the end

It's the end of a long holiday weekend, the end of the month, the end of my daily blessings (in writing only - I count my blessings every day).

Blessing #29.... I really enjoy being a part of the blogging world and meeting so many interesting and nice people. But the blessing is the small group of bloggers who stop by my blog frequently, leaving me comments that affirm me, make me smile, add to the conversation, encourage me, open my eyes, or simply to say hi. If you leave me comments, I'm talking about you. Thank you for your support and friendship. I do count you as a blessing.

Blessing #30.... I've thought about this every Sunday during this last month and knew I would leave this for my final blessing. To put it in one word, it would be my faith. It encompasses everything that goes along with that; having Jesus as my Lord and Saviour, having the Bible as my instruction book and the freedom to read it without be persecuted, the opportunity to sing my praise to Him (even though I don't sing well), the gifts He has blessed me with and opportunity to use them, to fellowship with other believers, to know that my sins are forgiven and I will spend eternity with Him, and the list goes on and on. It is such a blessing to know His love and to love Him in return.

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)


Blessings #29 & #30 in a month's worth of blessings.

this post is "meh"

If you've ever heard someone say or use the word "meh" but wasn't sure what it meant, you will soon be able to look it up in the Collins English Dictionary.

Publisher HarperCollins just announced that the word "meh," had been chosen from terms suggested by the public for inclusion in the dictionary's 30th anniversary edition.

The origins of "meh" are murky, but the term grew in popularity after being used in a 2001 episode of "The Simpsons" in which Homer suggests a day trip to his children Bart and Lisa. They both just reply 'meh' and keep watching TV.

The dictionary defines "meh" as an expression of indifference of boredom, or an adjective meaning mediocre or boring.

"Meh" was selected by Collins after it asked people to submit words they use in conversation that are not in the dictionary. Other suggestions included jargonaut, a fan of jargon; frenemy, an enemy disguised as a friend; and huggles, a hybrid of hugs and snuggles.

source

Blessings today included sharing two meals with two different groups of friends. Don and I had lunch with two families that we just love and don't get to see each other enough. And then we were invited to dinner to celebrate a friend's 18th birthday. It wasn't about the food, it was about the company.


Blessing #16 in a month's worth of blessings.

thank you facebook

I've been a little obsessed lately.

A couple of months ago, through Facebook, I found two women who I had been friends with during the 90s. They moved away and none of us made the effort to keep in touch. I immediately sent them a message and asked to be their friend (it's a Facebook thing). It was great seeing them and their families through their profiles and we've been catching up on each other's lives.

Since then, I spend some of my late night hours searching for other friends that I've lost contact with. I've used Facebook, MySpace, and Google. A couple of weeks ago I found a very dear friend of mine, again, through Facebook. She was a close high school friend and my maid of honor. We've written to each other, giving the abridged version of our lives for the past 18 years. It was such a wonderful feeling to find a long lost friend; one you've thought a lot about through the years.

And then last week, I found another old high school friend. He was part of the same group that the above mentioned friend was a part of. And he was Don's best man. I found him by googling his name. This method isn't as easy or productive, but this time it worked. It turns out that this friend has a Flickr account and he used his full name on it. Bingo! I found him. It's such a thrill.

So, now I can't seem to help myself. I find myself late at night, sitting with my laptop on my lap, typing in the names of every old friend that I can think of. Isn't technology grand? And I would have to disagree with all of those who say there is nothing good about Facebook. It reunites old friends.

Thank you Facebook.

forgiveness and hope

Today I had lunch with an old friend. We had been very close for more than five years before she moved away. I looked to her not only as a friend, but a mentor and counselor. She taught me so much about God, ministry, and myself. I cried the day she left.

She told me when she moved away that she wasn't the type to keep in touch. She didn't do email and she definitely didn't do snail mail. It was pretty much the end of our friendship. I had to accept that and be content with having her friendship for that phase of my life.

She would come back to visit occasionally and it was always good to see her but it was a hug and no more than a few minutes of conversation. The last time she was in town was during a time when I wasn't in a good place. It was when we were making the decision to leave our church. She was going to be in town for a couple of weeks and I told her I would really like to get together with her. I needed my wise friend and counselor. I told her my time was flexible and she said she would be in touch so we could grab at least a coffee.

For the next two weeks I waited for her call.... and waited... and waited. She never called. I was so hurt. My mind went wild with reasons why she didn't call - why she wouldn't want to meet with me. I was sure it had something to do with why we were leaving the church, but the truth is, I really don't know why.

That was two years ago. I hadn't heard a word from her since that time. It was very easy for me to stay hurt and mad. Satan not only uses our weaknesses against us, but our pain. It would have been very easy for me to stay mad and nurse that wound so that it would never heal. I felt justified in that thinking.

But somewhere along the way, I realized that that kind of thinking and wound nursing was not helping me - in fact, it was hurting me. I knew I needed to forgive this friend, even though she had no idea that she had hurt me. I needed to do this for me, not her. So, this was indeed what I did, with God's help.

About three months ago I heard some news that both excited and scared me. My friend was moving back, taking a job with our old church. I realized I was most likely going to come face to face with her at some point. I also realized that forgiveness was so much easier when I didn't have to face the one that hurt me. I didn't know what I was going to do. I did the only thing I knew to do; pray and put it all in God's hands.

And God is faithful. My friend and I ran into each other in the most unexpected place a couple of weeks ago. Thankfully, the place didn't afford us the opportunity to really talk. My friend said she wanted to meet for lunch so we set up a time and place. This gave me the time I needed to pray and prepare myself for this meeting. I wasn't sure what to expect. Even though I had forgiven her, I wasn't sure how I would respond to being with her. I wasn't sure how she was going to respond to me. I'll be honest - I was scared.

Today was the day. We met for lunch. And it went well, very well. It was almost like no time had passed from the old times. There was no hurt on my side or uncertainty on her's. I thank God for that and the opportunity to renew our friendship. There might be some future unease since she's working for the church that we loved and left, but thankfully, God can work that out. With God, anything is possible. He's made that clear to me through this situation.

new challenges

More of HIM Mondays is hosted by Heather @ Not A DIY Life. Participants always appreciate support and encouragement in the form of comments.


A couple of things have happened in the last week that I feel God has arranged to challenge me and move me back on a path where I become more reliant on Him.

One of the ladies from my Moms In Touch group confessed something to the leader and myself and asked us to hold her accountable. As I sat there listening to her tell her story, all I could think about was, how can I help her? How can I help her from falling back into a lifestyle she wants to be out of? It's been on my mind ever since with the main question being, how do you keep an adult accountable for something?

I started feeling ill-equipped and a little frantic. But then it dawned on me (it was probably the two by four God wielded at me) that I don't have to come up with some great game plan. I don't have to have all the answers. I don't have to feel like it all falls on me.

The answer: put it in God's hands, walk close to Him, and He will show me how I can help my friend. That, along with being present in my her life. Show her I care and let her know that I'm there to walk her journey with her. I am praying that I can follow God's lead on this and am excited to see how He will direct me.

The other thing that I'm excited about is a new venture of Susan's of Penless Writer. She has felt called to start and run a 24 hour prayer blog. She is heavily involved in a prayer ministry in her home town and knows the value and power of prayer. She is looking for anyone who is willing to commit to praying every day for the requests that are left on the blog.

At first, I didn't think I would want to do this. I mean... every day! I didn't think I could follow through with such a commitment. But then I felt like this would be good for me. Something I need to be more disciplined in. Susan explained that she didn't want it to be a legalistic commitment, so if I miss my appointed time, I can find another time that day that works better for my schedule. I'm excited to be a part of this new endeavor.

She is still looking for volunteers, so if you think it's something you'd be interested in, leave her a comment or email her.

we are... moms in touch

Here's a picture, taken today, of the ladies from my Moms In Touch group while we lunched at a local restaurant. I love them dearly and the time we spend together is priceless to me. Little did I know, when I joined this group four years ago, how much of a blessing it would be.

I almost didn't join. I had gone to another MIT group meeting when my kids were younger and did not have a good experience. I felt that it was a bunch of busy-body soccer moms who only wanted to sit around and gossip under the guise of praying for others. It left a very bad taste in my mouth.

But when Terri (the leader of my current group) called me, I felt an instant connection with her and her vision for the new group she was starting. It also came during a hard time in my life (we had just left our former ministry and church) and I felt like God was telling me to give it a try. I only had to attend two meetings to realize this group was going to be nothing like the other that I had attended.

The group has changed in participants since I first joined, but the overall goal has not. And that is to gather as mothers to pray for our children and our children's schools.

This goal has brought us closer than any of us could have ever expected. With all of us raising teenagers, we can cry on each other's shoulders and then laugh through our tears. We're there to support and learn from each other. Sometimes praying is all we can do for our children and it's a great comfort to know that we are lifting each other, and our kids, up in prayer. We also truly care about the schools that our children attend and want to bathe these institutions and their staff in prayer.

I believe in the power of prayer. I feel it's important to be praying for our children from the time they're born until... well, I guess we never stop :) I know it's a blessing to have others praying for me and with me and I for others. I'm thankful that I live in a country where I'm free to pray. And I believe that God answers each and every prayer we utter.

side notes:
My blogging friend Susan's last two posts (here and here) addresses a couple of issues involving prayer. Both have some good food for thought that you might enjoy reflecting upon. I'm sure she would appreciate your thoughts on the subject.

Another blogging friend, Leigh Ann, has a wonderful site, Lifting Hands, that encourages parents to pray for their children. Each week she posts a specific prayer that focuses on a specific area. Another blessing for me.

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link of the day:
http://www.rattle-n-roll.com/html/home2.html

be nice

today's 10 for tuesday is the 10 nicest things someone has done for you. here are mine (in no particular order):

1. my good friend, terri, offered to run any errand(s) i needed to have done before i left on an extended trip. this was after staying up half the night with a family who had the husband/dad die during the night. terri's good deed was appreciated more than she'll ever know.

2. another terri act of kindness: she brought over a breakfast dish for the weekend of dani's graduation when we had a houseful of guests. her kindness never ceases to amaze me.

3. on one of my birthdays, my friend sara brought me a cupcake with a candle in it and sang happy birthday to me when she came to pick up my son for carpooling to school. it made my day.

4. when dani was very young, out of the blue, my step-dad, lee, sent us money to buy a cam-corder. back then, they were more pricey than they are now. it meant a lot to us.

5. when don and i were youth leaders at our previous church, we had a mom/friend who always made us cookies at christmas time. for some reason, i was always surprised and it made me feel valued.

6. when my kids were young, i had a friend offer to watch them for a day so i could do some christmas shopping. it was such a treat to be able to have a day to myself and get some quality shopping time in.

7. we have some good friends who invited us (just don and i) to go with them to hawaii. we had never been before and they had been once. if you think about it, it was gamble for them to take. what if we didn't get along. it would have been one looooong week. but it was great. we made 2 more trips with them and we included all of our kids.

8. we have some other good friends who have done so many nice things for us. so many, that i can't put one over another. so here's the top three: we were their guest at a dude ranch, we were their guest for a stay in a beautiful house in beautiful vail (colorado), and we have been the guest to countless rockies games where they have some of the best seats in the stadium.

9. i love receiving cards from my kids. they usually pour out their hearts with such kind and loving thoughts. they make me cry every time. those are some of the nicest things i've ever received.

10. don has done so many nice things for me but i'll just name one (okay, two). he actually did this one thing many, many times. when the kids were younger, he would give me time away from them without any explanations. i could just say, "hey, i need to get away for a little bit." and he would say, "no problem." those times helped me keep my sanity and hopefully, made me a better mom. the second nicest thing he's done is buying me my laptop :D

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link of the day:
http://www.wickeddelicious.com/

feels good, but not right

friday the 13th has the reputation of being unlucky. well, mine was pretty nice. after having my usual bowl of cereal, i started reading some of my favorite blogs. i found that one of my new blogging friends, amber from trust in the Lord, has given me the blogger reflection award.


i was very surprised and greatly honored. here's what amber wrote when honoring me with this award. thank you amber for these kind words.

Diana @ Sunshine on My Shoulders is a SWEET woman and mother who SPIRIT definitely SHINES! Not only does her sweet spirit shine, but she is very insightful too. She graciously shared with me her insightfulness (I don't know if that's a word) with me in my previous post, Patience. The comment she wrote made me cry, and made me realize that I'm being the best mother I can be. So in return I wanted to give her this reward.

now i am supposed to pass this on to five other bloggers. this is where i'm struggling. i don't want to offend anyone - especially you, amber, who thought enough of me to give me the award. here's what i'm thinking. i believe just about everyone is deserving of the many awards that go around the blogosphere. but not everyone receives the awards. i think some bloggers get left out and that doesn't sit right with me.

i guess i'm like the paul newman of the academy awards. i'm sure he's honored for being nominated, but he never accepts the award. everyone should feel like winners. no one should feel left out. and i know we're just talking about simple little awards given through cyber space, but i don't want anyone to feel left out by me naming 3, 5, 7, or whatever number of recipients.

so i'm not going to pass on this award to anyone in particular because i feel like we are all deserving of the blogger reflection award, and whatever other awards that are being passed out.

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link of the day:
http://militantplatypus.com/games/gamepage.php?game=crossword

thankful thursday

a lot of bloggers post "thankful thursdays." i haven't felt a need to use this theme before now. don't get me wrong - i have a lot to be thankful for and consider myself a very grateful person. i thank God (almost) daily for His many blessings in my life. but after the fun i had today, i thought it would be a good day to do a thankful thursday post.

this is my friend, terri. we became friends after i joined her moms in touch group two years ago. we clicked almost immediately. we could sit together for hours and never have a need for something to say. i love our long discussions and i admire her in so many ways, especially her unwavering faith and the many ways she shares that faith.

anyways, she called me up last night to invite me to go with her to our local farmer's market and then to her pool. i immediately said yes to the market as i hadn't been yet and have wanted to go. but the pool... hmmm... i don't think so. and i told her that. that i didn't think i would want to get into a swim suit and go to a public pool. but i told her i would give her my answer when i met her at the farmer's market.

i met her this morning at the market. we had a great time. one of the first booths we visited was one that sold hats. we had the most fun trying on different hats. of course, she looks good in hats. i don't. but she kept telling me i did and between her and the sales lady, i didn't stand a chance of walking away without a hat. we asked the sales lady to take our picture - it was the least she could do after buying two hats from her.

as we walked through the market, terri would say things like, "you are coming to the pool" and "you have to come to the pool with me." her encouragement and the fact that it was nearly 100 degrees convinced me that a trip to the pool would be fun and a good way to beat the heat. and even though i didn't want to put on the dreaded swim suit, i agreed to go.

... and it was great. i had a wonderful time. another friend (and her daughter) from our group joined us. it was a very nice time of visiting, soaking up some sun, and enjoying the refreshing powers of the pool. and as i was driving home, reflecting on the day, i couldn't help but be thankful for such a good friend. one that cared enough to invite me to spend part of the day with her. one that could coax me out of my confort zone, which i need to do more often. one that makes the world a better place.

thanks terri for a wonderful day. and thank you, God, for bringing terri and i together.

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link of the day:
http://www.evanalmighty.com/site/index.html?dl=