Dream Journeys, Vacation Memories and Tomorrows!

One of these days, my husband and I will both be retired and we can travel, (if our knees hold out!).  There are places in this world that I have always wanted to visit, Italy, United Kingdom, Australia, the South Pacific area and The Holy Land.   Every once in while, I look at travel sites and I dream a little as I take that mental journey to those incredible places, but, I am always brought back to reality by a barking dog or one of many cell phones ringing some where in the house.  It is so easy to get lost in pictures and videos online.  Ahhhh, some day.

I have family members that have traveled to all 4 corners of the globe and places in between.  Some of them have been to Israel and Palestine, on a mission trip of sorts.  I look forward to making that journey myself someday and experiencing first hand, the stations of the cross as I walk down the Via Dolorosa.  One of the stations is now even a Muslim girls' school and pilgrims to the area are not even allowed inside the area to see or worship.  The second station where Jesus received his cross to carry, is now a chapel and is called the Church of the Condemnation.  As you journey on to Golgotha, there are 12 more stations, some are visible, some not, and some have little prayer areas for people to be still in the silence and prayer and listen in their hearts to the sounds of nearly 2000 years ago.  The last four stations are the ones that most travelers want to see and experience because they house the tomb where Jesus was buried and Golgotha.  If you ever have the chance to make the journey, don't be surprised at the surroundings.  I have had people tell me that you don't even realize that you are walking the path, because today, it is a busy market place with lots of noisy people everywhere.  Sounds like just about any touristy place in any well visited corner of the United States.

These days, my husband and I are home bodies.  Gasoline prices are insane and at almost $60.00 to fill my 14 gallon tank on my car, I make as few trips as possible, as I would imagine you do as well.  We incorporate as many stops into one trip as we can to conserve.  When I was growing up, my parents took us on loooonnnnng vacations all over the USA and parts of Canada.  Those are some of my fondest memories, yes Daddy, even the camping!  We could go into an area that had been drought stricken and by noon the next day, they had all the water they needed and we had a soggy tent!  I've been in tents and campers for more storms in my life than I can count, including a tornado as we were camped atop a hill in Cheyenne, Wyoming in the middle of July.  We kind of got used to the smell of wet canvas and packing up or running to the car for shelter.  My Mother's rule was camp out for a couple of nights and then we camped out in a Holiday Inn - hot showers, soft beds and a swimming pool that didn't have crawly things in it.  Loved those nights!  The tent nights were fun too, but there's nothing like a good old fashioned hot bath to melt the campground grundge away.

In 1986, my parents, my husband and I made a July trip to visit Disney World.  It was close to the time that Epcot opened, so there were a lot of new things to see and do.  Let me offer you some advice.  DONT' TENT CAMP IN FLORIDA IN JULY!  Beautiful campgrounds on Disney property, but in July, there is just no way to stay cool when you are tent camping.  My daughter was not quite a year old on this trip.  My parents had a tiny little travel trailer with a screened room that attached.  The inside had a bunk and a couch area that made into a small bed.  My Dad and my husband were such gentlemen.  They put cots in the screened room and slept outside while my Mother, daughter and I slept on the actual beds in the trailer.  I love my Daddy dearly, but he used to have this thing about not totally setting up so it was a quick break down when we left.  Every time I moved in the bed, the whole little trailer shook and rattled.  We found out why the next morning.  Daddy had not put the additional support legs down that stabilized the whole trailer,  it was a time saving strategy for when we packed up.  Love you Daddy.  I don't think I will ever forget that.  Here we are, dinner is over, long day in the Magic Kingdom, we are all exhausted and HOT.  My dad and my husband are sleeping on their cots in the screen room.  If you've ever been in a commercial campground, you probably know first hand that you get real chumy with your next door neighbors, because they are literally mere inches from your doorstep, your tent or your restless body on a cot on a steamy July night in central Florida.  Image in your mind, now, add serious snoring to that and then add neighbors rattling a can of rocks to disrupt the snoring men that were oblivious to the rattling rocks and the neighborly campers trying to get them to WAKE UP, roll over and stop snoring!.

Yes, fun times on camping trips and some unforgettable ones, too!  Ohio has some wonderful state parks, many with beautiful lakes, great fishing and awesome campgrounds.  I guarantee you that my brother will never forget one in particular.  Cowan Lake State Park.  When he was 4 or 5, he picked up a hot coal from our campfire and we spent the night in the ER while they took care of his blistered little hands.  A couple of years later, he somehow managed to roll around, squirm and gradually slip out between the canvas sides of the camper and the bottom of the frame.  There he was, dangling over a ravine, sound asleep!  We were so blessed that he didn't wake up and panic and slip on out and down the hill.

We have had some wonderful travels.  Such great memories, but I am really looking forward to those grown up trips that my husband and I can take in a few short years.

There is another kind of journey that we can all experience.  This coming Sunday is Palm Sunday.  On this day, the church celebrates Jesus' arrival into the city of Jerusalem, and the beginning of Holy Week, starting with His condemnation, His public torment, His painful journey bearing the weight of a rugged cross on an already beaten and flogged back, His passionate journey on the Via Dolorosa.  The 14 Stations of the Cross, 14 parts of the journey to the cross and the events that followed and finally the 14th station, the tomb where His body was laid.

You know, it would be such an incredible spiritual journey to be able to visit those places in the Holy Land and see and feel His presence in those places; to kneel and pray in those rugged corners where maybe He fell while carrying the cross or saw His mother in the crowd, or spoke to the weeping women.  It would be an incredible experience to feel His spirit there with us.  Quiet prayer along the Via Dolorosa.  But in reality, we don't have to take a plane to Israel to find that peace, that love, that passion that He blesses us all with, every single moment of every single day, right where we stand, no matter where we are.  Join me and take that journey.  It starts with a prayer, it starts with wanting to be a better person, it starts with confession and your own willingness to take up the cross, and then that journey continues with every breath and step you take for the rest of your life. We each have our own stations of the cross and sorrows and passions and joy and love that is simply put - LIFE.  Live it the right way.  Jesus died on the cross on Good Friday, was buried, but HE rose from the dead on the third day, the day that we now call Easter.  He died for OUR sins, our imperfections.  He died that we might be forgiven.  Easter's coming!  Salvation is on the horizon and it is yours and mine to have for an eternity.  You just have to ask.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could all walk the walk and share His passion and be the kind of people that He wants us to be!

I wrote at Christmas time, that we wouldn't have Christmas without Easter.  That is just the way God planned it.  I hope you see now what I meant.  You couldn't have one without the other.

Life's a journey, some of them, we spend in tents on mountain tops or steamy Florida campgrounds.  Some of them we spend visiting exotic places all around the world.  Some of them, we get to experience the wonders of the world.  The most important journey that any of us can take, is the one when we reach out for the Hand of God.  You don't need a travel agent or a credit card or a passport, just the desire to have a personal relationship with your Creator and try to live your life the way that He wants you to.

Merry Christmas, Happy Easter and enjoy your journey....the rewards are indescribable!

May you experience through prayer the meaning and the passion behind every day in the next week and celebrate Easter with me as we celebrate a Risen Lord on Easter Sunday.  May you share the joy of Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem as the crowd hailed Him with palm branches and Hosannas.  May you begin to realize the scorn and suffering that He endured for us, for our tomorrows.  May you come to know the passion and the love and the forgiveness that He let shine for us, for our tomorrows as He took His last breath.  "Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do."  Take a breath and take your own journey down your own Via Dolorosa....and may you find His passion there waiting for you....

Blessings and the peace and love of Christ to you and your family during this Holy Week and the days that follow.  God loves you and so do I,

Katydid

96 Rolls of TP, Heroes and Being Ready for Tomorrow

Beautiful picture, isn't it.  God's hands holding our fragile planet.  Don't let my title deceive you.  This is a story about surprises and how they affect us, especially when we are not prepared for them.

The past couple of months, Georgia's weather has lost its mind!  I looked at my calendar in the office this morning and realized that it has only been a few short weeks since we had our January Freeze In.  Parts of Atlanta were frozen in by the layers of sleet and ice that fell on top of the snow.   It was really weird.  You could drive a distance of only a mile or two (if you were one of the lucky ones who had salted and sanded streets) and be in an area that virtually had no ice, no snow.  This past winter was one of records and wonder and aggravation that it took so long to clear streets.  We had snow on Christmas Day for the first time in over 130 years.  We had ice and snow in January that shut our area down for days on end.  TWICE!  The crust on the snow reminded me of marshmallow fluff or that cooked icing that you see on wonderful coconut cakes.  It was so pretty, really really pretty.

My toes and finger tips stayed numb and they would sting, but the smile on my face under my red chilly nose was as big as Kansas.  I had so much fun being a kid again.  I went and played in the snow that fell before it froze and turned into a frozen land of marshmallow fluff.  It was beautiful.  My creative side took lots of "artsy" pictures of berries, pine cones  and magnolia leaves that were coated in a thin layer of ice.  It was truly a winter wonderland!  It all reminded me so much of growing up in northern Ohio and the winters that we had up there.

All of the schools in every county around Atlanta closed, businesses closed, even the government offices - and some for a week or more!  Those poor kids are going to be going to school until 4th of July to make up the missed days.  We don't get crazy winter weather like this very often and we just are not prepared for it.  One of the downfalls here is the lack of snow removal equipment.  This isn't the arctic after all, and not every little town (our big one for that matter) has all of the equipment that they need.   Georgia probably has the same number of snow plows and ice trucks for the whole state that Ohio has in just one of its towns.  It just doesn't happen that often and when they started forecasting this stuff about a week before, people didn't really take it to heart because historically, they are wrong more than they are right, so no one really paid attention until the writing was on the wall and the cars were in ditches.  Oops, too late!  So, everyone made a mad dash to the store for their bread, milk and toilet paper.  Apparently, someone decided that those were the important commodities to stock up on.  Brings on a mental image of bread, milk and toilet paper sandwiches.  Groceries were packed, hardware stores had lines to buy sleds and salt for de-icing, and of course, we all made that trek to our local store for those important "sandwich" fixin's.  By Monday night, there wasn't any on store shelves, because the delivery trucks were stuck on the interstate and couldn't get the orders in.  And my husband used to tease me about stocking up on stuff at Sam's.  Not any more!  Never hurts to plan ahead, you never know, you just never know.

Okay, cold weather story told, but since then, we have had hot, cold, hot, cold, tornadoes, weather sirens, bright sunny days, more tornadoes, more crispy mornings followed by 80 degree afternoons.  How do you prepare, what do you wear, sweaters in the morning, short sleeves in the afternoon.  Now, you know, this isn't going to drag on about snow and ice, sweaters and toilet paper, and as usual, there's another part of this story.  It may be difficult for you to read some of this, but it is part of the story, our story, today and tomorrow.

Weather, yes, unpredictable!  Emergency supplies, a necessity!  Remember those months and those first few years after 9/11.  One of the most devastating events in the modern history of our country, of the world.  It left us all numb, fearful and mistrusting of many many people.  The alert levels went up and down like yo-yos, we were told to have emergency water and supplies, plastic sheeting, duct tape, first aid supplies and more.  The list seemed endless.  I was afraid to fly for a long time.  A lot of you probably were.  We all lived in fear of it happening again.  Who knows, it might.  I've learned a lot the past ten years, about people, about myself, about faith, love and forgiveness.  I've learned that no matter how much planning you have done, there is always the possibility that the unexpected could and probably would happen.

During the past decade, we have seen multiple earthquakes, tsunamis, fires, tornadoes, floods and more - all of which are natural disasters.  9/11 was man created and man delivered and was a disaster of hatred and intimidation.  It was a day we will never forget.  Children lost parents, some of them were even too young to remember them.  Sweethearts said goodbye and whispered I love you one last time and as we all gasped at the surreal images that we saw over and over again.  Lives were changed forever.  Nearly 3000 lives were ended in a matter of "moments".  You remember, you saw the pictures, the videos.  We've heard the stories and we have lived in a time of uncertainty every day since.

The stories of husbands and wives, lovers, friends, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, moms and dads,  knowing at last moment, that they were not going to make it.  Calls were made, messages left and prayers said as so many of those people took their last breath and faced their death, some very courageously.

There were heroes that day.  Fireman, Police officers, men and women from all branches of our military, and civilians.

One month ago, the world watched as an earthquake of unfathomable power, followed by a tsunami that brought more devastation to the island of Japan.  A year ago, a massive earthquake struck in Haiti.  This tiny island still hasn't recovered.  In February of this year, an earthquake hit New Zealand, and now Japan.  In the aftermath, the nuclear catastrophe that is developing day by day, has now been classified as a level 7, just like Chernobyl, many years ago.

There were heroes that day.  Fireman, Police officers, men and women from all branches of our military, and civilians.

We never know what each day brings for us.  We never know if a tree will fall on a car we are travelling in, or lightning hit our home.  We never know when and and at what exact moment, our "time" will come.  We never know how or why.  What we have to know, is that there is Someone there to take our hand and lead us home.  There is Someone there to ease our pain, our sadness, our sorrow when that time comes for someone we love.

During that snowstorm in January, we were ready.  We had more than half of a super pack of the quilted double roll stuff.  I did my normal grocery shopping the Thursday before the storm hit and we had 4 gallons of milk and 2 loaves of bread.  By the following Wednesday, we were able to get to the store in our truck.  We were lucky, we were ready.

There were heroes that helped people dig out of the ditches they ran into on the slick roads, and heroes that worked 18 hour days to spread sand and salt on the city streets.

September 2009, we experienced a thousand year flood in Georgia.  People had minutes to evacuate their homes.  Grocery stores flooded and washed out food was found several hundred miles south in the Chattahoochee river.  There are still people that are homeless as a result of that flood.  This year, there have been catastrophic weather anomalies all over the world and in every single one, there were people that spent their last moments in fear and reaching out.  There were heroes those days.  Fireman, Police officers, men and women from all branches of our military, and civilians.

So, here we are near the end of what has been an emotional blog to write.  But I think it is important for us to remember, not just the man made catastrophes, but the natural ones as well, and while we remember, we need to do a faith check up on ourselves and simply ask ourselves, Am I Ready?

Am I ready for that moment on that day?  Am I prepared?  It's not just about toilet paper and loaves of bread.  It's not just about starting over....it's about being spiritually ready for tomorrow.

Are you ready for your tomorrow?  Do you know the One that will be there to take your hand and guide you home or will you be ready to ask Him if you have time in that split second that your life reaches its climax?  Will there be time to ask or will it be too late?

Just sayin', it's not all about tp, milk and bread........

Go hug and kiss your family, or call them and let them know how much you love them and remember, just remember....God loves you.

Rejoicing in my tomorrows that Jesus made possible for me and you,

love to you all,

Kaye

ps - this video and music piece is emotional, but please take time to listen to it....it will help you...to remember and also to rejoice in your Creator...

Shobee Do, I Wanna Be Like You Oo Oo - Paging Dr. Freud!

"Oh, oobee doo, I wanna be like you oo oo, I wanna walk like you, Talk like you, oo oo too.  You'll see it's true."   Do those lyrics sound familiar?  Well, think back to 1967 with a crazy orangutan, a big lovable bear and an orphaned jungle boy.  Remember now?  That's right.  Disney's Jungle Book.  Of course by now, for those of you that weren't around in 1967, I'm fairly certain that you have it on DVD or the old fashioned format - VHS.   

Since this song popped into my head a few days ago, I really should explain why.  The thanks goes to my really cool kid, my wonderful, wonderful son, the closet psychologist, the junior professor and all around incredible person, has done it again!  He left me speechless with a humina humina humina look on my face and a lack of immediate response as I retook control of my car and averted from driving off the road!

He analyzes everyone and everything around him.  Some days, it drives me absolutely nuts.  Others, I just sit back and marvel at this gift he has for putting things in perfect perspective, and that my friends, is exactly what happened a few days ago.

Early on, we knew he was special, and where some kids excelled in sports, he didn't.  He wasn't always the most popular kid or the coolest kid when he was younger, and because of that, there were a lot of days that he just sat back, looked at the world and formulated his opinions, about EVERYTHING!  But, he has always been taught that for any lack of ability that he may have in one area, God gave him amazing gifts in others and he proves that point on a daily basis.  I admire him so much for that, but also for his innate honesty, gentle nature, his meticulous care about anything he is passionate about, and most of all, for his ability to just be himself.  I really wish you could know him.  He is such a cool kid and he makes me a very proud mama.

One day last week, we were driving home from an outing and he pops up out of silence and says "mom, can we talk about something?"  "Sure son, what's up?"  At that point, he sat up straight and ended his period of sitting stunningly quiet for several minutes and he put his Dr. Freud hat on and began to analyze people places and things from some of his encounters of the week.  He is much like me and uses way too many words when only a few will do, but he usually does put everything into obvious perspective and very much, to the point.  

That "mom, can we talk about something?" from past experiences tells me we are in for a long drawn out deeply intellectual conversation.  Sometimes, if the timing is not right, It's not unusual that I stop him in his tracks and tell him to take his professor hat off and just be my son, my video game, music loving, tech school son.  For what it's worth, you don't need the blow by blow details, but on this particular day, I got an earful, not to mention a brain overload and the more I thought about, the more I marveled at this deduction.

Let's just call it EPD, and it wouldn't be me or Lifes Morsels if the EPD, didn't lead into "the rest of the story".  So here goes!  In his words, and I quote "mom, in my educated way of thinking, I believe and feel very strongly about this, that so and so suffers from Emulative Personality Disorder...."

"WHAT"  I about ran the car off the edge of the road.  Where did that come from?  When did my child graduate 4 years of college, attend grad school and get a degree in psychology?  Son, where have you heard that term?"  "No where, but mom, it's perfectly obvious to me.  Seriously mom, it's so obvious!"

Okay, okay.  Had he made that up?  Was it real?  I asked him to explain his "diagnosis", and this is what I got.  Who knows, he may have learned this because of some video game...who knows.

"Okay mom, I will make this easy for you."  (Should I smack him now or later for that remark or just let it ride this time?)  My own curiousity led me to let it ride - THIS TIME.  "Mom, do you know what emulate means?"  "Yes, son, I do.  What does it mean to you?"  "Well, it means to imitate someone or something and try and excel at what you're imitating."

At this point in time, I'm amazed, I'm thankful that I have not run the car up a tree and I'm kind of hoping that maybe, just maybe, he has this whole thing all wrong and I will have the task of explaining the word and it's meaning(s), but darn it, that wasn't going to happen!  He was spot on, 100% spot on and has once again, left me driving down the road with my mouth hanging wide open, literally searching for words.  Okay, I'm going to give him this one.  He's right, 100% right.  I was so befuddled by his comment, I actually went in the house, pulled up the online dictionary just to verify what he said so eloquently.  

Well, that incident aside, I've pondered his diagnosis over the past couple of days, and realized, that to a degree, we all have EPD, especially after I did some research on his newly coined term.  The term doesn't exist.  He created it, the condition and the diagnosis based solely on observation.  Wow!  Now I'm sure that some where out there, there is a licensed and degreed psychologist that is going to tell me that the condition is real, but is known as _____________ disorder.  Fill in the blanks, please!

What this means for him, is that he is some days, too smart for his own good, very intuitive and brilliant at discerning "issues" that affect other people.  What it means for me is that, now that my mouth is closed, I have realized that once again, this child that I have raised to be a handsome young man, may just be on the verge of being smarter than his mama, well at least about some things!  I think I need to study more!

Let's go back to my comment about all of us having EPD.  In Jungle Book, King Louie (the orangutan wanted to be like man, Mowgli wanted to be like Baloo and live in the Jungle, Baloo wanted to be Papa Bear.  So, think about it, we all at times want to be like someone else, and I am no exception.  Whatever happened to little girls being like "mommy" as they cared for their Tiny Tears doll or the Betsy Wetsy (really dating myself here!)  Now, our little girls aren't allowed by advertisers and entertainers to be "little girls".  They push them into emulating their favorite teen idol.  Some of them like to dress the part (not always appropriate), act like them (definitely  not always appropriate) and dance and sing their songs (which are also sometimes inappropriate).  Little boys turn into "punks" at an earlier age and take on that macho, tough guy persona that they see in their  favorite game characters, comic heroes, sports stars, musicians and more. 

Years pass, time seems to move a little more quickly as we age, and some times way too late, we realize that our children are growing up in a world that never stops, doesn't even slow down, a world that seems to promote a serious lack of morals.  And our children, well this is all thrust at them so intensely, that unless monitored and controlled, their minds are  often filled with  negative things that they begin to "emulate".

At the very "mature" age of 10, 13, 15 or so, that "I know it all, gonna do it my way or else attitude" kicks in with a fierceness.  In some kids, it's short lived.  In others, heaven help us all, it lasts for a decade or so.  But guess what, they all do eventually grow up, in spite of themselves.  And so do we as their parents.  In all honesty, I'm 57, and according to my mother, I haven't quite grown up YET!  But that's okay.  Our kids want to be older, and we would all love, some days especially, to be a little younger.  DON'T DENY IT!  You know you do!

Back to EPD.  Let's put a new spin on this whole emulative personality disorder thing and turn it around to be a positively awesome way to live our lives.  If you had one person, one existence, that you wanted to emulate, who, what would it be?

Dreams of grandiose homes with fabulous rooms and treasures, swimming pools, cars, trips around the world or to places that intrigue us; incredible wardrobes, perfect bodies, thick flowing hair, beautiful complexions, no money worries...those are just a few of the ideas that pop into any of our minds from time to time.

Put your breaks on for a moment.  If you had all of the above, then what?  What's next?  Who, what, where?  You've got all the worldly toys and qualities that you ever dreamed of, but there's still something missing.  So you dream some more, you search some more...

Yes, I would love to be free of money woes.  I want a living room that is big enough that I can have more than 5 guests at a time and have them not fall over each other in the process of sitting down.  I would love to have a professional kitchen with a 6 burner gas stove, flat top griddle, indoor grill, double professional ovens and enough cabinet space so that my counters were cleared off and spotless - a place for everything and everything in it's place.  I want a swimming pool, a fireplace that works, perfect hair, no dark circles under my eyes, a body that even the stars would envy, and so on and so on and so on.  I think you get the point.

BUT, so many of those things are just that, things.  When I take my final breath from life on this earth, "those" things aren't going with me.  They are staying here.  They might stay well kept, they might not.  Again, they are things, BUT, I wanted them, I wanted to emulate the people I know that had them, but they will do me no good.  Period.  They are just "things".  All the years that I have pined over a big professional grade kitchen, or having that sparkling blue oasis in my back yard, I wanted to emulate those that did have them and more often than not, felt cheated and envious because I didn't have them.  

Things, just things.  They are not priceless, they are not part of my treasures stored in Heaven.  They are all part of earthly "stuff".  Some of us have them, some of us don't.  

As for that thick head of long flowing perfect hair and tanned, honed body to go with it, guess what?  Those stay behind too!  As we take our last breath and begin our final journey, that for some of us, leads us to the gates of Heaven, we take on a new body, a perfect body, no pain, no problems, no dark circles, no thinning hair.  At that moment, as a Christian, we will for the first time in our lives, embody perfection.  Wow!

I look forward to someday walking and talking one to one and face to face with my Creator and having only perfect joyous days ahead of me without aches and pains and sorrows.

So, as you sit here reading this, I hope you've enjoyed yet one more tale from life with my boy.  But, I also hope that you've taken a moment or two to think about what's been said.  EPD!  Where are you with that phrase?  To whom, to what, or where does your own case of emulative personality disorder lead you - the right way or the hhmmm hmmmm way?  

Remember, you can't take it with you.  Choose the right path for your life?  Who do you want to "emulate"?  When you make the right decision(s) about who or what you want to "emulate", to be like, then those last two words "personality disorder" don't exist for you anymore, only that first fancy word that my incredibly smart and sensitive son tossed at me and that is simply "emulate" or "imitate".  I want to emulate Jesus...I don't want to be better than Him, but I sure do want to be like Him.  I already know the glory of the Lord, His forgiveness, His love.  I want to someday take that final journey to that place where I am welcomed with open arms by the One that knew me and everything about me before I was even a twinkle.  I want to live my earthly life in such a way that there is no doubt in anyone's mind about my final journey. 

Here's a thought for you in closing.  If you find yourself being envious or desiring things that are out of reach and more "wants" instead of "needs", replace everything on your list with a commitment to emulate love, decency, forgiveness, compassion, honesty and understanding.

As for right now, just go hug throw your arms around someone and tell them how special they are to you.  Whether it's your kids, your spouse, a brother or sister, your parents, a friend, co-worker, just do it.  #1, you will surprise the daylights out of them and they may very well think that you've lost your mind, but moreover, you may start something that has the potential for paying it forward and spreading to more and more.  Isn't that what's about?  Let them know just how special they are and for the simple reasons, not the store bought, glitz and glamor ones.  Thank them for being in your life.  Emulate the love of God for everyone and everything around you, even those that are by all practical and ethical observations, people that you just really don't like, despise or can't seem to find room for them in your own circle of life.  You never know what good might come from it!  

In Matthew 22:36-40, a question is asked of Jesus, "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"  To which Jesus replied "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.'."  Oh, by the way, did you know Matthew was somewhat of a scoundrel and not looked upon favorably by most people.  Jesus didn't see him that way, and...well you know the rest of the story.  Jesus loved him and He loves you and me!  Don't emulate the scoundrel, take the right path!

Here's to working on my case of EPD, and I hope you work on yours too!  Emulate the good stuff!  Blessings to you all in Jesus, my Savior....

As always,

Kaye

ps - thought you might enjoy this.  Who are you?  Mowgli, King Louie or Baloo?

Gaspar, Melchior, Balthasar and You!

If you follow the Christian calendar, tomorrow is the Feast of the Three Kings or Joyeux Noel in France.  It is also known as Twelfth Night and it is the beginning of Epiphany.  It marks the day that the three kings arrived in Bethlehem to visit the newborn King.  In late November and most of December, we were in the season of Advent.  Advent is an exciting time in the church.  It's a season of hope and anticipation leading up to the birth of Jesus Christ.   Christmas!  Christmas runs right up to the twelfth night celebration, and depending upon which calendar your church follows, it is either January 5th or 6th.  And so begins Epiphany, a season of discovery, awakening, a day of divine manifestation.  The day of the three kings, the Magi, and a celebration of their "discovery" in the little town of Bethlehem.  (Good name for a Christmas carol, isn't it?)

I jump around a lot when I read my Bible.  I'm not a cover to cover type person.  I have read it cover to cover, but when I have something on my mind, I look up scripture and read and look up more and read until things fall into place in my head.  

If you paid attention to the title today, you see three rather unusual names: Gaspar (which has several variations and spellings), Melchior and Balthasar.  WHO ARE THESE GUYS?  Research!  Here I come and this is what I found.  First, the Gospel of Matthew is the only place in the whole Bible that talks about visitors from the East; AND I've read Matthew over and over and over, specifically Matthew 1:2.  No where in that chapter did I find names for the three travelers from the East.  As a matter of fact, I couldn't find them in the Bible at all.  AND, big AND, it doesn't even really say that there were actually three of them or that they were even kings.  But, assumptions being what they are, historians assumed that there were indeed three and that they most certainly had to be of a higher stature in order to afford the lavish gifts that they brought with them for the Baby King.  Three gifts, three wise men, or kings.  (I know there is a joke about finding three wise men together in one place, but let's not go there right now).  So, my question is simply this "who decided that these three guys were aptly named Gaspar, Melchior and Balthasar?  The only thing mentioned in Matthew is the gifts they brought with them for the Baby, gold, frankincense and myrrh.  Hmm.  Ponder, Ponder, Ponder.  Here's my answer.  I don't really know.  If the three were from the East, my guess is that they were probably from Persia (which by the way, is now what we know to be Iran), and maybe, there were historical records back to that time and there were really three wise men with those names, and maybe, just maybe, they all went on a journey together at about the time that Christ was born.  That's a lot of maybes, but here's my best, best guess.  Don't worry about it.  Their names are not important, only the reason for their journey, and that was following that one bright star that led them to Bethlehem to see the Babe, wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger, to see and honor the newborn King.  Besides, the ONLY ONE that really counts was lying in that manger nestled down in the hay.  And, God already knew their names before their journey even began.  Tomorrow is a celebration.  Are you going to celebrate?  Just remember, it is not three Kings that we celebrate, but four.  That fourth one is more important than the other three, but I'm sure you already figured that out.

I mentioned in a previous blog, that there wouldn't be Christmas without Easter.  One of my friends told me that I had perplexed them when I said that and they had never really given it any thought.  It was really kind of neat to see that light bulb click on over their head.  I love to make people think, really think.  They tried to convince me that it was a chicken and egg dilemma.  No, no dilemma at all.  Later that day, I got a phone call and all that was said was "I GET IT".  I'm so glad!  The only way God could save us from ourselves was to sacrifice Himself for us as a man.  With that being said, the sacrifice for our salvation was an important part of the first Christmas and God coming to Earth in human form as a tiny babe completed the plan.  It's "frontwards and backwards" all at the same time.  You couldn't have one without the other.  You wouldn't have Christmas without Easter without Christmas without Easter, and so on, and so on, and so on.

Do you remember when your children were babies?  They seemed tiny, helpless, totally dependent upon you for their every need.  You look at them as they lay snuggled in your arms and you wonder what their future will be.  We have no idea, do we?  But quietly cuddled up in Mary's arms, was a tiny baby boy, like every baby born in every aspect, but one.  This tiny precious life that came to us through an immaculate conception and a virgin birth, was God Himself, a Baby born to wear a crown of thorns.  A Baby born to grow up to be a man that would willingly spread his arms on a rugged wooden cross and sacrifice His life for our salvation.  By His wounds, we are healed.  Praise God.  Mary's faith and love for God and this Child in her arms sustained her for her entire life and kept her strong and guided her all the days of HIS earthly life and ultimately, His death on the cross.

God is all about His plans for all of us and we need to be all about taking the time to be still and quiet and just listen.  It's so amazing what can be accomplished when we take the time to do just that, listen and march on with what what He calls each and every one of us to do.  Have faith and remember, if you are listening with your ears, you won't hear it.  You have to listen with your heart.

I'm going to leave this right here.  I just want you to celebrate a little tomorrow, maybe quietly, maybe a special dinner fit for a King, maybe renew your passion and your commitment for the One that planned for you from the very beginning.  Close your eyes.  Place yourself in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago.  You witness a huge pressing crowd and you see shepherds and peasants and animals as well.  You hear beautiful harmonies wafting through the night air.  There's a damp chill in the air and then you sense an unexplainable hushed anticipation as you draw closer and closer so that you can see, so you can be a part of that tiny radiant miracle born to save us and give us ever lasting life.  A beautiful, but tired young woman beckons you closer.  You hesitate and then you see Him.  As you drop to your knees, you are overcome with an awe and a peace and love that has laid itself out before you.  You know, you just know.  As you kneel there before Him, you have words, but cannot speak, all you can do is quietly weep and smile at the glory of God that lies in His mother's arms, cooing and smiling sweet little baby smiles.  All you can do is whisper sweet praises to God for what you see before you, a perfectly beautiful tiny baby boy, the newborn King, your Savior.  And then, with everything you have inside of you, you glance at His mother for her nod of approval as you reach out to gently touch a tiny hand and simply welcome Him to our world. 

I send Peace and continued blessings to each and every one of you, may the love and spirit of Christmas AND Easter, carry you through each day as you travel through life.

As Always, In Him!

Kaye

OMG! - The Candy Man

See that picture on the right?  Do you now what it is?  It's "OH MY GOODNESS" wonderful stuff that's not necessarily good for us!  A sweet tooth's dream vacation - the candy aisle in your local grocery store!

I have a sweet tooth as big as the Grand Canyon.  I love candy, anything chocolate, everything sweet and yummy!  I would imagine that quite a few of you do as well.  I am SO BAD, that I recently hit pay-dirt browsing the seasonal candy aisle at my local grocery store.  EVERYTHING LEFT FROM CHRISTMAS WAS 75% OFF!  OMG!!!!!!!!  Jellies, caramels, cotton candy in the little buckets, soft peppermints.  Oh my stars, I just about had to ask for some smelling salts to revive me from my sugary stupor!  I did buy some wonderful minty things and a couple of buckets of cotton candy.  (The buckets were cute, they looked like snowmen and the cotton candy was white.  Had to be healthy, no artificial coloring!  Right!).  Oh, whatever!  Who am I kidding, anyway.  What's really funny, my blood sugar is normal and so is my cholesterol!  All that extra candy in my house AFTER Christmas - I must be out of my mind.  January is for fresh starts, losing weight, making resolutions that get broken and learning to cutback on those tasty treats that we consumed so much of over the holidays.  Sometimes, it seems virtually impossible to not over-imbibe from Thanksgiving through New Years!

My candy dishes are all full, plumb to the top of each one.  I have candy canes happily sharing a snowman mug, and, my snowman themed cotton candy is down to one container.  And then, it happened!  I went to visit a friend and she shared a little piece of heaven on earth with a special candy concoction made by another friend of hers.  If you have texture issues, skip over this next part.  Actually, if you don't like jello or anything similar, definitely skip over this next part.  These scrumptious little 1" cubes were a blend of cranberry jelly, raspberry jello, chopped walnuts and plain old sugar.  As I sit here writing this, I've consumed 4 of the 8 that she sent home with me.  They are DIVINE!  Sweet and tart all at the same time and I MUST HAVE MORE!

Within reason, I'm sure that just one of them is enough to send me into a diabetic tailspin, and here I've had four.  OH MY, OH MY, OH MY!  Very glad that my annual physical is not tomorrow, they'd probably set me up for a glucose tolerance test!  Regardless, thank you for those wonderful sugary cubes.  They are divine and absolutely the best thing that I've had in a long, long time, well maybe today, anyway, because, yesterday, I finished off my stash of gluten free whoppie pies that my mother made for me.  My cookie jar is so, so sad.  It's empty!  Insert frowning emoticon right here!

Have you ever heard the term "land of milk and honey"?  Any idea where it came from?  Believe it or not, it actually has Biblical origins.  It's how God described Canaan.  You can read about it in the book of Exodus 3:8, God talks to Moses and tells him that he wants him to lead His people out of Egypt and into the land of Canaan, a spacious land, rich and fertile.  So, what did Moses do...HE ARGUED!  He thought himself to be a nobody.  However, here he is, standing barefoot, as God directed him to remove his sandals because he was standing on holy ground.  AND, God's voice was coming out of a bush that was burning but not being destroyed in the process.  Now, if given that same circumstance, I think I would not have had any second thoughts at all.  I think I might have answered differently.  I definitely don't think I would have argued.  If anything, I think I probably would have been dumbstruck and unable to speak at the sight and sound of this Holy miracle before me.  How about you?

God knew that His people would be a hard sell when Moses came down from the mountain and shared the story.  So, He gave him some pretty miraculous powers in order to help them believe.  It all started with a walking stick and when thrown to the ground, it became a snake, but when Moses picked it up by the tail, it turned back into a walking stick.  Pretty amazing stuff.  God also had Moses put his very healthy hand inside his robes and pull it back out again.  When he did, it was diseased and covered with sores, but when he put it back inside his robes and removed it again, it was healthy.  After all of this, Moses still argued with God.  He fussed and carried on about not being a good speaker, slow and boring.  God still persisted and He reminded Moses that it was He, God, that gave him his mouth, his sight, his hearing, and it was HE, God that would give him the ability to speak.  And, ready for it....Moses still argued!  So, God sent in Aaron, his brother, to be the voice and speak to the people as Moses told him what to say.  He had Moses keep that fancy walking stick, too, because Moses would use it to perform miracles.  I love the book of Exodus.  I don't get tired of it, because to me, it's about every single one of us, every day, actually, every moment of our lives.  It is about listening to God, and as I've said so many times before, not with our ears, but our hearts.  It's about trusting God.  It's about obeying God.

You know, one of the things that speaks volumes to me, is God's response to Moses when he asks Him what he should tell the Israelites when they ask what His (God's) name is.  God's response "I am who I am".  "The one Who is called I Am, has sent me to you".  Two words, two simple little words carry the power, the glory, the majesty of everything that we are, that we have, that surrounds us.  I AM.

With that in mind, I'm going to jump back to my candy nirvana and let you see where this is all going.  Think of it like this - imagine those tempting, tasty sugary hunks of yumminess as a symbol of good and bad.  In moderation, these things make us smile, they make us happy, they satisfy a need for that little bit of sweetness that we crave from time to time.  In excess, they can be really devastating to our bodies, our health in general, but yet, knowing that it is not good for us, we persist and we over-indulge and we deal with the consequences - cavities, diabetic issues, weight gain (good ole spare tire or "done-lops" disease [your belly done loped over your waistband]).  A little may be okay, but over consumption can be disastrous - with anything, not just candy and sweets!

God's plan was for His chosen people to be led into a land that they would have to fight for, but ultimately, would provide for them in every way.  There was enough space for everyone and rich, fertile soil that would provide for them, if they would only listen, and obey.  Those instructions don't seem to tough, but almost all of us have a hard time doing it, even today.  Remember, God is Good, Very Very Good!  All of the time!  Don't doubt, just trust, have faith, and obey......

Time for a sentimental journey for us baby-boomers.  Remember the original version of ''Willy Wonka"?  Remember the scene in the beginning with all of the kids pressed up to the candy counter and the store owner begins to spin a tale for them about "The Candy Man"?  Of course you do.  I don't know too many people that haven't seen that movie.  It's unforgettable!  And, if you think about the words, Willy Wonka may just be a fictional character, but God isn't.  He's as real as sunrises sprinkled with dew, and rainbows and wishes and dreams.....  He's as real as you and me.  He's the first breath I take every morning and the miracle of life and death.  He's bigger than the Universe and could hold everything in it in the palms of His hands, and small enough to offer you His lap and His shoulder to lay your weary head on when you just need that quiet time and to know that everything really will be okay.

The lyrics to the song, The Candy Man Can, really say a lot about us.  And just for a moment, a brief moment, isn't God our Candy Man?  So, read them, think about the analogy and then tell Him thanks!  Enjoy the song too.  I want to send you out into your day with this song, these lyrics stuck in your head.  I want you to smile when you see the dew on the grass and a sparkling sunrise.  I want you to think of Him when you hear this and just say "Thanks" to I AM.

The Candy Man Can

Who can take a sunrise, sprinkle it with dew
Cover it with choc'late and a miracle or two
The Candy Man, oh the Candy Man can
The Candy Man can 'cause he mixes it with love and makes the world taste good

Who can take a rainbow, wrap it in a sigh
Soak it in the sun and make a groovy lemon pie
The Candy Man, the Candy Man can
The Candy Man can 'cause he mixes it with love and makes the world taste good

The Candy Man makes everything he bakes satisfying and delicious
Now you talk about your childhood wishes, you can even eat the dishes

Oh, who can take tomorrow, dip it in a dream
Separate the sorrow and collect up all the cream
The Candy Man, oh the Candy Man can
The Candy Man can 'cause he mixes it with love and makes the world taste good

The Candy Man makes everything he bakes satisfying and delicious
Talk about your childhood wishes, you can even eat the dishes

Yeah, yeah, yeah
Who can take tomorrow, dip it in a dream
Separate the sorrow and collect up all the cream
The Candy Man, the Candy Man can
The Candy Man can 'cause he mixes it with love and makes the world taste good
Yes, the Candy Man can 'cause he mixes it with love and makes the world taste good
a-Candy Man, a-Candy Man, a-Candy Man
Candy Man, a-Candy Man, a-Candy Man
Candy Man, a-Candy Man, a-Candy Man 

Love y'all.  I hope I gave you one more little BIG thing to ponder and make you smile.

And as always, In Him!

Katydid!

Be The Miracle That God Made You To Be!

Monday, normally a day that I am up at 5:00 am, showered; dressed; dog pottied - fed - and medicated; to-go breakfast made with hot cocoa in a to-go cup (with 3 marshmallows and a squirt of whipped cream); laptop and all accessories packed and on the road by 6:15 to pick up the young man that I mentor for a full day's worth of activities with a private school.  It's the Monday after Christmas and I SLEPT UNTIL 7:45 and didn't quite know what to do with myself.  It was actually kind of restoring to see that a sunrise can happen without me being behind the wheel of my car.  Wow!  None the less, I have enjoyed myself immensely.  Word of advice though, if you have anything to exchange or return, mercy, don't do it today.  Been there, done that.....

Today has been a day that my wonderful husband, son and I decided that we had consumed our fair share of sweets, rich foods, and cheese delicacies and it was time for a hot dog, just a plain old normal all beef hot dog smothered with spicy mustard.  It was like eating prime rib.  Yum!  I would imagine that many of you felt the same way.  Sometimes, easy, simple and lack luster are the way to go.  Now to concentrate on those couple of extra pounds that managed to find me over the past few weeks.  They hide all year and manage to creep up, attack and attach themselves to my unsuspecting body every year between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Sneaky little things!  The rule at our house is if it is not gone by January 1st, it goes out the door and into the trash bag.  We have to start the year with good, healthy meals!  Right!  I refuse to succumb to the lettuce and water routine for 30 days!  Just have to use my head and plan things out a little better so that we chill on the stuff that's bad for us.

When you stop and think about it, isn't everything in life like that?  Aren't we challenged every day with decisions about what's right and what's wrong?  It's not just about sweets and rich seasonal foods, it's about everything we do.

For the past several weeks, I've written about the days leading up to Christmas.  Yes, I know I didn't publish every day.  We've talked about that.  Sometimes, what I write ends up being so fine tuned and directed at myself, that it stays that way.  Those are the times that I write and talk to God while I do and then wait for His answers.  They always come, sometimes right away and sometimes, days later, but they always come.

A few years ago, a country song came out called "Unanswered Prayers".  I believe it was done by Garth Brooks.  The song always bothered me a little, because in my mind and in my heart, it wasn't true.  God answers EVERY prayer, but sometimes the answer is "NO" or "NOT NOW".  Too many people take the absence of a positive result for them or the person or situation that they lifted up in prayer as "unanswered".  Sometimes, we are not meant to get the winnings or resolution that we want.  It's not always about what we want, but what God wants for us or knows is best for us.  The answer may not make sense at the time.  Maybe it is not supposed to.  Maybe we will never know as long as we walk the earth the "whys" and "wherefores" of His answer.  As His children, we need to all trust and obey.  We need to have that mustard seed faith and walk on in the direction He leads us and not always be asking "why".  He has His reasons and sometimes those reasons or answers test our faith.  

Over the past almost 3 years, my very dear friend has survived multiple surgeries and battled countless problems as a result of illnesses that she has had to deal with her whole life.  Added to that mix 2 years ago, was breast cancer followed by over a year's worth of chemo treatments, weekly magnesium and potassium drips, blood transfusions, hair loss, nausea, and medical bills piling up to a point that seems never ending.   Added to this mix was loss of employment and questions about what to do, how to do it and where to go.

My point with all of this is simply put - prayer.  I have been by her side in emergency rooms, hospital admissions and doctor's appointments.  I always prayed for her, but she began to ask me to pray, and I did.  I prayed for her healing, inside and out.  I prayed for a peace to come over her and an assurance that she was constantly surrounded by angels that would watch over her even in those times that she was not aware of things around her.  Praise be to God!

Those guardian angels have worked overtime, trust me.  It was all part of God's plan and He led us to each other under very strange circumstances, knowing that we would gain strength and faith through our friendship with each other.  Go figure, you meet your best friend at the mall!  Since that day, we have laughed, cried and enjoyed so many wonderful times together and I thank God with all of my heart for putting her in my path on a certain day in February under strange circumstances, 3 years ago this coming February.  After we talked for 5 minutes, it seemed as if we had been friends for life.  Do you or have you ever had a friend like that?  Those are some of God's earthly angels and if you have now or ever had one in your life, give Him thanks and praise for putting that person in your life.

Craziness is what happens when we get together.  My family adores her and my kids refer to her as "aunt".  Last year, we attended an event right smack dab in the middle of her chemo issues and she fretted for days on end about looking professional and proper.  Her bald head was beautiful and we all teased her about losing small islands in the Pacific from her head whenever she would lose another hunk of hair.  My favorite was when she chimed in and said "Oh look, there goes Guam!".  Ultimately, this all led up to a trip to the salon and  the clippers grazing across her rapidly shedding noggin.  My son and I attended for moral support and my heart broke when she couldn't hold the tears in any longer.  It was a moment she knew was coming, but hoped and prayed that it wouldn't, that somehow, God would spare her from this part.  To us, it looked as though the prayer went unanswered, but in actuality, He answered it in such a way that none of us could ever imagine.  He answered it with her total healing, a clean scan and total remission from this wicked disease.  Praise be to God!  Anyway, back to our social gathering.  Georgia July temps made it almost unbearably hot. We are all in sundresses, pony tails and sandals and here she comes in a full wig.  It was important to her to look fully dressed and that included a proper hair style.  What she didn't think about was the heat and ultimately the itching.  Halfway through the evening, she was so miserable, we took a break and found a place where we could sit and she could remove that wretched wig.  It was at that point, that we all realized that this person before us was strikingly beautiful just the way she was and we convinced her to accept that thought and return to the event without her store bought tresses.  She was so scared and apprehensive, but we all stood by her and walked into that function as if nothing was different.  At that point, she realized just how beautiful she was just the way she was, with or without hair.  I don't think she has had that thing on again since that day.  Praise be to God!  Another miracle and another prayer answered.  I love her spunk and faith.  I love how through all of the illnesses and surgeries and healing and not healing, she has held her head high and walked on.  I love that she asks me to pray for her and I always do, and I always ask others to lift her up as well.

I am telling you this now because on Wednesday, she begins a series of surgeries to put herself back together, to make her "whole" on the outside.  Please just lift up unspoken prayer for her as she starts this new journey. Pray for her courage, her healing from the surgery and future wellness, and pray for a peace to come over her as she anticipates the coming event and the days that follow.

Miracles are not uncommon in my life.  I've been so blessed to be witness to so many, more than I can count. I've seen God take the worst possible scenario and turn it into a testimony of faith for the person(s) involved.  I've seen Him heal and give life when doctors said "no way possible".  I've seen Him mend bodies, mend hearts, open hearts, bring peace and change lives in such a mighty way, that I've been left with a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes as I quietly told Him thank-you.  There are people in my life right now, family and friends, that are here because HE is not done with them yet and has a purpose for them to continue to be that miracle that everyone sees.

So, yes, every prayer is answered, but that answer may or may not be the one that we each had in mind when we lifted up that prayer.  Yes, God speaks to everyone of us when we call out to Him and even when we don't.  Remember, don't listen with your ears, listen with your heart and have the faith of a tiny mustard seed that your prayer is being answered, often before you even lift it up.  When that answer doesn't make you happy, don't grumble about it.  He has a reason and just may not be ready to share that with you at this very moment.  Have faith and give thanks and don't ever stop praying because He never stops listening!

On Saturday, December 25th, we celebrated the birth of a King, God on Earth in the form of a precious, tiny baby boy.  What a wonderful miracle then and what a wonderful miracle for each of us now.

Use one of these well known acronyms to help you remember!  FROG - Fully Rely On God.  PUSH - Pray Until Something Happens.  GRACE - God's Riches At Christ's Expense and last but not least, my favorite - BIBLE - Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.

Tomorrow is another day - a good day filled with new experiences, a new sunrise and a new sunset, new miracles and new life.  Don't take a moment of it for granted.  Pray, have faith and be the miracle that God created you to be!  You know I try to always end with a song that sums up what I've written.  Today is no different.  I hope you enjoy as you think about how you are one of God's many miracles.  Peace and blessings to each of you as we continue to celebrate the birth of Christ the King and as always, In Him...

Kaye