Making A Day Of It

We went to a friend's wedding up north at our old stomping grounds in Gwinnett County and decided to hang out afterwards. Here are a few random pix of the day.Congrats Lorna & Dennis!
Fond memories of our first house where Jonathan learned to ride his bike and I was educated by Manny(at 7 years old) on the difference between a snapping turtle and a common box turtle.
Here are the newest models for Banana Republic eye wear. Fierce!

Father-Son Bonding

All In A Days Work

My boss is a fun guy. He has lots of toys. This one is a limited edition Corvette. I'm told it was a pace car for the Indy 500. He shares his toys. It's nice to share. During an all day staff meeting we took a lunch break and I got to ride in it with the top down. It felt like a roller coaster ride when he accelerated from 0-80 in 3 seconds. SUH-WEET!

Family Experiment: Update

This morning on my one and only day off, I was cleaning the house. Cleaning is a great time to think. So I did. Somehow my thoughts turned into complaining about stuff that had happened in the past. I was grumbling about relationships that had dissolved and wondering if the other parties had felt the loss and pain to the extent that we have... I began to sense a knot in my stomach as the emotions of those hurts tried to resurface. Before they could gain momentum I was quickly reminded of 2 things:

1. God has brought incredibly fulfilling friendships into my life in the past year that have challenged me and encouraged me in my faith.

2. In Philippians 3 it says, "forgetting what is behind I press on...". This happens to be where we are at in the ladies study so I figure this is a good time to put it into practice and have some life application to share on Thursday.

Taking hold of those thoughts and acting on them via a phone call to one of those friends to let her know how thankful I am for her helped change my direction of thought and emotions turning my grumbling into gratefulness. Although my heart longs for resolution of past conflict, it is not in my power to bring it about. I can only trust God's purposes forgetting what is behind and pressing on...

I guess I called myself out...there may be hope for this pessimist after all!

New Nephew

My sister and bro-in-law welcomed their first child into the world yesterday; a healthy baby boy named Jude weighing in at 6lbs. 7oz. I am looking forward to seeing him early December. Congrats Shawn & Christine! (hoping you actually get a moment in this next year to read this)

Family Experiment

The ladies at our church are going through the book of Philippians. I have been challenged in my everyday life to live out what I'm learning. The following is an email I sent out to the ladies about some of that:

"Do all things without grumbling or disputing." (Phil 2:14)
This passage keeps going through my head this week. It's funny how the Lord brings something up that you don't normally pay much attention to and you start to notice it EVERYWHERE!

It seems there is an epidemic in my household called "Grumblitis" with one of the worst symptoms being dispuking. Other symptoms include huffiness, scowling, stiff neck, pouting, and overall irritability. I noticed it in me today when I received a call from my husband. "Hey honey, are you free for lunch? There's a luncheon I'd like you to join me at." I respond impatiently, "It's my only day off and there are things I need to get done! Why couldn't you let me know earlier?" (Huff!) I agree to go and we arrive late which further exaggerates my symptoms. I notice my husband's demeanor changing from grin to grim and realize I may have infected him.

It's highly contagious and I'm seeing it in my children, too. Their immune systems can't fight it off as well as mine so it's infecting them full force. I can tell because as we're going through our regular daily routine I am met with remarks such as, "There's nothing good to eat! Why do I have to clean my room today? Can't I play for ten more minutes? You never let me do anything fun!" It's strange because the refrigerator is full. They have never gone without a meal. They know they have to clean their room every week. They get more than enough game time and more than enough entertainment opportunities. Nothing has changed except their attitude...

So, what's the antidote? Thankfully my Dad's a doctor and He specializes in illnesses such as these. The medicine He prescribes is obedience in humility washed down with the word. It can be a hard pill to swallow by someone with so much pride and self-will as me but it's the only remedy for this ailment. I am hoping this isn't one of those resistant strains...

As a family experiment in trying to change some bad habits, I have implemented a game of sorts; if someone is caught grumbling, whining, or complaining they get called out and have to name 3 positive things to counter what they were complaining about. Everyone plays. I'll let you know the lab results in a couple weeks. My hope is that there will be a lot less grumbling and a lot more gratefulness.

Confessions of a Reluctant Progressive

I can't find my usb-camera cable in order to put pictures on my blog. I have several entries waiting for the pics to go with them. I think it's time for some new technology since my digital camera is the size of a brick and I'm sure there's got to be any easier way to transfer pics. I've been one of those traditionalists who use phones to make phone calls, cameras to take pictures, desktops to send emails, stereos to listen to music, and VCRs-I mean DVD players to watch movies. There's got to be a better way...

Law & Order: The Final Entry As Promised

I pass through the security check point, out the doors of the Justice Center and into a refreshingly crisp fall breeze. A few more steps and I'll be in my car and on my way home but there is Michelle sitting on a bench waiting for me. She doesn't know it yet but she is the object God is using to teach me a lesson in unhindered obedience. The kind of obedience that doesn't ask questions to determine if the request is worthy of acting on. The kind of obedience that recognizes the voice of sovereignty and infinite wisdom and dares not bargain.

"Go talk to her."

"But..." I hesitate.

"Go."

I sheepishly approach the bench and sit next to her. I am all nerves as I start in by saying, "I was in the court room when you shared about your grandson. What is he in the hospital for?" That is all the prompting she needs. For what seems like a long time she goes on about her life. A relocation from Maryland to help her daughter and 5 grandchildren has turned out to be harder than she thought. Her daughter is on her way to pick her up and go back to the hospital where her grandson with Cerebral Palsy is suffering from a collapsed lung. She is out of work, out of money, soon to be out of a home, and almost out of hope.

I ask if I can pray for her and before I can finish my sentence, she grabs my hand and says,"Yes, yes!" I stumble through a prayer asking God to give her hope and to provide for her family's needs. When we're done, I ask what her immediate need is. She says they don't have any food...

Food is safe, I reason. Since I have to get home for Jonathan, I can't help her right then so I take her phone number and tell her I'll see what I can do. On my way home, I call a friend, Taryn, to see if she wants to accompany me on a mission of goodwill. (Actually, I wanted someone with me as moral support and as a bodyguard since my hubby was at men's group. I also brought my stun gun just in case. Hey, I didn't know what I was walking into!)

Later that evening Taryn and I load my car full of groceries and drive across town to drop them off. With a hug and a few encouraging words to "hang in there", the event was rather anti-climatic. I didn't have to use my stun gun to ward off any seedy characters, Taryn didn't have to use any of her stellar self defense moves and there was no white light that shown down from the heavens to illuminate the halo around my head. I can say that I went home with a clear conscience, a quiet assurance, and peace that I had done something that pleased God simply because I obeyed his voice.

Auburn Tigers Update

In the second half of the football season Auburn has had a turn around. Defense has proven it's strength in holding off the other teams and offense has finally stepped up their game and started blocking. So far they are undefeated for the second half with 2 more games to go.

Jonathan is notorious for his over-the-top tackles and I mean that literally. He wraps the guy up from the around the chest or shoulders and in one motion lifts, twists, and then power-drives him to the ground. It looks more like a WWF move than a football maneuver but that's our Johnny- he always has to put on a show!

Since we're becoming more experienced football fans, we decided to do a tailgate before Johnny's game on Saturday. I brought the brauts and chips but forgot the umbrellas. As Murphy's Law would have it, it started to rain. Thankfully there was a covered area where the park & ride bus stop is so we were saved from soggy buns.

Recording Project Update

This month was supposed to be the start of recording in the studio. As happens often, things take longer than I'd like. I'm ready but the crew has had some delays in scheduling. We are pushing it back to November and still working on things here like arrangements and cash stash. On an encouraging note, I've met my first goal of saving for the project which means I've got money for about 40 hours worth of studio time. In addition, I have had a burst of creativity and inspiration since the worship conference and have written a couple new songs.

Law & Order Pt. 2

Michelle sits beside me fidgeting like a child. I look through my paperwork pretending I am occupied so I don't reveal my nervousness at her proximity. What am I nervous about? Why would a tiny woman's presence cause such a strange response in me? I backtrack my mental processing to discover the problem.

In the short time I had to observe her, I had sized her up. I sat in the seat of the judge weighing the evidence at hand.

Exhibit A: Limited in speech and vocabulary.
Conclusion: Minimal education

Exhibit B: Unusual decay and discoloration of teeth, extremely thin, excessively fidgety, and aggressively bold.
Conclusion: Junkie

Exhibit C: She was getting evicted due to failure to pay rent yet she showed up to plead her case.
Conclusion: Victim mentality leading to a refusal to take personal responsibility for own actions.

The conclusions I drew from the evidence led me to my judgement: Michelle must be a selfish, lazy, lying, leech sucking the time and money of productive people in society and even lying about a sick grandson in order to feed her habit. What intelligent, upstanding citizen wouldn't feel uneasy sitting next to such a person!?

Pause: As I re-read my account in order to check for spelling and grammar errors, my cheeks burn with embarrassment. Maybe I shouldn't be so honest about my inner thoughts. This isn't a journal, it's a public blog! Do I really want people to know what goes on in my heart & mind? Maybe I'll skip my mental processes and go straight to the part that makes me look really saintly and compassionate. No, you might get the wrong idea about me. Anything good in me is a result of someone else's influence and I don't want to mislead you.

I snap out of my introspection when I hear my case being called. Michelle has left the courtroom having consented to the judgement against her, supposedly in a rush to the hospital. I approach the bench to receive the signed judgement forms and am happy to be on my way home after almost 3 hours sitting on a hard wooden bench.

As I walk down the hall towards the exit, I hear fast paced footsteps behind me. I move to the right to make room for them to pass and catch a glimpse of pink in my peripheral. Michelle. I slow my pace to let her pass and because the blisters on my feet are rubbing raw. The distance between us grows until she turns the corner out of sight and a foreign thought enters my mind, "What if you're wrong about her?"

Huh? Couldn't be, the evidence speaks for itself!

Another thought assaults me, "Are you sure you read the evidence correctly?"

Well, of course! I mean, I think... Well maybe there are some other explanations that would fit...

"Is it really your place to sit as judge anyway?"

Okay, I see your point. I don't have all the information and even if I did, I don't have the wisdom to make a proper judgement against someone else. I concede, lesson learned. My bad!

"Not so fast, the lesson isn't over yet."

What?

Okay, this entry is getting way too long. There's gonna have to be a third part. I promise I'll finish it.

Teh-Teh-Tee-Bone Stay-eek!

...that's Manny's nickname for his buddy, Bruce. He just finished the first course of the Army Chaplain program at Ft. Jackson in Columbia, SC so we brought him down to hang out with us this weekend. It's always fun to see Manny & Bruce together because they re-live the glory days of Bible College & ministry together. I'm sure this weekend will be filled with ministry war stories and maybe even a visit to the Super Grand China Buffet #2! Bruce has been hooked on these quality food establishments for as long as I've known him which is about 13 years. He's even got a song he sings about them:



"Welcome to Dragon house, have a seat! For $2.99 it's all you can eat..."

Law & Order

Her name is Michelle. She is obviously unaccustomed to court procedures as she approaches the bailiff to ask questions about her case. When he tells her he can't help, she proceeds to the attorneys sitting in the front. They shew her off as they prepare their already full caseload. She finally takes a seat at the request of the bailiff as the judge is welcomed into the courtroom. "All rise for the honorable Judge Walker."


It's Monday and I've got better things to do than sit in a courtroom waiting my turn just to hear the inevitable outcome, "Judgement in favor of the plaintiff due to the defendant's failure to appear. I am awarding you the full amount of your claim as well as an immediate writ of possession of the property." I'm here because one of our tenants has failed to pay rent and we have to follow the law on how to evict them and take our property back. This is part of my job that I find intriguing and yet painfully dull. Intriguing because of the first hand glimpse into our judicial system. Dull because of the fact that 90% of my time in court is spent waiting. Next time I'll bring a book or some knitting...


45 minutes has dragged slowly on and only 1 of the 91 cases has been heard so far. The air in the room feels thinner due to the mass of people beginning to get impatient and letting out their audible sighs. Michelle stands up and addresses the Judge, "Your honor, I have an emergency! My grandson is in the hospital and I don't know if he's gonna make it. Is there any way you can take my case early?"


My eyes follow Michelle as she approaches the bench. She's not more than 5 feet tall with a petite figure. She can probably shop in the children's sizes and apparent from her bright pink tee, skinny jeans and red crocs, she does. Her skin is a medium brown tone and most distracting is her hair- if it is her hair. Shoulder length curls flow wildly away from her head and I can't tell if it's a really awful weave or a really awful wig. Her small stature is made up for by her hair and her boldness. As I watch her talk, I notice her teeth. They have the tell tale signs of an addict.


People begin to get restless in their seats and my mind reels with doubt as to the truthfulness of her story. Who is this woman with such nerve? Why should she not have to wait like all of the rest of us? Your honor, can you hear my case early, too? I have a son I have to be home for when he gets out of school and I have a blister on my foot from these heels I wore to look professional in court!


The gracious Judge Walker agrees to hear her case next and Michelle turns to take her seat right next to me...


Tune in for the conclusion of this entry at a later date.

Feline Magnet

I have been allergic to cats for as long as I can remember. The pet dander makes my eyes itchy & watery and I get sneezy & asthmatic. For this reason, I steer clear of them as much as possible. For this reason, they seem to be attracted to me. The more I try to avoid them, the more determined they become to befriend me.

Case in point:

I've noticed a cat hanging around our home. I've spotted him several times darting from our backyard as I pull into the driveway. Apparently his boldness has increased because this morning I awoke to find him lounging on our patio. When I approached the window he lazily cocked his head in my direction as if to say, "Oh, you're finally up. Be a dear and fetch me a warm bowl of milk. And make it whole milk."

When Jonathan (AKA "the pet whisperer") opened the door to join the cat, he sprang to his feet and tried to slip into the house between Johnny's legs. Brazen! Jonathan informed me that the cat belongs to our neighbors down the street and whenever they leave the house he roams the neighborhood. He's chosen our place as a weekend getaway.

Recycle, Reduce, Re-use

I've decided to rename our church the "Hand-Me-Down" church. We're like the second sibling who rarely gets any clothing or toys retail. We've gotten chairs and tables from a church up north, building complete with murals in the children's classrooms from a church who merged with another, and now a sound booth, another projector & lighting from the church next door who just disassembled. I can't help but chuckle as Ryan pulls up to church with a truck full of wood from the discard pile at work for some new handyman project here. We may not have much cash flow but God seems to like to provide for our needs through other means.

The lessons I'm learning:

1. Don't put God in a box as to how He should provide.
2. Be grateful for ALL His provision!