Monday, December 5, 2011
Life's Morsels: Angels On Our Doorsteps....
Life's Morsels: Angels On Our Doorsteps....: I am a firm believer that God puts people and ANGELS in our paths for all sorts of reasons. We may not always know why at the time, and as ...
Angels On Our Doorsteps....
It's really hard to not be cynical these days, who to trust, who not to trust. We see people sleeping under bridges that are homeless, the not so scraggly man standing at the end of the exit ramp asking for money, people everywhere, in every town, in every setting, are hurting, some for real and others just acting the part for the handout. BUT, you never know when that one person that you avoid like the plague may actually be that angel in disguise put there to test you or bless you. So, what do you do? How do you know? The answer is simply, you don't...
Every day, we each have an opportunity or two to make someone's day better (including our own), to change a life, share God, bring a smile, basically, we all have the chance daily to be the blessing to someone else.
You never know what form it will take, it could be as simple as a smile, as warm as a hug or as lasting as just listening when someone needs to talk. The blessing comes from your heart and your willingness to give back or be there for that one Angel on your doorstep at that moment in time.
Last week, I wrote that sometimes, we all just need a good cry. It's cleansing, it's restoring, it's a release, but it's also a way that we know our hearts, our tender spots are still there. There are people and situations all around us that we tend to tune out because we have become desensitized to the cries of those around us, the world around us. We have turned off our senses to those that are a little different, seem a little threatening, a little diverse. Last week, I learned a very important lesson and thanked God for that Angel that He planted on my doorstep at work and the impact it has had on me ever since. This is His story....
On Friday, I was wrapping things up at the office, sorting mail, answering phone calls, and just getting ready to tie things up for the week. I'm there by myself a lot of the time and have gotten very cautious about who I open the door to. I keep the door locked all the time, as we've had some pretty unsavory characters show up, looking for handouts our free advice. But this day, it was different. I had been on hold with a contractor for quite awhile and as I sat there blankly starring out the window, I saw a car pull up and park and an elderly man, all stooped over, got out and started walking slowly and carefully down the sidewalk, tapping his cane with every step he took. He appeared tired and very weary and I noticed that he had what looked to be a fresh head wound. A long gash, with numerous stitches, reached from one side of his head to the other. I'm ashamed to admit that I almost didn't open the door and greet him, but there was just something about him that gave me the feeling that he was okay.
He stood before me telling me that he had been in an accident earlier and was looking for a doctor. He said that he was from down south of Macon and he had been driving an acquaintance up here to be with family. He wasn't real familiar with the highways up here and the exits and all. Someone side swiped his car while he was changing lanes. His car was damaged, but even worse, he and his friend were hurt pretty bad. He refused an ambulance when the State Patrol offered, and he took his traffic ticket and drove his friend to the hospital for treatment. That's when the patched up the gash on his head. I'm not real sure what happened after that, whether the hospital offered to get him help or if he just left, but he had been driving around for quite awhile, looking for a doctor's office and an attorney. Lost, alone, confused and afraid, he found our office and pulled in. I felt so bad that there was nothing I could do short of calling 911, so I did the next best thing. I listened and I just let him talk. It was 30 minutes that has changed me and I won't ever forget it.
As he talked, he shook, his eyes were filled with fear, and with tears beginning to spill from his eyes, he began to talk about his life. His wife had passed away as had his children. He had no family left. He was 87 and had been driving around all day since he left the ER, because he didn't know where he was or what to do or where to go. He just needed someone to tell him what to do.
As he talked, he seemed to be reliving memories and he began to tell me stories from his life. At 17, he joined the navy and was stationed at Pearl Harbor. He told me about being blown off of the ship he was on and then getting caught up in the wake it created as it began to sink. He survived, but all around him were the lifeless bodies of many of his shipmates. He was rescued and tended to and later on, was aboard another ship that went down off the coast of Scotland and he nearly lost his life again. He watched as his ship went down with many of the crew and the admiral on board as it did. He tearfully said, "I survived, but they didn't."
He asked if there was a doctor available. no' I'm so sorry, and I offered again to call 911. He had already been to the ER. I think he just needed someone to listen and to care enough to treat him like a human being and not a number or just another case in the ER. I told him over and over that I was sorry there was no one there to help him, and he said "it's okay, you already have...thank you for just listening to an old man." With those words, I reached out and gently put my hand on his crooked shoulders and gave him a hug. He walked away, tears rolling down his ruddy cheeks, and he turned and looked at me one last time before he got in his car. The only thing he said was "thank-you".
I waved goodbye and stood there and watched as he drove off, tears streaming down my face, and I said to myself, "no, I need to thank you." He had no idea how much he had done for me. He had no idea of the gift that he had given me. He had no idea that he was the blessing that I needed at just that moment, on just that day, in just that place.
Since Friday, I haven't been able to stop thinking about him. I can still see him standing there, afraid, hurting, lost, and I wonder where he is, if he is okay, if he blessed someone else that day as much as he did me.
I know that he is in good hands. God has him, of that I am sure and I thank God for that special angel that made my life just a little bit better because of the time that he spent with me...
I'm not asking you to take risks or to do anything unsafe, but I am asking that you look twice at that person standing on the corner with their hand reached out for help. There are a lot of scammers and ruthless people out there that know the time is right to mooch and panhandle instead of trying to work, but there are people that truly need the help, whether it's clothes or a job or money for food, or shelter, or just an ear to listen. If you don't feel safe with that person on the street corner, go volunteer to help at a shelter or soup kitchen. Lend an ear while, offer a hug and let them know you care, and so does God.
It's Christmas time...give of yourself. The gift you get in return may turn out to be the blessing you receive when you greet that "Angel on your doorstep".
Love you all, God bless and Merry Christmas,
Kaye
Life's Morsels: A Tale Of Two Geysers Otherwise Known As "The Day ...
Life's Morsels: A Tale Of Two Geysers Otherwise Known As "The Day ...: It has been a beautiful day, bright sun on a December Saturday, good visit with my folks and a wonderful drive home, totally enjoying a gorg...
A Tale Of Two Geysers Otherwise Known As "The Day Old Faithful Arrived In My Kitchen"
My husband of nearly 37 years greets me at the car door with "don't be mad at me"! What. What do you mean? What did you do? Did you break something? What's wrong?
"No, no. Didn't break anything, but I did kind of make a mess"
I'm afraid to ask, but to make the rest of this story fall in place, let me give you a little background.
We live in an older home. It has its share of issues from time to time, one of which is an old cast iron pipe that is the main drain line for the plumbing in the house. Periodically, it gets "gunky" and we have to rent the power auger, and my husband, with his achy knees and paining back, has to crawl through a window of sorts that leads into the crawl space under our house. Not a lot of fun! Every time he has to do it, he threatens that the next person that puts something down the drain other than liquid, has to make the journey into the black abyss called the "hole". So, needless to say, on Thanksgiving night, when the kitchen backed up (after multiple rounds of dishes and the turkey sliding off the cutting board), he wasn't a happy camper. He tried the obvious stuff, and I was not about to take on Walmart at 10 pm on Thanksgiving night to buy Drano, so we cleaned as much as we could and decided we would tackle it when he got home from work on Friday.
Fast forward to Friday afternoon. Ran the dishwasher. Oops, my bad. Momentary brain lapse....sink filling up quickly, me plunging frantically, son holding drain stopper on other side of sink. Phew. It goes down, slowly, but it goes down. So, do I call him and tell him? Nope. We'll just wait until he gets home.
Home Depot is a life saver. He wasn't happy to be doing the drain thing this late at night, but it had to be done, so off he went, returned with the power auger and an attitude of defiance over the whole situation.
Not gonna be a good Friday night. I had dragged all of the Christmas totes out of the storage room in the basement and overall, the den looked like it had thrown up Christmas. It was everywhere, absolutely everywhere and making your way through that colorful chaos with a 6' ladder and a 50 pound power auger wasn't exactly the easiest thing to do.
Okay, he's made it through the "window" into the "hole". Fussy, but handles the task and our son and I run trips back and forth to the garage to retrieve screw drivers, flash lights, trash bags, etc... Four hours later, the drain, for all practical purposes, seems to be running clear. One a.m., the men are in the back yard, cleaning the line on the power auger. Nasty job. Just a nasty job. Glad it wasn't me doing the cleaning. I did however, have to hold the utility light during the process, so I wasn't totally free from the task.
Good job! Sink doing great, everything else seems to be good, UNTIL......Friday.
Ran the dishwasher, twice! Washed Christmas china and glassware...uh o. The sink is half full of water, and that's just not good. Phone call, "um, honey, the sink is backing up again". "Did you spill something down the drain?" "Nope, nothing. Been very careful. But it is backing up again."
Quick run to store, Drano, down the drain, fingers crossed, better, but not perfect. At a family dinner that night, my brother-in-law suggested we try running an auger from the roof vent down. Maybe a bird's nest, maybe leaves. Who knows!
So here we are on my beautiful Saturday with sunshine, Christmas carols and beautiful sunset and here he stands at my car door asking me to not be mad. Do you see where this is going? I'm sure by now that you've got a hint about what's coming next.
I'm prepared for the worst. He walks me into the kitchen and our son is just finishing up mopping up the floor, counters, walls, stove, basically, you name it! Anything that was within 5' of my kitchen sink was fair game, including the brand new kitchen rugs that had only been put down on the floor a few days earlier. The first words out of my son's mouth were "mom, don't be mad at dad, it was an accident, and I cleaned it up...don't be mad, please don't be mad..."
Here's what happened. The Man, accompanied by auger, climbed up on the roof, and he ran that line down through the roof vent into the trap for the kitchen sink. Nothing, absolutely nothing came up, no leaves, no bird's nest, no squirrels, no pine cones...literally nothing! So, frustrated about what's next, he ponders the whole thing for awhile and decides that maybe, just maybe, he might need something with a little oomph behind it, so he drags an extension cord and the leaf blower up to the roof and positions the leaf blower over the top of the vent and let's it rip! OMG!!!!
Our son, who is quietly sitting in the living room playing a video game, shoots up out of his chair, totally freaking out over the two geysers that are shooting up out of the kitchen sink drains. Screaming, running crazy searching for towels, whatever to block the jets of water that are pretty impressive. He heads outside to find out just what is going on....and that's when my husband paled and moments later, greeted me in the driveway begging me to not be mad at him. I huffed and puffed for awhile, especially while I was stripping counters of everything, sanitizing everything in sight and steam cleaning the floor. OY! Okay, so I was mad, but when it was all over, I just sat there and laughed about it. I would have given anything to see the look on my son's face when that water shot up from the drains. And, I kind of wish I would have taken a picture of my husband while he was standing at my car door begging me to not be mad.
It just all became very funny, and yes, we are speaking! I got over my frustration quickly and quietly chuckle to myself. Besides, I can't tell you how many people were probably rolling on the floor in hysterics when I told them about "The Tale of Two Geysers" in my kitchen.
Life's little moments...that's what keeps us going. Besides which, it was just water, after all!
I'm sure that God had a good chuckle. Maybe it was a lesson for me in patience. Maybe it was a lesson for my son in diligence, or perhaps for my husband, a lesson in being persistent. Who knows, but things are cleaned up and now, well, it's just funny.
Love to all of you and God bless!
Kaye
by the way, the drain is still backed up! Any ideas?
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Sometimes, You Just Need to Cry
Tears are cleansing. They help to release stress or sadness or fear that is pent up inside of us, and when we let them out, we are often able to regain our focus and think more clearly. Not always, but sometimes.
Over the past few weeks, whew, I've let them flow on more than one occasion, and as you can probably guess, not always in a place where I want to drop my guard in front of everyone around me and cry, cry, cry.
Being a "type A" personality, I thrive on challenges, enjoy being told that something is not necessarily possible and then proving the one behind that statement, to be wrong, totally wrong. I enjoy sappy movies and commercials with kids and dogs that tug at the old heart strings. I am basically the person with very sloppy sleeves, because more often than not, that's where my heart is.
There is not a person on earth that doesn't have moments of hardship, fear, sadness and joy in their lives. Over the past week, I've had my moments, one right after the other. So, I've been vulnerable to any of the sappy moments that open those floodgates and let those tears flow.
Last week, as a thank you to my wonderful son, we went to see the Muppet Movie. Good grief! Who knew that Rainbow Connection would chink a hole in my exterior. I was more than a little embarrassed when my son leaned over and said "Mom, are you crying?".
Sunday night, Mitch Albom's Have A Little Faith was on television. Granted, Hallmark is notorious for shows that melt away your protective coating and let your emotions flow. And they did it again, oh yes, they did. By the time the movie was over, I was sitting on the couch, quietly sobbing as I watched the movie, (which was wonderful, by the way). My head was so clogged up, I had to sleep sitting up! Broke out the Vicks and put some under my nose!
This morning, I watched a video about 7 precious beagle pups that experienced freedom outside of a cage for the first time in their whole lives. They had been rescued from a medical testing facility that went out of business. I sat in the middle of the coffee shop with tissue up to my eyes, and sniffed my way through the video as these little guys experienced sunshine, grass and freedom for the first time ever. Trust me, it was a 2 hankie event. They were tears of joy, not sadness. According to the posts on Twitter, I was not the only one that found themselves in a public place mopping their face and wishing they could find a cloak of invisibility to hide under. So glad, so very glad, that there were only a couple of other customers in there and they were wrapped up in their own little worlds and were way too busy to notice the crazy woman crying at the other end of the shop. Oy!
Finally, I am sitting here, tear stained face, damp tissues and all, and I find myself reflecting on feeling foolish and wishing that sometimes, I wasn't such a sap. But......
The "but" is a big question. What would the world be like if we didn't wear our hearts on our sleeves? Bigger question, what would the world be like if it weren't for countless others that are the same way? I can answer that. The world would be in even greater need, there would be even more people reaching out for help but getting back empty hands. There wouldn't be shelters and soup lines to provide warm, safe spots to sleep or a hearty meal, there wouldn't be people who wanted to be foster parents, or animal rescue groups, or meals on wheels, or any of the other thousands of organizations and individuals that make the effort to bring a little love and comfort to countless people and animals that need the helping hand. Sometimes, it's nothing more than a smile, a helping hand with a stuck shopping cart, sharing an umbrella in the middle of a downpour, or mentoring a student that needs that extra little oomph. Sometimes, it's just a hug. We don't need a socialized system of government to make the world a better place. We need to all have a heart.
Some of you may have friends or family dealing with catastrophic illness or situations at home that are making life beyond difficult for them. You may know someone who recently lost their job or lost someone special. Maybe, it's a neighbor that just needs a ride to the grocery or doctor's appointment, because they can't afford to repair their car. Maybe you know someone that is totally alone in the world and is trying to cope with the sadness that overwhelms them during the holidays. Maybe, you have a friend facing a terminal illness and dealing with fear or anxiety about leaving family behind to deal with things on their own. It doesn't matter what the circumstances are. Take their hand in yours, hold it tight, let them know that you are there for them, no matter what, and one way or another, things will be okay. Share your faith with them at a time when theirs may be non-existent or dwindling. Pray with them, for them, hold them tight and give them a hug and just hold on and let them know it's okay to be afraid, it's okay to be sad, it's okay to cry. Your strength, your faith, your love and friendship will do more for them than all of the medicine that gets pumped into their bodies.
Our world needs a hug. We all need is to know that sometimes, it's okay to cry, whether you are a corporate mogul or a single mom with 3 kids. You are not any less of a person, it doesn't make you weak, and it doesn't mean you are not a good leader. It means you have a heart and sometimes, hearts break. Sometimes, they deal with fear. Sometimes, hearts are so full of love and joy, that they literally burst, and that is often in the form of tears of joy.
So, yes, sometimes, you just need to cry. It's not always bad thing and you are not any less of a person. In fact, those wet salty drops running down your cheeks, may very well make you a better person, because they help tell the story about what's inside of your heart.
Now, I'm not suggesting that each of you run out and find a reason to burst into tears, but do remember that the next time you feel that lump in your throat or warm, moist drops begin to roll down your cheeks, that it's okay. It's really okay. And if anyone tries to tell you differently, well, maybe they've never allowed themselves the experience of a good, cleansing cry, no matter what the reason.
Christmas is 26 days away. Thanksgiving leftovers are long gone. Trees are up, shopping under way. But, please, please, please, take a moment to remember someone that may not be able to help themselves. Buy a gift for a child whose parents may be out of work. Adopt a family in need for the holiday. Supply a week's worth of groceries for someone that is hungry. Visit a shut in, work at a soup kitchen, gather clothing for a shelter, read stories to children at the library or family shelter. Make a dinner plate for a neighbor that is a shut-in and sit with them while they eat. The food is good, the company is even better. If any of these situations bring tears to your eyes, that's because they were supposed to. If you have to choke back tears, that's good. It means that your heart is working and I don't just mean the beats and blood flow...
Remember, there is nothing so big, bad or scary or sad that you can't deal with if you ask for that extra help from God, from Jesus. In Philippians 4:13, the passage reads "I can do all of this through him who gives me strength..." It is one of my favorites and it is true.
Turn your tears into action. Believe that you really can do anything through Christ Jesus who loves you and gives you strength. You will feel better when you do something to help another.
If you haven't had one lately, don't be afraid to let those tears break through. It's okay, it really is okay. With every tear shed, think of the drops of blood that flowed from the wounds on Jesus' body as He is crucified. Cleansing...
Sometimes, you just need to cry.
Love y'all.
Kaye
Monday, October 31, 2011
Life's Morsels: Wonder Dog and Moments...
Life's Morsels: Wonder Dog and Moments...: Last year, I devoted a whole chapter to introduce you to my little Wonder Dog, Skyler! He has congestive heart disease, and now, apparently...
Wonder Dog and Moments...
October hit Georgia and for the first couple of weeks, we didn't know if it was still summer or we were really going to get a much anticipated fall, with hopes of beautiful leaves, trips to the mountains and open windows. You might just as well figure that any animal of mine is going to be high maintenance. As soon as those windows opened up and the fresh air spilled in, Junior, started coughing worse and having allergy issues. We did the Benadryl routine, up-ed the water pills, prayed and cried. The meds didn't help much, and after a weekend of reality checks, we knew, in spite of everything, that it seemed like it was time, once again, to make that one way trip to the vet. A couple of weeks earlier, our favorite doggie doc told us that we would know and from everything we saw, we all tearfully agreed, that it was indeed, time. Poor little guy, he coughed so hard, he would get woozy from lack of oxygen and fall down. More than once, I picked him up and supported him. This poor baby hasn't had anything to eat or drink since the previous day and he is weak on top of his breathing and heart issues. We had been warned that his last days would be like this with the coughing and the shortness of breath. We didn't want him to suffer or be afraid, so, we loved on him, cradled him in our arms and prepared to say goodbye. That little dog has been rocked on my lap so many times, I've lost count, and on that day, when he looked up at me with those big dark bulging eyes, I cried and cuddled him a little closer.
With the puppy pillow, blankie and sweet little dog in tow, we loaded up and headed to the vet's office for what was to be our last visit, or so we thought.
He is a resilient little guy and has a voracious appetite for life. When we walked in to the lobby, the ladies at the desk were so sweet and so sensitive to our needs and feelings, they quickly got us into a room, and with every step, we swallowed hard and prayed a little more and cuddled and hoped that may be, something wonderful would happen, yet one more time. His temp was 104, crazy high for a little dog, and he was struggling with every move he made to take in a breath. They asked if they could do chest x-rays, because, as it turned out, they were pretty sure he had bronchitis, maybe pneumonia, and if they x-rays showed them what they needed to see, it just might be treatable and highly possible, that this was going to end up being, yet another chapter in this little dog's miraculous life.
Well, praise God, modern medicine and canine determination! He has bronchitis, and 2 shots and 2 prescriptions later, we took him home, already breathing better. We knew the first 24-36 hours would be the "wait and see" period, but we had to try. If it didn't work, we would know 100% what the next step was.
That first night, I slept on the couch with my sweet little pooch curled up next to me. When he coughed, I held him upright so it was easier for him to breathe. It was a long night on a less than comfy couch, but that didn't matter. I think I finally dozed off at around 4 a.m.. I've gotten used to dark circles that seem to be getting deeper and darker every day. Sleep deprivation here lately, seems to be a way of life, for one reason or another, but let's not go there on all of the other reasons, this little story is dedicated to my special little Wonder Dog, and the many other miracles in my life. After a very short sleep, I was awakened by a cool, wet nose and frantic ear shattering barking, he was letting me know with all urgency, that by golly, he had to go outside and FAST! This in itself, was pure blessing.
Business tended to, he literally ran back into the house and begged for food and water. Got all of his pills in him, thanks to canned dog food (he turns his nose up to the dry stuff now), but he ate, and the first thing he did after that was raid my husband's laundry basket and dig out a sock. Play time! Any other time, he would reluctantly drop those smelly socks in my hand, if I demanded, but, nope, not this morning. He growled and snarled when I tried to take them from him. He meant business and he was making up for lost time. He had survived the night and awakened with a new lease on life, yet one more time.
What makes this "tail" even more special, is that 3 times in 2 years, we've gone through this. We sadly and tearfully said our goodbyes and made that decision to take the one way trip. 3 times now, he has beaten the odds. He has given us one more reminder that everything is in God's hands and in spite of what we think and see, only God knows! Miracles happen every moment of every day, and we shouldn't ever take things for granted. Trust, have faith and believe....
Life is precious, whether it is ours, a family member's, a friends, or even a little 17.8 pound 11 year old Shitzu's. It's easy to forget that sometimes, but through the daily miracles we all experience, and the precious life of one very determined little dog, I am always reminded and I hope you will be too.
In my life, I am very blessed to have many 2 legged miracles and moments, 2 of which are very, very close to me. 4 years ago, I sat with my mother, tears aside, faith strong and responded to a very highly acclaimed physician specialist, that God has His own reasons, and that very special someone that was still alive, was quite simply because God wasn't done with him yet. That special someone is my Daddy. He has survived over 8 major strokes and is still taking things a moment at a time. He celebrated his 80th birthday and now his 81st. My Mother is his cheerleader and instigator and she does everything she can to get him up and moving around every day. We've even made our annual trip to the apple orchards. I am so proud of both of them. A lot of people would have given up, but she sets out every day, to make sure that he has a quality life. They are making memories and I've been part of some of them. I love them both so much. Make memories...they are part of your tomorrows!
Back to Wonder Dog, so, here we are 8 days after our 3rd life changing trip to the vet. My little 4 legged kid is happy, bouncy and living his little canine life, one moment at a time, and we are over-joyed that we get to love him a little longer.
Simple things, blessings, unanticipated non-endings, miracles...they are all a part of our daily lives, yours and mine. Don't take a single one of them for granted. Remember Who made them all possible!
If you have a special loved one, or a dear friend, or even a little 4 legged buddy that are still living life and enjoying it one moment at a time, let it be the example for you to follow. Your life will be better because of it/them. Thanking God for my special someones and little 4 legged miracles...Praise God from whom all blessings flow....Love to all and God bless,
Katydid!
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Life's Morsels: You Can't See Me!
Life's Morsels: You Can't See Me!: Craft Time! If you ever worked with kids from preschool up to high school age, at some point in time, you probably made or helped make the ...
You Can't See Me!
Craft Time! If you ever worked with kids from preschool up to high school age, at some point in time, you probably made or helped make the famous Eye of God. Remember, the crossed popcicle sticks and yarn. Yes, that's the one. You may even have one tucked away in a drawer or box somewhere. I remember getting my fingers horribly tangled in the yards and yards of yarn. In spite of the tangled messes, they really turn out pretty cool. Helping little guys hold those sticks together and get that yarn going the right way was usually good for a little tongue biting and frustration, but they always ended up making you proud of your accomplishment. Some of the ones that I saved even end up on one of my Christmas trees.
Let's fast track to this exact moment, wherever you are, whatever you are doing. Are you invisible? We all have incidents during our lives that we convince ourselves that we are. You know what I mean, those moments when we are doing something wrong or sneaking around because what we are doing isn't on the up and up. Perhaps, your mother told you "no" a thousand times over not to do what you are doing, but you do it anyway, and you convince yourself it's okay, because she can't see you! My grandmother had this capricious little schnauzer named Roger. He had a habit of leaving presents in the house when he didn't want to go outside. Roger was a smart little guy, or at least he thought he was. He would do his business behind a chair, probably thinking in all of his doggie wisdom that if no one saw him, it was okay and he wouldn't get caught. Guess he forgot about the smell. That was usually the giveaway. Grandma would scold him and he would drop his head and sulk over to a corner and look ashamed. Couple of times when growing up, I remember my aunt taking claim for the mess so he wouldn't get in trouble. Really? Did you honestly think that was gonna fly? Obviously, my aunt and I forgot about those all seeing, all knowing eyes on the back of Grandma's head. I can remember wondering on more than one occasion how my mother kept hers hidden. I think in all of those times that I was perched behind my mother, brushing and combing her hair, I'm pretty sure I peeked to see that extra set of all knowing eyes. Those invisible eyes are a special gift that mothers receive with the arrival of their first child. Mine are still functioning periodically, but now we refer to it as mom's "spidey" senses. Regardless, we all have those moments in our lives when we think we are immune from rules and invisible to the rest of the world. Grown ups aren't immune from the "You Can't See Me" condition any more than our kids are. Nowadays, security cameras capture nearly every move we make. how about that guy in the car next to you that you caught picking his nose. Did you wash your hands after using the bathroom? How many of you had kids that would hide under a table or in a corner when they had to go to the bathroom. Ew...just ew! You may not have seen them dash under that table, but you sure did sense what was happening! Did you ever hide a dress deep into the center of a rack at the department store? You hoped no one saw you do it. That was your treasure to go back and buy later, right! How many times did you go back to retrieve your hidden treasure and find it gone. Yep, that eye in the sky gotcha! But the biggest eye in the sky belongs to God. Who needs those cameras, He knows everything and most of the time before we even do it. You Can't See Me! Right! BUT, HE CAN!
Back to the Eye of God, in all its yarn and popsicle stick crafting glory. One of the jobs I loved more than any other was the time that I spent working as a children's minister. Kids are so cool, mischievous, but really cool prototypes that grow up in spite of themselves. Trying to convince a 5 year old that God really does see all, know all about what we do, but what we are contemplating doing as well. Remember, HE is always there. HE really does see all and know all about each and every one of us. HE loves us all so, so much, even in our imperfection. HE is the One that knew us before we were born. Remember, He knows how many hairs are on our heads now and how many we're gonna lose tomorrow. Why do we convince ourselves that we can't be seen.
Sometimes, it's hard for children to comprehend the breath and depth of Someone that is big enough to hold the Universe and everything in it in the palms of His hands, and still be able to welcome us onto His lap for a hug and comfort when we need it. Kids "size" things up to their own comfort level and sometimes, they out-do us grown ups when it comes to that whole faith, trust, and obey thing.
Did you have a fave hiding spot when you were a kid? Remember feeling all giggly inside and trying to be so quiet so you wouldn't be discovered, whether you were playing a good old game of Hide and seek or whether you were hiding because of something you had done wrong.
Hey, what do you say! Let's all get together a good old game of Hide and seek. Who wants to be it? Don't know that I want to make a run for the base, though. Can I phone in my part? Remember, it sure was fun to be the last one found or to high-tail it back to base and get there before the "seeker". I'm sure I went home with grass stains and muddy messes on my clothes more than once. Don't forget about sliding into home base. I never wanted to be "it". Somehow, I always felt isolated when I was "it". That was the tough part. You had to find all your friends and beat them back to that tree. I bet in tossed in the towel more than once and ended the game. All you had to do was yell out "all-ee, all-ee in come free"? What a strange saying.
Where are you sitting right now? What are you doing?
At this very moment in time, I'm sitting in a Caribou Coffee in Woodstock, Georgia. I have my usual spot, back in the corner, and I'm on my first round of mint tea and a cup of yogurt. You Can't See Me, but God can. I can't see you either, but God can! Are you living this day, this very moment in time, in a way that gives Him all the Glory and praise for everything you are experiencing right now? Because He is watching you, and me, and the man at the next table and the barista behind the counter. Make Him proud. Make your Daddy proud! Always give Him a reason to nod His head and smile and say to Himself..."that's my kid down there!"
Take time to think of Him today. Remember, even if you don't call on Him, He is still there for you, any moment, any time, any day, anywhere...He is always very very good and He will always love you very very much.
So take off your cloak of invisibility and go out and play. There's a great big playground out there just calling your name and it's called Life. Live it the right way, live it out loud, live it bright and colorful. Live it for Him and make Him proud. And remember, I can't see you, but HE CAN!
Love you and God does too! Come out from behind that tree and have a great day...and remember, God gave His only Son that we might be forgiven and "all-ee all-ee in come free"!
Tag, you're it!
Kaye
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Seasons of Love, Dewey Grass and Flying Through Life
Looking around, nope, no one else here right now, SOOOO, guess it was me. I've turned into a cliche. I am part of the rat race, a sleep deprived, stressed, labrynth mouse that tackles each day with a To Do list. Sometimes, I just wish the world would slow down! But then, in reality, it's up to each of us to slow our own lives down and remember to jump off that hamster wheel every now and then.
Think I told you awhile back, that I love Christmas and all of the days leading up to it, all 364 of them, to be exact. Each year, it seems like there are fewer and fewer days in between and couple that with the fact that it's not even Halloween yet, but I am already in pre-Christmas tree furniture rearranging mode. My poor husband. He comes home and goes to sit down in a chair that is now 2 rooms away. I must really mess up his mantra when I continually rearrange things. He is very happy, though, that there are a few things in this house, that I couldn't move, no matter how determined I am, the stove, the sink and the bathroom fixtures! Give me a chance though, and I WILL FIGURE IT OUT, HONEY! Love you! Might be a good idea to look before you automatically walk in and sit down, you know, just in case....that chair isn't there.
Just when we get comfortable in our lives, change happens. None of us are safe from change, unless of course, we lock ourselves into a room, totally void of electronic stimulus, store bought anything and refuse to change our ways for anything, for anyone, for any reason. What a droll life that would be. Just imagine never seeing a beautiful God painted sunrise or sunset, or finding comical shapes in the clouds (like a Junior Mint...that one is from my son). Imagine a life without ever seeing another human being, a smile, the taste of chocolate or the sip of a fine wine as its virtues linger on your palette. What would it be like to never see life beyond the four windowless walls that surrounded you, to experience something new and wonderful, to bring joy to someone else, to shed a tear at sad news? What would it be like?
I don't think I want to ever be in that place and I don't imagine you would either.
As I sit here staring at the corner where the first of many Christmas trees will be placed (very, very soon, actually), I tell myself that first thing tomorrow, I need to get down on my hands and knees and clean those baseboards. Why stop there, let's wipe down the walls too, and how about the windows inside and out? OOO, I think I just totally planned my whole day tomorrow and none of it, absolutely none of it sounds appealing to me right now. Think I'll pull a Scarlett O'Hara and worry about it tomorrow. Fiddle dee dee.
That was only a sample of what we all do to over-plan, overload and stress out our lives. Granted, houses have to be cleaned, because I have yet to see one that takes care of itself, but without even considering the other things that I was scheduled to do tomorrow, I've added yet another complicated list of to-do's to an already busy day 24 hour period of my life. Some days, I wish there were 30 or 40 hours in a day, and it is exactly that kind of thinking that puts me, you, all of us in that "time flies when you're having fun" mode. Before you know it, your children are grown, your hair is gray and you're talking aching backs, creaking knees and forgetfulness. What was I talking about? Oh yeah, I remember now. Good grief! Honestly, is there ever really enough time to get it all done - everything we have to do, need to do, and more importantly, want to do?
Every day is made up of 1440 minutes. Our 1440 minutes are packed full of running here and there, rushing through meals, taking everything for granted. We forget the moments that are stuck in there that contain the little miracles. I have so very much to be thankful for and before I move one more piece of furniture, wash a window, clean the baseboards or put up a Christmas tree (it is still October, after all), maybe I need to slow things down a little and let those 525,600 minutes happen at a more normal pace. I want to enjoy the simple laughter of a precious baby. I want to soak in the beauty and the love that is all around me and not at a "time flying by" at a crazy, out of control pace. Think of all of the wonderful "moments" you are missing in those 525,600 minutes that seem to fly by in the blink of an eye. Maybe it's time we all just take a deep breath and exhale slowly. Do it again, and one more time. We miss so much, so many wonderful things when we fly through life and it seems like it is just a blur.
I don't think that God intended for us to move so quickly through life, that we ended up missing all the good stuff, the simple stuff, the common everyday miracle kind of stuff. Ever had someone tell you to take time to "stop and smell the roses"? People, it's time to do just that! Not just once in awhile, but every day. Take time to stop, take it all in, enjoy that sunrise, the beautiful sky, the simplicity of a drop of dew on a blade of grass. Maybe, take time to just watch the rise and fall of someone's chest as they lay sleeping next to you. That in itself is one major miracle. God designed our bodies to keep on, keepin' on, while we were sleeping. We don't even have to think about taking a breath. It just happens. That's so cool. And those grass seeds that a lot of you may have just planted, think about that one seed that gets sunlight, and water, and slowly, the coating on that seed breaks open and makes room for that single shoot to pop out its head and start to grow. Week one, it's just a tiny little thing, but in less than a month, that single shoot is 2 to 3 inches tall and is but one of millions that make a pretty grassy lawn just so you can run barefoot through it in the dew of the morning. Dewey grass running in slow motion....I think we all need to do it more often. Join me, won't you?
1320 minutes into my day and I have slowed down. I'm tired and at the end of my thoughts. My pillow is calling, so I will wrap it up here. Life just seems crazier and shorter each and every day. It really does fly by, and quickly! We can't help that sometimes, so do yourself a favor and teach yourself, your children to slow down and take a deep breath. Remember to take time to notice those countless miracles, the simple things that we tend to overlook in our fast paced lives. Measure up the simple stuff because it really is the important stuff. How do you measure? Think about it. Life really is too short and you shouldn't miss any of it. 525,600 minutes in a year....what do you do to measure yours?
Stop and smell the roses. Slow down. Measure your life in minutes, in moments, in breaths, in miracles and then tell HIM, thanks!
God bless each and everyone of you. Have a wonderful day tomorrow and each day after. Better yet, have a wonderful moment.....make those 1440 minutes tomorrow and every day, memorable, spiritual, breathless. Make them moments to cherish for a lifetime. Make them Life's Morsels. The good stuff, the seasons of love...
Kaye
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Stuff!
Hello friends. I'm back, it's been awhile. A recent conversation about "stuff" started a whole thought process for me that I wanted to share. So here we go!
Do you have "stuff" rules at your house? You know what I mean. "Stuff", clothes, knick knacks, dishes, food, shoes, games, books, magazines, and so on, and so on, and so on! You've got the idea now...STUFF.
Clothes linger in my closet or dresser over a year without being worn, and my new rule is "bye bye". If I didn't put it on in the last 12 months, I DON'T NEED IT! Hence, yard sales, donations to Good Will, and passing on to others that might possibly want my unworn, gently used clothes.
Most recently, I took a tour through my son's closet. OMG. I can't even see the floor, the walls, the inside of the door for his collection of STUFF. There are shirts and pants in there with tags still attached. Hmm, funny how those were things that he swore up and down that he really wanted. Interestingly enough, once they made it into our home, they got put on a hanger and left for the closet monster to consume until I made the decision to reclaim the space within.
"STUFF". What is your biggest collection of the things that you think you just can't live without? Guess what? You Can!!!! You will manage, we all manage somehow. If your stuff is tucked away in a closet or drawer, or stacked so high, you can't see over it, it has taken on its own identity and will soon take over your life. If that stack or pile or hidden treasure isn't doing anything to help you clean your humble abode, or cook your dinner, or get you to and from work, it's become a monster in its own right and will ultimately bring you stress and frustration. It will get in the way of relationships and family. AND, then someday, when the Big Guy calls you home, YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU. Granted, you could have it stashed next to you when you reach your final resting spot, but IT'S NOT GOING TO DO YOU A BIT OF GOOD!
I had a neighbor years ago that had every copy of the Atlanta Journal newspaper she had ever purchased. Never read, never used as wrapping for precious glassware or other treasures, just kept them stacked, everywhere there was a bare spot. When she passed away, it got thrown away, still unread, unused and disintegrating and rotting right where it had been stacked year after year after year.
I am a wedding and event planner. I do my own floral design and work. My husband loves to do wood working and play the guitar. My son loves to collect anime and Sonic the Hedgehog comic books. He was a regular visitor to Border's Books before they closed. He keeps them sealed in plastic slip sheets. Don't you dare touch them either! You will get a 10 minute speech on washing your hands and getting them soiled.
My husband's workshop is over the top. It's crazy neat and organized. He saves everything! Most people buy quart sized canning jars for just that, canning fruits and veggies. Nope, not at our house. He has dozens of these jars, each filled with wood working treasures, nuts, bolts, screws, washers, nails. People walk into our garage and look around and comment "this just isn't right!" They immediately sense OCD tendencies generally leaves them with a look of "Oh Wow" and total disbelief at the many shelves of neatly organized "stuff". Then they see the file cabinets, 7 to be exact, and each one is chock full of more neatly organized "stuff". Unbelievable. Simply unbelievable, but I will tell you this much, he really does use this stuff. So its classification of "stuff" then becomes "necessary stuff". One year for Christmas, our daughter bought him a shirt that says "he who dies with the most tools, wins!" Point made!
Okay, I've picked on my 2 fellas enough. I'm just as bad. As a floral designer, I like to have my own vases and containers, baskets, silk flowers, fabric, oasis foam, tape, etc., etc., etc.. I could pretty well start my own store with what I have neatly stacked, row by row, shelf by shelf.
I had a brainstorm a few months back, though, and now, things, um, er, uh, well, they are a changin'.
Time to pick on myself now. Okay, clothes, 12 months not worn, they are outta there, so I thought that same philosophy might work with my shelf after shelf of glassware and "stuff". I began to sell off things that hadn't been used in 2 years. (I gave myself a little extra time, because, after all, trends change...don't want to purge that stuff too soon and then find out I need it).
I was doing great. I sold everything I had in the way of balloons, weights, ribbons. Even sold the shelf! How's that for purging!
Then I sold chair covers. I sold candelabras, table clothes, fabric, vases, charger plates...and the list goes on and on. However, I was bad, not right away, but after a few weeks. There I stood in my very well organized store room and workshop and bless its heart, it looked so empty. There were bare shelves. That's just simply not right, so, yep, I filled them up again. I have literally cornered the market on glass vases and everything else that goes with them. I bought a rattan chair, 3 dozen hanging lanterns, silk flowers, and 50 pounds of those little clear glass marbles that you put in the bottoms of vases. Oh my, I was really, really bad. A going out of business sale grabbed hold of me and simply wouldn't let go. Next thing I know, I'm back in the "STUFF" business again. But, hey, at least it's neatly organized on my very full, crowded shelves!
So, now that I've given you some insight into my world of stuff, where does yours stand? What do you have that is sitting there, collecting dust, attracting paper mites, dust and other creepy crawly critters? What did you buy one of and swear it was life changing, and all of a sudden, you own absolutely everything there is to go with it?
Did you know that piles and piles of "stuff" can stress you out? Did you know that it can take over your life to the point that you have to justify its very existence in you humble abode? Did you know that your "stuff" can cloud your thought process and your sense of reasoning?
Here's the challenge. Go home, look at your stuff and honestly ask yourself "do I really need all this?" Ask yourself to answer yes or no to the next question (and be honest with your answer, too. After all, besides yourself, there is ONE that knows whether or not you are telling the truth. Here's the thing. You may have spent unfathomable amounts of money on your stuff. You may actually pick it up and look at it once or twice, and then it goes right back into the "stuff" pile. I am still bad about this with magazines. I have myself convinced that there is something really important in there that I might need to know someday. Working on that one...the problem with that theory is that you will more than likely forget exactly which one of those collecting publications contains the information that you actually need. Go figure!
Things changed for me about my "stuff" piling up all around me 10 years ago. When a family member passed away, I simply couldn't justify giving their things away. I might forget if I don't see their "stuff" all around me. I still have a handkerchief and a sweater that belonged to my grandmother and it took me nearly 2 years to get the courage to wash them. I just couldn't bear thought of not being able to smell her perfume that still lingered on both of them. Sometimes, I would miss her so much, that I would go retrieve them from my dresser and just sit and smell them. They smelled like her. It made me happy. I could close my eyes and see her sitting there, wearing that red sweater, clutching that hankie in her hand, or maybe tucking it back under the sleeve of that special sweater. After a couple years of this practice, I began to notice that the "smell" that reminded me of her, was beginning to diminish, but somehow, that didn't matter anymore, because the memories were still there and I no longer needed my ritual to bring her back into my mind. So, I donated most of what I had left to a shelter. I kept that red sweater and the special hankie. I don't need all that other "stuff" to bring her back into my mind.
We all have those things that make us smile, and we all have "stuff" that we don't need to exist, and their continued possession boils down to 1 simple philosophy, and that is wants vs needs.
We need food, we need water, we need a safe, warm place to live. We need love and companionship. We "want" all the stuff, and if you stop and think about it, you will pretty well figure out, that you don't really need it to live. Its existence is not keeping you alive, and in many cases, it might be destroying that life, because the expense of the "stuff", it's unorganized existence in your life, may actually be causing you undue stress and
confusion. Your "stuff" could actually be making you sick! Think about that...
Okay, I'm done. This hasn't been one of my typical, spiritually based blogs, but when you get down to the nitty gritty, it is. After all, God provides what we need to live, here and now and gave His only Son for us so that we would also be able to live eternally. The other "stuff" we want can often get in the way of that and confuse us. Your "wants" won't hurt you (thanks, Mother! I really did learn that one!)...and ultimately, you can't take that "stuff" with you.
It's just "STUFF" after all. And, in spite of what you think, it's not gonna do you a darn bit of good later.
Bye ya'll. It feels good to be back. I've missed writing and sharing with you. Have a good one and before you are compelled to add another layer to that "stack of stuff", think about it first and let the One that put you here help you to put yourself back together...
God bless you guys. Gotta go, I think there's a stack of magazines I need to throw away...good start, don't you think!
Kaye
Do you have "stuff" rules at your house? You know what I mean. "Stuff", clothes, knick knacks, dishes, food, shoes, games, books, magazines, and so on, and so on, and so on! You've got the idea now...STUFF.
Clothes linger in my closet or dresser over a year without being worn, and my new rule is "bye bye". If I didn't put it on in the last 12 months, I DON'T NEED IT! Hence, yard sales, donations to Good Will, and passing on to others that might possibly want my unworn, gently used clothes.
Most recently, I took a tour through my son's closet. OMG. I can't even see the floor, the walls, the inside of the door for his collection of STUFF. There are shirts and pants in there with tags still attached. Hmm, funny how those were things that he swore up and down that he really wanted. Interestingly enough, once they made it into our home, they got put on a hanger and left for the closet monster to consume until I made the decision to reclaim the space within.
"STUFF". What is your biggest collection of the things that you think you just can't live without? Guess what? You Can!!!! You will manage, we all manage somehow. If your stuff is tucked away in a closet or drawer, or stacked so high, you can't see over it, it has taken on its own identity and will soon take over your life. If that stack or pile or hidden treasure isn't doing anything to help you clean your humble abode, or cook your dinner, or get you to and from work, it's become a monster in its own right and will ultimately bring you stress and frustration. It will get in the way of relationships and family. AND, then someday, when the Big Guy calls you home, YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU. Granted, you could have it stashed next to you when you reach your final resting spot, but IT'S NOT GOING TO DO YOU A BIT OF GOOD!
I had a neighbor years ago that had every copy of the Atlanta Journal newspaper she had ever purchased. Never read, never used as wrapping for precious glassware or other treasures, just kept them stacked, everywhere there was a bare spot. When she passed away, it got thrown away, still unread, unused and disintegrating and rotting right where it had been stacked year after year after year.
I am a wedding and event planner. I do my own floral design and work. My husband loves to do wood working and play the guitar. My son loves to collect anime and Sonic the Hedgehog comic books. He was a regular visitor to Border's Books before they closed. He keeps them sealed in plastic slip sheets. Don't you dare touch them either! You will get a 10 minute speech on washing your hands and getting them soiled.
My husband's workshop is over the top. It's crazy neat and organized. He saves everything! Most people buy quart sized canning jars for just that, canning fruits and veggies. Nope, not at our house. He has dozens of these jars, each filled with wood working treasures, nuts, bolts, screws, washers, nails. People walk into our garage and look around and comment "this just isn't right!" They immediately sense OCD tendencies generally leaves them with a look of "Oh Wow" and total disbelief at the many shelves of neatly organized "stuff". Then they see the file cabinets, 7 to be exact, and each one is chock full of more neatly organized "stuff". Unbelievable. Simply unbelievable, but I will tell you this much, he really does use this stuff. So its classification of "stuff" then becomes "necessary stuff". One year for Christmas, our daughter bought him a shirt that says "he who dies with the most tools, wins!" Point made!
Okay, I've picked on my 2 fellas enough. I'm just as bad. As a floral designer, I like to have my own vases and containers, baskets, silk flowers, fabric, oasis foam, tape, etc., etc., etc.. I could pretty well start my own store with what I have neatly stacked, row by row, shelf by shelf.
I had a brainstorm a few months back, though, and now, things, um, er, uh, well, they are a changin'.
Time to pick on myself now. Okay, clothes, 12 months not worn, they are outta there, so I thought that same philosophy might work with my shelf after shelf of glassware and "stuff". I began to sell off things that hadn't been used in 2 years. (I gave myself a little extra time, because, after all, trends change...don't want to purge that stuff too soon and then find out I need it).
I was doing great. I sold everything I had in the way of balloons, weights, ribbons. Even sold the shelf! How's that for purging!
Then I sold chair covers. I sold candelabras, table clothes, fabric, vases, charger plates...and the list goes on and on. However, I was bad, not right away, but after a few weeks. There I stood in my very well organized store room and workshop and bless its heart, it looked so empty. There were bare shelves. That's just simply not right, so, yep, I filled them up again. I have literally cornered the market on glass vases and everything else that goes with them. I bought a rattan chair, 3 dozen hanging lanterns, silk flowers, and 50 pounds of those little clear glass marbles that you put in the bottoms of vases. Oh my, I was really, really bad. A going out of business sale grabbed hold of me and simply wouldn't let go. Next thing I know, I'm back in the "STUFF" business again. But, hey, at least it's neatly organized on my very full, crowded shelves!
So, now that I've given you some insight into my world of stuff, where does yours stand? What do you have that is sitting there, collecting dust, attracting paper mites, dust and other creepy crawly critters? What did you buy one of and swear it was life changing, and all of a sudden, you own absolutely everything there is to go with it?
Did you know that piles and piles of "stuff" can stress you out? Did you know that it can take over your life to the point that you have to justify its very existence in you humble abode? Did you know that your "stuff" can cloud your thought process and your sense of reasoning?
Here's the challenge. Go home, look at your stuff and honestly ask yourself "do I really need all this?" Ask yourself to answer yes or no to the next question (and be honest with your answer, too. After all, besides yourself, there is ONE that knows whether or not you are telling the truth. Here's the thing. You may have spent unfathomable amounts of money on your stuff. You may actually pick it up and look at it once or twice, and then it goes right back into the "stuff" pile. I am still bad about this with magazines. I have myself convinced that there is something really important in there that I might need to know someday. Working on that one...the problem with that theory is that you will more than likely forget exactly which one of those collecting publications contains the information that you actually need. Go figure!
Things changed for me about my "stuff" piling up all around me 10 years ago. When a family member passed away, I simply couldn't justify giving their things away. I might forget if I don't see their "stuff" all around me. I still have a handkerchief and a sweater that belonged to my grandmother and it took me nearly 2 years to get the courage to wash them. I just couldn't bear thought of not being able to smell her perfume that still lingered on both of them. Sometimes, I would miss her so much, that I would go retrieve them from my dresser and just sit and smell them. They smelled like her. It made me happy. I could close my eyes and see her sitting there, wearing that red sweater, clutching that hankie in her hand, or maybe tucking it back under the sleeve of that special sweater. After a couple years of this practice, I began to notice that the "smell" that reminded me of her, was beginning to diminish, but somehow, that didn't matter anymore, because the memories were still there and I no longer needed my ritual to bring her back into my mind. So, I donated most of what I had left to a shelter. I kept that red sweater and the special hankie. I don't need all that other "stuff" to bring her back into my mind.
We all have those things that make us smile, and we all have "stuff" that we don't need to exist, and their continued possession boils down to 1 simple philosophy, and that is wants vs needs.
We need food, we need water, we need a safe, warm place to live. We need love and companionship. We "want" all the stuff, and if you stop and think about it, you will pretty well figure out, that you don't really need it to live. Its existence is not keeping you alive, and in many cases, it might be destroying that life, because the expense of the "stuff", it's unorganized existence in your life, may actually be causing you undue stress and
confusion. Your "stuff" could actually be making you sick! Think about that...
Okay, I'm done. This hasn't been one of my typical, spiritually based blogs, but when you get down to the nitty gritty, it is. After all, God provides what we need to live, here and now and gave His only Son for us so that we would also be able to live eternally. The other "stuff" we want can often get in the way of that and confuse us. Your "wants" won't hurt you (thanks, Mother! I really did learn that one!)...and ultimately, you can't take that "stuff" with you.
It's just "STUFF" after all. And, in spite of what you think, it's not gonna do you a darn bit of good later.
Bye ya'll. It feels good to be back. I've missed writing and sharing with you. Have a good one and before you are compelled to add another layer to that "stack of stuff", think about it first and let the One that put you here help you to put yourself back together...
God bless you guys. Gotta go, I think there's a stack of magazines I need to throw away...good start, don't you think!
Kaye
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Little Mermaid, Ice Cream Cone Socks and A Cross for My Grandma
Today is Easter Sunday, a day of rejoicing in a risen Lord and celebrating the promise of tomorrows that we have because of Him. It has also been a day filled with wonderful memories for me. Once they started, it seemed like one just kept leading to another and I think I have pretty much smiled all day long. Church was a great blessing, and after a quick hello to my husband's family, I hit the road and spent the afternoon with my mom and dad. We had a wonderful time, and my Daddy was awesome today, looked good, joking, making faces and just making me giggle on the inside at his antics. It was good to see the smile on my mother's face as she enjoyed his efforts as much as I did. She is his angel on earth and I admire her so much for everything she does for him and to encourage him. Two very special people and it was absolutely wonderful to have them all to myself today!
It takes an hour to travel from my house to theirs and on my solo drives, I like to crank up the radio on the Christian music station and have one of my on-the-road-again talks with God and that's pretty much what I did today, both trips. I talk, He listens, I smile and I know He does too. After the wonderful day that I had, I just had to tell Him thank you for so many things, but especially the the memories of the special people in my life and how very thankful I was for each and every one of them, especially the ones that are already living in His Kingdom.
On December 14, 1989, I lost my Grandpa. It is a day I won't ever forget. He had been so sick for such a long time and he was so frail, but he wanted to live to celebrate his 80th birthday, which he did, and then he let go and made his final journey to be with God. I remember the phone call, I didn't want to hear what was being said, but do any of us? I had made the trip to Ohio just a couple of weeks earlier to see him, and some how, I knew that would be the last time. My 4 year old princess was his doll baby and he loved her so much. Before we left that last visit, he took her tiny hands in his and "waltzed" with her one last time. That is my last memory of my Grandpa. When the phone call came, it was not necessarily that it was unexpected, we knew, but at that very moment, it just became sadly real and almost unbearable. It was the first time in a long, long time that I lost someone very special to me.
It's funny, the things that we remember when we think about loved ones that are no longer with us. My husband and daughter and I joined my parents and brother and made the trip to Ohio for Grandpa's services. My tiny dancer had a good memory of her Great Grandpa from our recent trip and I just didn't think she needed to be a part of the sadness and grief that would be part of his services, so it was decided that my husband would stay with her and they would have a special day all their own. He took her to the movies and they went to see Disney's "Little Mermaid". To this day, when I think about that trip, I don't remember the funeral, other than the ice and snow, but I remember "Little Mermaid" and my jubilant 4 year old and I remember her dancing with him just a couple of weeks before. I can hear her singing "Under the Sea" in that tiny little voice that Grandpa loved so much. Hmmm, makes me smile when I think about it.
I think I've shared with you in earlier blogs about how close I was to my mother's parents. There were times that we shared a home with them, or lived a couple of blocks away. Closeness was not always distance, but definitely always a special bond. And, because I was the first, I had some special times with them. I was the ONLY grandchild for over ten years, and my grandparents really did spoil me rotten. I had the opportunity to do things with them that none of the other grandkids got to do. I traveled with them a lot, and I had many first experiences with them like eating lobster with drawn butter and being serenaded by strolling violinists in a very fancy restaurant; oops'es like getting a fish hook caught in my Grandpa's thumb, learning to handle a little boat on a lake by myself (including getting stuck on the other side of the lake with a flooded motor), listening to his sermons, attending business meetings, rotary and visiting people that pinched my cheeks that weren't family! Oh, and they even got to see me do a dolphin show once. That was really cool. I even have a picture of Grandpa petting one of my dolphins when I worked in Kansas City. Well, you get the idea. Growing up was just that much more special because of the times that I got to spend with them, in more ways than one.
After Grandpa passed away, Grandma lived by herself for a while, and at some point, I don't remember exactly when, Grandma started dividing her time between my aunt's home in Ohio and my parent's home in Georgia. She would go back and forth between the two. Sometimes, when she was in Georgia, she would even come and stay with us for 2 or 3 weeks at a time. We had so much fun, but especially if it was a holiday like Easter. We dyed eggs and made suet pudding, a true delicacy in my family that we haven't had in years, because Grandma made it from scratch and the recipe was in her head! There were things that Grandma and I did together that still make me smile, eating liver and onions being one of those! I know, most of you are probably making a face right now. My memory, I won't make you try it, so don't worry. My grandmother, my mother and I are liver lovers! Makes our cheeks rosy!
One particular Easter, Grandma came out to stay with us. We crammed so much into just a few short days. From making sure we got around to eat all of our favorites like the cole slaw at Chickfila, to liver and onions at Shoney's, dipped ice cream cones from Dairy Queen and the wonderful meals we made together, we just had the best time. My 2 kids loved it when she came out here and often, while I was in the kitchen, she would have my son on the couch next to her, reading a book to him or watching cartoons and pretending that she understood what was going on. Special bonds that made memories to last a lifetime. Grandma was a spirited lady and she raised my mother to be the same way and my mother raised me the same way and I passed those same lessons on to my own daughter. My mother still says that if the 4 of us were together, there would be nothing we couldn't accomplish! She's right!
Grandma's health eventually began to decline. Physically, she wasn't in great shape, but mentally, she stayed sharp as a tack until her final days. One year, she suffered a hip injury from a pretty bad fall and after days in the hospital, they sent her to a rehabilitation center for her to continue recuperating. That is where I found myself this morning and where this special memory begins. I had finished getting ready for church and just needed a necklace. Without even a second thought, I grabbed the first silver chain that I came to and pulled it out and dangling from the center of the chain, was a simple white gold cross with tiny gold lacings in the center. It wasn't always mine, but, seeing it brought me such a smile.
One year for an anniversary gift, my husband gave me a cross, just like the one above. I had other crosses, made from every material you can think of and each one more striking than the one before and for its own reason. I even have one from the Vatican that had been blessed by Pope John Paul. But none were near as special as this one. I liked it because it was simple. In the early spring of the year that followed that gift, we made a trip to Ohio to visit Grandma when she was recuperating. I hadn't seen her in such a long time, but when we walked into her room, it was if no time had passed and I sat on her bed and we talked and visited and acted silly. We sneaked in some fast food and ice cream for her too. On that particular trip, she noticed my cross and gently lifted it away from neck for a closer look. Her arthritic fingers gently rubbed its smooth surface and she told me how pretty it was and she too, liked it because it was simple. From the cross on my chain, her glance went up and down as she studied me and she ended up looking at my feet and laughing. "Kaye Lynn, what do you have on your feet?" So, I grinned and showed off my silly socks with ice cream cones all over them. And, she liked them and teased me and told me she wanted a pair. Visits being what they are, it ended all too soon and knowing that we were heading back to Georgia the next morning, I gave my Grandma a big hug and told her how much I loved her and whispered to her that I would try and find her a cross like mine.
My promise proved to be a challenge. It took a lot of phone calls and trips to the Christian book stores all over Atlanta, but after trying for a couple of weeks, I was able to find the last cross like mine in the entire city, making it even more special and I shared the story behind the search with the clerk in the store. It made her tear up and we ended up talking about her grandmother as well. But I had kept my promise and the cross would soon be on its way to Ohio.
You should know by now, that I have an ornery streak a mile long, and you should have also figured out by now that the gift package wasn't complete! Of course not, I had to find her a pair of ice cream cone socks too! You get some silly looks when you tell sales clerks that you are buying ice cream cone socks for your 94 year old grandmother! Shopping complete, wrapped up and on its way to Ohio to bring a smile to my Grandma's face.
My spunky 94 year old Grandma got a kick out of those socks and she actually wore them! But, the real special part of the gift was the cross and it made me very happy to know that she wore it all the time. It was yet one more special thing that we shared, and something that will make me smile for a long time, which brings me back to this morning. That simple cross ended up gently grasped in my fingers and for just a moment, I closed my eyes and saw my Grandma's smile and heard her laugh and call me Kaye Lynn. What a wonderful way to start a day, especially Easter Sunday. It wasn't until a few weeks after she passed away in 2004, that the nursing home contacted my aunt to let her know that they had some more of Grandma's belongings that they wanted to return to us. One of those things was the cross that was a gift that I gave to her and it came back to me to cherish forever. Tucked away in some of her clothes was the infamous ice cream socks with her name typed onto a laundry tag on the foot of each one.
Seven years later, when I saw that cross glistening in my palm, it was like receiving a new gift because of the joy that rushed into my heart when I put it on and just smiled and whispered " I love you, Grandma".
Seven years later, when I saw that cross glistening in my palm, it was like receiving a new gift because of the joy that rushed into my heart when I put it on and just smiled and whispered " I love you, Grandma".
Isn't it wonderful the way that God blesses us with those special moments, and sometimes when we seem to need them the most, they take us back in time and let us re-live cherished times with special people. We all have that one little something that brings special people back to us in our hearts and minds. Today, mine was a cross for my Grandma.
Today is Easter Sunday. It's been a good day. It's been a day filled with memories, rejoicing, family and beginnings. I hope that over the past three days, that you've also had some of those special moments. I hope that you've had the opportunity to reflect upon the greatness of the gift of these last three days and the time to be thankful for the tomorrows that we have because He lives! Remember the hymn "Because He Lives"? I hope yours was as blessed as mine has been and that you know that you know that you know that because He lives, YOU really can face tomorrow.
Rejoice! He Is Risen! Easter blessings to you and yours, and as always, In Christ Jesus, love to you all,
Kaye Lynn
Grandma, this is for you....I love you!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Don't Make Me Stop This Car, Obedience and Tomorrows...
Highway is jam packed with cars. Duh, this is Atlanta after all. You see vague images of items flying across the back seat. A loud "OW". "Mom, he hit me. Mom, make him stop looking at me. Mom, his feet are on my side. Mom, make him stop!" And then, a loud, raucous "AM NOT!". I love my children, but I do not miss those days. What's even worse is that I can remember being the kid in that back seat and saying some of those things. What comes next? Well, if you have children, you should know (and don't try to pretend that yours are perfect and have never done this. We all know better!). Well, what comes next is this, THE LOOK, THAT "MOM" STARE INTO THE REAR VIEW MIRROR, and then, wait for it, here it comes, "DON'T MAKE ME PULL THIS CAR OVER". Oh, she didn't just go there. Yes, she did! We all got in trouble when we got home. It was inevitable. Oh, and as far as the look, well, my mother had it mastered, I''m not to bad at it myself and my daughter, well, she doesn't even have children yet, and she is working on perfecting "that" look! It works, really, really well, at least until the "next" round.
This all came to mind this morning as I was making my Wednesday jaunt to Woodstock. I couldn't help but notice the children in the SUV next to us at a light. Obviously, Mom was delivering their precious little souls to school, but at that very moment, there was nothing precious about them. I couldn't hear them, but I could tell by the flying school book and lunch bag, that there was mischief abounding in the back seat of that Honda. And then, it happened. With one instantaneous reaction, those 2 kids fell still and I'm assuming quiet and as I changed my glance to the driver's seat, I saw the Momma with the pointed finger shaking over the seat back and eyes with fire in them as she threatened those two little darlings with their very existence! Yep, she went there too! I bet those kids are going to have a serious Sunday school session when they get home from school. Bless their little hearts and God bless that Momma for having mastered the Look, the Point, and THE PHRASE - Don't Make Me Stop This Car!
How many times have we reminded our own children about that Big #5, the Commandment that says "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you." You know, there is no disputing it, those words and all the ones before and after, from God's lips to Moses to cast in stone and pass down to all of God's children forever.
How many times have our children disobeyed and not done their chores or cleaned a cat pan, or argued with us about unloading the dishwasher because they hadn't reached a saving point in their game? How many times have we all disobeyed God and done our own thing because that is what we wanted to do?
Obedience, honor - two relatively simple words, but they pack a punch for everyone of us, every single day of our lives.
We are not perfect, and there is but one before us that is, and that is Jesus Christ. Just imagine, one day he rode into town and people were cheering and waving palms and bowing at His very presence. Just a few short days later, he shared the Passover Meal, The Last Supper with His disciples. Jesus is the Passover Lamb and He reveals to His disciples that the Passover is "fulfilled in Him". He knows that it is His Father's will that He offer Himself up for redemption and deliverance. Remember that tiny babe in the manger - born to wear a crown of thorns? God was soon to offer up His only Son as a sacrifice for us, for our disobedience, or dishonor, or sins. The most incredible gift ever and it was and is for us.
The first Passover is described in Exodus, Chapter 12. A lamb was slain for every household. The lamb's blood was washed over the door frame so as to let the Angel of Death know to "passover" that household and not claim the first born son of a Jewish home but instead, those children in Pharoah's temple. God warned the Pharoah, but he did not listen and went about his business, only to find that his own son was claimed by death. After the lamb was slain and the home protected by the blood of the lamb, God commanded that the children of Israel make a meal of the lamb and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, but to do so in haste as they were to soon start their journey out of Egypt and bondage in slavery to the Pharoah. God commanded the children of Israel to commemorate this day every year by celebrating with the Passover Feast or the Seder meal.
So here sits Jesus, centered with His disciples. After He washes their feet, he begins the Seder meal and tells the stories of the 4 cups in the meal and the meal concludes with the feast of the lamb, but it is what He did after that that has become a part of our faith ritual in the Christian church. Jesus explained the meal and its meaning. He told His disciples that He was Himself, the Lamb of God. He offered them bread and wine telling them "this is My Body, My Blood" Do this in remembrance of Me." Jesus knew of the forthcoming betrayal, He knew of the fate that awaited Him, and yet.....He was obedient.
Before the meal concluded, Judas left the feast. He went to meet the priests and accepted 30 pieces of silver
in exchange for his betrayal of his Lord.
Jesus made the journey to the garden at Gethsemane at the base of the Mount of Olives. With a heavy heart and an overwhelming sadness, He knelt in the garden and wept and prayed. He knew of what was to come. He prayed three times and He prayed so hard that He sweat profusely. Jesus had to make the choice as to continue with His earthly ministry with so many things He wanted to still do, or to obey His Father and accept death on the cross for our sins. Such an incredible choice to have to make, but, He chose obedience to bear our guilt and the sins of the whole world. He put His wishes aside and obeyed His Father's will.
In Luke 22:42-44 (King James Version), 42Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. 43And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.
44And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
As Jesus ended His prayer, there was noise and commotion in the garden and He was soon surrounded by a large group of soldiers and priests who were there to arrest Him for a crime that He didn't commit. With a simple kiss from Judas, He was exposed the the soldiers. He could have run, He could have performed a miracle and saved Himself, but yet, He loved us so much, that He offered Himself willingly to the soldiers when they told Him they were looking for Jesus of Nazareth. Without hesitation, He courageously answered "I AM HE". His answer was so strong that the Bible tells of the group being knocked off their feet by the power of His simple words.
With a kiss and three simple words, He was betrayed, surrendered and bound over to the soldiers. The priests of the temple had already condemned Him to death, but they knew they had to take Jesus before Pilate before they could follow through with the death sentence. Jesus was dragged into Pilate's court. Pilate questioned Jesus as to who He was, He asked of His crime, He asked of His title of King. When Pilate asked Jesus if He was a King, Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this, I was born; and for this, I have come into the world to bear witness to the truth. Every one who is of the truth hears My voice." Jesus had already endured countless hours of torture, beatings, being kicked, and floggings with a cat of nine tails 39 times. But His time in court was not over. Pilate found that Jesus was a preacher of truth and a teacher, not a criminal. Pilate knew the Truth on his heart, but wanting to have this out of his hands, he had the soldiers take Jesus to King Herod for sentencing. Herod was also in Jerusalem at that time and as Jesus was dragged before him, Herod also knew that Jesus was guilty of no crime, and as a sign of respect for this condemned King, Herod had Him wrapped in a fine cloak as a sign of His innocence and Jesus was sent back to Pilate.
Before Pilate, was a known criminal named Barabbas. Barabbas had committed such crimes that the penalty for his crimes was crucifixion. As Pilate stood before this ever growing crowd of people, he knew only that he did not want the fate of Jesus on his hands solely and with Barabbas, a true criminal before him, and Jesus the Christ, guilty of no crime, Pilate looked at the throngs of people and told them it was up to them to chose which prisoner would be released and which one would suffer death on the cross. With fervor, the crowd screamed over and over, release Barabbas, crucify Jesus. Crucify Him. Crucify Him. And so it was.
Beatings, the regal cloak ripped and torn, a crown of thorns thrust onto his already bleeding brow, Jesus was led away. A heavy, rough-hewn cross was laid upon his bloody back and He was commanded to bear the weight of that cross as He made His way back through town on the path known so well as the Via Dolorosa. His back, gashed and ripped open, blood running down His face and body, Jesus struggled under the weight and pain and carried His ultimate fate to Golgotha. He fell three times. He saw His mother in the crowd as she wept for her Son. The Soldiers ordered Simon of Cyrene to help Jesus bear the weight of the cross. Jesus stopped and offered comfort to the weeping daughters of Jerusalem. Before He is uprighted on the cross, the Roman soldiers bid for His clothes and they were stripped from His body. His "cross to bear" was uprighted after He was nailed at hands and feet. His already bleeding side was pierced with a sword. The weight of His body hanging from His nailed hands and feet, made it difficult for Him to breathe. A rugged sign was made declaring Him as King of the Jews - INRI. With each breath that He took, He drew closer and closer to death, yet in His last moments, He found the strength, the love, the passion, the forgiveness to speak one last time to His Father and simply say "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do". And then, He offered up His last breath and died on the cross. The four Gospels differ in what is told of Jesus' last words. But in John 19:30, "When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit."
God didn't have to snap His fingers and point. He didn't have to give Jesus "the look" or threaten to pull over the car. He told His son of His will and Jesus obeyed, He prayed and prayed again. He gained strength from the Angel that appeared to Him. He submitted willingly to His father's will and not His own - Thy will, not my will. And, He did it for us. It was written in red.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life...
Written in red, for you and for me. God loves us all and Jesus loves us so much that He willingly obeyed His Father for us...
This past Sunday, the Chancel Choir at our church presented their Easter Cantata, Written In Red. It was beautiful, but the song itself is powerful, and to close this today, no more stories, no more conversations, just listen. Remember, by His stripes, we are healed. We serve a Risen Lord! Christ is risen, Allelujah!
Happy and blessed Easter to you all,
Love,
Kaye
Happy and blessed Easter to you all,
Love,
Kaye
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