Merry Christmas!

Wishing everyone a joyful Christmas and

good times with family and friends.

The people walking in darkness

have seen a great light;

on those living in the land

of the shadow of death

a light has dawned...

For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given,

and the government will be

on his shoulders.

And He will be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:2,6

What I'm thinking about today...

God is not disillusioned with you, because He had no illusions about you in the first place.

- quoted from "He Loves Me" by Wayne Jacobsen

21 Years

You know, I can remember saying more than once that I would NEVER get married around Christmas. It's just too crazy of a time and then you never get to celebrate your anniversary because it gets lost in the busyness of the season. Kinda like those people who have birthdays right around Christmas. I always feel sorry for them -- all your presents coming at one time of the year. ;-)

So, what did I end up doing? I got married a week before Christmas. And I had green (ok, teal) bridesmaids dresses and red roses -- and poinsettias for decorations. So much for shunning the idea of getting married at Christmas. ha So ever since then, it's definitely been a struggle to find time to actually do anything for our anniversaries through the years. To illustrate this fact, when I told Mackenzie that her dad and I were going out for our anniversary on Friday night, she said, "Wow, last year was your 20th Anniversary -- did y'all ever even do anything for that?" Uh.... well, no. We meant to -- and kept saying we were going to... but like I said, the time comes and goes so fast, sometimes it just doesn't happen. So, the good news is that we had a very nice night out last night, so maybe this is a good sign for future anniversary celebrations. :-)

Anyway, I just thought I'd take a moment and share a couple of "Then" and "Now" pictures - one of my favorites from our wedding and then a picture of us before we went out Friday night. It seems hard for me to believe that we've been married for 21 years -- in just 3 more years, we'll have reached that point of being married as long as we haven't been married... wow. But I'm very grateful to have shared these years with such a generous, kind, patient and forgiving man as my husband is. I'm truly blessed. :-)

Every Year It's Something....

...and I can only hope that this year's 'something' is done and nothing else unexpected is going to happen. I'm talking about 'Fruit Sale Stories.' My friend who helps me with this crazy fundraiser reminded me last night that I told her last year that some fiasco happens every year with fruit sales so that I always have stories to tell. :-)

So here's my story.... I was called on Friday of last week and told that our fruit would be arriving first thing Wed. morning -- at 8:30am. "You are the first delivery of the day, so the truck should be right on time!" Well, that's what they told us last year and it was 2 hours late... that should have made me suspect, but no, ever the eternal optimist about these sorts of things, I was sure we'd being seeing a fruit delivery truck at 8:30am on Wed. So I started sending emails and making calls for volunteers to help unload -- making pleas to strong men to please come and help us unload these boxes of fruit! People were emailing back and calling to say they'd be there.... all was right with the world. ;-)

So Sunday afternoon, my mother-in-law, Louise, arrived for a visit to see both Anna and Mackenzie's Christmas band concerts. Well, most of Monday she spent watching me field phone calls about band uniforms and getting things organized for Anna's concert on Monday night and baking goodies to bring for the reception afterwards... then the night was spent at the concert. Tuesday, we planned to spend some fun time shopping and just enjoying the day before Mackenzie's concert on Tuesday night. Well.... we started over the mountain on our shopping trip and just about as we got to Target, my phone rang. It was the school. Our very sweet and helpful and always cheerful receptionist at school (Pam) was calling to tell me that the fruit truck was in Albertville and would be at the school within the hour, ready to unload. WHAT!?!?!?!?!

So I turned the car around, ran home and ate a quick sandwich, changed clothes, apoligized to Louise for having to abandon her and our plans for the afternoon, and ran to school. And then spent the next 2 hours unloading a truck full of fruit with the band director and several very eager (and sometimes even helpful - ha) middle school boys. They were happy to get out of class and the principal rewarded them with a soda for their efforts. :-) There was no time to get any other help -- the one mom I called didn't get my message until 4:30. But why ruin anyone else's day, right? And it all got done... it always does somehow. We even managed to get the big 18-wheeler that was blocking the path of the school busses out of the way and back on the road, just in time for school to let out. Whew.

I won't recount the rest of the day from there, but it didn't slow down any, at all... but as I settled from the initial frustration and adrenaline rush of the crisis that was now behind me, I realized that really we had a nice afternoon, as far as weather was concerned, to unload the truck. This morning wouldn't have been nearly so nice.... and several people no longer had to go out of their way (including me!) to be at school first thing this morning. So I said a little prayer and thanked God for the seeming 'inconvenient' things that happen that often times have a silver lining to them. :-)

Now I'm on my way BACK to school (actually, for the 3rd time today) to go and spend the rest of the day getting the fruit handed off to parents. Wonder if there are any more 'stories' to come of my afternoon? Uh.... hopefully nothing worth writing about. ;-)

Living Less Loved

I finished reading The Shack this past weekend and it is such a good book! The characterization of God has really helped my ‘imagination’ and how I think about God. It also did a lot to help me see how much God just wants to love me and how much He’s done to show me that. At the same time I ordered The Shack, I also got a book called “He Loves Me!” which was written by Wayne Jacobsen who helped with the writing of The Shack. The following excerpt, which is very long but I think worth reading, is from He Loves Me. The author is writing about the story of the Prodigal Son – which he really thinks should be titled the Parable of the Incredible Father! :-)

Living Less Loved

In this incredible story, when do you think the father loved his son the most?
Every time I share this story I ask people that question. Almost always the first answer is the moment where the father met the son on the road. After a bit more thought, however, some suggest it might be when the father gave him his inheritance and let him go. Only then does it become clear: there is no point in the story where the father loves his son more than at any other point. He loved him completely through the whole process. It is the only constant in the story.
The events in this story cannot be accounted for by the varying love of the father – only the varying perception of it by the son. Though he was not less loved at any point in the story, through most of it he lived as if he were.
When he took the money from his father and stormed off the farm, grateful to be out from under the clutches and free to pursue his own way, he lived less loved.
When he spent his money in a foreign land, wasting it on his own pleasures and thinking he’d finally fooled his father, he lived less loved.
Even when he started for home, practicing his plea of repentance, willing to be a slave, he lived less loved.
But finally, when he was home in the robe, the sandals, and the ring, sitting at his father’s table, sinking his teeth into the filet mignon, it finally sank in. He was loved. But he always was! It was just that then he could stop living as if he weren’t.
Most of our lives are spent living less loved.
When we worry that God will ask us for some horrible sacrifice, we live less loved.
When we indulge ourselves in sin, we live less loved.
When we give in to anxiety in the crush of our circumstances, we live less loved.
Even when we get caught up in religious obligations to make ourselves acceptable to Him, we live less loved.
That is the story of the older brother. At the end of the story he was so angry at his father for welcoming his wayward brother home, he refused to come to the house and join the celebrations. He had stayed with his father, never pursuing his own aims, but he still missed out on the relationship his father wanted with him. Though a son, he saw himself only as a slave and every request of his father as an onerous chore.
The first son represents those who run from God by indulging their own selfish pursuits; the older son represents those who work hard to impress God with their commitment. Fearful of the consequences of disappointing God, they slave away for him. But they never come to the depth of relationship the Father wants with them. The Pharisees in Jesus’ day were like that, as are many people today who are caught up in a host of religious activities but miss out on what it really means to live in the Father’s love.
In the long run it doesn’t matter whether rebellion or religion keeps you from a vibrant relationship with the Father; the result is still the same. He is cheated out of the relationship he wants with you, and you never come to know how he feels about you.
Jesus ended the story at an interesting point. The younger son was in the house enjoying his newfound relationship with his father. The older son was still outside weighing his options. Would he come to know just how much he was loved and join the celebration, or would he remain convinced of his father’s unfairness and stay angry and alone outside?
The choice was his – and it is yours! Everything about your life hinges on the answer to one simple question: Do you know how loved you really are?
Isn’t it about time you found out?

“I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” EPH 3:17-19

One final thing: There’s a line in ‘The Shack’ that I really, really like that seems to me to show the attitude that the father had in this story – and that God has towards us when we’ve been in the ‘pig pen.’ This is “God” talking:

“I don’t need to punish people for sin. Sin is its own punishment, devouring you from the inside. It’s not my purpose to punish it; it’s my joy to cure it.”

And all I can say is, Amen to that. :-)

Happy Thanksgiving

On a day that was a bit more stressful than I had hoped for, this verse came to mind as I was sitting here trying to wind down the day. I'm hoping to let it settle in over the next couple of days and to leave the stress behind.

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:4-7

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. :-)

Look out below...

...that's what I think when I see this picture of Anna. ;-) I was reminded yesterday of how L--O--N--G a gymnastics meet can last! And of how unforgiving this sport really is... We spent about 4 hours yesterday at the Huntsville Gymnastics Fall Meet at the VBC watching some of Anna's old teammates start their competition season. Of the girls that she has 'grown up' with in gymnastics, only 2 are still competing. After being away from the gym for a while, it was good to see how much they have improved and the new things they've learned since last year. Amazing, really. But there are still judges to impress, other gyms to compete with, and always just that ONE mistake that can cost you a finish on the podium. THAT surely never changes.

It was a little weird being there as a 'spectator' and not a mom of a gymnast or one of the crazy people working behind the scenes at the meet. I had flashbacks of doing that last year as I looked down at the coaches eating area and passed by the 'Judges Hospitality Room' and thought that I didn't miss doing that at all! ha But I must confess that I really did miss seeing Anna out there on the floor as one of the competitors. She was always fun to watch. :-) (even when it was nerve-racking!) Of course, she had the best time she's ever had a meet because she got to watch and help out some and there was NO PRESSURE! :-)

Anyways, I found that picture of her above at the meet last year. She's just coming off the high bar doing a 'fly-away' dismount. That's a pretty scary move and one that she didn't like too much. But part of gymnastics is about mastering your fears and I'm continually amazed at how all these girls do that. And it's made me think a little bit about the 'life lesson' in that -- God never promises a life without fears or challenges, etc... but how well am I 'mastering' mine? hmmmm..... good question.

Man's Best Friend

After one of my walks up on Green Mountain a week or so ago, I started thinking about Mandy and how much of a dog lover I've become. I didn't grow up with dogs - I mostly had cats - and I was the last one in the family to 'want' to have a dog. I definitely didn't want one in the house! Well, all that changed when we brought this cute little puppy home almost 4 years ago. :-) I fell in love with this silly dog and now she's more like another family member than a dog... I hope she doesn't read this, because she doesn't really know that she's a dog. ha Anyways, that thought, "Man's Best Friend," popped into my head and then this idea for a poem came to mind... so here goes:

Man’s Best Friend

I think I’m beginning to understand
That old saying about “man’s best friend”
These days it seems that my dog Mandy
Has truly become my biggest fan(dy)
(sorry, that was really corny)

I realize there are things that she knows
That thankfully she can never disclose
But… oh the stories that she could tell
Of confessions heard and tears that fell

From long walks up on top of Green Mountain
Around the lake and past the water fountain
To back porch writings and conversations with God
Listening outside my closet door between sobs

She’s heard it all and then some more
And it doesn’t seem that she ever gets bored
Wherever I am, that’s where she wants to be
It’s funny how comforting that is when you’re in need.

Yes, ‘man’s best friend,’ so loyal and true
There when you need her no matter what you’re going through
I’m grateful for my dog these days
And the loving devotion that never fades.

Taking the long way home...

I was driving home from lunch today and as I got onto the Parkway and started to get off at Governor's Drive to head over the mountain, traffic was backed up almost to the ramp. There's been a bunch of construction on Governors at the hopital for quite some time now, and some days it's just crazy. Apparently today was one of those days. So I decided to go further south and go home over the other mountain... and as I drove down that way, something in me got kinda nostalgic and I decided to do a little drive down memory lane.

I grew up on the south end of Huntsville, but unless I'm going to get my hair cut or to the doctor, I don't go down that way too often. So I often 'forget' that I actually grew up here. ha Anyways, I got off at Airport Road and when I got to Whitesburg, I took a right and almost immediately, I felt transported back in time. Something about Whitesburg Drive does that to me. :-) Pretty quickly, I drove past one of my best friend's house from middle and high school. Just down the road, I took a left on Tannehill and drove up the hill to the top and took a right. That's when I passed by my old high school boyfriend's house... As I drove a little more around that neighborhood, I passed my old piano teacher's house, and then the girl's house that was flag corp captain when I was rifle corp captain in band. I drove down the road that I had traveled many times to another best friend's house... I even turned around on the hill that my dad first had me stop on when I was learning to drive a stick shift. He very purposefully didn't tell me that the car would roll backward while I was trying to get it in gear and he fell out laughing when I screamed and stalled the car that first time. ;-) I noticed as I drove down Hickory Hill Lane that they've put in speed 'humps.' Those weren't necessary back when I was growing up there -- but times change. Then when I rounded the corner onto Atwood Drive, I passed the creek we used to play in that we weren't supposed to (shhhh.... don't tell my parents!) and drove along the 'Aldridge Creek Greenway' that's in place of several homes that were across the street from mine growing up. You know, we could have had a lot of fun on that bike path if it had been there when I was little... but then, I wouldn't have had the friends who lived in the houses (or my babysitter!) or gotten to play ball in the Moss's back yard. (We lost a lot of balls to the creek playing there!) I drove past the house I grew up in and marveled again at how big the trees are that I remember planting with my dad. And I've told this story to lots of people, but there are shutters that my dad put up inside what was my brother's bedroom (instead of curtains) many, many years ago.... and they're STILL there. I'm not sure how many times that house has changed hands, but that amazes me. I suppose one day I'll drive by and they'll be gone, and I think I'll lose one more little bit of my childhood when that happens.... but for now I hang on. :-) So I turned onto Loukell (who thinks up these names?) and past my neighbor's house where I used to go swimming, and the other neighbor where I used to jump on their trampoline... oh, I forgot the best neighbors of all - the family we 'grew up' with where you could just come and go like you lived there. I passed their house, too. Then past the kids I used to babysit for. I thought is was SO cool back then that their entire back yard was a full-sized tennis court! Nobody in the neighborhood had anything like that! Then as I left my old neighborhood, I passed my other piano teacher's house and finally past another best friend.... as I passed her driveway, I had the most vivid memory of dragging her ping-pong table out there and playing ping-pong for hours. The 'last' stop on my journey was passing by my old high school, Grissom. I drove past the back parking lot where I spent many hot summer mornings and cool fall afternoons practicing with the marching band. I would say some of my best teenage memories came out of those times and my association with the band.

And at that point, it was time to go home because I was running out of gas. :-) So I started over the mountain and as I left south Huntsville behind and headed into Hampton Cove, I suddenly felt as if time fast-forwarded 30 years to the present with a jolt. Can it really be that long ago? It seems almost as if time stands still whenever I make that drive... but it doesn't. Things change, and I have changed. Other people live and go about their lives where I used to live... the friends I grew up with are scattered and we've lost touch... it makes me a little sad thinking about it. But I don't want to dwell there. Driving down the mountain into my life now, I'm making new memories with my own kids.... and thinking that we moved here when Anna was 6 years old - the same age I was when our family first moved to Huntsville. (weird) So maybe one day she'll find herself taking the kind of drive I just took this afternoon and taking a little trip down memory lane like her old mom. :-)

My 'New' Office

I thought maybe I should take a picture of my office while it's clean. ;-) Actually, I spent most of the day yesterday putting a final coat of paint on the trim that has needed to be painted for, oh, almost 2 years I think. ha That's the way 'projects' seem to go around here. Jack did a wonderful job of making this little room for me out of some extra attic space and it all got done but the last bit of painting and putting in the cabinets that you see in the corner. And it stayed that way for quite a while because I didn't paint and couldn't decide on the cabinet stuff. The problem was that the room was 'functional' without all that, so getting that stuff done fell way on down the priority list, if you know what I mean. So anyway, Jack put these cabinets in for me not too long ago and finished off the top so I have a place for my scanner now, other than on the floor... and I painted and got most everything organized and put back in the room. I even hung some pictures that I think I've had for over a year! And now the room isn't just 'functional,' it's actually a really nice place to be. :-)

Impossible! Or is it?.....

I had one of those mornings today where I stopped before I read my bible and really asked God to speak to me through His word today so that I could see Him and hear Him clearly. I don't always stop to do that quite so specifically, but I imagine I should do it more!

So I opened up in my reading and today was about Abraham and Sarah and the promise of them having a son. I got to the part about Sarah standing at the entrance of her tent and laughing to herself as she overhears the promise that she will bear a son in about a year's time. After hearing Sarah laugh, the Lord says to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Will I really have a child, now that I am old?' Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son." (Gen 18:13-14)

It's funny how thoughts can all come together at times. Things like having a birthday recently and holidays like yesterday and such tend to get me thinking about how much can change in a year's time. So that's already been on my mind. Then I read about Sarah today and the doubt that flooded her mind as she heard this promise being made to Abraham. I had to ask myself, "How easy is it for me to be just like Sarah? Am I standing at the entance of my 'tent' and laughing (or maybe crying!) quietly to myself, struggling to believe the promises that God has for me?" But it was so reassuring to hear God's clear and confident voice in response to my doubt as I read these words... "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" And as I read that, I could hear Jesus saying to his disciples, "With man this is impossible, but all things are possible with God." And then Paul's words, "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength."

Of course, it's always helpful to have 'the rest of the story' right at your fingertips. I can read on just a little further and see a year on down the road in Abraham and Sarah's life and know that God, indeed, did just as He said He would. What seemed absolutely impossible in Sarah's mind was never too hard for God to accomplish. So it makes me wonder what another year from now will look like in my life? And no, I'm not hoping to have a baby!! ;-) But I do want to place my hopes in God's hands and know that nothing is too hard for Him!

Just for fun, I found this picture of the "Impossible Triangle" done with dice. It's a pretty amazing optical illusion. The more you stare at it, the more your mind wants to make sense out of it but just can't - it's impossible! :-)

Accident Report

A little update on Mackenzie's accident from last week. Today I have been dealing with obtaining an accident report and I'm now trying to hunt down my insurance contact and get an email address from her so I can send it on to her. One thing I will say, this day and age of doing things electronically is SO nice. You just pull up the police website and you can download your accident report for a mere $12.50. Of course, if you actually go and get it in person, it's only $10.00. But it was worth the $2.50 not to have to leave my house today. :-) A month ago I could have also made the argument that it would have cost me more in gas to go in person, but gas prices have come down enough now that I'm not sure I can say that any more....

Accident reports are interesting to read. First, I was really curious as to what the police officer would report about the accident. If there was any doubt at all about who was at FAULT in this accident, well, that's all been cleared up. ha And you know our policemen was very nice, but I don't think that spelling is a requirement for the job. ;-)

Then there are the individual reports from the drivers involved:
"Car #3" "Morning Traffic on Governors. Approx. 7:30am. Just Past Parkhill Rd going west (coming down Mountain into HSV). Traffic was slowing down to stop; car behind was hit which pushed it into my car."

All the capitalization was his in that first sentence -- guess at some point he decided that he didn't need to do that through the whole report.

"Car #2" "Bumper to Bumper traffic. Hit the brakes. Came to a complete stop. Car behind me hit my rear bumper which caused me to hit the car in front of me."

She started with the capitalization thing, too. Maybe that's just what you do when you're stressed out!

"Car #1" "I was driving down northbound Governor's Drive in heavy traffic. The vehicle in front of me stopped abruptly, and I did not stop quick enough. I rear-ended the car in front of me."

Well, I'm glad that even in stressful situations, my daughter can still put a complete sentence together with relatively proper capitalization - even though she didn't know she was going westbound instead of northbound. :-)

Well, not too long ago when Mackenzie first started driving, I was thinking how nice it was that when you add a 15 year-old driver with a permit onto your insurance, that it doesn't change your premiums at all.... well..... at least not until you have an accident. ha I just wonder if it will be her father's or my name that will bear the 'step up' on the premiums. ;-) Ah, all the fun things you learn along life's way... but as those things go, this is very minor in the grand scheme of things. And thank God for that....

Collide

Well, it was an interesting morning today. Not what I had in mind. About 2 minutes after Cindy showed up for our usual Thursday morning workout, I got a phone call from Jack. He and Mackenzie had been in an accident going over Governor's drive on the way to school. Luckily no one was hurt - but as you can see, the car didn't fare so well.

So Mackenzie had just started driving to school this week. She's been doing great driving and had been asking about taking this next step. So her first time to drive was on Monday and I remember Jack calling to tell me that it was a little more stressful way for him to start out his morning than usual! ;-) And then today, apparently traffic was backed up and 2 cars ahead of her, a guy stopped kinda fast, then the girl in front of her (also a HHS student) had to stop quick and well, Mackenzie just didn't stop quick enough and ran into the girl in front of her and pushed her into the guy in front of them both. It didn't hurt the guy's car at all - good for him since he still had the dealer plates on his new Jetta! And the Landrover in front proved that their cars really are built pretty good -- not too much damage. And then there was our 'Green Machine.' :-) Poor thing -- it got the worst of it. I'm not so sure it will be coming home again... guess we'll see. And Mackenzie was very sad - she really loved that car.

So as Jack and I sat at breakfast after this was all over and contemplated this new understanding we now have of OUR parents and what they felt when we had our first accidents way back when, it was all kind-of surreal. Can we really be at that place in life where we're dealing with our teenager's first car accident? Wow, where does time go?..... and when did we get to be the grown-ups? ha

So I have to explain where I got the title for this post. When I picked Mackenzie up from school today and we were driving home, she was looking at songs on her ipod and made this comment - "Oh, it would have been pretty funny if this song "Collide" by Skillet had been on when I had my accident this morning!" (That's one of her favorite songs.) Yeah, right... funny. NOT! ;-)

Psalm 86

It's been a while since I've posted anything on here, but it's been a little busy. All of my family was in town to visit last week for what we were affectionately calling "Christmas in October." Or, "A Halloween Christmas to Remember"... or something, I don't know. The real issue is that my brother realized that it was going to cost over $4,000 to fly here AT Christmas time and that just wasn't going to be happening! So they were here last week -- and it was kinda nice because we got to celebrate a lot of birthdays at one time, open Christmas presents one night, take my little French niece to pick a pumpkin and go trick-or-treating for the first time! So like I said, it's been busy. :-)

I was going to write something last night, but I got more interested in changing the look of my blog and that took up my time. :-) And it's now very late once again, but I found a psalm a few days ago that I've found myself going back to and reading and praying through every day since, and really trying to take to heart. So I just thought I'd post it here and then call it a night.

Psalm 86
A prayer of David.
1 Hear, O LORD, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
2 Guard my life, for I am devoted to you.
You are my God; save your servant
who trusts in you.
3 Have mercy on me, O Lord,
for I call to you all day long.
4 Bring joy to your servant,
for to you, O Lord,
I lift up my soul.
5 You are forgiving and good, O Lord,
abounding in love to all who call to you.
6 Hear my prayer, O LORD;
listen to my cry for mercy.
7 In the day of my trouble I will call to you,
for you will answer me.
8 Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord;
no deeds can compare with yours.
9 All the nations you have made
will come and worship before you, O Lord;
they will bring glory to your name.
10 For you are great and do marvelous deeds;
you alone are God.
11 Teach me your way, O LORD,
and I will walk in your truth;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.
12 I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart;
I will glorify your name forever.
13 For great is your love toward me;
you have delivered me from the depths of the grave.
14 The arrogant are attacking me, O God;
a band of ruthless men seeks my life—
men without regard for you.
15 But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,
slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.
16 Turn to me and have mercy on me;
grant your strength to your servant
and save the son of your maidservant.
17 Give me a sign of your goodness,
that my enemies may see it and be put to shame,
for you, O LORD, have helped me and comforted me.

Birthday Eve

As I was thinking about holidays and special days and such, it occurred to me that only Christmas and the New Year seem to be special enough to have an "Eve" to celebrate before they actually get here. We don't even have a Thanksgiving or Easter 'Eve.' :-) But my birthday is tomorrow and, while it certainly doesn't rank up there with Christmas or New Years... I thought I'd write a little on my 'Birthday Eve.' ;-)

First, a little birthday trivia about my family that you may or may not know. I think this is pretty cool - almost Guiness Book worthy - but I'm sure there's someone out there who would beat us. Anyway, on my dad's side of the family (the Townsleys) we have some interesting birthday 'coincidences.' My dad's sister (my Aunt Carolyn) was born on Oct. 28th. She's the only girl sibling that my dad had. My dad's brother then had his first daughter (my cousin Sydney) and she was also born on Oct. 28th. Then my dad had me (his first daughter) and I was born on Oct. 28th. So, we always thought this was pretty neat. Then my cousin Steven (Sydney's brother) had his first daughter (Danielle) and I still remember this because she went into labor on Oct. 27th and we all were holding our breath to see if she would hold out until midnight before she was born...... well, she didn't (boo) -- she was born a couple hours before midnight. Guess her mom didn't hear our pleas to 'wait just a little longer!' (haha) And finally, my brother Mark had had his first daughter (Lena) 3 years ago and she was due to arrive on, yes, Oct. 28th. But she had other plans of coming into the world a bit sooner than that and was born on Oct. 20th. And so far that's it for the Oct. birthday streak. So it's safe to say that Oct. is a pretty busy birthday month in the Townsley family!

Since I'm writing about 'Birthday Eve,' it's been on my mind today to come up with a resolution for my 45th year of life. I've never been very good about making or keeping New Year's resolutions, but somehow doing one for my birthday year seems more personal to me, so I'm hoping I'll stick with it a little better. ;-) The problem was that I couldn't come up with what I wanted my resolution to be. Well, I had prayed this morning to be able to see God more clearly through the day... and one of the first things that I came upon was a facebook status update from my friend Lisa that said she was praying to see 'God-moments' in HER busy day. So that encouraged me and helped me see God as I saw us praying the same prayer today... A little later I was praying while driving in the car and thinking that I really wanted to hear God's voice and just sense His presence -- and I thought that in order to do that, I really had to get my own selfish desires out of the way and just listen to Him. And this account of John the Baptist and Jesus 'popped' into my head:

They came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him." To this John replied, "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.' The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.

He must become greater; I must become less.

John 3:26-30

Now, this is not one of those verses that I normally have 'on hand' in my memory stores for quick recall when I really need some encouragement or help... it kinda came out of left field, if you know what I mean. But it has stayed with me all day and I think that what I want to start my birthday with tomorrow is this idea that in all things I do, think, feel, want and so on... "Jesus must become greater, and *I* must become less."

A while back a study came out that pointed to the "40's" as the most difficult decade in life to navigate through. And in particular, they noted that "44" was indeed the worst year... (I know, realy encouraging stuff, huh -- my apologies to all you 'youngsters' who haven't gotten to 44 just yet!) Well, year 44 in my life has certainly had it's challenges -- and I imagine it's mostly because I had John 3:30 very backwards. So, my resolution is to turn that back around this next year (and from now on!) and live so that Jesus, indeed, becomes greater in my life, and I become less...

Things I learn from TV

Those of you who know me well, know that I really enjoy TV and have several shows I like to follow. And quite often, beyond the entertainment factor, I find interesting things to ponder. :-) Well, my newest, most favorite show is Eli Stone. It's rather quirky and odd, but I like the concept of the show and Eli's struggle to understand the 'gift' he's been given, where it comes from, and how it's changing him. In the last season, he seemed to wrestle constantly with the thought that his 'visions' were from God and were meant to be of help to other people. He found out that he had a brain aneurysm and thought he saw visions because of that. When we left him last season, he had just had surgery to have the aneurysm removed so that he could go back to leading a 'normal' life and get 'God' out of his brain. (or so he thought!) As this season begins though, he finds himself depressed and a bit lost and struggling to find meaning in his life. He's been temporarily laid off from work (because he was deemed mentally unstable due to the visions) and he thinks he will be fulfilled if he can just get back to the job he loves. In order to do that, he has to get past the psychiatrist who has the power to determine if he's competent to go back to work or not. After some pleading, she finally signs his paperwork, but tells him that his job is not what is going to cure the 'emptiness' in his heart. And I love her parting comments to him -- sorry about the long explanation to get to this, but I thought it would be better in the right context. He starts to walk away and then turns to ask her what she thinks he really needs and she says this:

"Eli, you're missing having a sense of the divine in your everyday life. I think you are less happy now than when your life was occasionally upended by the fantastic. I think that grace fulfilled you in a way that you didn't even know you needed. And the only thing crazy about you is the fact that you don't seem to realize that."

Good stuff... :-) ... especially the part about grace. The great thing about the internet these days is that most of these TV shows can be watched online now, once they've been aired. So if you're interested, you can go to http://abc.go.com/primetime/elistone/index?pn=index and check it out for yourself. Or just tune in on Tuesday nights at 9:00. :-) (that's the old-fashioned way -- haha)

More from Green Mountain...

I took this picture a couple of days ago up on Green Mountain. I think it is just beautiful up there and I'm trying to 'capture' the fall as it begins here in Alabama, even though it hasn't felt much like fall this week! You'll probably see more pictures later, but I don't have time to post a bunch of them now - but this was one of my favorites. :-)

I have been working on getting up the courage to post a 'poem' I've been working on. I wrote most of it probably a couple of months ago... but each time I read back through it, I usually find a little something to change. Here is my disclaimer -- I really don't write poetry. :-) In fact, up until probably a year or two ago, I'm not sure I ever even tried to write a poem unless I had to back in school or something - and that was under great duress. ha But I got inspired a little while back to try it some and I find now, that every now and then, something just comes to mind and the ideas and words seem to flow -- and that's kind-of a neat thing. It feels like it doesn't really come from me -- Anyways, this poem came from a study I did a while back on Jesus and all the ways he interacted with and responded to the various women he came in contact with. And how he changed their lives... I was actually amazed when I started looking at that, how many women that actually was - and I'm sure I've missed a few! So here goes:

Who Do You See?

Who do you see, Lord
When you look at me?
What do others see?
Will I be changed? Will I be free?
What will become of me?

You saw Mary
A frightened teenage girl… with a secret
No one could believe her
She surrendered all to you… in trust
And held the Savior of the world in her arms.

You saw the bleeding woman
Suffering in physical pain… 12 long years
No one could heal her.
All she needed was to touch you… and she did.
Your power flowed and her body was healed.

You saw the Caananite woman
She was nothing… an outcast
No one would give her the time of day.
She begged you… in humility
And you were amazed at her faith.

You saw the mother of James and John
She was very bold… maybe even proud.
She wanted what she felt was right for her sons
She wasn’t afraid to ask… even demand
You kindly, but firmly, told her she didn’t know what she was asking.

You saw the five wise virgins
They were prepared… waiting for the bridegroom.
Soon they would be called to action
You arrived… and they were ready
You took them with you into the wedding banquet.

You saw the five foolish virgins
They were unprepared… but waiting for the bridegroom
Soon they, too, would be called to action.
You arrived… and they were not ready.
You left them outside the locked door in tears.

You saw the woman who anointed your feet
Her reputation preceded her… a sinful woman
Everyone looked down on her
She showed her love extravagantly… unashamed
You said that what she did for you was beautiful and would be remembered.

You saw the widow
Crying over the loss of her only son… so much grief.
Everyone pitied her but could not console her
She had no words to express her need… but you knew it anyway.
You raised her son to life and gave him back to his mother.

You saw Martha, opening her home
She was concerned about everything being just right… a proper hostess
Everyone depended on her to take care of things
She was distracted by all she needed to do… and missed what was important
You gently reminded her not to worry, but to be with you instead.

You saw Mary, at your feet
Quietly eager… listening, learning.
She was criticized for being of no help to Mary
But she saw past the distractions to the one thing she needed… you.
You made it clear that she had made the right choice.

You saw the persistent widow
She had been wronged… it wasn’t fair.
But no one seemed to care.
She refused to give up her plea for justice… the squeaky wheel.
You listened and gave her the justice she was seeking.

You saw the poor widow
She had nothing to live on… except her faith.
Others secretly scoffed at her meager offering
She gave everything she had… and you noticed
You praised her above everyone else for her trust in you.

You saw the Samaritan Woman
She had gotten very good at hiding her shame… avoiding the truth… keeping up appearances
Others whispered and talked behind her back
If only she could believe what you were telling her… life-giving water!
You exposed her secrets and showed her that you loved her just the same.

You saw Mary Magdalene at the tomb
She was heartbroken and desperate… mourning her loss
All the disciples had gone back to their homes
She just needed to be with you… but you were gone!
You spoke her name, “Mary,” and she recognized her Lord.

You saw the woman caught in adultery
She had no dignity left… completely terrified.
Those around stood in self-righteous judgment, ready to stone her
She couldn’t even look at you… didn’t dare to ask for anything
Your probing question dispersed the crowd and you sent her on her way, redeemed and forgiven.

Go and sin no more.

Who do you see when you look at me?
Each woman here… I am all of these.
You look at me
I am full of sorrow… so much pain and regret.
Does anyone know my guilt, my grief? You do.
If only I can rest in the comfort of your love… feel your touch.
You promise to be with me always, to the very end of the age.

Now look at me again, Father
Who do you see?
I am clothed with Christ… it’s Jesus you see!
What do others see?
A sister, a friend… very much in need.
Will I be changed? Will I be free?
What will become of me?
Let my heart be yours alone, Lord… to YOU be the glory!

A few pictures...

Besides the yoga poster and BMW assembly line picture, I did manage to take a few pictures at my sister's house earlier this week - so here's a few of my favorites:

The car ride did get a little tedious towards the end, so the girls found the best way to deal with that. And I had to include the picture of the bear from our trip to the zoo on Sunday because it seems like he could have been curled up right in the back seat with the girls. :-) By the way, when Mackenzie realized I had taken this picture, she threatened to destroy my camera. (heehee)

Mackenzie, Anna, Shelby and Nathan at the Riverbanks Zoo.

Time for lunch! I was impressed that the food at the zoo was actually pretty good.

And the cutest and most famous member of the zoo -- the Koala.

(Look closely at the gray fuzz in the middle of the greenery!)

Tom and Shelby relaxing with a book...

...meanwhile, in the other room, we were rocking out to Guitar Hero! :-)

Me and my sister as we were packing up to leave....

You know, part of the reason we went for a visit was to see all the renovations to the house that had been done -- expanded kitchen, granite countertops, new master bedroom and bath off the first floor, and a beautiful screened-in three season porch with a brick fireplace... but did I take any pictures of that? No..... that was kinda dumb. But it was all very nice and the porch was great -- we enjoyed sitting out there at night in the peace and quiet. Hey Lisa, maybe you should send me some pictures and then I can post them here for all to see? That could work... ;-)

I thought I might get around to blogging about our trip to Rainbow Omega tonight, but just getting all these pictures posted and in order has taken forever, so I'll have to write about R.O. another time...

New Experiences

While I was visiting my sister this past weekend, she told me that she had started going to a yoga class about a month ago and that I was going to *have* to come with her to her class on Monday morning and try it out. I've always been curious about yoga, but have never done it. So I went along with her and had the best time! :-) It was very relaxing - well, at least when I wasn't stretching my body beyond what I probably should have been doing! - and it was a very uplifting experience - that's the best way I know how to describe it. I came away with a couple of things: One, I was pretty sore from doing that 'triangle' pose over there in the picture. (The cobra is harder than it looks, too!) Thankfully we didn't get to the 'tree' -- not sure what I would have done with that! Fallen over, probably. haha Secondly, I found that after spending an hour with an instructor who only had really nice, encouraging things to say in the most peaceful type of manner, that I just felt better. And it was funny how unusual it felt to be talked through a 'workout' in that way. But I think I'd like to try it again. Don't know if I'll find a place to go to a yoga class here, or just try some DVDs at home, but I'm going to start exploring my options there.





Now on a totally different note:
While I was learning about yoga, my sister brilliantly discovered that you could go on a tour of the BMW assembly plant in Greenville, SC (about 2 hours away from Columbia) and we sent Jack off for the day to go and do that. A MUCH better plan for him than yoga or shopping with the girls!! ;-) He had a fabulous time doing that and decided that Lisa won the 'sister-in-law of the year' award for figuring that activity out for him. haha



So our trip to South Carolina was full of new adventures and a good time with family. It's just too bad that drive hasn't gotten any shorter -- wish they were closer....

Go Panthers! :-)

I'm still trying to get used to 'cheering' for the Panthers given that I graduated many years ago from our now rival high school, Grissom. It was 'Go Tigers!' way back when I was the one sitting in the stands at Milton Frank in a goofy band uniform. ha But that's a whole other story... Last night at the HHS vs. Austin game (that we won, by the way - yay!) I finally got around to taking some pictures of Mackenzie and the band. This is not something she really appreciates me doing, but I did manage to get her and a couple of friends (Niki and Janna) to cooperate with me for just a moment. :-) If you're looking at that upper right picture, Mackenzie is the 2nd from the left in the line of flutes and piccolos. Just look for the shortest kid in the line and you'll see her! ;-) I'm very proud of both of my girls accomplishments in band these days. Mackenzie has had the opportunity to be one of the section leaders this fall for marching band and is really growing in taking on responsibility and leadership in the band and it's neat to see her do that. And Anna, who just started playing french horn in the 6th grade band just made 1st chair this week! :-) I think maybe I was 1st chair french horn once upon a time long ago in 6th grade, but I kinda went downhill from there -- I hope she'll continue her success with that a little better than her mom did! haha Anyways, it's kinda fun reliving some of my old band memories through my kids -- those were times I really enjoyed as a kid. Hopefully they'll be good times to look back on for my girls one day....

The Good Doctor

You know, it's really not that often that I can say an experience at the doctor's office was just really, really good. So I thought I should mention it here today. :-) I took Mackenzie to see a dermatologist for the first time today to see if we could resolve some of the break-outs happening on her face. (I'm sure she'd love to know that I'm writing about that on my blog - ha!) Anyway, we had an appointment for 11:00 this morning with a doctor that I just picked out of a list of doctors provided by our insurance. So we show up at 10:45 (yes, I was actually early - I know it's hard to believe!!) and sign in. Pretty quickly, I get called up to the desk, only to find a very bewildered receptionist asking me if I was SURE that I had an appointment for today, because I was not on their schedule. (I know, it's not really sounding like it's a good experience just yet -- but hang on.) After a few calls and some whispering with other administrative people behind the desk, she very politely explained that Mackenzie was 'in the system,' but apparently they had forgotten to schedule the appointment. I was expecting to be sent home, but then she promptly made us a folder, handed me the required stack of paperwork to fill out for new patients and told us to have a seat. I was grateful to find that in some places the 'customer is always right' is still in practice. She actually trusted that I had written the appointment down correctly and they had gotten it wrong -- imagine that?! :-) Anyway, I did prepare myself at that point to have to wait a while, though, since I now knew that they would be having to 'work us in.' Well, I hadn't even made it through the first paper I was filling out when they called us back! We sat in the room for about 2 minutes and in came the doctor. Dr. Lon Raby. Here's the cool thing -- he noticed Mackenzie's 'Unbound' t-shirt that she had on (the group from Oklahoma Christian University that came to perform for us) and told us that his family had hosted a teen from there this summer -- and then he asked us where we go to church. So I told him and it turns out he goes to Mayfair. So that was a nice 'plus' in the whole thing. Well, he took care of Mackenzie, we checked out -- and I swear we walked out the door at 11:15!! I couldn't believe it. :-)

Well, when I started this I thought it was going to be a quick story -- but somehow my stories are never really like that - ha. Anyways, if you're looking for a good dermatologist at some point, I'd have to say that I would recommend Dr. Raby. :-)

Whatever You're Doing

I heard a new song on the radio today.

Not sure how long it's been out, but this was the first time I have heard it all the way through and it was so good that I wanted to post the lyrics here. To anyone who is reading, I hope it speaks to your heart as much as it did to mine.

Whatever You're Doing by Sanctus Real

It's time for healing time to move on
It's time to fix what's been broken too long
Time make right what has been wrong
It's time to find my way to where I belong
There's a wave that's crashing over me
And all I can do is surrender

Whatever You're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos but somehow there's peace
It's hard to surrender to what I can't see
but I'm giving in to something Heavenly

Time for a milestone
Time to begin again
Reevaluate who I really am
Am I doing everything to follow Your will
Or just climbing aimlessly over these hills
So show me what it is You want from me
I give everything I surrender...
To...

Time to face up
Clean this old house
Time to breathe in and let everything out
That I've wanted to say for so many years
Time to release all my held back tears

Whatever You're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos but I believe
You're up to something bigger than me
Larger than life something Heavenly

Whatever You're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos but now I can see
This *is* something bigger than me
Larger than life something Heavenly
Something Heavenly

It's time to face up
Clean this old house
Time to breathe in and let everything out

ROLL TIDE!!

Well, this year is certainly giving me a reason to like football even more than I already did -- which is a lot! I'm old enough to remember what it was like to have watched Alabama back in the glory days of 'Bear Bryant.' Tonight's game against Georgia reminded me of Saturdays long ago watching Alabama on one TV with another TV stacked up on top of it trying to watch other important games (usually Auburn!) at the same time (and sometimes listening to another game on the radio, too.) Of course, this was long before TiVo. :-) So can I hope that this is just one more step down the road to an SEC Championship? -- How about the National Championship... hmmmm..... may be a little premature for that, but for tonight, we're looking good! woohoo!

Roll Tide Roll!!!

Blueberry Cobbler Update

Well, the blueberry cobbler was a hit - even with Anna, who didn't get her banana pudding. :-) It really looked nothing at all like the picture, but I didn't really make it like a pie -- more like a 'dump cake.' And just about any kind of fruit that you put enough sugar, butter and cake mix on top of is going to turn out good somehow. ;-) yum...

Blueberry Cobbler

After 'Jacob the Deceiver' I was feeling the need to 'lighten things up' a bit, so I thought I'd tell you a little about my afternoon. Anna and I had to go to Walmart after school today to get some things for dinner. (For some reason, it doesn't seem that I can EVER cook dinner without a trip to Walmart first!) Of course, a trip to Walmart for stuff for dinner always ends up being a trip to get so many more things that you didn't realize you needed until you got there. And at least $100.00 later, you finally leave with everything you 'needed.' (at least until tomorrow!) :-)



One thing that Anna was in search of -- so that she could make bath 'fizzies' -- was citric acid. I may be revealing my ignorance here (nothing new about that!), but I had no idea what citric acid was (and I still don't), but it was an ingredient in four different 'recipes' she had for making these things. We couldn't find citric acid, and the folks at Walmart didn't know what it was either, so of course I'm beginning to wonder if it even really exists. After all, if you can't find it at Walmart, what hope do you have? ;-) So if anyone has any insight on where to track citric acid down, I'd love to hear it.



The other thing that you don't want to do when you are at Walmart is go there hungry. We bought so much junk -- yummy junk, but junk none-the-less. And Anna wanted to make banana pudding and I wanted to make blueberry cobbler. Today I won that debate. :-) And so I now have a blueberry cobbler in the oven that I'm looking forward to having after dinner. yay! Now, I promise you this one thing, it won't look anything like the picture above -- I'm just not that good. haha But I do think it will taste good, and I'm ok with that! Maybe I'll post something later to say how it turned out -- since I 'made up' the recipe. That's always interesting.

Jacob the Deceiver

Just wanted to share a quote from the book that we are reading in our Old Testament class on Wed. nights. We were going through the 'ups and downs' of Abraham's family tonight, and this was written about Jacob:

"...Here is a man who is a fugitive, on the run after swindling his brother and totally deceiving his father. This is hardly a man who deserves God's kindness.

Which is the very point of the story. God is not showing kindness to Jacob because Jacob deserves it. God is simply saying that nothing Jacob has done stands in the way of what God will do with him in the future. Through the example of Jacob, God is telling us the same thing. No matter how badly we have ruined our past, God simply asks us to rise above those mistakes and become what He calls us to be. This does not mean that He approves of what we did wrong in the past any more than He approved of Jacob's lying and cheating. But God does not want the weight of our past to impede the promise of our future."

Green Mountain Revisited

I spent some time on Green Mountain again yesterday - my favorite place to 'walk' with God. (Don't tell Mandy -- she thinks I go just to take her there!) The view of the covered bridge up above is not one I saw yesterday, but in honor of the beginning of fall, I thought I'd post what I hope to be seeing up there soon. :-) I have no lessons from grasshoppers, fish, or ducks -- but I read this quote yesterday and just wanted to post it because I really liked it.

"God's love language is obedience."

(That's a nice way to remember John 14:21: "Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.")

Since I am a very 'tangible' kind-of person, it helps me to know that when I choose to obey God, that He feels like I am choosing Him, and that makes Him feel loved. :-) It really is as simple as that.

Xtreme Transformation...

I realized after my post yesterday that I had referred to the Club Xtreme room as *my* room and thought that was awfully possessive-sounding of me -- if not a bit arrogant. ;-) So, I just wanted to print a 'retraction' of my previous post and let it be known that it has definitely been a collaborative effort to revamp the Club Xtreme room into the space adventure that will be unveiled tomorrow morning. After spending most of the day there today working with Jack on 'finishing touches,' I am more than happy to say that, "It's Done!!!!" :-) Well, aside from a few things here and there... ;-) But I took a few pictures along the way and I thought this was at least one neat 'transformation' of a corner of the room... don't mind the stools and junk still littering the room -- those are gone now. And now I'm just looking forward to a good night's sleep...

Good Friends

OK, so today I was doing a google search on 'Stars' for some images I needed for my Club Xtreme room, and this is one of many things that popped up. I really liked the saying, so I thought it deserved a spot on the blog. Some of you who are around here may see this pop up again if you visit the new and (hopefully improved) Club Xtreme room. :-)