I recently returned from my latest jaunt...this time to visit the Roederers in Hampton, VA. As always, during my trip, I try and formulate in my mind how I will recap the trip in a blog post. This one was hard because there were so many things I could talk about (and so many things that I can't talk about). So I decided to boil it down in "fives"...the five people I visited, and five of the ka-zillion memories made.
Five People
Rod - The rock of the family. If I had to give him a superhero name, it would be the Silent Giant. That is fitting in so many ways. When the boys get out of hand and drive Julie up a wall, Dad steps in. For you young parents out there, discipline works, because no matter the punishment, those boys always got excited when Dad arrived from work or they hadn't seen him in a while. And, they were proud to show me the chores list from the fridge that Dad put together of all that they do to earn their allowance. Rod also knew, without a word spoken, that his mission during my visit was to be Dad and occupy the boys so Julie could have time with me since she's had limited girl time at Fort Monroe. One of my favorite moments was when Rod proclaimed "All boys report to me" and they marched to the back room, aligned their game plan for the day, and off they went. That is a man who adores his wife and loves his kids. Husbands and Dads...take note.
Julie - It's hard to believe the same girl that was voted most school spirited and was one of my newspaper staff pals...and went to kindergarten with me is now spending her days as an Army wife and Momma. A far cry from her dream of being a local news anchor. But she wears her titles well. I don't believe she could love her husband more or her children...or even her "bonus" son (as she calls Daniel). She cooks like a dream, adores her husband like she just saw his face for the first time and could eat her children up (or "sop them up with a biscuit" as she puts it). She models much of the Proverbs 31 passage, although she'd roll her eyes and say I was smokin' something funny for saying that, but I'll just have to personally show her one day.
Daniel - The hottie 17-year old that looks like a taller version of his Dad when he was in high school, which is freaky to see. Daniel has come a long way and will be following in his Dad's footsteps by heading off to the Army after he graduates high school in June. I'd love to be a fly on the high school hallway walls to watch how the girls react to him. I'm a girl and I'm certain he is the talk of the school. The one thing that truly impressed me was the way he was with the little boys. I overheard him one day telling them to quit being so smart aleck...followed with "Remember what we've talked about guys" indicative of his past discussions on this topic with them. I told him I wanted to approve all girls he dates, to which he responded "I'm not getting married until I'm 30." We'll see how that goes.
Jackson - I can sum him up in one statement - "He wears his 13-year old very well." He's caught between being a kid and being a teenager. And he is just oozing with aspirations of being just like Dad. He spots every Army man he sees out and notes their rank. He is obsessed with discussing all the military acronyms. He "drops and does 10" just to show you he can. In less than five years, he'll be walking in Dad and Daniel's footsteps, I believe...which will make Mom and Dad very proud.
Clayton - If there ever was a boy that could make you feel like the most beautiful woman in the world, it's Clayton. I love that kid. He never went a day without telling me he loved me...telling me how great of a hugger I am...and how he didn't want me to leave. I'll always cherish the night we said prayers together...it melted my heart. He is an artist and is never far from paper and pen to sketch out his ideas. When we went to the Virginia Living Museum, Clayton took his notebook and pencil and stopped at every display to draw the animals there. No one understands us creative types, but I do. One of the hardest parts of leaving was physically letting go of Clayton...he was attached to me like glue my last day there. He sure knows how to woo a woman...look out world.
Five Memories
Nor'easter meets Ida - I flew into Newport News in the midst of the Nor'easter last week. Thankfully my flights were on time and no problems. That was a God thing for sure. I failed to tell Julie that bad weather seems to follow me on trips. I've been to Alabama three times...two of which resulted in ice storms.
Bonding with the Boys - Not being a mother, yet having that strong maternal instinct, I loved being able to be the cool "aunt" but also be motherly. I had conversations saving them from impending wrath to discussing why the story of Esther was important that Clay learned about in Sunday School. We played Army Monopoly and Daniel and I dominated by occupying "death row" as we called it. We owned all the hot properties and filled them with battalions and divisions. Jackson was not happy I owned the US Army and the Pentagon -the Boardwalk and Park Place equivalent. Daniel and I declared ourselves winners. I also was a bit of a bad example...showing them how to do a snake with a straw wrapper...their Mom will kill me for that one.
Girl time with Julie - As I mentioned earlier, Rod was gracious enough to take the bullet and occupy the boys so Julie and I could have time together. From shopping to Starbucks, we had a glorious time. Although I've shopped along with her via phone in the past, it was fun to actually be present. And, we could dance in the store aisles and not make any of the kids embarrassed. And, I could make her laugh so hard she started wheezing. Sometimes you just got to be a girl.
Church on Sunday - I listen to the sermons weekly from their church, Liberty Baptist, and love the pastor, Grant Ethridge. It was awesome to be there live and in person to experience the worship and the sermon. An added bonus for me was to hear Rod teach their Sunday School class. A last minute need for him to fill in made my visit to church a double blessing. A bonus memory...on Saturday night Rod tried to have an inspirational dinner by asking the boys about favoritism. The lesson was on James 2 and how we shouldn't show favoritism to those less fortunate than us. It was like a scene straight from The Cosby Show as the discussion took place...until finally Rod said, "I give up." Never fear, I think something did sink in.
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving - Prior to my visit, Clayton decided we were going to watch the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving special together and have the meal they had while viewing. If you recall, the meal consisted of pretzels, popcorn, toast and jelly beans. Julie and I went shopping for Jellie Bellies and she made all of us (yes, even Daniel and Rod) plates so we all could watch and eat our "meal" together. When the scene appeared with the characters around the Thanksgiving table, Daniel astutely noticed they each had ice cream sundaes and made sure Julie knew we weren't completely authentic unless she served ice cream. She ignored him. Sometimes you have to have junk food for dinner to make a memory.
I could list a thousand more moments of memories from the trip, but I'll save my readers from the world's longest blog post. It was definitely a memorable trip, one that I'll not soon forget and one that can't be encapsulated in a blog post or even in pictures. But the memory of my time with sweet friends will linger on for many days to come.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Monday, November 09, 2009
Musings for the Week - Trips, Trade-Ins and Twilight
1. I have a month off from book club due to a huge book signing event in December, so this may be the month to dive into Twilight. My sweet girl, Elise, has lent me her copy, complete with dog-eared pages of her favorite parts. I'm always late to the party with phenomenons like this, but given my lack of a focused read this month, it's time. Maybe it's my resistance that, as a hopeless romantic, I don't need to be swooning over a vampire named Edward that apparently knocks the socks off the young ladies. Now, if it was Tony Stark as played by Robert Downey, Jr, I'd swoon all over the place. I'll let you know if I'm captivated by a vampire.
2. Our church has set a goal to pack 300 boxes for Operation Christmas Child. If you haven't heard of this organization, check out the web site. They provide shoe boxes filled with toys, school supplies, candy and toiletries to children around the world that otherwise wouldn't receive anything for Christmas. My Sunday School class hosted a "Build-a-Box" party where we all bought multiples of the same items and packed many more boxes than we would have done individually. Couple that with good food and great conversations and we had a wonderful time. Our class is a quirky bunch and most of the humor that exudes is mostly funny in the moment and far from understood if you aren't present...making us that much more quirky. Thankfully birds of a feather enjoy flocking together.
3. I planned on blogging about the demise of my cell phone, Violet, but life just got too crazy. As many of you techno geeks may have heard, T-Mobile's Sidekick phone suffered a huge hit the first of October when Microsoft servers came crashing down and we were left without data service and all of our information....for three weeks. Long story short, T-Mobile was very good to this 10-year customer and gave me a new phone, a G1 Android, for virtually free (net $5) with no impact to my contract. I almost went with this phone back in June when I purchased Violet, but the purple color captured me. Moral of that story: Never buy a phone based on its color. I absolutely love my G1. It is far superior to the Sidekick...I have touch and a qwerty keypad...and, best of all, Pandora radio streaming! As my normal modus operandi, I named my phone Pepper....for it's color (black) and in honor of Pepper Potts, faithful assistant to Tony Stark aka Ironman. Oh how I'd love to be Pepper. This post is slowly becoming "Musings about RDJ"...
4. Saturday afternoon I was blessed to celebrate my Aunt Goldie's 90th birthday. My Dad had seven siblings, and of those, only three are still living...one of them, his older sister, Goldie. Booth women are stunning. I wish I'd gotten a little more of those genes because even at 90 she looks fabulous. All of my Dad's sisters were strong-willed, beautiful women who dripped with intelligence. Every one of them outlived their husbands...and even husbands two and three in some cases. Aunt Goldie is no exception. I'm thankful I got a slice of those genes. The funniest line of the day was from my Dad's normal dry wit. He leaned over at one point and said "You know, being around all these old people is depressing." Priceless coming from a handsome 84-year old who looks about 65.
5. Thursday I step on a plane and fly east to visit the Roederer family. Yes, my life of living trip to trip continues. I haven't had time to really let the trip sink in just yet with all the busyness of my life, but I know once I get there, the time will pass all too quickly. I can't wait to have uninterrupted face time with Julie...life is so busy we haven't had time to really talk in ages. I can't wait to see the boys...Clayton, Jackson and Daniel (who hopes I'm cool). And, of course, Rod, the rock of the house. Julie asked me what I wanted to do, and I told her I just wanted to spend quality time...to me, that trumps any activity. Yes, Virginia, I am low maintenance.
2. Our church has set a goal to pack 300 boxes for Operation Christmas Child. If you haven't heard of this organization, check out the web site. They provide shoe boxes filled with toys, school supplies, candy and toiletries to children around the world that otherwise wouldn't receive anything for Christmas. My Sunday School class hosted a "Build-a-Box" party where we all bought multiples of the same items and packed many more boxes than we would have done individually. Couple that with good food and great conversations and we had a wonderful time. Our class is a quirky bunch and most of the humor that exudes is mostly funny in the moment and far from understood if you aren't present...making us that much more quirky. Thankfully birds of a feather enjoy flocking together.
3. I planned on blogging about the demise of my cell phone, Violet, but life just got too crazy. As many of you techno geeks may have heard, T-Mobile's Sidekick phone suffered a huge hit the first of October when Microsoft servers came crashing down and we were left without data service and all of our information....for three weeks. Long story short, T-Mobile was very good to this 10-year customer and gave me a new phone, a G1 Android, for virtually free (net $5) with no impact to my contract. I almost went with this phone back in June when I purchased Violet, but the purple color captured me. Moral of that story: Never buy a phone based on its color. I absolutely love my G1. It is far superior to the Sidekick...I have touch and a qwerty keypad...and, best of all, Pandora radio streaming! As my normal modus operandi, I named my phone Pepper....for it's color (black) and in honor of Pepper Potts, faithful assistant to Tony Stark aka Ironman. Oh how I'd love to be Pepper. This post is slowly becoming "Musings about RDJ"...
4. Saturday afternoon I was blessed to celebrate my Aunt Goldie's 90th birthday. My Dad had seven siblings, and of those, only three are still living...one of them, his older sister, Goldie. Booth women are stunning. I wish I'd gotten a little more of those genes because even at 90 she looks fabulous. All of my Dad's sisters were strong-willed, beautiful women who dripped with intelligence. Every one of them outlived their husbands...and even husbands two and three in some cases. Aunt Goldie is no exception. I'm thankful I got a slice of those genes. The funniest line of the day was from my Dad's normal dry wit. He leaned over at one point and said "You know, being around all these old people is depressing." Priceless coming from a handsome 84-year old who looks about 65.
5. Thursday I step on a plane and fly east to visit the Roederer family. Yes, my life of living trip to trip continues. I haven't had time to really let the trip sink in just yet with all the busyness of my life, but I know once I get there, the time will pass all too quickly. I can't wait to have uninterrupted face time with Julie...life is so busy we haven't had time to really talk in ages. I can't wait to see the boys...Clayton, Jackson and Daniel (who hopes I'm cool). And, of course, Rod, the rock of the house. Julie asked me what I wanted to do, and I told her I just wanted to spend quality time...to me, that trumps any activity. Yes, Virginia, I am low maintenance.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
People Think We're Crazy
Last weekend was OPC Getaway Chattanooga style. Before I recap the weekend, I have to address the question everyone asks..."What is an OPC?" That's not really important...the definition of an OPC lies mainly within the relationship we have. It's steeped in a heritage that spans decades. From our parents or grandparents, we all have a thread that binds us together and God made the friendships unite. If you've ever watched Steel Magnolias, I'd say that our friendship mirrors the lives of those southern ladies in some ways. We are there through thick and thin....births, deaths, sickness, tragedies, celebrations, weddings, break ups. You just can't "make" friendships like that...they are born from God's Providential plan. I thank God regularly for the blessings I have in the deep-rooted friendships of Amy, Beth, Christie and Tracy (Listed in alphabetical order so as not to elevate one higher than the other)
Tracy and Chad now live in Georgia with their sweet baby girl, Allison, yet we stay so well connected that I hardly know they aren't here anymore...until we get to see them and spend time with them, then I go through withdrawals. Chattanooga is the perfect point halfway between here and there allowing for an easy way to meet up and have uninterrupted quality time. When we planned this jaunt, I went on the hunt for just the right hotel and found the "sweetest suite" at Staybridge Suites. For $27 per person, we had a luxurious two-bedroom suite, complete with living room, flat screen TVs, kitchenette and two bathrooms. Chad and Tracy had their own bedroom and bathroom making it perfect to bring Allison along.
Recapping the weekend is a tough challenge. It's just one of those things you experience that is hard to put into words...but, since I'm wordy, I'll do my best to summarize a few of my favorite things...
Tracy and Chad now live in Georgia with their sweet baby girl, Allison, yet we stay so well connected that I hardly know they aren't here anymore...until we get to see them and spend time with them, then I go through withdrawals. Chattanooga is the perfect point halfway between here and there allowing for an easy way to meet up and have uninterrupted quality time. When we planned this jaunt, I went on the hunt for just the right hotel and found the "sweetest suite" at Staybridge Suites. For $27 per person, we had a luxurious two-bedroom suite, complete with living room, flat screen TVs, kitchenette and two bathrooms. Chad and Tracy had their own bedroom and bathroom making it perfect to bring Allison along.
Recapping the weekend is a tough challenge. It's just one of those things you experience that is hard to put into words...but, since I'm wordy, I'll do my best to summarize a few of my favorite things...
- The road trip with Amy, Beth and Christie - We hopped into my Bluebelle and took off down the highway. I love a good road trip...full of laughter, singing, and great conversations. Thank goodness my car can't talk.
- Seeing Alllison Ruth - That baby couldn't have been more loved than she was in the 24 hours or so we were with her. I got to feed her a bottle once...it was like the baby lottery to see who would get to feed her, dress her, hold her. And, we were able to celebrate her six-month birthday!
- Good food - What is a vacation without good food? We had mexican more than once, an outstanding continental breakfast at the hotel, and a Carol cake. What is a Carol cake? A delectable cake made by Tracy's Mom...a favorite of Chad. She takes very good care of us, sending along plates, forks and napkins to make our party complete.
- Random OPC groupings - The beauty of a weekend like this is how throughout our various activities we all end up to have time with certain OPCs, changing the dynamic. I'm always fascinated by this. Whether it's while someone is taking a shower, or two of us are out doing something while the rest of the gang is together, the providence of that, coupled with the conversations that take place are priceless. Conversations in shopping center parking lots....late night talks while we're trying to go to sleep...early morning pow wows while we're getting ready...breakfast table topics. All are memorable.
- Quality, unhindered time with my girls - Even though four of the five OPCs live in the same town, getting us all together can be challenging. I cherish the time I get to share with them...unimpeded, continual time. Time where we laugh, share our hearts and are honest...knowing we'll always love and be there for each other.
- The Vegas Moments - You know the slogan "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." There are many things that fall into the "What happened in Chattanooga, stays in Chattanooga." And that's all I'll say about that.
People think we're crazy. Why? We drive five hours to spend one night to drive five hours the next day just to spend time together doing nothing noteworthy. Oh, how wrong those people are. We may be crazy...but I'd do it every weekend if I could. If I had to rate this weekend, I'd give it a 9.9...I'd give it a 10 if it never ended.
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Nine Years Later
It was nine years ago last week, on September 29, that my Mom left this world for her eternal home. Each year this day is always bittersweet as it falls the day after my birthday. This year was a bit more reflective as two sweet ladies passed away last week, one on the anniversary of my Mom's passing. It's always a reminder of how short our lives are and how we should cherish every moment. After reflecting on that last week, and focusing on the wonderful things about my Mom and not the sadness of my loss, I came up with five things I wish I could tell her. Now, those that know me best know I have more than five things I would tell her...but no blog could hold all that has happened the last nine years that I'd love to tell her. These five things sum up a lot and probably are the top five list we'd cover first thing if we were sitting face to face.
1. I wish I knew more about the 18 years of your waiting to have a child. - My Mom told me a lot about that time...the miscarriages, the lost premature child, her prayers for just one child...but now as so many of my friends are dealing with infertility issues, I wish I had her words of wisdom to share. Eighteen years she prayed and waited...in a time when there was very little medical advancement to help that along. Most people would have given up. My parents didn't. I'm so thankful they didn't or September 28 would have been just another day in their life and I wouldn't be writing this blog.
2. I have become you, Mom - As much as I may fight it, I am my Mother's daughter. I can talk to anyone, anywhere...the very characteristic that drove me nuts about her as a child. I remember wanting the telephone as a teenager (for you young 'uns, no cell phones in my teen years) and having to wait for her to make all her calls. Now I know where I get that gift of gab. I can make a non-phone talker into Alexander Graham Bell. I love giving meaningful gifts that are specific to the recipient...I love writing notes throughout books when I give them as gifts...I love to read, and am loving it more every day...I cry at the drop of a hat...I'm crafty (both in wit and skill)...I speak my mind, though mostly filtered through tact and eloquence as she taught me. Yes, all those things and more have turned me into my Mom.
3. My love for discipleship and mentoring was a direct result of your passing - This may sound odd, but the passion for discipleship, mentoring and pouring into younger girls and women truly was ignited after my Mom's death. What I realized was how much her life impacted me...not because we sat down and did a Bible study together each week (we didn't) or did any of those things the mentoring books tell you about structured meetings. I watched her live life....I watched her go through tragedies...I saw her flaws and her failures...I saw her successes and strengths....and I saw her walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Those are lessons learned by living life side by side. Mom, you are the inspiration of that calling in my life.
4. One of the greatest lessons you taught me was to make my friends my family - Being an only child, born to older parents, my Mom taught me from a young age that she and my Dad wouldn't be here forever. Thankfully, my Dad is still going strong, but that lesson included her instruction to make lots of close friends who are your "family" until you have a family of your own. Since I'm single, that lesson has been oh so important. I am blessed beyond what I deserve to have great friends who love me like their own family. And, I feel the same about them. I used to listen to that lesson from her and never give it a second thought. Now, it is like gold.
5. The prayers you prayed for me are still being lifted up today - My Mom never ceased to provide humor in most situations. Sitting next to her at just about any function was a hoot to get her colorful commentary whispered in your ear. One of her ongoing comments that carried a bit of humor, but a ton of prayer was "I just want to see you married before I go on to my reward!" Well, obviously that didn't happen, but almost until the day she died, she wanted that, desperately, for me. I think because she knew the blessing my Dad was in her life, not to mention the lifesaver she was for him, and she wanted that same blessing for me. I have an army of people who still pray that prayer for me today...and for that, I'm forever grateful. And, hopefully, if God blesses, I will marry before I go on to my reward. Mom, God is faithful and your prayers are still at work.
I am eternally blessed to have had a Mom that wanted me so badly she waited 18 years to have me and taught me more than I could ever have imagined. "Those who sow in tears, will reap with songs of joy." - Psalm 126:5
1. I wish I knew more about the 18 years of your waiting to have a child. - My Mom told me a lot about that time...the miscarriages, the lost premature child, her prayers for just one child...but now as so many of my friends are dealing with infertility issues, I wish I had her words of wisdom to share. Eighteen years she prayed and waited...in a time when there was very little medical advancement to help that along. Most people would have given up. My parents didn't. I'm so thankful they didn't or September 28 would have been just another day in their life and I wouldn't be writing this blog.
2. I have become you, Mom - As much as I may fight it, I am my Mother's daughter. I can talk to anyone, anywhere...the very characteristic that drove me nuts about her as a child. I remember wanting the telephone as a teenager (for you young 'uns, no cell phones in my teen years) and having to wait for her to make all her calls. Now I know where I get that gift of gab. I can make a non-phone talker into Alexander Graham Bell. I love giving meaningful gifts that are specific to the recipient...I love writing notes throughout books when I give them as gifts...I love to read, and am loving it more every day...I cry at the drop of a hat...I'm crafty (both in wit and skill)...I speak my mind, though mostly filtered through tact and eloquence as she taught me. Yes, all those things and more have turned me into my Mom.
3. My love for discipleship and mentoring was a direct result of your passing - This may sound odd, but the passion for discipleship, mentoring and pouring into younger girls and women truly was ignited after my Mom's death. What I realized was how much her life impacted me...not because we sat down and did a Bible study together each week (we didn't) or did any of those things the mentoring books tell you about structured meetings. I watched her live life....I watched her go through tragedies...I saw her flaws and her failures...I saw her successes and strengths....and I saw her walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Those are lessons learned by living life side by side. Mom, you are the inspiration of that calling in my life.
4. One of the greatest lessons you taught me was to make my friends my family - Being an only child, born to older parents, my Mom taught me from a young age that she and my Dad wouldn't be here forever. Thankfully, my Dad is still going strong, but that lesson included her instruction to make lots of close friends who are your "family" until you have a family of your own. Since I'm single, that lesson has been oh so important. I am blessed beyond what I deserve to have great friends who love me like their own family. And, I feel the same about them. I used to listen to that lesson from her and never give it a second thought. Now, it is like gold.
5. The prayers you prayed for me are still being lifted up today - My Mom never ceased to provide humor in most situations. Sitting next to her at just about any function was a hoot to get her colorful commentary whispered in your ear. One of her ongoing comments that carried a bit of humor, but a ton of prayer was "I just want to see you married before I go on to my reward!" Well, obviously that didn't happen, but almost until the day she died, she wanted that, desperately, for me. I think because she knew the blessing my Dad was in her life, not to mention the lifesaver she was for him, and she wanted that same blessing for me. I have an army of people who still pray that prayer for me today...and for that, I'm forever grateful. And, hopefully, if God blesses, I will marry before I go on to my reward. Mom, God is faithful and your prayers are still at work.
I am eternally blessed to have had a Mom that wanted me so badly she waited 18 years to have me and taught me more than I could ever have imagined. "Those who sow in tears, will reap with songs of joy." - Psalm 126:5
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Lessons Learned from Four-Year Olds
I love working in the four-year old Sunday School class. This once-a-month privilege always teaches me so much more than we ever teach them. A couple of weeks ago was no exception and I walked away with a few lessons learned...
1. You can make a fashion statement with purple makeup on your face - A couple of the girls unloaded their purse and the next thing we knew they were covered in purple makeup. They weren't shaken by the Indian war paint look they were sporting, but we figured the Mommies might not be too happy with this emerging trend. Miss Carolyn took them to the bathroom to wash their face. But, I couldn't resist calling one of them "Purple Piper" the rest of the day.
2. A chariot can be pulled by a zebra if a horse isn't available - Mr. Matt was playing with the kids and having them pull a chariot as we prepared to hear the story of the conversion of the Ethiopian. No horse was available to use to pull the chariot...so Mr. Matt improvised...and we used Marty the Zebra. All the Madagascar characters from Disney Happy Meals are ready to fulfill any biblical role necessary at a moment's notice.
3. Potty time can evoke the best discussions - As crazy as it sounds, I love taking the girls for potty time. They always tell the greatest stories and bonding happens when you do something, so, um, personal, I guess. On this particular Sunday, I had two interesting discussions. One little girl said she had a younger sister, and she was going to have a baby brother, but right now, he was growing in her Mommy's tummy. Sounds reasonable, right? But, her Mommy isn't pregnant. This same girl has told the teachers each week it's her birthday...I think we have a comedic genius on our hands. Another little girl described in detail how her Mommy handles her clothing when she has, um, an accident. I'll save you the gory details. But she implied these "accidents" happen frequently. I've protected the innocent by withholding their names. What happens in the potty, stays in the potty.
4. We all have fears - the only thing that changes is the focus of our fears - Hannah sat with me at the table doing a puzzle and was all snuggly, which I love, but she seemed a bit sleepy. I asked her, "Hannah, are you sleepy?" She said, "Yes, I didn't sleep last night. The storms scared me." I just gave her a hug....and was reminded that I was afraid of storms at her age too. My Mom taught me Psalm 56:3, "What time I am afraid, I will trust in the Lord." to get me through the storms. To little Hannah, that storm may be the scariest thing she encounters. But, for me, I have different storms now. In either case, Psalm 56:3 is the best answer no matter the storm.
1. You can make a fashion statement with purple makeup on your face - A couple of the girls unloaded their purse and the next thing we knew they were covered in purple makeup. They weren't shaken by the Indian war paint look they were sporting, but we figured the Mommies might not be too happy with this emerging trend. Miss Carolyn took them to the bathroom to wash their face. But, I couldn't resist calling one of them "Purple Piper" the rest of the day.
2. A chariot can be pulled by a zebra if a horse isn't available - Mr. Matt was playing with the kids and having them pull a chariot as we prepared to hear the story of the conversion of the Ethiopian. No horse was available to use to pull the chariot...so Mr. Matt improvised...and we used Marty the Zebra. All the Madagascar characters from Disney Happy Meals are ready to fulfill any biblical role necessary at a moment's notice.
3. Potty time can evoke the best discussions - As crazy as it sounds, I love taking the girls for potty time. They always tell the greatest stories and bonding happens when you do something, so, um, personal, I guess. On this particular Sunday, I had two interesting discussions. One little girl said she had a younger sister, and she was going to have a baby brother, but right now, he was growing in her Mommy's tummy. Sounds reasonable, right? But, her Mommy isn't pregnant. This same girl has told the teachers each week it's her birthday...I think we have a comedic genius on our hands. Another little girl described in detail how her Mommy handles her clothing when she has, um, an accident. I'll save you the gory details. But she implied these "accidents" happen frequently. I've protected the innocent by withholding their names. What happens in the potty, stays in the potty.
4. We all have fears - the only thing that changes is the focus of our fears - Hannah sat with me at the table doing a puzzle and was all snuggly, which I love, but she seemed a bit sleepy. I asked her, "Hannah, are you sleepy?" She said, "Yes, I didn't sleep last night. The storms scared me." I just gave her a hug....and was reminded that I was afraid of storms at her age too. My Mom taught me Psalm 56:3, "What time I am afraid, I will trust in the Lord." to get me through the storms. To little Hannah, that storm may be the scariest thing she encounters. But, for me, I have different storms now. In either case, Psalm 56:3 is the best answer no matter the storm.
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