The speech. August 29, 2008

I am mother to a high school freshman!  Holy cow, where did the time go?  I realize that she is growing up but high school?! 

She started school Tuesday and I contemplated what I should say to my daughter as she headed out the door to embark on some of the best days of her life.  I could have told her that the decisions she makes will make her years at school either great or not so great.  Maybe I could have told her that choosing good friends will keep her out of trouble, or that walking out her Faith in Jesus in front of those potential friends could forever transform their lives.  I could have told her something that was really important and something that could have really impacted her day and her freshman year. 

Instead this was my advice to her, “Jordan you can really reinvent yourself this year since most of these kids are going to be coming from lots of different middle schools, they won’t know anything about you.  So I think that you should start today, candidating for Homecoming Queen your senior year.”  “Mom how do you win Homecoming Queen?”  “Well, its really a popularity contest so go and become the person that everyone likes and maybe you will even get to be on the Homecoming court for your freshman year.”  “I don’t know how to do that”  “Yes you do, you know how to make friends easily, so just go make friends with everyone.  Everyone always likes you, so it will be easy.” 

Ok, I know that is shallow and probably not the best advice, but I couldn’t help it!  For years I have been telling her all the right things and she has always done the right things.  I just wanted to encourage her to be someone that people wanted to know.  Someone that people admired and thought was a great girl.  Someone who could influence others to choose well and maybe even have the opportunity to get to know Jesus because they will see Him in her.  Truth is her Dad and I already know she is great but I think that it is only fair that everyone else think so too.  Besides, it won’t hurt to be the mother of the Homecoming Queen! 

Oh well, maybe I will give a better speech to her brothers when they head off to high school, but then again Homecoming King sounds like a good plan too!

Summer vacation is over. August 16, 2008

I have been watching the Olympics nonstop since the first day and I have decided that I am tired from all the late nights.  The swimming has been awesome to watch.  Tonight Dara Torres got a silver in the 50 meter race and Michael Phelps is going to race for his 8th gold medal in a little bit.  It is so exciting! 

It has been a good week, just trying to keep the boys occupied on this next to last week of summer vacation.  I can hardly believe that my kids are going back to school.  When they go back after summer that means that they are one year closer to graduating from high school and then being out of our home. 

Jordan is closest yet, since she is starting high school this year.  Her high school years will bring all kinds of firsts.  Dates, driving, prom, and who knows what else.  I am sure a first boyfriend will fall into the list along with a first kiss.  All of which Daddy doesn’t want to think about.  He is still having a hard time facing her womanly figure. 

Jonathan is going to the 5th grade, which means that he is in his last year of elementary school.  Nathan is going into the 2nd grade.  This is going to be a year of growing up and hopefully maturing for both of them. 

Well, I am going to watch Michael Phelps race now.  GO USA!

In response to this question, “How can you love someone who doesn’t exist?” August 14, 2008

Dear bob@bob.net , Jesus does exist and I choose to love Him because He loves me.  I know this because of the many ways that He has shown me His love.  I know that there are people that have not come to the point where they believe in Him but the key word is “believe” and that is something that I choose to do.  Feel free to read through my blogs, some are a testimony to the things that He has done for me, some are just my life, but please know that even in the tough times in my life, I know that my faith and trust in Jesus is worth it all.  I hope that you have something, in your life, that you have that kind of confidence in.

Go Team USA! August 13, 2008

Olympic fever, I have it.  Since I was a kid my family has watched both the summer and winter games.  Course back when I lived at home we didn’t have all of the cable channels that are available now and we only had about 4 to watch, so when the Olympics came on you thought that it was the greatest thing ever. 

I don’t watch sports very often.  I watch Tarheel basketball, the Super Bowl, ice skating, gymnastics but that’s about it.  But when the Olympics are on I stay glued to the TV, all hours of the day and night.  I am addicted to it.  I cheer, shout, jump up when we win, pout when we don’t. 

I get irritated when our American winners get on the podium and they play the national anthem and they don’t put their hands over their heart and sing along.  Now I realize that some may be so overcome with emotion that singing isn’t something they can do, but you can put your hand over your heart.  I got so frustrated on day one when the 3 girls who swept the saber competition had all 3 flags flying in the red, white, and blue only to not even put their hands on their heart!  I was yelling at the TV but to no avail!  I realized that all 3 girls were young and it could be that saying the pledge of allegiance may not of been something that they did in school, since some brainiac thought that we should stop saying it.  But then again the US Olympic committee should be schooling ALL of the athletes on the fine art of accepting a medal and honoring her country. 

Ok, I will get off my soap box now, sorry for the vent!  But can we just say way to go Michael Phelps!  He is the man and I stay amazed at his ability to do what he does.  How on earth does he keep pulling it off like he does.  I mean does anyone have a chance against him?  I hope not cause for an Olympic fan it sure is fun to watch him kick butt!  I must say though that the 4×100 relay team that “smashed” the French team even when they were not favored to do so, was the best of this summers games.  I am sure that there will be others before the games are over but it was awesome! 

So if you aren’t watching, you are missing out on some great opportunities to cheer for the home team!  If you are watching, know that I am cheering (really loudly) with you!  Go USA!

Life sometimes sucks, but God has a plan! August 10, 2008

Well, the reunion is over and I had a blast!  I haven’t seen most of my 14 classmates since the day we graduated from Epworth Christian School.  It was a lot of fun getting to talk to many of them on the phone and to have them fill out information sheets that gave me a small look into their lives, then and now.  It’s funny how much different some of us are and how much we have changed physically.  Some of us are larger, some with less hair, all of us with wrinkles and gray hair.   I decided that although I was “fluffy” I didn’t have to be gray too, so I colored my hair before going!  It didn’t really matter though, we were friends again and we laughed and caught up on one anothers lives and decided that we couldn’t wait another 20 years to meet again, but that trying to gather every other year was a much better plan.  So we set a date and made a plan so that all that has to be done is send out a reminder/invitation. 

I was able to reconnect with so many people during this process and with a couple of my classmates, it was a God connection.  I don’t know exactly how it is supposed to go or work out or even what we are supposed to be to one another but it was not by accident and we all 3 knew it.  Maybe it was so that I could be praying for one guy in particular, in his business, or so that one guy could hold the other accountable in his walk with the Lord.  It could be a number of things but for whatever reason we were nit back together and I am excited to see what God is going to do in the lives of each of these families.

On the home front, I am experiencing a new place with Jesus.  As I walk through the stuff that is happening at our church, which has been really hard, I am learning just what my husband preached this morning.  I am learning how to “be in Christ” and to not respond to the “bad things” in life with the “old me”, but with the Jesus that resides within me.  We are having to trust the Lord to provide for our family financially as John has not been paid in 4 1/2 weeks, but the Lord has met the needs.  My bills are paid, someone put new tires on my car, someone gave me money to buy school clothes for my boys, someone took my daughter shopping in their closet, and then someone else took her to buy the things that weren’t in the closet.  Not everyday is easy, but most days I find that I have no problem maintaining my joy.  I seem to have a once a month “meltdown” which is just me feeling sorry for myself and feeling that my “friends” are deserting me without cause, but I usually vent to someone close and then choose to count it all as loss and then reclaim my joy.  I can’t explain what is happening, I can’t make it stop, I don’t know what to do except pray, and I know that in it all, God is in control and I am to have peace and trust Him.  Sucks that it is happening, sucks that I can’t make it stop, but brings me joy in the knowing that on the other side of this I will understand, to some degree, and that I will be able to testify to God’s mighty plan for my life and His provision!  Thank you Jesus!