Waiting

by Mama Mabel

God is teaching me "waiting" right now.  Trust that He will fix things in His time.  Trust that He is bigger than mere humans.  Patience for Him to do His good work in His good time.  

I don't like waiting.  I oscillate between being sad at what is broken, mad that it's broken in the first place, resigned that only God can fix it, thankful that He is faithful and loves me enough to help when I can't do it myself along with unproductive spurts of "I'll just do it myself" and self-pity.

Sometimes waiting is active.  God wants me to play a supporting role to Him while He's working.  Sometimes it's passive and I just have to leave things alone.  Actually, in a way, waiting is always active because I have to constantly listen to God's guidance on whether to step up or stand down while not trying to impose my own expectations on how He is working.  

Waiting is hard work.  It takes courage to wait just like it takes courage to engage.  King David understood that:

Psa. 27:14 Wait for the Lord; Be strong, and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.

And it turns out, sometimes God has to wait on us.  Isaiah was talking to the rebellious Israelites when he said (30:15-19): 

For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.  But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee: and, We will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift.  One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall ye flee: till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on an hill.  And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.  For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee. (emphasis mine)

It wasn't until I looked for verses about waiting that it finally sank in that it's a two way street.  God wants us to trust Him so He can bless us.  When we say, "No, I'm doing it my way.  You're not fixing it like I think You should," we're effectively saying, "I'd rather flee with 1,000 other people from 1 guy than trust You to handle that guy."  When we do that, God gives us what we want.  Only when I'm submissive to God's instructions instead of my own fear and impatience does He answer me.  When I look at it that way, waiting get easier. 

Potty training success!

By Mama Mabel

We've finally done it!  Ladybug is potty trained.  Everything fell beautifully into place this weekend and now she's wearing big girl panties.  She hates peeing on her clothes or the floor so she's fairly motivated to make it to her little training potty.  The only hard part is when she has something better to do.  I'm starting to use that to my advantage though because I won't let her do the fun thing until she at least tries to use the bathroom.

Usually in the mornings, that fun thing is brushing her teeth.  She was argumentative this morning though so as soon as I made the offer to let her brush her teeth (like she had asked) as a reward for peeing in her potty, she decided she no longer wanted to brush her teeth.  I was too stressed for a stalemate since I was running late for work so after a hurried negotiation, we decided that she could pet the dog if she went potty.  She then happily did her business like the big girl that she is.  Then, in a truly toddler move, she completely forgot about the dog and asked to brush her teeth. The important thing though is that she went potty first.  We're maintaining the momentum.

The whole process has been arduous.  It's been happening on and off for almost a year.  There has been much weeping and gnashing of teeth.  To have it all finally come together is so fulfilling as a parent.  It makes me wonder if this is how God feels when we finally understand something He's been trying to teach us.  "Mabel is just figuring out balanced submission after 5 years of marriage?  Hooray!"  That sort of thing. 

It's nice that He lets me experience the same thing with my own child so I can better understand Him. 

It's also nice that my diaper budget is about to be $0.  Win-win.

Two-isms

By Mama Mabel

My two year old has been talking up a storm lately.  Here is a toddler to English dictionary of some of her favorite terms.

woff a moonie - watch a movie

buff teef - brush teeth

daydee - baby

cinmanon toas - cinnamon toast

ehbody cap! - everybody clap!

ha taeto - hot potato

jomins - pajamas

And a bonus fun fact:  If she goes potty and then I also go before flushing, I'm not allowed to pee on her pee.  I have to pee "beside" it. 

Morning Snuggles

by Mama Mabel

Ladybug went through a phase recently where she'd wake up early and run to my bed.  She would climb over me and snuggle herself under the blankets between me and Coondog.   She would get very quiet and lean in against me, usually trying to be the little spoon.  Her breathing would slow as she drifted back to sleep and I would reflect on how beautiful and fleeting this age is, so thankful that the first thing she wanted to do each day was snuggle with me.

Eventually, she'd wake up and start wiggling, then roll over to face me with the sweet smile that only angelic little girls can make.  She'd look lovingly into my eyes then hold her finger up to my face and in her little giggling voice say, "Booger.  Put on floor Mama." 

Sunday mornings

by Granny Girl

Sunday mornings ain't what they used to be! For more years than I care to count, Sunday morning was the most stressful time of my week. The responsibility of getting the whole family to church was all mine. Having four kids with a ten year age range, that meant a lot of wrangling. Ahhh, good times.

Some Sunday morning memories: Heading to one bedroom with a spanking spoon in my hand to convince the three year old that he had to leave his dress clothes on his body while arguing with the the thirteen year old that it was not my responsibility to make sure his favorite pair of jeans had been washed and making a u-turn in the hall to spank the thirteen year old instead because he sassed me one time too many! And yes, he was a foot taller than me at the time.

Here's another one: I laid out some very nice hand me down clothes for my compliant middle son when he was about four years old. The clothes came from a family of cousins who were all blondes, so they dressed in a different color palette than we did. I checked on him after a few minutes and he was just standing there crying. He said, "I feel like a fool in brown!" If I remember correctly, I let him pick out some different clothes.

Then there was the Sunday my frustrations boiled over and I was yelling at the kids as we finally all got in car and headed off. I said something like, "If y'all would just get in the %#*! car a little faster, we'd make it to church on time!" One of the braver kids said, "Now you've done it, Mama. Cussing on the way to church!"

But all that Sunday morning chaos is gone now. Hallelujah! I wake up to a quiet, peaceful house. There's just one kid to get out the door, and he likes church, so he happily gets himself ready. It's only a five minute drive to church. He gets out of the car and I don't see him again until church is over. Ahhhh. I love Sunday mornings!

Marching in the tops of the mulberry trees

by Granny Girl

I read in II Samuel chapter 5 this morning about King David going against the Philistines. As soon as the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they deployed their army to attack. David asked God, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?" and the Lord said to David, "Go up, for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into your hands."

David obeyed, God delivered, the Philistines were defeated. But one trouncing wasn't enough. The Philistines deployed against the Israelites again.  When David asked God to direct him, God told him, "You shall not go up; circle around behind them, and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees. And it shall be when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly. For then the Lord will go out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines."

Is that not the coolest command ever? Wait until you hear marching in the tops of the mulberry trees! God knew the terrain, the time, and the enemy's position. And it sure sounds like He sent his army of angels to lead the battle. Who else would march at the top of the mulberry trees?

We all face battles in our lives. The same God who sent a heavenly army to help David and the Israelites has not changed. He still sends instructions for the fight and His heavenly warriors to lead the fight. And He delivers us in victory! So next time I face a battle, I'm going to listen for the sound of marching in the tops of the trees!

There's a wasp in my office

By Mama Mabel

There's a wasp flying around my office.  Coondog's theory is that if you leave a wasp alone, it will leave you alone.

My theory is that if you hide in the bathroom with the door closed for longer than the lifespan of a wasp, it will leave you alone.

I'll see you in a few weeks.

Transitions

By Mama Mabel


After many nights of Ladybug spending a few precious hours in her own bed then the remainder of the night tossing and turning between us, Coondog and I have decided that she needs to learn to sleep by herself.  She's more than old enough. 

In a stroke of brilliance, I thought I would explain this to her in advance so she wouldn't be surprised and might go along with it.  Sometimes this is actually an effective method with her.  Last night, not so much.

A few times throughout the evening, I explained that if she wakes up and it's dark outside, she has to go back to sleep in her own bed but if the sun is out, only then she is allowed to come to our room.  Ideally, I would have told her to stay in bed until 9am but, sadly, that will have to wait until she can tell time.  I quizzed her on where to sleep if it was dark and where to go if the sun was out until she consistently got the right answer.  Finally, I put her to bed.  She's actually pretty good about starting the night in her own room now so I had some hope that she'd make it through the night.

Those hopes were dashed around 4:45, when she started sobbing a mixture of "Nooooooooo" and "Maaaammmmaaaaa" until Coondog, who had kindly gone in to console her while I slept, gave up and I drug myself out of bed to soothe her.  She plaintively wailed "Noooo" at me until I started asking her ridiculous questions that were rightfully answered "No."  Are horses purple?  No.  Are giraffes purple?  No.  Are some flowers purple?  Yes!  The tide had turned.  By that point, she had calmed down enough to lay down as long as I put my head on the bed beside her.  She was out in a minute flat and slept until after I left for work.

At times like these when normal parent/kid interaction leave me tired and frustrated, I wonder if God feels the same way about us.  He tells us very clearly how we should act but we're still surprised when He actually expects us to act that way.  Why doesn't He just let us crawl into His bed and shut out the world while we snuggle with Him?  Doesn't He love us?  On the other hand, how is it that Jesus sent a Comforter to be with us when we're in distress but we still wail about being left alone?  Clearly we haven't been abandoned.

I think God gave me Ladybug so I could better appreciate what I put Him through and hopefully learn from it.  I don't want to leave Him annoyed with my lack of faith when just a little more trust from me would make everything smoother for both of us.  Obviously, He's not going to lead me to harm, just as I would never do that to my daughter.  So why do I still doubt what He wants me to do?  Then again, why does Ladybug think the world will end if she spends an entire night in her own bed even when I assure her that everything will be fine?  I like to think that I'm in the process of maturing instead of just getting older but I have a shocking amount in common with my toddler.  Thankfully, we can learn together about the beauty of faith and obedience.

The Negotiator

By Mama Mabel

It's looking like Ladybug will be a garage sale queen.  She's already turning negotiating into a fine art.  For example, here's one of our recent conversations:

Me:  You keep playing with your blocks.  I'm going to use the bathroom by myself then I'll play with you some more.
Her:  No shut door.
Me:  I'm going to use the bathroom by myself.  You don't need to come in with me.  The door doesn't need to be open.
Her:  No shut door.
Me:  Do you need to go potty?
Her:  No.
Me:  Then I'm going to shut the door and use the bathroom by myself.
Her:  No... [pause for some hard thinking]  Little bit?
Me:  You want me to only shut the door a little bit?
Her:  Uh-huh.
Me:  Are you going to peek at me?
Her:  Yes.
Me:  No.

The final result:  I left the door open a crack.  She tiptoed over and peered in at me through the sliver of open space to her great delight.  Two is such a weird age.

How to be submissive

By Mama Mabel

Eph 5:24-25, 28 - Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.  Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her...In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

I've been struggling with the concept of submissiveness lately.  It hasn't been that big of an issue for me until recently.  You know, since I got married and had to try to live it.  I've ping ponged to both ends of the spectrum, thinking that either I need to just do what Coondog says or that I need to argue every point with him because I don't need to be submissive if he's not leading correctly.  After all, how can I hold up my end when he's not holding up his?  Aren't I just fighting for the overall good of our family if I know how things should be done?

Recently though, I had an epiphany:  What if there is no "right" way to do things?    I'm not talking about clear spiritual rules here, just everyday life stuff.  What if doing things his way is just as right as doing things my way?  It's really just another way of doing things.  There are pros and cons to each.  We've discussed the pros and cons until we're both blue in the face.  If we can't both get our own way, why should I be the one who does?  What makes me more special than him?  In fact, when we got married, I promised to love, honor and obey, thus giving up my right to always have things my way.  As I made sure to point out at the time, this wasn't to be a blind, unthinking obedience, but a willingness to let him lead since obviously we couldn't both do it.  It's not fair to choose him to be the head of our household, to marry him because I trust in his goodness and love, then to say, "Well, I don't like your style anymore.  I'm taking over as leader."  That's setting our marriage up for failure.

Coondog and I discussed leadership and submissiveness this weekend.  He's agreed that if for some reason he can't lead in a particular area, I may need to step in.  He's human and therefore fallible; it could happen.  However, me jumping in shouldn't be the first step.   I've agreed that the first step is for me to pray about it. Then and only then should I address the issue with him.  If things don't change, I need to pray some more and maybe address it again.  Then most likely I need to drop it.  If it isn't causing any serious harm, I'll let God deal with him.  (Granny Girl calls this "going to the Big Boss.")  Maybe I'll realize that I was wrong in the first place *gasp* and I need to let God deal with me.  Maybe God is working on my husband on His own timetable rather than mine.  God does that sometimes.  If it's a truly serious and urgent matter and I feel peace that God has released me to do so, I will step in respectfully and take care of it.  At this point, Coondog will be responsible for getting his own heart right and not resenting that I had to step in.  This will be easier for him if I'm respectful and I won't have anything to feel guilty about if I haven't tried to stomp on his feelings.

I guess the heart of my epiphany goes back to that age old truth that men crave respect and women crave love.  It's hard for him to show love to someone that appears to disrespect him.  Since it's hard for me to respect someone who doesn't act lovingly, it's a two way street.  We both have to hold up our end.  Submission is basically respectful love - showing that I trust him enough to let him have the final say.  In turn, this will lead him to act more lovingly and the cycle will continue.

I'm still struggling with how to convey respect in a way that's meaningful to him (we have different love languages which is a whole 'nother story), but this whole nebulous concept of submission is finally falling into place for me.  As Coondog says, it's something you don't understand until you understand it.  Hopefully it will become clearer with practice.

Belligerent cow

by Mama Mabel

There was a belligerent cow outside my window this morning.  I don't know what was annoying it even though it spent an hour telling me about it while I was trying to sleep.  Sometimes when things like this happen, it makes me realize how different my life is from what it used to be.  For example:

This morning I drove around 3 different road kill sites.  They'll be gone by tomorrow because we have very industrious buzzards.

Tractors, 4-wheelers and the occasional riding lawn mower are used as if they're regular, street legal vehicles around here. 

Two days ago, I helped Coondog hunt down rocks to put under the car jack we were using to help us chainsaw apart a tree that fell across the road that goes over the mountain.  Two years ago, I wouldn't have dreamed of saying any part of that sentence.  Now I'm proud of our ingenuity.  (For those of you who know me well - don't worry.  Coondog handled the chainsaw.)

I made pickles this week.

I planted green onions and they've survived a whole month so far.

Jeans are both wedding and funeral appropriate attire.  Especially with a beaded, fringed or embroidered top. 

I made an entire Thanksgiving dinner with a hot plate, a toaster oven and crock pots.  I'm ridiculously proud that I did it while still wondering what compelled me to try.

"I was walking my chickens" is a legitimate excuse to miss another appointment.

 At least one thing has remained the same though:  Duct tape really does fix anything.

Reflections on Country Life

By Mama Mabel

Last night we heard a rumble coming up our driveway.  It was one of our neighbors on his ATV, casually coming by to drop off a bucket of eggs.  30 eggs.  All he asked was that we return the bucket so I transferred them to some empty egg cartons and handed it back.  Apparently, he has more chickens than he needs so he has more eggs than he knows what to do with.  He had just gathered these and some were still warm.  He said to call when we need more or he'll just leave another bucket of them on our porch sometime.  He also said that if we get our own chicken house, he'll give us some "white leggerns."  (That's "white leghorns" for those of you who don't speak mountain folk talk.)

While he was there, he and Coondog discussed how they will pull down the dying tree that's threatening to fall on our roof if we let it stand through too many more storms.  He's going to bring his tractor over and guide Coondog through the process.  He's tickled to share his experience. 

Not only is it nice to be part of such a sweet community, it's hilarious to me to have someone roar up on an ATV with a bucket of fresh eggs.  I grew up in the big city.  No one had chickens or ATVs or tractors to help you fell a tree.  Now, we could eat for several days on the eggs and produce that have been handed to us lately by people who use their abundance of land to grow food and raise animals.  It's such a different world and I love it. 

I actually dreamed a few nights ago that I moved back to the city.  Well, it was more of a nightmare.  Everyone was in my personal space, there was nowhere for Ladybug to play, no peace and I couldn't see the stars at night.  It was terrible!  I woke up and pondered how this lady who swore to never live in the country now doesn't want to return to the city.  I credit God's sense of humor.  I'm so glad He has one like mine.

Working out with The Wiggles

by Mama Mabel

Tax season stress eating and inactivity took its toll this year.  I'm almost out of pants that fit and I didn't shrink back as expected once I started eating normally again.  I blame my age.   

As a counteractive measure, I'm cutting out (almost) all superfluous sugar and being a little more limited with the carbs I eat.  This isn't that big of a deal since I spent 10 years as a hypoglycemic on a fairly strict diet so I can adapt.  What is a big deal is the exercise element of weight loss.  You know how they say that diet and exercise are key?  Diet used to be enough for me.  But no more.  I should never have left my 20s.

I've been struggling to find fun ways to work activity into my schedule around working full time, cooking dinner and getting a toddler to bed.  Drawing from Granny Girl and Honey's insights, I've taken inspiration from the Proverbs 31 verse about how the virtuous woman "strengthens her arms."  But inspiration is one thing and action is another.  I've waffled about how to work in a work out.  After several stutter-stops, I've come to the conclusion that it needs to include Ladybug.  Not only will I not have the energy after she goes to bed, but I don't want to take away from my limited time with her each evening to exercise (and there's no way I'm waking up earlier to do it).

So far we've walked up and down the driveway with Coondog, kicked a ball around, and chased each other through the yard.  I want to teach her tag soon but I'm not sure she's quite old enough for it.  I guess we'll see.  A week ago, Coondog tried to teach me how to throw a baseball which was entertaining if not effective.  Last weekend, the same thing happened with a basketball.  All more movement that I would have done without conscious effort.

One recent endeavor was to make it all the way through the Wiggles video, "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing!"  The Wiggles are a group that put out fun and educational videos for small kids.  This is an older dvd with most of the original members and a couple are delightfully gawky.  It's so much easier for me to dance like the person on the screen if he's as awkward as me.  During a waltz, Ladybug tried to have me put my hands on her shoulders and stand up at the same time but I couldn't quite swing it with our height differences.  During the conga, I stood behind her holding her shoulders while we each kept the rhythm in our own non-rhythmic way.  For the most part though, she literally ran circles around me.  Once we did all the dances, we calmed down for a few minutes then she went to sleep very quickly.  So did I.  I was sore the next day, so I guess it was an effective workout.

If you have any ideas for cardo with a toddler, please let me know in the comments.  I could use some more. 

God Came to the Family Reunion

by Granny Girl

I just got back from the annual Cole family reunion. This reunion is for my mother's people and we've been doing this for over thirty consecutive years. Several of us have been praying specifically that this year's gathering would be a special time of blessing and sweet fellowship.  He answered in a big, big way.

The biggest blessing of it all was the way God worked it out for my parents to come. My dad's health aide, Brian Stephens, along with his wife and son, traveled from Missouri to Texas with my parents to take care of my dad so my mama could see her family. My dad is far enough along in his stroke recovery to actually want to travel, but it would not have been possible without Brian. I failed to get a picture of the Stephens family, but here's one of my dad on the trip there.

I 

He's smiling.

I took three of my grandson with me. (The youngest one will be old enough to go next year. I have an age requirement for the sake of my sanity.) They look forward to this every year and we were packed and ready when my sister showed up to go with us. We took her car because it's really hard to squeeze this many people and their luggage into a Toyota Yaris!

There was a big turnout this year. Saturday morning breakfast was served to 75 people, and that's just the early birds! The total head count for the day was 161.  It was so good to see the new babies! This little guy, Enoch, is baby number 9 in his family. Here he is with his pretty mama, Kelly.

Here are her babies 7 & 8, Katie bug and Elisha. Little cutie pies!

This is 2 month old Jodi Lynn who brought her parents, Jenny and Michael, with her. She's full of personality and was awake most of the time.

Jodi Lynn's grandparents, Shelley and Cliff.

Cliff's sister, Kay, came and shared a wonderful story. Kay had recently returned from the National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. where she had taken one of her students. She told us that these wonderfully brilliant kids who make it to the national bee are treated like the champions they are. They toured the Smithsonian, visited the monuments, and had a banquet where the finalists gave speeches. Kay told us that one of the boys thanked his teachers, his spelling coach, his sponsors, his parents, and then he said, "And I thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ." The room erupted in applause and cheers! Even though a large number of people in the room were not from a Christian heritage, they applauded his stand! Kay said she told the boy she was with, "This is why we're here!" She was blessed beyond her wildest dreams. Considering that she grew up in the tiny Texas town of Robert Lee and now teaches school in San Angelo, Texas, the small town girl never thought she'd get to be the teacher who took one of her students to the national spelling bee. And the boy was only nine years old!

Cliff and Kay come from a large family. Their brother, Andy, and two more sisters, Patti and Jodelle were there. Patti brought her two beautiful granddaughters whose mama couldn't make it that day, and her other daughter came with her son. Jodelle's daughter, son-in-law and first grandbaby(!) came with her. Her grandmother name is JoJo.  Isn't that adorable?

Patti on the left, Jodelle on the right. (That's Homer in the middle. He's a whole 'nother story.)

On Saturday afternoon we had our auction. The auction is our way of funding the reunion. Cousin Galen is the auctioneer and he knows how to work it! It opened up with a word of prayer and then the bidding commenced! Mama had brought two shadow boxes in which were mounted squares cut out from a coverlet that had been made by her great grandmother in the 1800's. The grandmother had spun the thread, dyed it, and knitted squares that she stitched together to make the bed covering. My mother's aunt had given it to her when she was a teenager. The bidding went a little crazy on those shadow boxes, bringing a thousand dollars each! There were some other items that sold really well, like the pens that Galen made that said "Cole Family Reunion 2014" on them. That sweet Brian Stephens painted two pictures for the auction and they both garnered good bids. This year's auction brought in almost double the amount that is usually raised. 

Galen, our illustrious auctioneer.

Here are my parents at the auction. I love this picture because my dad is sitting next to his only sister, Collene. She is married to my mama's brother, Tommy, sitting on the end. My dad and his sister got to have their own family reunion in the midst of their spouses' family reunion!

After the auction, we chowed down on leftovers from the Friday night sandwiches and the catered Saturday lunch. Then tables were cleared, floors swept, dishes washed, trash taken out. We sat around and visited while the kids played. The weather was perfect and the fellowship was sweet. 

My cousin Greg came in the kitchen where some of us were sitting and just started pouring out his heart. His daughter, Charlotte, has gone through a battle with breast cancer. She had to have a double mastectomy and undergo months of chemo and radiation. At last year's reunion, her hair was starting to grow back, and this year she was looking completely back to normal. Greg said as she was about to head home with her family Saturday evening she told him something had shown up in her last blood test that concerned the doctors and she was going in for more tests on Monday. She's Greg's only daughter and his heart was hurting. He asked us all to pray for her. He said when he told the group gathered in the barn about it that Galen had led them in a prayer. While Greg was talking to us, his brother walked over from another table and hugged him and gave him words of encouragement. The aunts sitting at the table cried with him and promised their prayers. So much love! Greg left the kitchen for awhile and then came back in and soaked up some more love and encouragement. He started talking about how his hope was in the Lord and how he understood the difference between the short time we're on this earth experiencing suffering and the eternity that we'll have in heaven with nothing but joy! It was a beautiful thing to see the love and support poured out on him and to know that so many generations of this family will faithfully pray for Charlotte to be completely healed. 

The grandsons and I stay in cabin #9 every year. It's an old cinder block structure with beds as hard as boards, but it's clean and we love it. There's a kitchenette so we're able to have a bedtime snack. The boys were filthy from playing outside so they took turns in the shower and sacked out. I hope they come with me every year forever! I don't care if they're grown men, I still want to spend that one weekend a year with them in cabin #9!

Tired and hungry!

Ladies having fun!

by Granny Girl

I almost titled this post "Old ladies having fun" because I belong to a wonderful group of ladies who meet on Wednesday nights for Bible study. We've been getting together for about three months and until a couple of weeks ago we were all in the over 50 age group. But then a 30 year old came, and then a 26 year old came. Both of these younger women were absolutely delightful! I admire them for seeking friendship with older women, and for holding their own when it comes to discussion time. They are both very wise young women.

We have so much fun at our studies! It's being held at my house through the summer, and we squeeze around the round dining table for our study time. I love having it here, because it creates a deadline to get my whole house clean at once. Not that they're going to look in all the bedrooms, but the off chance they will peek gives me just the right amount of pressure to get it all done. Some of us bring snacks, some of us don't. We wear our jeans or work clothes so no there's no pressure to dress up. It's so relaxing and just plain enjoyable!

Right now we're studying the book of Daniel. We all have different backgrounds and viewpoints, so each chapter brings up some very interesting conversations. Some of us grew up in church and some of us are new to it. Some of us have tabs on our Bibles to find the different books and some us have the books memorized. Some of us are recovering addicts and some are teetotalers. Some are married and some are single. Every week something is said or done that points out afresh that God is the One who put this group together. We would have never in a million years been able to orchestrate this fun, silly, wise, eclectic, cohesive group of wonderful women!

Life through a toddler's eyes

by Mama Mabel

There are some interesting differences in how my toddler and I see the world.  Here are some of her funnier views:

1.  Holding your own hand in the store parking lot should count.

2.  Everyone should high-five if you say excuse me after burping, tooting, sneezing or coughing.  Fake burps count.

3.  Mama should bring home a gallon of milk everyday regardless of how much milk is currently in the fridge.

4.  If you don't want to do something, make a stuffed dog or baby doll do it for you.

5.  If something is hot, you shouldn't risk touching it...unless that something is bacon.

6.  You can learn the basics of grooming a horse from a kids' documentary but you won't master the skill unless you practice on the family dog with a toy scrub brush.

7.  Mama should not attempt to make biscuits by herself.  If there is not a flour covered kid with her fingers in the bowl, the biscuits can't possibly turn out right.

8.  Not playing in a mud puddle is not an option. 

A new job!

by Granny Girl

My new job starts tomorrow! My last job ended ten months ago and it's been an interesting, blessing filled journey. I had been given a generous severance package from my old company. That, coupled with unemployment benefits for six months was enough to get me through. I began working in residential real estate and realized that I'm not a "commission only" type of person. I like the steadiness of a paycheck.

At the beginning of this year, things began to get really tight. My oldest son had left his job in the oil fields and moved back home. He worked different jobs and went to school to get a license to start his own backflow testing company. His fiance lived with me, too. She had to quit her job at a grocery store because the long commute was just too much. My unemployment checks ran out. We were completely dependent on God for our provision. And He came through!

The first week in February, I landed a job that paid very, very well. Then, all of our income tax returns came in. Woohoo! My son and his fiance decided they could afford to get married and our agreement was for them to rent my house from me. They liked the house and I wanted a place to start over on my own. With the income from my job and a loan from my son and his fiance, I was able to afford a pretty little rent house around the corner from where we lived. They got married on February 28th and I moved while they were on their honeymoon.

A week later, my job ended. The agency that placed me there had told me it was a temp to perm job, but the company had actually listed it as a temp only. They were very kind and even gave me a day's notice before letting me go, which is more than most temps get. It was a wonderful place to work, but to be honest, I was exhausted from the move and really appreciated the break. I knew if God had provided that job in order for me to get my house, then He would provide another one in order for me to keep it. The job loss was an even bigger blessing when I needed to go to Florida and be with my niece after her son got shot. I couldn't have done that if I had been working. God is good!

So, March would have been a really tough month since I had no job, but I closed on my one real estate deal! I had represented a good friend of mine who bought a cool little condo in downtown Fort Worth. The commission from that deal was enough to pay my bills for the month. God provides!

April rolled around. My sister offered to loan me enough to get me through the month and I accepted her offer. I applied for jobs daily and also signed up with some temp agencies. I started getting calls from commercial real estate companies and interviewed at a couple of them in Dallas. That's the field I've always worked in as an admin and my resume opened some doors of opportunity. In big real estate companies the wheels grind slowly. Even though the interviews were going well, no job offers were going to happen quickly.

But then I got invited back for a second interview at one of the largest commercial real estate companies in the world. They really wanted me! I told them my concerns about the pay, which was a little lower than standard, and my need to arrive early and leave early so I could drive the long commute and still have evenings with my grandson. Amazingly, they agreed to raise the salary and adjust my hours. So why was I not excited? I really grappled with my lack of joy over this opportunity. I just didn't want to work there. In my mind's eye I saw myself as one tiny cog in a great big wheel, clocking in every day, keeping my head down, doing the job and going home. The reality of it wouldn't have been anywhere near that, but that's how I felt. I prayed for peace and guidance.

While I was waiting for their official offer and trying to talk myself out of my slump, I got an unexpected phone call. A commercial real estate broker who used to work with me in my former company (I was her assistant) called me and asked me to come work with her. Bam! That was what I was waiting on and I didn't even know it! She was starting up her own brokerage and wanted me to come help her. As she excitedly told me about her plans for the future and the deals she already had in the works, peace and happiness grew in me and I knew this was exactly what God had been preparing for me all along. And to top it all off, I will also be working for an established development company that she is sharing an office with so the responsibility of my salary won't be completely hers. They will share it 50/50. That gives her some financial relief while she's in start up mode and it gives me stability. I don't even care that it's a longer commute. God will work it out so that time with my grandson won't be slighted. The pay is good and the people are great. The opportunities are endless. God is so good!

About twenty seconds after my friend texted me the official offer of a job, I got a phone call from the really big company with their official offer. I was able to turn it down without any regrets. God's timing is impeccable!

Easter

by Granny Girl

We had such a fun Easter this year! Several times during the busy day I thought back to all the Easters I had slogged through because I had stayed up late the night before to finish sewing Easter clothes, clean the house, prepare the big Easter dinner and get everything ready so we could make it to church. The memories made me appreciate how much less stressful my holidays are now.

I ironed Cameron a nice shirt on Saturday night. That was it for clothing preparation. Easy sneezy! As I was ironing, I was remembering years ago being at Super Wal-Mart at 1:00 on Easter morning to get my little girl white gloves and ruffly socks to go with the dress I had just finished sewing for her.

On Sunday morning, I put a big chocolate Easter bunny on the kitchen table for Cameron. Simple! I used to put together four Easter baskets after the kids went to sleep and set them out on the table. I enjoyed it, but it was a lot of work putting them together on such a limited budget. I had to search Dollar Tree for packages of multiple toys and candies to make it work. And I used to divide up one package of Easter grass among four baskets.

This year, getting myself and one very self sufficient teenager to church was a piece of cake. We went to the early service at 8:30 and Cameron stayed for all three services. I left at the end of the first service and drove home to take my 22 year old to work. He doesn't have a car and his employer needed him to work at a location across town. Then, I dashed home and put frozen broccoli with cheese sauce in the crock pot, breaded pork chops in the oven (set for delayed start), got the ingredients measured out for instant mashed potatoes and cans of corn out to be opened and put in the microwave. The deviled eggs and bunny cake were in the fridge and my daughter in law was going to bring hot rolls. What a far cry from the frantic preparations of years gone by! I remembered one Easter when I forgot to turn on the oven and I had a houseful of company coming for lunch. I was watching my small children at their after church Easter egg hunt when it dawned on me. Panic! We had to swing by a restaurant and pay big bucks for a cooked ham.

I dashed back to church for the 11:30 service to teach in the Pre-K class. What a joy it was to tell them that Jesus came back alive after three days just like He told His friends He would! Those adorable children just make my week.

When Cameron and I got home from church, the pork chops were done to perfection, broccoli was simmering in the crock pot and everything else came together quickly. Nathan and his family arrived with the hot rolls and lunch was ready! After the meal, my niece Nicole came with her family to join in the Easter egg hunt. We didn't have Easter baskets for my grandsons so we used grocery bags and they never knew the difference. The boys had a blast finding the eggs in the back yard. It was such an enjoyable Easter Sunday!

After everyone left, Cameron and I both put on our pajamas and did absolutely nothing for the rest of the day. Good times!

This was in a yard in my neighborhood. It was put up earlier in the week with a sign that said, "For God so loved the world...." On Easter, they changed the sign. Beautiful!

My oldest and youngest grandsons at church. This makes my heart happy! :)

Gibby and Jon actually thought they looked like Easter bunnies. :)

 Ok, boys. Let's move closer together and move over so the trash can isn't part of the backgound.

That's better. Now everyone look at the camera and say "cheese!"

Getting a good picture of six boys? Nope, ain't gonna happen!

Cutie pie Cameron in his pajamas. If he knew I posted this he'd croak!

Achieve success

by Granny Girl

A couple of Saturdays ago I had all the grandsons over. It was a pretty day so they headed out to the back yard. I didn't hear from them for awhile and then seven year old Caleb and four year old Gibby came in the house. Caleb said (without any r's), "Granny Girl, do you have a basket with a handle or a bucket that we can use so we can achieve success with our zipline like we did with our outdoor bathroom?" Now, two things jumped out at me. First, how on earth does a seven year old know how to use the phrase achieve success? Second, an outdoor bathroom?

I asked about this outdoor bathroom, and Caleb gave me the skinny on it. He said (without any r's), "Evan thought it up, me and Gibby brought him the bricks, and Evan built it." And then Gibby stuck out his chest and said in his always loud voice, "I tried it out and it works!"

I found the perfect basket for them and headed outside to see this architectural wonder. Sure enough, they had achieved success with their outdoor bathroom.

Did you notice it has a doorway? And, it has a lovely arrangement of green leaves around the "toilet."

While Gibby was posing proudly by the bathroom he had tested, the other two guys were busy achieving success with their zipline.

Boy world. What a great place!

Good affliction?

by Granny Girl

I've been reading the daily devotional book 90 Days of God's Goodness by Randy Alcorn that is written on the premise that God's goodness is absolute and we must trust in it even when life hands us hardships. The author has diabetes and he has had to personally work through this idea that affliction is something God uses in our lives to reveal His goodness.

I've been learning the lesson of how God's goodness can be found in affliction for many years now. The afflictions of Type 2 Diabetes, gluten intolerance and various food sensitivities have proven to be blessings in disguise as they have forced me to learn about nutrition and required me to take care of myself with diet and exercise. I'm now very healthy and thankful to God for the physical afflictions that keep me on the straight and narrow. In another arena, the hardship of having a dysfunctional marriage and subsequent divorce showed me how good God is to meet all my needs in every way possible. He has provided lavishly for me, giving me everything I need and the joy of a peaceful home.

Now I'm going through what could be described as the hardship of unemployment, but I'm choosing to see it as an opportunity to trust in God's goodness. Why would I doubt a God who has never once let me down? I was thinking on that this morning when I read these verses:

Psa. 119:71-72 "It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn your statutes. The law of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of coins of gold and silver."

Is that cool or what????

Gifts

by Granny Girl

My friend, Juliet, came bearing gifts today. She had noticed that my new kitchen had no place to put paper towels and that my turntable for spices was driving me crazy because it didn't turn. And because Juliet is always thinking of others, she showed up today with this:

and this.

 

Now these are small items and may not seem like a big deal. But they are huge to me because they are yet another sign that God is in charge of my life and every detail in it. I currently have no income, yet my rent is paid and I have gas in my car and food in the pantry. My new house is completely furnished and most of the furniture was given to me. Juliet snuck in one day and placed these beautiful barstools in my kitchen.

I was in my bedroom and didn't even hear her come in the door! 

Another friend of mine just downsized from a two bedroom apartment to a tiny condo and has been giving me all the furniture she has can't fit in her condo. She gave me the rocking chair she bought when her first grandchild was born, a beautiful dresser, a desk, a mirror for my foyer, and a wonderfully big television that I can see from the kitchen while I'm cooking.  All of these things fit my needs perfectly!

 

Notice that a couple of my windows are needing curtains. I mentioned to Juliet that since God had so miraculously provided exactly what I needed for my house that I was now praying for curtains. She said she had recently helped our mutual friend, Vicki, settle in to her new home and she knew for a fact that Vicki had extra window coverings that would work perfectly on the windows in my living room and bedroom. Juliet is going to ask Vicki about them. What a friend! 

Through this outpouring of gifts, God has shown me that He provides for ALL my needs. He gives me friends who edify me, peace about my financial future, wonderfully supportive family, more than I can ever ask or think! I just look around me and see the tangible evidence of God's provision. 

A death in the family

by Granny Girl 

I'm using initials for names to protect identities.

Early last Sunday morning I got a call from my niece, R, in Florida. She was crying and said her son, C, had been shot in the head.

R had been a caseworker for foster children when she met C. She was fresh out of college and he was a teenager who had been passed around his whole life. Both of his parents had drug addictions. His daddy died first, then his mama died of a drug overdose when C was fourteen . He was put into the foster care system. He had quite a few siblings scattered about, but the ones who were put into foster care with him were his sister, D, and his two brothers, Ch and T. They also had a younger brother who had been adopted at birth but who still kept in touch with them. I don't know how old C was when R became his case worker, but she fell in love with this boy. He was a scamp and a clown. His siblings all got adopted, but R had to keep finding new homes for C to be placed in. She tried everything, but his mouth and his "bucking up" as she called it, always made the families give him back.

R stayed close to this kid. She picked him up on Sundays at whatever foster home he was in and took him to church. She led him to the Lord and showed him all the love he had never received from a mom. C aged out of foster care and took to the streets. He soon ended up in prison for three years. During this time, R lost her mother, got married, and had a baby. She and her husband made it to the prison once to see C. He showed her the tattoo of her name on his arm, and he called her Mom.

When he got out of prison they moved him into their little house where he slept on the couch. They helped him get a job and a car.  C's brother Ch moved in with them. His adoptive dad had kicked him out when he turned eighteen and he needed a family, too. C and Ch had always stuck by each other.

Soon after C moved in, R and her husband approached him about how he felt about them adopting him as an adult so he would have a forever family. He was so tickled. Here they are on the day they signed the papers to start the adoption process.

C worked hard at his job and tried to make it as a man. He moved in with his fiance and their baby son. R and her husband were like the parents of any young man, alternating between being so proud of him they could bust and so aggravated they wanted to kick him. R's husband was usually the one who would give C another chance, and he would talk R into calming down and letting their son back into her good graces.

Then, a little over a week ago, C and his good friend D went to their usual Saturday night card game. Around midnight some teenagers came to the door who wanted to come in and play cards with them. The guy whose apartment they were in told them to go away because it was late and they were about to close down the game. It grew into a loud argument so D stepped between the guy and the teenagers and managed to get them to walk away and he closed the door. I don't know how much time lapsed between them walking away and another knock on the door. When the guy in the apartment opened the door, one of the teenagers held up a gun, closed his eyes, and shot. C was walking from the kitchen to the living room when the bullet hit him in the head.

When R called me, I knew I had to go. I prayed for provision and put the word out with my ladies' Bible study group. One of the ladies immediately texted me and said she was bringing over $200. When I got to church, I asked the other teachers in the Pre-K department to pray for my niece and her family, and to pray for provision so I could go be with her. One of the teachers turned and went to her purse and came back with $100. Then my mom sent me a check via my brother who had been spending a few days with her. The amount she gave me combined with what my friends gave me completely covered the cost of the plane ticket. God provided exactly what I needed and provided it exactly on time!

When I arrived at the hospital Tuesday afternoon, R told me they had finalized the adoption. The judge had actually stopped a trial he was presiding over and met them in chambers to sign the papers. The $500 fee was waived and the filing of the papers was expedited. The new parents wanted to take on the responsibility of this critically injured young man so his siblings wouldn't have the financial and emotional burden of making the end of life decisions. Their maturity and grace astounds me.

The hospital had put C on a ventilator when his breathing slowed. When the brain scan showed no activity R and her husband decided to take him off the ventilator. They understood there was no hope for any recovery and the doctors had told them his body was shutting down. C's siblings had a difficult time accepting the finality of his condition and kept a vigil at his bedside so they could be there when he woke up. There was some tension between the siblings and the parents, but it was handled with an amazing amount of grace and love. C kept breathing after being taken off the ventilator and was moved to a hospice wing of the hospital. We all took turns watching over him. Here is his mom clipping his nails and lotioning his hands while his fiance looks on.

I flew back to Texas Friday evening. R spent the night at C's bedside, then went home to spend some time with her husband and baby girl. She had been saying all week that C didn't want anyone to see him die. She was right. He breathed his last breath on Saturday afternoon.

They're all still in waiting mode. The medical examiner's office came and took the body to legally determine the cause of death. If it is determined to be the gunshot wound, as we all expect it will be, then the shooter will be charged with murder. As far as I know, the shooter has not been apprehended.

A kaleidoscope of images keeps going through my head. C's sweet friend who was seven months pregnant saying she wouldn't leave him because he never left her. She spent days and nights at his bedside. C's friend who witnessed the shooting and was afraid to sleep after that. I quoted Psalm 4:8 to him, "I will both lie down in peace and sleep. For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." He said, "Can you write that down?" C's older sister, just 23 years old, alternating between confused, sad, and angry. C's brother, age 20, who couldn't stand to be in the room more than 10 minutes at a time, but he came back every day. C's 17 year old brother standing at his bedside with his Marines t-shirt on and his adoptive dad's hand on his shoulder. He was so angry he wouldn't look at anyone or answer any questions. All of these beautiful people are so terribly young and their lives are so incredibly hard. They handled it all with such dignity. Like C's knuckle tattoo, they are 100% real.

An honest prayer

by Mama Mabel

Last week I had one of those days.  I was tired, off kilter.  Slow thinking but with quick emotional swings.

That morning, Ladybug woke before dawn and forcefully demanded something from the living room.  I couldn't figure out what it was until I finally got up and walked in there with her.  She wanted to watch "Gordy," a movie about a talking pig.  I made her go back to bed over her vehement protests.  When I woke up again, even more sleep deprived than usual and now also late for work, I accidentally dumped a pitcher of water behind the baker's rack in the corner of my kitchen while trying to make coffee.  It went everywhere.  This threw me into a blind rage which almost led me to wake up my husband and yell at him for somehow causing me to spill the water.  In retrospect, that might have been an unfair overreaction. 

At that point, I realized that I was being crazy and collected the tattered shreds of my sanity while I mopped up the water.  As I put my kitchen back in order, I prayed to get my emotional state back in order.  My prayer went something like, "I'm sorry I'm so out of control.  I want to honor You with my thoughts and actions but I'm losing it.  I'd like to ask that You please help me level out so I can work for You today but honestly, I'd just like some peace, not more work.  Please help me to serve You anyway."  It was very liberating to open up to God about how I was so weak that I wanted to want overtly serve Him but even more than that I wanted to be left alone and have that somehow be how I honored Him that day.  I knew He understood because He knows my heart and my frailty is part of how He made me.


The rest of my day didn't automatically go better.  I was still on the edge of an emotional breakdown.  I had a small crying fit in the bathroom at work.  I was snappy with Coondog.  Oddly though, I had peace.  When I sank, I bobbed back up quickly.  I remind myself that this is Christianity at its most basic level.  A relationship with God doesn't make everything easy but it does make everything better.  I can still feel like I'm falling into an emotional black hole but the difference is that I know God is by my side, lightening my burdens so they're bearable and offering me the peace that passes understanding which is the only kind of peace I can attain in times of struggle. 

May God grant you His peace today as you deal with the difficulties life throws at you.

Movin' on up

by Granny Girl

It's been a long time since I have been this busy! In the month of February I worked a full time job with a long commute and packed for a move. On the last day of February I left work early, went to my oldest son's wedding at the courthouse (more about that in a later post), sent them off on their honeymoon, and moved out of the house I had lived in for 10 years. My brand new 4 year old grandson and I loaded my little Toyota Yaris with boxes and drove around the corner to the new house and unloaded about 12 times. My big, strong 13 year old grandson wasn't there to help because he was at a football tournament. My 22 year old, who was moving from one house to another with me, was working. But my dear niece and her big, strong husband came to the rescue with a pickup and a dolly. They came on Saturday morning and moved all my big stuff! And then on Sunday, my 22 year old son's church friends swooped in with 3 vans and moved all of his stuff. When my oldest son and his new wifey came home on Sunday afternoon, all my stuff was out of the house. They can start their married life without a mother-in-law living with them! They are renting the house from me, and will eventually buy it.

God provided the temporary job for me so I could afford to rent my new house. And He provided the house just in time for me to move when my son got married. I've been in it for 10 days and I'm completely unpacked and settled in. I still have to find curtains for most of the rooms, and get a washer and dryer, but this has been the smoothest move I've ever made. Now my temporary job has ended and I'm excited to see how God is going to continue His provision. I'm so thankful that He is my provider, money isn't.

Conversations with Clients - part 1

by Mama Mabel





Me:  The IRS is not accepting your tax return.  It looks like your son claimed himself on his own taxes so he can't be your dependent.

Client:  Did we claim him this year?

Me:  Yes, you said he was a student so we claimed him.

Client:  He was a student through May.

Me:  Right.  You told us that so we left him as your dependent but he already filed his taxes claiming himself so you don't get to claim him.

Client:  Will that take another $100 off our refund?

Me:  Unfortunately, it takes a lot more off than that.  You go from getting $700 back to $121 back on your federal return and then $280 from the state return.

Client:  So we get $126 and $298 back?

Me:  No.  $121 and $280.

Client:  So we don't get nothing back?

Me:  You get $121 and $280.

Client:  We have to pay you from the $126 so we only get the $298 back.  Can we claim him for a partial year since he was student until May?

Me:  No.  It's an all or nothing thing and he already claimed himself.

Client:  I thought you could do a partial year.

Me:  You can't.

Client:  But he was a student for part of the year.  Can't we claim him for part of it?

Me:  No. 

Client:  Paying off that credit card didn't help much.

Me:  Paying off credit cards doesn't affect your taxes.

Client:  We won't get anything back next year will we?

Me:  I don't know.  It depends on what you pay in.

Client:  But if we make less, we get more back right?

Me:  It depends on how much you pay in.

Client:  Well, okay.

At this point, the client finally decided I wasn't going to be any help and got off the phone.  She'd also decided that she didn't need to pay us until her bigger state return came in since the federal amount is so small.  That will be another conversation for another day.

Be kind to your tax preparer. They deal with a lot.

by Mama Mabel

Working for a CPA, I deal with a wide range of clients.  Some are great at tracking their legitimate expenses and income while others think ignorance is not only bliss but the safest way to go when dealing with the IRS.  They are wrong.  Here are some funny conversations that have happened in our office.

Me:  I see you sold a cow, was that bought or raised?  [strangely, that makes a tax difference]
Client 1:  I don't remember.  I think we bought it.
Me:  Okay.  What did you pay for it?
Client 1:  I don't know.  What did I sell it for?
Me:  $400.
Client 1:  I think I paid $300 for that one.
Me:  Okay.
Client 1:  Yeah, the guy we got it from owed us $300 so we just kept the cow since he couldn't pay.
Me:  Um, okay. 
Client 1:  Or maybe we traded some hay for it.  I think we traded hay for the cow.
Me:  How much was the hay worth?
Client 1:  Around $300.  That's what we paid for the cow.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

My Coworker (MC):  Unfortunately, you owe $12,000 in federal taxes.
Client 2:  How is that possible?  I didn't make any money last year!
MC:  You had a net profit of $60,000 on your business and the taxes include self-employment tax.
Client 2:  But I don't have no money!  I didn't make anything last year!
MC:  Well, a lot of the deductions you had written down aren't allowed by the IRS.  Your business actually made a profit because we can't deduct things like beer or your new fishing boat or your clothes.  Those are things everyone has to buy for themselves and aren't actually business expenses.
Client 2:  That's no fair!  The IRS is just ripping me off and taking all my money!  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Me:  I just need you to bring back the efile authorization with your wife's signature and the payment and I'll get your returns filed.
Client 4:  Okay, I'll be back
[20 minutes later]
Client 4:  Here are the forms.
Me:  Okay, they look good.  If you want to leave a check, we can hold it until your refund comes in before we cash it.
Client 4:  You didn't tell me I had to pay!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MC on phone with client:  What was the land worth that you sold last year?
Client 3:  I don't know. What do you think?
MC:  [beats phone against her head]

Saturday morning quiet

by Granny Girl

It's early Saturday morning after the first full week at my new job. The house is quiet. I'm loving early mornings again. Since I've been getting up at 5:15 every morning this week to have some quiet time to read my Bible and pray, my body clock has reset.

Peace and quiet is a rare commodity around here. Pretty soon the grandsons will start waking up. Oops, spoke too soon! Four year old Gibby just came into my bedroom and crawled into my still unmade bed. And the talking begins...... I'll have to finish up and go pour him a bowl of cereal.

So the quiet has ended, but it was nice while it lasted. Glad I got up early so I could experience it. :)

Working in Uptown

by Granny Girl

I did get hired at the firm in north Dallas. I just completed my third day of work. Whew! I knew it would be tough to go back to working full time, and I was right! The commute takes about an hour. That may sound rough, but it's the only time I'm ever alone. So it's great! I sing. I pray. I listen to the radio. I talk on my cell phone. Fun!

My new workplace is very nice. The commercial real estate company I work for owns the building, so they were able to design their suite of offices that take up the entire 20th floor of a high rise! (How cool is that?) The work room is admin heaven. Every possible office supply is there. They have see through cubby drawers for the different pens and markers. Is that cute or what? And the kitchen! It's beautiful, with windows on two sides looking out over Dallas. The appliances are stainless steel, the water is filtered, the fridge is stocked with soft drinks, coffee in carafes, iced tea made fresh every morning. Ahhh! Living the good life!

Best of all, the people are nice. They're all very hard working, but they take the time to make this newbie comfortable. I think this is going to be my favorite job ever!

North Dallas nice

by Granny Girl

Last week I got a call from an employment agency in Dallas, wanting me to come in and register with them because they had a good job prospect for me in commercial real estate. The job prospect was in north Dallas, or Uptown, and paid really well. That put me into a bit of a tizzy because I had recently lost some weight and my dress pants no longer fit. Not so long ago I had a great working woman wardrobe. As I lost weight I donated the clothes to a group at my church that help women get back in the workforce. This motivated to keep the weight off or go naked!

The agency called in the morning. The appointment was for that afternoon. I scrambled to get my resume and list of references printed up, Google the map and directions and get that printed, and find something to wear. After much trying on and discarding, I came up with a striped gathered broomstick skirt in colors of turquoise, blue, brown, black and beige. I wore a soft, unstructured turquoise jacket and a black camisole, brown boots and a brown purse. Not great, but not tacky.

When I walked into the interview room the recruiter gave me a quick look over. If I hadn't been watching for it I would've missed it, but it was definitely a look over. She like my resume and took my references list and said she would pass it on to her client. It was at that point that I told her, "I know that I'm not presenting the polished, professional look your client will expect." And then I explained the whole weight loss, size change thing. I told her I had been looking for presentable suits but it was hard to find them in a size 2 petite short. I promised I would go that very day and get some clothes. She said, "Thank you for telling me that. Most people wouldn't. And yes, you really need to get something." Talk about candor!

Yesterday morning she called me to set up the appointment time for the interview, so we set it for yesterday afternoon. Her last sentence on the phone was, "Be sure to wear your suit." I did wear a suit (thank goodness I got the pants hemmed!) and headed off to Uptown. There really is a different vibe there. I parked in a parking garage, walked across the marble floored lobby, got instructions from a nice lady who said I looked lost (I was, because the elevators only went up to the 18th floor and I had to go to the 20th, but the nice lady told me the trick to that), and then I went up the elevator (that announced each floor stop in a whispery, scary voice) to the 20th floor. Two very professional ladies interviewed me. Neither one wore a suit.

The power of a present

by Mama Mabel

My cousin/sister-I-never-had Nicole used her magical Kohl's discount shopping powers to send me a toaster oven.  It has bells.  It has whistles.  It shoots confetti out of the top.  Okay, it doesn't but it can fit a 12 inch pizza and bake muffins without burning them.  It arrived yesterday and I literally did a happy dance (after making sure no one could see me) when I saw it.

Nicole has the gift of giving.  Her philosophy is that God gives us extra so we can bless others with it.  As a frequent recipient of her gifts, I can tell you that it is a blessing.  Sometime times they're store bought like my toaster oven, sometimes handmade like the super-cool twine art hanging proudly on my wall.  Sometimes it's a giftcard like the one to the only pizza place in town that got me through more than one stressful evening after work when I was too tired to cook.  No matter what it is, it has made me feel loved and reminded me that I need to be more diligent in showing love to those around me in tangible ways because I've seen the power of such displays of affection.

Perhaps her greatest example of love is that when I thank her, Nicole often says, "I think God gives us extra so we can use it to bless others."  This is one of the many reasons I've chosen to make this cousin my adoptive sister.

A much needed break with an abrupt end

by Mama Mabel

Yesterday evening I took a much needed break.  Monday and Tuesday I worked late, came home to cook and do dishes then got Ladybug into her jammies went to bed shortly after dinner since it was already 9pm or later. 

Last night was church night and I had not thrown anything into the crock pot before leaving for work.  By 4pm I was braindead.  By 4:40, the internet at my office was acting up and I had nothing quick left to do.  I made the executive decision to leave early and pick up barbecue on my way home from the recently arrived food truck here in town.  We actually had time to eat and made it to church so I didn't have to cook and I was able to visit with friends and worship communally.  I was a good night and I am very thankful for the reprieve. 

I had it fixed in my mind that I would be on track again today.  I had it planned out to make crock pot baked potatoes which we can top with leftover barbecue after I worked late again.  I knew what I wanted to get done before leaving the office.  I would be hardworking and productive.

Apparently Ladybug also felt that my break should be over because she made sure I put in my time doing hard mommy labor when she woke all of us up by throwing up in our bed.  And on herself and on me when I pulled her into my lap in an attempt to comfort her while saving the sheets.  Luckily Coondog quickly got us some paper towels and changed the sheets while I comforted a very confused and upset toddler.  She didn't know why her body betrayed her and why she was all messy.  It was not a pretty sight.  But, by the time I finished showering her off, she was a happy camper excited to wear her ducky towel and all was forgotten.  At least I wasn't expecting an easy day or I would have been sorely disappointed. 

I think I could probably learn something from her emotional resiliency also. Philippians 4:8 says "...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."  By not dwelling on her traumatizing awakening, Ladybug was able to fully enjoy showering, one of her favorite activities and bounce into a joyful morning.  May I be so quick to look for the positives.

Facing giants

by Granny Girl

In the book of Numbers, chapters 13-14, we're told about the spies Moses sent into the land of Canaan to spy it out. He sent one man from each of the tribes of Israel plus Joshua, the son of Nun. The spies found their promised future home to be a land of wonders! It was a land they described as "flowing with milk and honey." Now that seems like reason enough for the men to recommend to Moses that the childen of Israel take the land God had promised them and inhabit it. But only Caleb (from the tribe of Judah) and Joshua made that recommendation. The other men had seen how strong and big the inhabitants of Canaan were. Some were descendants of giants, so they were indeed big. And these men shifted their focus from the promise to the problem. The Israelites listened to these naysayers and started up their habitual whining. "Why didn't we just die in the land of Egypt?" they cried.

I love Joshua and Caleb's response! "And they spoke to the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: "The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, 'a land which flows with milk and honey.' Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread, their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them."

The Israelites chose to follow the fearmongers, and it was only through intercession by Moses that God didn't just kill them right there and then. He instead had mercy on them and allowed them to live out their days, but that generation never got to inhabit the promised land. And God did wipe out the spies who gave the negative report with a plague.

I'm so glad this was my lesson for today. Right now I'm completely without an income. My unemployment benefits have ended, and I haven't made any real estate deals yet, so no commissions are coming in. I have some job prospects, but nothing sure. It greatly encourages me to see the example in Numbers on how to face an uncertain future. I will choose to follow Caleb and Joshua's example and believe in God's promises of provision and His might in overcoming the enemy. Nothing about my future is in my control except for my attitude and actions. God will honor my faith like he did Caleb's in Numbers 14:24 "But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it."