Timber!

I have failed the photo challenge.  I just didn't have the ambition to get past day four.   If I have to fail at something, it may as well be a thirty-day photo challenge.  I can think of much worse things to fail.

I had an interesting weekend.   I watched with nervous anticipation as my friend, David, shimmied up a Turkey Oak and took it down one branch at a time.  I was on the ground with his son, Jonathan, where things were much safer.  However, as David climbed higher, the pressure on us got a little more intense.  Once he reached the big limbs toward the top of the tree, he could not just cut them and let them fall.  His neighbor is about to do an addition to her house, but I don't think a skylight is in the plans!  So ropes were tied to the branches, and it became the task of Jonathan and me to pull the massive branches away from the house as David was cutting them down.

By this point, I am quite certain that David was feeling seriously shortchanged. My father is a logger.  I am pretty sure that he thought I would have some idea about how this whole process worked.  If that is what he thought, then he thought wrong.  Then there was Jonathan down on the ground with me.  He is fourteen and brilliant with computers; however, like me, his tree removal skills leave a little to be desired.  However, we wanted to help and do our part in the challenge at hand.

The first couple of limbs Jonathan handled on his own and did a great job!  He pulled them right where they needed to go.  Then the limbs got higher and heavier.  That was when things became a bit more nerve-wracking.  David told me to tie a second loop in the rope and help Jonathan.  I looked at Jonathan.  He looked at me.  Neither of us had a clue how to tie a loop.  (Do not ask us how many Wildnerness Girl or Boy Scout badges we have earned.) So from forty feet in the top of the tree, David ever so patiently talked me through the process.  He had to be getting frustrated, but he never showed it.  "Okay, take your left hand and hold the left side of the rope.  Take you right hand and bring the other rope about two feet above your left hand."  He gave me about five more very precise and detailed directions, and I ended up with an amazing loop. 

We were ready.  We had been given a mission, and we had accepted it.  Just before David started cutting the limb, I had to stop for a picture.  Jonathan said, "Yeah, we need a picture.  This could be the last one before we die if that big limb lands on us!"  It was time to do the deed.  David cut the limb.  Jonathan and I pulled with all our might and went about two feet before landing flat on our behinds in a big pile of leaves.  We surveyed the damage.  The roof was saved, but the limb did make a small hole in the neighbor's shed and take out a small piece of her fence.  However, the worst collateral damage was the big split in the middle of the  large Tea Olive outside her bathroom window.  Jonathan suggested that we just duct tape it back together, but I am not sure how that would work out!

We finally came to the last limb.  It made the previous one look like a baby.  David spent about twenty minutes surveying it and trying to decide where would be the best place to cut and which direction we should pull from.  He finally had it all mapped out and then said to us, "You can keep from falling down if you will put your arms behind you to pull the rope and face forward as you pull the limb down."  We had not thought of that.  We positioned ourselves just as he said.  Jonathan looked at me and said, "I'm scared."  I agreed.  David cranked the saw.  We were literally shaking.  He cut for about thirity seconds and yelled, "Pull!"  We ran and pulled with all our might, and we didn't fall.  We pulled the limb down just to the perfect spot where David had planned for it to go.  We were so excited and satisfied with our accomplishment.

I thought about that experience today and realized that it is so much like life and our walk with God.  I felt pretty useless down on the ground.  I did not have a clue what I was doing and felt as if I really weren't much help at all.  I am pretty sure Jonathan felt the same way.  Yet there is no doubt that David needed us down on the ground to help him get the job completed.  We may not have been the most qualified helpers, but our hearts were in it, and that was all that really mattered.

You know, God needs each and every one of His followers to help Him carry out His work here on earth below.  We may feel completely inept at the task that He is asking us to do.  We surely aren't the first ones who have felt this way.  Moses felt completely unqualified when God called him to lead the Isrealites out of Egypt.  He even argued with God about it several times.  Even after God gave him miraculous signs, he still said, "But, God, I get tongue tied and I stumble all over my words."  Yet, he was the one whom God wanted.  God assured Moses that He would instruct him throughout the journey.

In the same way, sometimes God calls us to situations for which we feel we will never be ready.  I think we have to be very careful and seek God with all of our hearts.  I have often seen people venture off into areas where they felt God was calling them to something only to experience failure.  Sometimes it is our own desires that we mistake for God's calling.  However, if we have sought Him diligently and we continue to feel that burning call to carry out a work for Him, then maybe He is calling us to that ministry.  It could be anything from volunteering in a homeless shelter to going overseas for mission work.  He often calls us to those areas where we feel the least qualified.  Why on earth would He do this?  I think the apostle Paul answered that question when he said, "His strength is made perfect in my weakness."  One thing is certain.  When God calls us to do a work for Him, He will give us what we need to accomplish the task at hand.  He will guide us every step of the way.  We just have to listen and follow Him.

This weekend when we didn't know what to do, David ever so patiently talked us through step by step.  I just hate that it took us until the last limb to finally figure it out.  But that is okay.  We listened along the way.  We made mistakes, but we learned from those mistakes.  We finished the task and felt satisfaction at being a part of the process.  I want to serve God in that same way, listening and learning as He uses me to carry out the work He has called me to do!

May all who call ourselves Christians strive to one day hear the words from Matthew 25:23.  Well done, good and faithful servant....enter thou into the joy of the Lord.




Jonathan and I decided to leave a bill for all our hard work!




30 Day Photo Challenge: Day Four

Day Four:  A picture of your night.

I couldn't think of one picture of my nights.  They seem to be made up of a million things.  Last night I went to an appointment in Pensacola, came home and straightened some around the house.  I washed a load of clothes and unloaded the dishwasher.  The bills were screaming for attention, so I tended to those before working on taxes.  There were still dozens of chores, but I abandoned them for some attention to myself and went for a long run.  It was a beautiful night.  The moon was shining bright, and there were stars out.  As I was approaching home, I decided to stop by and visit my neighbor, JoJo.  She was already in bed but not asleep.  I got something to drink from her frig and hopped on the other side of the bed.  We had the nicest visit.  I came home and showered because I stunk to high heaven.  I folded clothes and made the coffee with a sigh.  It was a sure reminder that five a.m. would roll around all too quickly, and I would do it all over again.  

As I walked to the bed, I looked around.  In spite of everything I did, I still didn't come close to getting it all done.  I have just accepted the fact that I no longer have it all together.  Things were not always this way.  In the past, my nights consisted of half the chores followed by curling up on the couch with the family as we watched our favorite shows.  My night's picture could have been more aptly a pretty package with a big beautiful bow.  The day's activities were all wrapped up.  The loose ends were all tied and the loops were closed.  

Now my night looks more like the splatter-paint picture.  It is a mess, but it is a beautiful mess.  It has character in its own crazy way and depth that the pretty package was seriously lacking. 

30 Day Photo Challenge: Day Three

So, with the busyness of life, I have fallen behind in my 30 Day Photo Challenge.  But, I am not a quitter when it comes to a challenge.  I will finish.

Day 3:  A picture of the cast from your favorite show.

Now, I had to think long and hard about this one. When my mind traveled back through the years, this was the show that topped them all.

The "Wonder Years" aired on ABC from 1988-1993 and followed the life of American teen, Kevin Arnold, through his junior high and high school years from 1968-1973. It ended when Kevin and his friends graduated.  This is very different from today's shows where students stay in high school for eight years because the show just will not end.

It was an innocent show about the struggles and triumphs of Kevin his friends Paul and Winnie.  It was one of those shows that just left you feeling good.  I wish we had more shows like this today!

30 Day Photo Challenge: Day Two

Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest.

We knew how to do BIG hair!

This picture was taken our senior year in high school, but my friendship with Andrea goes back much further than May 1986.  I think the first time that I met her, I was six years old.  Her mother brought her over for a play date.  We bonded immediately and have been friends for life ever since.

Andrea is a red head and I am a brunette.  I stand about 5'3" tall and she is about 5'8".  We are quite the combination.  When we were little, my grandfather enjoyed telling people that we were both his grandchildren.  He loved how people reacted to our striking differences.

I pulled out my high school yearbook today. Here were Andrea's words to me. "One thing I am sure about is our friendship.  It has lasted 12 long years and it is just beginning.  I know that it is strong enough to last throughout whatever life throws our way or where it takes us."  We had no idea at the time how prophetic her words would be.  We both assumed that our difficult life moments would be things such as dealing with difficult children  and losing our parents.  Never in a million years did we think that we would face the two big Ds:  Death and Divorce.  Andrea lost her husband when he was thirty nine years old after he fought a long, courageous battle with cancer.  I lost my marriage of over two decades to the epidemic of divorce.

I cannot help but wonder, did God destine us to be best friends because He knew the trials that we both would endure?  I don't know.  That could be argued for hours on end between stubborn theologians.  This is what I do know.  We have both suffered great loss, and we have both survived.  I thank God for my feisty friend, and I love her dearly.  No matter what, she knows how to make me feel better.  I hope that I do the same for her!

Proverbs 17:17 (New International Reader's Version)

A friend loves at all times.
He is there to help when trouble comes.

30 Day Photo Challenge: Day One

In the hustle and bustle of life, I have neglected the blog lately.  Lily is taking part in a thirty-day photo challenge on Facebook.  I thought it might be a fun way to get active with the blog again.

Day One:  A picture of yourself with ten facts.

1.  I love people. Red and yellow, black and white, I love them all.  I have friends with white collars, blue collars, and red necks.  I have dined with wealthy families in breathtaking homes, and I have had supper with a family while sitting on a five-gallon bucket turned upside down.  I have loved all those experiences, and I am richer for them.

2.  It hurts my heart when people make fun of any of these groups of people.  I just don't understand why people feel that is necessary.

3.  I have at least thirty children and counting.  I gave birth to two of them.  The others know me as "second mom."  They all make my life fulfilling and exciting.

4.  I am single.  After twenty-one years of marriage, it still feels so weird to say that.  But I can now say it and be content with where I am.  I am single, and my life is good.

5.  I have no idea where I will be in three years.  After my girls graduate, there is nothing holding me back.  I can go where the current takes me.  That is kind of exciting!

6.  I have a hate/love relationship with running.  I hate it when I am out there feeling as if I am about to die, but I love it when I finish and experience that amazing "runner's high."

7.  I want people to know that no matter what happens in your life and no matter what you lose or have taken from you, there is one thing that no one can take away from you:  hope.  No matter how dark the days seem, there is always hope for a better tomorrow.  The "better tomorrow" may be weeks, months or even years away, but do not let anyone tell you that it is not there.  Guard that knowledge with that hope deep inside you that is yours and cannot be taken away.

8.  If I had to choose a last meal, it would be my mother's fried chicken, Elizabeth's yeast rolls, my Granny's lane cake.  Of course, it would be topped off with an ice cold diet coke that had been placed in the freezer just long enough to be a little slushy!

9.  For fifteen years as a pastor's wife, I lived life in a fish bowl.  Looking back, it seemed as if the bowl kept getting smaller as the observers increased.  I am now out of that bowl and swimming in the ocean, and I never dreamed it could feel so good.  One of my favorite memories of 2010 was attending a Christmas Eve service with a special friend.  I was a face in the huge crowd, and it was an amazing experience.  It was just me, my friend, and God.  I was able to go and truly worship and prepare my heart for Christmas Day.

10. In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on.  I hope Robert Frost doesn't mind my borrowing his quote for my tenth fact.  I would like to add that not only does life go on, but with the healthy combination of faith, family, and friends, it can be better than it was before. Marilyn Monroe had a similar view to this.  She once said, "Sometimes things fall apart so that better things can fall together."  I don't quite agree with her.  I think it would be better said, "When things fall apart, if we lay the  broken pieces in God's Hands, He can cause better things to fall together!"

Having the time of my life, every single day!

We live in a culture that has romanticized life.  It is not truly satisfying unless we are engaged in some type of thrilling adventure, blissful romance, dream vacation, etc.  Society has even given a phrase for such moments:  the time of my life.  These times may satisfy our endless desires for a brief moment, but they are fleeting.  All too quickly, they slip away and leave us waiting and wishing for the next glorious "time of our life" moment.

I am just as guilty as the next person.  I teach school, and sometimes I fear that I wish my life away. I find myself saying, "Only two more weeks until Christmas break."  Then I count down the days until it finally arrives.  I have the time of my life during that break, but soon it is over.  I find myself driving back to school longing for spring break, where my next big adventure awaits.

A young friend on Facebook posted a status yesterday that got me to thinking about all of this.  Is it the time of our life or our life at the time?  When I first read the question, it didn't click with me.  Then I read it again, and it made all the sense in the world.  Instead of longing and wishing for those special "time of my life" moments, why do I not  celebrate life in every precious day that God has given me?
I started thinking about all the "life at the time" moments that I can celebrate, even on a dreary Monday morning.

• Taking a few extra minutes in the morning to walk in and just look at my beautiful, sleeping daughters. They are so quickly becoming young women.  But when I see them serenely sleeping, they are still my baby girls for that precious moment.
• Watching with joy as one of my students who has struggled for months finally "gets it."  I celebrate that deep satisfaction in being a small part of the process of "turning on the lightbulb" in those young minds.
• I want to make random strangers smile, especially when they look as if they are having a bad day.  
• I want my laughter to be easily recognized.  I don't want to be wound so tightly in my classroom that I cannot relax and laugh when a student says something funny.
• Even mundane tasks like cleaning house have more life if I am singing at the top of my lungs.

We need to be more intentional about looking for ways to celebrate our lives at the precious given time.  Honestly, sometimes it is easier to be negative about life and always wish for that "time of our life" moment to make everything better.  I have learned many things in my life, but one thing stands out.  Those people who celebrate life and look for positive ways to treasure the moments we are given seem to be the happiest and most content people.  I hope that I can be that person.

I came across this beautiful poem today.  I believe that it explains this concept better than I ever could.

The Best Day Of My Life

Gregory M Lousignont

Today, when I awoke, I suddenly realized that this is the best day of my life, ever! There were times when I wondered if I would make it to today; but I did! And because I did I'm going to celebrate!

Today, I'm going to celebrate what an unbelievable life I have had so far: the accomplishments, the many blessings, and, yes, even the hardships because they have served to make me stronger.

I will go through this day with my head held high, and a happy heart. I will marvel at God's seemingly simple gifts: the morning dew, the sun, the clouds, the trees, the flowers, the birds. Today, none of these miraculous creations will escape my notice.

Today, I will share my excitement for life with other people. I'll make someone smile. I'll go out of my way to perform an unexpected act of kindness for someone I don't even know.

Today, I'll give a sincere compliment to someone who seems down. I'll tell a child how special he is, and I'll tell someone I love just how deeply I care for her and how much she means to me.

Today is the day I quit worrying about what I don't have and start being grateful for all the wonderful things God has already given me.

I'll remember that to worry is just a waste of time because my faith in God and his Divine Plan ensures everything will be just fine.

And tonight, before I go to bed, I'll go outside and raise my eyes to the heavens. I will stand in awe at the beauty of the stars and the moon, and I will praise God for these magnificent treasures.

As the day ends and I lay my head down on my pillow, I will thank the Almighty for the best day of my life. And I will sleep the sleep of a contented child, excited with expectation because know tomorrow is going to be the best day of my life, ever!

Ecclesiastes 8:15 (GOD’S WORD Translation)

So I recommend the enjoyment of life. People have nothing better to do under the sun than to eat, drink, and enjoy themselves. This joy will stay with them while they work hard during their brief lives which God has given them under the sun.

A Stop at the Carousel

Last weekend I felt as if I were on the Carousel. Up and down, around and around, but getting nowhere, always ending up right back where I started. There was so much I wanted and needed to get done, but it just didn't happen. Sunday night came all too quickly. Time to begin a new week and I felt like I was starting out behind.  Will I ever get back to the organized, together woman that I used to be?  Will my house ever look like it once did?

I guess I am just feeling a bit melancholic. Last night I began reading Elizabeth Edwards' book, Resilience.  You may not agree with the political views that she held, but you cannot deny the fact that the woman faced adversity in her life.  She quoted someone who once told her, "The road map that we hold in our hands for our lives does not always contort to the road we are actually traveling."

Most days I have a pretty good handle on this new road that I am traveling.   But there are other days when I cling to the old map and get lost looking for the roads that no longer exist.  Thank heavens those days are not frequent.  But I would be lying to myself and everyone else if I said they never come.  Those are the days that seem to land me on the Carousel.

Don't misunderstand me.  I think that it is perfectly acceptable to take a little break from life and go for a relaxing ride.  None of us can ever have it all together all the time.  Becoming a single mother has taught me one thing.  I am vincible.  I am capable of being defeated.  At those times when I feel most vulnerable, picking out my favorite horse and taking a spin while daydreams of better days fill my mind can be a welcome relief.  However, I can't linger.  There are bills to be paid, clothes to be washed, and students to be taught.

Today is Monday.  I hopped off the Carousel this morning and had a good day at work.  I even came home and did a few household chores.   I am trying to convince myself to go for a run, but the Carousel is beckoning me to come.  At this point I am not sure what will win out.

There is one thing I do know.  God will give me the strength to do the things that I need to do.  And when the times come that I have to rest, He will help me fill in all the essential blanks to take care of the necessary tasks.

2 Corinthians 12:9 (New Living Translation)

Each time He said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.