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????