just accept them the way they were. I told them I wanted my money back. Now I have to order them somewhere else and wait another two weeks.

Case #3
We went to the Pizza Hut in Pearl last night. We ordered baked spaghetti, bread sticks and a personal pan pizza. When I went to get our salads, there were no plates and I had to ask three people before I got some. I got back to the table and realized we had no forks, so I had to ask for some. We ate our salads and waited for our food. After we were there about 45 minutes, I got the waitress' attention as she was walking by and asked her if she could check on our order. She said, "Oh...we are out of spaghetti." I asked her why no one let us know so we could order something else and she said, "Do you want to talk to the manager?" and walked away. So the manager came to our table. "What's the problem?" she said...without a smile or greeting. I was so aggravated, but I kept my cool. I explained that someone should have told us 45 minutes ago that they were out of spaghetti. She said, "Well, if you could see the orders that are stacked up back there, you would understand." (There were very few folks in the place at that time - the couple behind us had been waiting just as long.) I asked her about the rest of our order and she told us it had just come out, so I said to please just have someone bring it to us and we will go somewhere else next time. She turned around and walked away...no apology...nothing. We waited another 10 minutes and no order, so we paid for our salads and drinks and left. I'll never go back there...and that's a shame because I like their pizza.

Is this just a sign of the times, or is customer service truly a thing of the past?