Alert and Oriented (x4)

Usually, if I participate in the Random Dozen, I try to get it up EARLY.  That didn't happen this week.  Lidna over at 2nd Cup's meme is up and ready to linky. 1.What is your favorite Mexican dish? Chile rellenos. Green chile chicken enchiladas. Or Christmas (red + green chile) or….hey, I live in NM…I can’t choose. 2. When you were a kid, did you get started on your homework right away after school, or did you procrastinate? Right away, usually. 3. What is your favorite store for home furnishings? An antique store? Mor? 4. When you were young, did you like school lunches? Yes…worked in the cafeteria and got free lunch. Pizza Fridays….mmmmmmmmm 5. Is religion a crutch? Organized religion can be. I have a relationship with God. It’s not a crutch. It is my entire life and reason for being.  I think that organized religion can become a rote practice in which one doesn't have to think, but they just kind of put themselves on autopilot and go thr...

This is a sad post. My heart is heavy. I just read about two toddlers whose bodies were recovered from their mother’s car that was submerged in a river.   Poor babies….they never had a chance. The circumstances surrounding the deaths are suspicious. Although the article meagerly attempts to be unbiased, it’s obvious that the mom has been all but convicted, at least in the reporter’s mind. At the end of the article, we are reminded of Susan Smith, who in 1994 was convicted in the deaths of her own two children in a similarly chilling incident, also in South Carolina. I’m not saying that in this latest incident the mother is guilty of anything. But I’m so sad. We live in the information age. Horrid and sickening news is pounded at us until we risk becoming calloused. I can’t help but wonder…IF this mom did this intentionally, would she have thought up that little idea all by herself, or did she glean the idea from the Nancy Grace-est type reporting that sen...

Lidna over at 2nd Cup ( http://2nd-cup-of-coffee.blogspot.com/  )has come off of hiatus for the Random Dozen, a fun meme where you answer 12 seemingly random questions.  Join in, won't you?  - Sorry, unable to add links in the text, so they are in parenthesis.... 1. When was the last time you laughed until you cried? At my nieces wedding watching my extended family attempt to dance. We gots us some MOVES! 2. If you found $10 today, what would you do with it? Spend it on school fees at registration this week, probably.  Or a new bridge for my new electric violin... 3. Do you volunteer anywhere? Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha…..( I work at a church and have four kids…what do you think?) 4. What is your favorite summertime veggie or fruit, and how do you eat it? Strawberries. No, raspberries. No, wait..blueberries…OK…BERRIES! Yes! In a boat, with a goat, in a house, with a mouse, here there, everywhere…well, you get the idea. 5. Is your ...

August of 2010 is a mere four days old, and it's already been a doozy. There's been heartbreak surrounding me.  Mine and the hearts of those I love.  I prayed for ruin.  I prayed for God to ruin me.  To ruin them.  Control freak that I am, I didn't want it to happen this way.  Ruin.  Already, through it all, I am seeing growth and strength.  New shoots of hope.  I choose to believe in You, God.  I believe that You have me (and them) in the palm of Your hand.  I believe that we need our brokenness and that You will see us through and heal us.  I believe that You will turn ashes into beauty. Help my unbelief.  If grace is an ocean, we are all sinking, like the song says.  And like Dory says, just keep swimming. Monday evening, (note here:  day 2) I got a text that the restaurant next door to our church was on fire.  Hopped in the biggerredtruck and there I found (and I promise I am NOT exaggerat...

The one WAYYyyyyyyyyyy up in the top of that tree?  The man-boy I've been missing so much for the past weeks.... Will be getting on about 3 of these Tomorrow. And in just about 15 hours I get to wrap my arms around him again.  I may just let go long enough to let Breanah hug first....but then he's mine. Rumor has it he looks a little like this now Not so much like this, which is what he looked like when he stepped onto that first plane: I don't think I'll care.  I just want to smell his head.  He's still one of my babies, you know..... By this time tomorrow we'll be replete with momma's homemade chicken fried steak, mashed potatos and gravy, green beans and Sister Shubert's rolls....unless he wants something else for supper.  Cuz tomorrow it's all about him.

I just got back from spending a week with 44 of the most incredible students and leaders on the planet. And then after making a shameless plea on facebook, got an invitation to the best Independence Day bbq with some friends, old and new.  We had an great time, and among other things too plentiful, delicious and fattening to mention, partook of this: (and yes, that is a brand, spanking new pedicure peeking out at the bottom, thank you very much.). I am a very blessed woman.

This comes from a friend of mine, who got it from an apparently unknown source.  I don't claim credit for writing it, but I love the message. After facing the blue screen of death this week, I totally appreciate the humor.... Jesus and Satan were having an ongoing argument about who managed to get the most out of his computer. This had been going on for days and God was tired of hearing all of the bickering. God said, "Cool it. I am going to set up a test that will run two hours and I will judge who does the better job." So down they sat at the keyboards and typed away. They did spreadsheets, They wrote reports.... They sent faxes. They sent out e-mail. They sent out e-mail with attachments. They downloaded. They did some genealogy reports. They made cards. They did every known job. But just a few minutes before the two hours were up lightening flashed across the sky. The thunder rolled and the rains came down hard. And of course the electrici...