2011 a year in pictures

Heart Melter

Paraffin Fiasco

I referred my darling husband to my dentist. I'm not sure if anyone has noticed but basic service providers are upping their game and giving consumers a bit of luxury to go with their mundane service to keep their clientele up during these hard times. I must preface this by saying that my husband is a man's man. I'm talking big truck, works in construction, and doesn't even have an ounce of metro sexual in his body. So when his lovely dental hygienist asks him if he would like the paraffin treatment, he thinks it must be something new they are doing for his gums. Bless his heart. He says sure why not. She takes him over to the hot paraffin lava, takes the top off of what he says looked like a pressure cooker  and he just looks at her like a deer caught in the headlights so she motions him to dip his hands into the melting pot. She then proceeds to tie the little plastic gloves onto his hands followed my over sized oven mitts and then takes him to his seat. He is thinking where in the world am I and what has this lady done to me??!! She starts to clean his teeth and he is so uncomfortable with his little mitts on that he interrupts and asks, "what exactly is the plan with this concoction as he lifts his hands into the air?" She tells him that most people leave them on until the cleaning is over. He politely asks if he can get them off now when she lets him know that his hands might not be as soft if he takes them off now which makes him get up at once and head for the sink. He recalls times in his life when he has shaken hands with men who had hands reminiscent of a baby's bottom and he has wanted to recoil. As he fumbles his way to his four wheel drive he mumbles why not just cut off part of my manhood while your at it. No paraffin for this guy.

FULL

A place lacking longing
the minute I hear my boys pitter patter down the stairs in the middle of the night
when she laughs at the top of her lungs while I'm chasing her on my knees
Him smelling all good leaning in for a kiss when he gets home from work
The peace that passes all understanding embracing me filling me until I can't question His love because I am Full of it
The chocolate cake that perhaps I could have bypassed but loved every second of
My husband's coffee in the afternoon that he almost spills each day
My bath tub when all four of us pile in because I want it that way making the best memories in a pile of bubbles
My heart because I have for whatever divine reason so far lived up to my name "Blessed One"

Loss

I was holding my son in my arms when the phone rang and that old familiar voice was on the other line. When I heard the sadness as he spoke words that would alter the course of our lives as a family. I handed my son over and fell to my knees with tear stricken grief. It was short lived, as my preference for anger is much greater than finding myself in a heap. As if there is any comfort to be found in rage. It was a loss of my expectations, my idealistic family scenario and discovering my hero was not who I thought. He was just a human being after all. So many years later now I see that the darkest days were used to shed light in places that couldn't be reached before the cracks were there.  If I had to go back and feel that all over again to see the growth that has come from that devastation I would do so without question.

Fun for Friday

Five of my favorite finds over the past week:

1. http://www.faithcomesbyhearing.com/  As you know the reader can make or break an audiobook. This is a great version of the NT.... even my five year old wants to sit and listen...... and its totally free.

2.http://catalystconference.com/ This looks like an amazing although expensive conference. If you just sign up like you are interested you get lots of cool music and podcasts for FREE.

3.http://www.e-mealz.com/  I so appreciate this site. It gives you a meal plan, recipes, and shopping lists for $1.25 a week. The meals are great and one of the best things is the plans are based on what is on sale that week in the store you choose to shop at!

4. http://www.zappos.com/aldo-forwood-turquoise  I do not consider myself a shoe girl at all unless we are talking comfort and then I'm in... but recently I have gotten into wedges because I can actually walk in them. There is something sort of weird that happens when you step it up a bit like a sexy little shoe on your foot may only give you a couple of inches... but I'm feeling ten feet tall and bulletproof.... who knew. These are my latest favs.

5. http://pinterest.com/  What a glorious way to spend an hour browsing and collecting all of your favorite things. Caution: it is hard to stop.

Taking the time

    She never really needed God until things began to go awry. He meets so many this way. The divorce a few years back brought her to her knees and she knew that when she dug deep down she didn't have what she needed to get her through. So there He was with open arms- gushing because He does over each and every one.
    A year goes by and life is good again when I hear her say to me, "Yeah, I'm just not sure anymore. It all seems like such a show and the ones around me who are supposed to be the most "Christian" can't stop ear bashing me about all of their accolades during sessions that I am required to sit through". I nod but my heart is breaking, oozing out small bits of rage.
    Mister Preacher man you are trusted. You are the one among others whom people look to and they search for what God looks like because they don't know. They haven't had years of Bible school and even if they did maybe they didn't buy into all that. Who are you being so prideful when the King of Kings rode on an ass?
     And just like that it comes like a cool breeze on a spring morning.... He speaks and He's so patient with me when He says I have sent this preacher out and he isn't perfect but he isn't alone either. Every single day I send you out where you are. That lady at recycling who was taking forever, who wouldn't stop talking to you....uh huh.... that mom at the park with a special needs kid who sat right across from you...uh huh.. yeah I did all of that. Who are you showing the world that I am? Are you taking the time to love when its certain there will not be any return? Are you just giving lip service to the admiration of my ways or are you putting aside your agenda and living out the TRUTH?


"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourself"- Phil 2:3