You're Fired!!

My newest little masterpiece... Love it!

A Savior Complex

In an evening meeting last week, Pastor Tad mentioned how as alive Christians we need to be able to feel other people's pain. He talked about bearing other's burdens. And I agreed... his talk excited me, because I love people and yearn to help... yet the thought also exhausted me, because I often allow myself to feel their pain much too deeply.

And as I talked with Amy about it afterwards, and continued thinking about it throughout the week, I realized the exhaustive panic comes from carrying all the pain myself. I forget to take the next step, and lay the pain down at the foot of the cross.

There are times that I am not called to go through the deep waters that others have been called to go though.

Nor have I been called to save the people who are in those waters. That was already done... by Someone much more qualified than myself.

I have merely been called to support... and to take the hurt, anger, pain, sickness, sadness, and brokenness to the place it belongs... to the cross... and then to leave it there.

The Return of The Swamp Rat

Back in June, I posted about my leaking car that turned my "I-need-to-wear-this-jacket-because-the-AC-at-work-was-on-overdrive" jean jacket into a thing reeking of swampness.

This morning I pulled out that same jacket, because Fall is fast descending on this great state!

And as I did so, I got a strange whiff... of swamp.

WHO, I ask you, in ALL OF CREATION just hangs a swamp-smelling jacket up in the coat closet without WASHING the swampness out of it first?? Just so that two months down the road, one can be surprised all over again by the joy of repelling all those around them with the stench.

Apparently, that would be me.

Once I Was Afraid - I Was Petrified...

I signed up to take Basic Anatomy & Physiology. And I was really excited about said class. It begins in just a few weeks, so I decided to get a jump-start on learning. I went to Barnes & Noble yesterday and scoured several A&P books... and realized that I'm completely screwed!

Who even named these stupid muscles that we have?? Was there a ban on easy when they did so?

For those of us who are not confident spellers, it seems like some sort of sick joke that not only will I need to know where the Sternocleidomastiodeus muscle is and what it does, but that I'll also need to SPELL IT??

After seeing names like Flexor Digitorum Longum and Supraspinatus, I almost kissed the page on which I found the hamstring!

If anyone needs me in the next four months, I'll be the one rocking back and forth, eyes wide in terror, mumbling softly to myself... but don't be surprised if you can't understand the words I'm saying... they're probably just the names of the muscles that I'm using to rock back and forth.

Homesick

The dictionary defines being homesick as "longing to return home." How then can I explain being homesick for a place that I've never been?

This morning as I drove to work, the sun was absolutely beautiful as it broke through the clouds. The glow was stunning, and I felt as if I had been granted a glimpse into Heaven. And I was so homesick, I cried...

Another part of the dictionary's definition is "acutely longing for one's family or home." Perhaps that's where homesickness comes into play when thinking about Heaven.

This morning's sunrise made me feel like it was just a matter of stretching my arms out a little further and I would be dancing with Mindy... or getting to know Grandma Springer on level different than I could as a third grader... or being wrapped in one of Uncle Lloyd's better-than-anyone's hugs... enjoying Andrew's wonderfully dry sense of humor... laughing at the bluebirds with Mrs Holland... enjoying the mutual admiration society of being around Aunt Jan... hugging nieces & nephews that have been whisked away from earth before we had a chance to hold them... and best of all - throwing myself at Jesus' feet, and feeling Him wrap His arms around me, lift me to my feet and hearing Him whisper in my ear, "Well done..."

You're in a better place,
I've heard a thousand times
And at least a thousand times I've rejoiced for you
But the reason why I'm broken,
the reason why I cry
Is how long must I wait to be with you?

I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now

Help me Lord cause I don't understand your ways
The reason why I wonder if I'll ever know
But, even if you showed me, the hurt would be the same
Cause I'm still here so far away from home

In Christ, there are no goodbye
And in Christ, there is no end
So I'll hold onto Jesus with all that I have
To see you again
To see you again

And I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now

- Homesick by MercyMe

Dr Laura Says...

... that mothers and daughters shouldn't be best friends. She says that there should be a closeness, but not a best friend relationship.

I disagree...

I've always loved my mother, and always looked to her for advice, but in the last 15 years she's become one of the people that I most love talking with, spending time with, and just being with.

Because of geographical distance, giving her hugs is not a part of my daily life, but there are other things, like daily phone calls, that keep us close.

So on this day, an anniversary of her birth, I say, "Happy birthday, Mom. I love that you're my best friend!"

Pity we wont make it into any of Dr Laura's books :)

Satirical Happy Book

Years ago I went through a nice long stage of keeping my spirits lifted by writing down at least three things I was grateful for/ happy about before going to bed each evening. It was a good way to wind down, and got my thoughts in a better place before drifting off.

During that time, with the help of a cleverly resourceful friend, on the not-so-good days, we resorted to a satirical happy book... and to tell the truth, this was often times much more fun. We'd chortle with glee at each new entry, and it did just as much to raise the spirits as the real-live happy book.

When I lived and worked in VA, another friend and I would email back and forth things we were happy about, when the days seemed especially hard or long.

At work, I've been dubbed Pollyanna, and today as someone was complaining about the horribleness of this particular Monday, I knew I'd be taking my life in my hands to try the whole "How about think of things that you're happy about, and we can write them back and forth to each other."

So, I pulled out the satirical suggestion, and it once again amazed me how quickly irritants can become laughable when sharing them in satire!

(Somewhere, niggling in the back of my mind, I wonder if I've blogged about the satirical happy book before. How awkward and embarrassing if it turned out I was plagiarizing myself!!)

I Love Despair.com!

A Classy Establishment

Amy & I frequent a yummy restaurant in Manchester... and on the way back from our last trip, we saw this. Tells you a little about the area our fave food is in. But the burritos are amazing! What can we say?

Things I Love...

* Being pampered

* Uncle Rick & Aunt Kath

Things I love a LOT

* Being pampered BY Uncle Rick & Aunt Kath!

(this past weekend was spent in Maine... drinking coffee on the swing looking at the lake, going out to eat, napping in the hammock, going out in the kayak, tubing, swimming, l-o-n-g afternoon boat ride, movie watching, lots of wonderful chats, and being LOVED by two people whom I adore!)