When the wind comes sweeping down the plains...

Storms racked the Midwest yesterday.  I got to leave work early to drive as fast as I (somewhat safely) could through heavy rains to beat a possible tornadic cell to my house to warn Coondog what was coming.  We made plans to head to the neighbor's new storm shelter if it looked like one would drop on us.  It's a new shelter and we haven't seen it yet so we also made plans on which bridge to hide under in case the shelter was tiny and we were forced to leave Ladybug in it with our friends while we scrambled for cover.  We didn't think this was likely but it never hurts to be prepared.  Since Coondog and I grew up in tornado alley, we were pretty calm about it. 

Plus, while it's wise to take precautions, all life is in God's hands so ultimately what happens is His decision.  That's the key to my nonchalance about the dangers of storms.  It drives Coondog crazy that I can sleep right through one, even if warning sirens go off.  I love a good storm - the power and thrill of it then the fresh face the world puts on the next day. 

That's not to say all things are fresh now.  Lives were lost in these storms and I pray for peace for their loved ones.  Only God can truly heal their hurt.  It is up to Christians in their communities to rally around them and love them through their pain, to remind them through their actions that love is more powerful than anything, even storms and death.  Where there is God, there is hope and God is everywhere.  Isn't that a glorious thought?

"Weeping may endure for a night,  but joy comes in the morning."  Psalm 30:5

Breadwinner, Breadmaker

I read an article today about how women are increasingly the primary breadwinners for their families.  Though this is largely driven by single-mom households, the numbers are still increasing for married women with kids.  Stay-at-home dads are a small but growing segment of our society. 

Coondog, Ladybug and I are a one income family.  That income comes from me.  Our arrangement works for us and is how God set up our lives when we asked for direction.  It's not always easy, especially living out here where we seem to be the only family in the entire region running this way.  What's hard for me, besides the time away from my little girl, is that I want to do all the homemakery things stay-at-home moms do.  I read blogs about women sewing cool things, doing great craft projects with their kids and cooking with fresh veggies grown in their backyard gardens.  I lament not having the time to do this. 

Then I remember that even when I am home, I have a 1 year old.  If I tried to sew, she would "help" me by getting into the pins and moving the fabric while I tried to cut it.  Critical pattern pieces would disappear only to be discovered months later inside a shoe at the back of a closet.  I would only get things like that done when Coondog was home to watch her so I wouldn't have any more time for it than I do now. 

Ladybug and I don't do elaborate craft projects, but only because she's too little.  I tried to get her to put stickers on a piece of paper awhile back to make a birthday card.  She thinks stickers should be picked off papers, not left on them so we ended up with unadorned paper.  Not very celebratory.  She has started to color and we do that together sometimes but that largely consists of her spending 30 seconds scribbling on paper then wondering around the room asking to draw on everything in sight.  So basically, we're doing crafts to the the level of her capabilities.

I'm sitting at my desk eating lunch as I write this.  I'm eating a sandwich on homemade bread.  I don't knead it by hand or grind my own flour but I did dump everything in a bread machine and it's delicious.  Plus there is a lot less mess to clean up with a bread machine.  My garden has a mind of its own right now because Ladybug likes to take off toward high grass (snake territory!) while I'm trying to work in it.  I'm okay with that.  What grows this year grows.  What doesn't, doesn't.  Store bought veggies aren't the end of the world.  Most of our meals are actually made from scratch (if you count jarred sauces which I do) since we do our best to avoid corn syrup and hydrogenated oils.  Since we're mid-remodel, I do this cooking without a traditional stove/oven.  We gave our microwave away long ago because we didn't use it.  Food tastes better reheated in a toaster oven.  I don't revel in doing things the hard way, but upon reflection it is pretty homemakery to do extra work to serve my family healthy meals.

I guess life is closer to what I want it to be than I thought.  I asked for God's guidance and this is the situation He put me in.  He is working for my best so there is no better.  Best always beats better.  I need to remember that next time I think things would be better if _____ was different.  Knowing me, that will be in about 5 minutes.  :P

~MM

Choosing not to worry

One of my brothers works in Moore, OK.  A tornado ravaged Moore today.  As always, he is being slow to answer my text so I haven't heard from him.  I have been Skyping about it with my boss who first clued me into the situation.  When I told her my brother works at Target, she said her son saw pics of a Target store destroyed but I can't find those pics online.  Her son is young and knew no details.  She said she didn't want to panic me, just letting me know.  She hopes he's okay.  For all I know, he's sitting in his apartment in another town, away from the destruction zone.

 

When she told me she didn't want to panic me, I debated telling her that I wouldn't panic because he's in God's hands.  I chickened out because she's not a believer and I didn't know how she'd take it.  However, I'm going to tell her before I leave that I'm not going to worry and his fate is up to God.  It's true and it needs to be said.  I'm through being a chicken.

 

Pray for the people affected by the tornados in the mid-west today.

 

~MM

Cousin Judy called me at work to let me know about the tornado.  We have another cousin who lives in Newcastle where the tornado first touched down, so we were thinking of her and my middle son who works at Target in Moore.  I looked online and saw the devastation and started to worry, a little.  Then cousin Judy called me back to tell me the broadcaster had actually mentioned that the Target store and Lowe's hadn't been hit!  I couldn't reach my boy by phone, but about 7:00 this evening, my phone rang and his picture popped up.  I picked it up but the call dropped.  Finally, 45 minutes later, he was able to get through.  They had holed up in a walk-in cooler for an hour, then came out to a parking lot full of emergency vehicles and a store with no power.  They also lost water because the water plant had been hit.  His car was covered in debris, and the roads were difficult to navigate, but hey, we'll take that!   

I do realize how bad it could have been.  His store was within sight of one of the elementary schools that got hit.  But I had just read in the book of Mark this morning about Jesus walking on the water, while his disciples in their boat were scared of the storm.  That was a very good passage to read on the morning of a day like this!

~GG

Rest

After hearing an excellent sermon on Sabbath rest, I have focused more on using Sundays not only for worship but for resting, too.  Like most Americans, I work too much.  There’s the fulltime job plus all the duties involved with running a house and raising children.  As God demonstrated in the book of Genesis when He rested after creating the world and all that is in it, rest is good and necessary.  I’ve only recently begun to appreciate it and practice it.

Today is Sunday, and observing Sabbath rest on Sunday means I have to plan ahead to prepare for it.  I can’t rest in a mess, so the housework has to be done.  Grocery shopping and laundry have to be done.  Kids have to have their showers the night before, and church clothes laid out.  An easy lunch has to be planned.  That’s as far ahead on things as I can get.  I’ll probably still wash the car today, and cook something for the next week’s lunches.  But it will be a restful day, and I’ll be the better for it.

~GG

Good morning

When I left for work this morning, the dog was sleeping on the rug instead of the couch.  The cat was sleeping on the couch instead of my bed.  I've been trying to make this happen for awhile.  I left the house happier than I have all week.

Now it's Friday and I'm about to head home to Coondog and Ladybug.  There are more things that I want to do this weekend than can possibly get done.  I started to get discouraged.  Then I remembered that the dog wasn't on the couch and the cat wasn't on my bed.  Anything is possible.

Hope you have a good weekend!

~MM

In the sweet by and by

By Mama Mabel

At our church, Wednesday night singing is largely done by a small group of men.  They shuffle around who is on stage by the song instead of the night and whoever wants to sing in the pews can but it's not required.  If a kid happens to be there and wants to sing something special, they bring them up to the front and hand them a mic.  This suprised me at first because I was used to full congregational participation and was easily bored by "performance" song services.

This is totally different though.  For one thing, it's very casual.  It's as if the stage is just the easiest place for them to stand to play and sing together.  Just good old mountain singing with a guitar or two, a mandolin and occasionally a bass guitar.  It all depends on who's there and what instrument they pick up.  Everything is done with a country drawl but at a fast tempo.  Most of our songs are originals written by the music leader and most are about when he gets to see his loved ones in heaven.  It's not about the performance, it's about putting your love of God out there for everyone to see.  I think they's why they encourage kids to sing up front.  Not only is it fun to watch but it teaches them to be bold in their praise. 

They will do a few classic hymns, although at warp speed compared to what I'm used to hearing.  Their favorite is "In the sweet by and by."  I love their version of it.  So sincere and upbeat.  I decided last night as I listened that I would love to have them sing it at my funeral because it's so powerful (I don't know why I occasionally plan my own funeral - I'm weird I guess).  Then I realized that one of them is old enough to be my father and the other my grandfather so I guess I'll have to just enjoy it while it lasts and sneak my video camera in while they're not looking.  It's hard to hide it with only 15 people in the room.

~MM


You get the funeral planning gene from me.  We need to put the fun in funeral!  Don't forget you're supposed to hire a marching band for mine, and serve frito pie. 

~GG

Oh, I forgot about that!  But I thought it was a bluegrass band.  And we're going to tell funny stories about you while we eat the frito pie.  At mine I want the guests to wear colorful clothing and comfortable shoes.

~MM 

Blessings on a 3X5 card

A couple of years ago my mom was cleaning out a closet and came across a big box of 3X5 cards of all different colors.  She gave them to me!  I love 3X5 cards!!!!

They’re perfect for grocery lists, notes to kids, etc.  But my favorite thing to do with one is to write down a  verse that jumps out at me in my morning reading and put it in my purse.  I’ve had some in there for months, and I come across them while I’m digging for my grocery list.  I stop and read them, and get blessed all over again! 

Most of mine are from Psalms, because I read through the book twice in the last year.  Here are some that are currently  being carried around in my purse:

Psalm 116:7 “Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.”

Psalm 27:13 “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”

Psalm 5:12 “But you, O Lord, will bless the righteous; With favor you will surround him as with a shield.”

Psalm 55:18 “He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me.”

Psalm 65:11 “You crown the year with goodness, and Your paths drip with abundance.”

Phil 4:6-7 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

See why I like 3X5 cards so much?

~GG


If you started making doubles of some of them, that would be a wonderful and inexpensive Christmas gift for me!  I'd like reading them in your handwriting so it's like you're reaffirming them.  Did you know you're the voice in my head a lot of the time?  You give pretty good advice.

~MM

Graham cracker sillies

When I got home last night, Ladybug was in high form.  She toddler jabbered then laughed at the side-splitting jokes she had just told.  She walked all around the room picking things up and putting them down and at times led me around to show me random things that made her giggle.  This included things like the knob on my hoosier cabinet drawer and the dog taking a nap.  She tried to scatter our paper plates over the whole kitchen floor as some sort of art project.  She told me a big story that I couldn't understand a word of but I was required to laugh and tell her how impressed I was by whatever she said.  After everything she did, she would squeal with delight.  She was just a big ol' mess of funny.

I finally had to ask her how she got so many sillies in one small body.  It turns out it was all from Graham crackers and milk.  She had been grumpy all day until Coondog offered her this wonderful treat. 

I think we've found her new daily snack.

~MM

My Mama

Because I didn't get online all weekend (we only have dial up at home - another story for another day) and because my tardily mailed Mother's Day card won't get to my mom until today anyway, I've decided to extend Mother's Day in order to tell everyone how great my mom is.  Because she is.

One of my mom's spiritual gifts is faith.  If something really needs to happen she says, "let's just pray for that to happen."  So we do and it does.  She passed her faith down to me and it makes life so much less stressful.  It's how she and I both got better jobs, how we knew which houses to move to, and a myriad of other things.  Once she was touched on the head by an angel when she walked into a house for sale and told that it would be hers.  It took a miracle but it happened and I grew up in that house.  When I tell her about good things happening, she says, "See!  It's God!"  She's shown me that when you look for God's workings in life, you find them everywhere.

One of her other strengths is her sense of humor.  If we kids did something kind of bad but were really funny about it, we'd often get a pass.  We used to sit around the dinner table trying to out-funny each other.  The Kennedys had touch football, we had one-liner competitions.  To this day, if I can think of something clever and maybe a little sarcastic in response to a stressor, I feel better about it and can move on with my life. 

Mama also has mad coping skills.  If something difficult happens, she chooses to fight it or come to terms with it.  Either way, she gets through it and move on.  She doesn't dwell on it or let it take over her life.  The only thing worth that much energy is God so she directs her thoughts accordingly.  I cannot thank my mom enough for the coping skills she has emulated.  Seeing that I have the power to direct my thoughts and emotions has shaped my life in a far more positive way than if I had let them run wild.

In less life changing, but also important areas, she's also a great writer, willing to take in those in need, can work a crowd like no one's business, and willing to take risks with her hair styles because worst case scenario you let it grow back.  She has an open mind, she works hard and she knows how to have fun.  I love all these things about her and so many more.  I can't thank her enough for her impact on my life. 

Thank you Mama, a.k.a. GrannyGirl, for being a Godly older woman teaching this younger woman how to live.  You're a very Proverbs 31 kind of lady.

~MM

The Hands of a Real Woman

It's coincidental that my mom posted about my grandmother's favorite verse this morning.  I had already written a post about Grandmama for today so you get a double dose of her inspiring nature.  Here you go:

My grandmama is a good woman.  She embodies all the fruit of the spirit and she has a great sense of humor to boot.  Someday I hope to be like her.  I'm pretty sure she's invincible, even though she's tiny.  She works hard with no complaint and meets adversity with prayer and joy. 

Recently, I looked in the mirror and saw a woman's face looking back for the first time.  I didn't think I was a girl before since I'm going to hit 30 this year, but I've always looked younger than I am and just never saw an adult in the mirror.  It was more psychological than physical.  People still talk to me like I'm 20, but I'm more confident in my own skin now.

Today, I realized that my hands were following my face's lead.  As I got in the car to go to work, they had on them Vick's baby rub from comforting my sick baby and a smear of grease from adding antifreeze to my sick car.  The juxtaposition struck me.  Both actions felt completely natural and I was thankful to know how to do each so I could be useful.  Maybe I'll end up like Grandmama after all.

~MM

This is the day!

Psa: 118:24  "This is the day which the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it."

This is my mom's favorite verse.  She says it to herself every morning.  It's a great verse to stand on.  Every day is a specially made gift from God, that He made for us.  If we accept this as the joyful truth that it is, we can start every day with great expectations of blessings and joy.

I'm trying to keep this as my mindset each day.  It's harder when I'm physically exhausted, but it's still there and it gives me peace and joy.  Peace and joy can get one through a lot of aggravation and stress!

On this day, Friday, May 10, I will remember that this is the day the Lord has made!  It's a gift!  That's why they call it "the present."

I couldn't resist that last line.   :)

~GG

Ladybugs in the Garden

Ladybugs are great for gardens.  They eat aphids that can destroy plants.  They were even released in the Mall of America to help protect its vibrant greenery that serves as an air purification system.  Ladybugs can be an organic gardener's best friends.

 

My own little Ladybug is a big help too.  We've been working to weed and plant our garden.  Weeding is my favorite part.  There's something very satisfying about yanking the bad out to make room for the good.  Weeding is also Ladybug's favorite part.  She saw us pulling them up and tossing them to the side.  Translated to toddler action, this means picking up handfuls of dirt and tossing them in the air above her head.  Dirt rains down on her like confetti at a parade and she laughs and does it again.  When that gets boring, she digs a little with her plastic garden tools or picks up rocks.  There is always something fun to do in a garden.

 

She also likes to manage the seeds with me.  This consists of her reaching for the open packets to tip them over if I'm not vigilant every second.  Thanks to Ladybug's help, I have half a row of tomatoes and jalapenos that may have missing patches and may have spots where both a tomato and jalapeno plant grow.  Whatever comes up is more than we had before so we'll just wait and see what happens. 

 

Even if our garden grows a big chaotically, its worth it to see the joy on my dirt caked little girl's face as she experiences the wonder of an actual ladybug crawling on her arm or announces gleefully via squeal that she found a neat looking rock, different and infinitely more special than the hundreds of other (remarkably similar) rocks around her.  I don't know that I would like gardening at all if I didn't experience it first through the wonderstruck eyes of a one year old.

 

~MM

Slug Bug!

The grandson and I went to Branson this weekend.  On the way there he started the “Slug Bug” game.  Every time he saw a Volkswagen he would call out the color and get a point.  I tried to keep up but he beat me 6 to 1.  On the way home he got the score to 6 to 1 again, but then I found another one!  Then he found 2 more, but I held on to the hope that I could close that gap!  And then, at a red light in some small town in southern Oklahoma, a car hauler pulled up beside us.  The cars were covered in a white mesh and I didn’t give them a second look.  But he did.  Slug Bug yellow times two!  Slug Bug red times two! And blue.  And white.  He added 8 points to his score.

 I gave up.  

Hidden Blessings Revealed

While house shopping, we chose the one we now own over another similarly priced home about 2 miles away.  It was a picturesque cedar cabin butted up against a wooded mountain; Coondog's dream home.  It didn't have as much land attached but the next door neighbor was willing to sell his an acre or two at a time so we could have added on over the years.  It was fully functioning inside (unlike our current house) with an impressive water filtration system and had covered area out back with full electrical hookups for entertaining. 

We told our realtor that we chose the house we're in because the other was across a county line and would put Ladybug in school the opposite direction from my work.  This was true.  However, our main reasoning was that the realtor's sister ran a commercial chicken house next door.  If you've never smelled a chicken house, I don't recommend it.  We had serious concerns about the effects of the fumes on Ladybug's lungs and on the potential waste runoff from this uphill neighbor that would be lingering in our soil where we intended to garden.  Chicken poop is a good fertilizer, but not in massive doses.  So we took the house that was in mid-remodel and all the work that goes along with that.

A few days ago, a different neighbor mentioned that he wanted to buy a new mobile home.  Coondog told him about the log cabin but mentioned that he'd have to deal with the chicken smell.  Turns out the man had considered buying it around the time we looked at it but the septic system was mere feet from the well.  If you open the wellhouse, you get a whiff of sewage.  Thus the great filtration system that we thought was just a perk from a previous owner. 

When Coondog told me about this, I saw once again how God had specially selected our current home for us and protected us from a lot of potential harm and expense to relocate the well - if that was even possible.  I praise Him for the beauty of his guidance in our lives.  It re-emphasizes that we don't have to know the "why" of God's plan to know that it is good.

On the road again

I’m hitting the road at 6:00 a.m tomorrow, heading out with my 12 year old grandson to Missouri to see my parents.  They’ve had a rough couple of weeks, with Mama having bronchitis and Daddy ending up in the hospital with pneumonia.  They’re both ok now, but I want to go see them, so I took a floating holiday off from work and my grandson has Friday out of school for Cinco de Mayo.  If you’re not from a state that borders Mexico, that probably makes no sense to you. 

Anywho, we’ll leave early and drive for 8 – 10 hours (usually takes me 10).  We’ll grab some breakfast at the gas station while I tank up, then try to remember the shortcut through Dallas that cuts at least half an hour off the trip.  We’ll pop a book on cd into the player and then just zone.  The grandson is a great traveler but he’s 12 and a half  and I think the days are numbered.   The teenage attitudes creep through at random moments and that sweet boy won’t be this sweet for much longer.  I’ll take it while  I can.

So I’ll get the food bag packed, put my Mother’s Day gift in the car, throw in a couple changes of clothes and off we go!

~GG