Music is a part of life

I can’t remember a time when music wasn’t a part of my life. Some of my earliest memories are of riding in a VW Van with an assortment of young people that my parents were in a gospel group with. Others are of music playing on the record player or the radio in the house. Mom sang often while I was growing up. Her soft airy soprano voice wove harmony to the alto and soprano voices of we children as we sang in the car on the way to church.

I sang in the choir in middle school and high school. My voice has changed since then but I still love remembering the music. The joy of being in the high school music room during lunch hour and listening to the piano or the radio with other students was incomparable.  It was a time of freedom and laughter and acceptance.

When my daughter was first born, I sang to her from the start. Her first lullaby was actually Silent Night. She still gets sleepy when she hears it. (smile) Many miles were walked up and down the hallway in our little home as I sang her songs to sooth her. She was not a difficult baby but hearing music made her that much easier.

My radio plays in my car all the time. I have eclectic taste when it comes to music. Often I prefer country music and would love to hear the older country more often… things with Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings, Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn. Fortunately for me, the station I listen to the most plays a lot of these artists on Saturday nights.

Family gatherings often include music. When all 4 sisters and Mom are together it is guaranteed to have music going on. We love to do the karaoke thing, but will sing just about anything that we can. To hear us do some of the old gospel rounds is amazing. I have video of my next sister after me singing with me and Mama as we were entertaining the toddlers while we got dinner together. Erinne had a lower voice than I did for a while so she tended to do the lower while I did higher and Mom wove around us.  I wish I had more recordings of these times.

I often play jazz on the radio at work for a soft background noise. It is soothing to the ear and helps to make the day go faster. I seem to get a lot more work done with the music playing than when I don’t have it on.

I can’t imagine my life without music. I am thankful for the memories I have of it and smile at them.

The right stuff

I came home Monday evening to be told that the metal pipes under my kitchen sink had disintegrated and needed to be replaced. I was very upset as I hate having to repair things in the house. My eighteen year old son and I gathered up the parts and headed to Walmart to try to find what was needed for the repairs. We purchased a few items that we thought would work and headed home again. My son worked under the sink for several hours trying to get things fitted up properly and it didn't happen. My husband called on his way home from work and said he would pick up parts for it and we could get it fixed when he got home. Again my son worked under the cabinet with the 2nd set of new pipes and tried to get them to align properly. The plastic nuts just weren't connecting to the metal drain in the sink. Son was completely frustrated and decided to go take a shower and go to bed. I attempted to get the nut to align properly and also had issues. My husband managed to get one of the nuts on but it cross threaded and of course that wasn't going to work.
Tuesday night when I came home I crawled into the cabinet to try to get these pipes to fit. I fussed and fumed and grunted away as I was trying to get that stupid plastic nut to screw onto the metal drain. I pulled the metal nuts off the old pipes and tried to get them over the plastic pipe to fit to the metal drain. The metal nut wouldn't go over the bend of the plastic pipe. It just wasn't working and I gave up before I threw the pieces across the room.
Wednesday night my husband stopped and bought a third set of pipes with an additional piece to them, a little plastic piece that was straight for the plastic bend pipe to fit onto. The metal nut fit around that little plastic piece and then the bend pipe fit onto that piece as well. The job was complete in ten minutes and I had a working sink again.
It never fails to amaze me how quick and easy a job can be when the parts are correct and line up properly.

Postal memories

Today someone mentioned the postal service to me. It made me remember my growing up years at the local post office. My father was a mail man for all the years I can remember. For most of that time he had the route that took him walking the entire way through the two main business streets in town and then over the course of several local residential streets.
Sometimes Daddy would walk to work even and be there at about 7:30 to start sorting the mail for his route. The back room of the post office was a busy area, full of bags of mail that had come in and boxes and packages. There were male voices deep and rich with laughter and pleasantness. The men my daddy worked with were always kind to my siblings and I. There was a dustiness to that back room as well but you knew the people that worked there enjoyed what they did.
Many days at the end of Daddy's shift I would be sitting in the little break room at the back of the post office waiting for him to be finished so we could go home. We kids knew that we needed to be quiet and respectful, but that we were allowed to do our studying or reading after heading there from our various afterschool activities. It saved Mama a drive into town to pick us up and then having to come back in for Daddy. We lived 3 miles from town central so it was a lesser walk to get to the post office and wait.
Sometimes as our bus was waiting for the junior high kids to get on in the afternoon we would see Daddy walk past on his route. Often my brother would jump off the bus and go walk the rest of the route with Daddy. He did a lot of the route with him on Saturdays as well. I know that it was good for them to have that time together. They were the only men in a housefull of women.
I know that times have to change but sometimes I wish it were like yesteryear when times were simpler and mail was delivered with a smile and a friendly wave. When people were not in such a rush and there was more respect for each other.

A Child's Gift

I was reading a blog of another person who spent many years in the town where I grew up earlier today and it caused me to remember something with a smile.
He was talking about picking Lady Slipper flowers, a wild orchid that is protected in the state of New York. Perhaps back in the years he picked them they weren't protected. I remember picking one that I found as a child. I was told after I picked it that it was against the law to pick them. I was terrified of being arrested for picking a flower. I was all of about 9 years old at the time.
I had just wanted to give my mother something I thought was so pretty and I had never seen one before. The usual bouquets that were picked for my mom almost every day they were in bloom were made up of wild violets with their delicate stems and dandelions with their yellow petals.
Mom would smile at each bouquet brought to her and put them in a little jelly jar or a shrimp coctail glass with a little water. She got many such bouquets and usually several times a day as there were five children of varying ages bringing them to her.
I can still see the bouquets put on the windowsill over the kitchen sink. They were picked with such love and desire to show that love. It was a child's gift to a loving mother.

Helping Hands

Over the last year or more I have seen posts on my facebook page for this community function or that where the money is going to help someone in the community that is dealing with a hardship, usually cancer. I have to say that I admire how the community gathers around its people and how others are so willing to assist in the little ways they are able.
Sometimes though I wonder if the money isn't the easiest part to give. I know the need for it is there as there are bills that need to be paid. But I wonder about the emotional needs that are there as well. What about going to the home of the young mother who has found out she is fighting cancer for the 2nd time and asking to have her kids for the afternoon so that the mother can have a rest? What about bringing over a favorite meal for the family to eat so they don't have to worry about cooking that night? How about the mother of three that has two children with disabilities and no help from the children's father because he is a deadbeat? How do we help her out?
I wonder sometimes if people don't offer the spiritual and emotional assistance because they just don't know what they can do to help or if they are worried it will be taken wrong. Sometimes for those of us that grew up on the Island it is a matter of being given the opportunity to gather stregnth just from breathing the salt air of the ocean and feeling the sand between our toes because someone has given us 2 hours alone. Sometimes it is helping that single mother by just sitting and letting her talk or cry or rant.
Many times the prayers of "prayer warriors" is all that can be offered. Sometimes we think that isn't enough for us to give. Trust me when I say that God hears those prayers and is working in His time to make things go according to His plan. It isn't always easy to rest and wait for His timing. It isn't always easy to understand why the sickness isn't healed right away or why He takes someone back unto Heaven when we would rather keep them here. It is easy to rail against the inequity of it all.
I find though that our needs get met in many small ways and sometimes big ones. We as a community need to look for the means and ways to help. And we as the recipients of the "helping hands" need to appreciate the ways people try to help us out and Count our Blessings even when they seem so small.

Learning an old lesson all over again.

God has a way of teaching us life lessons over and over again. Sometimes I think it is because we just didn't learn it right the first time. Thankfully He does it lovingly even if sometimes it takes a hit over the head.
I was taught again the lesson of not saying anything if you can't say something nice. I always have tried over the years to keep this lesson in my mind. How little did I realize that I hadn't been applying it as often as I should have especially somewhere that is should have been obvious to have used it.
It never fails to amaze me how God teaches us either. When we least expect it He is able to use something in our lives to teach us the lesson we need to be taught.
I have not always been as kind as I should have to someone even if they were not aware of my unkindness. God has made me aware of this today. My prayer is that HE helps me to remember this lesson today and in the future so that I can give forth the kindness to everyone that I would want given to me and to those that I love.

pictures in the mind

Today a coworker was talking about an old fashioned style toaster. She forwarded a picture of what she meant to another coworker. He then showed me the picture and it was completely different from what I had pictured in my mind.  The picture she sent was of a rounded sided toaster, standard two slice but more of a toaster from the 50's than what I had in my head. I was picturing the toasters that looked like a triangle that had the heating element in the center and the doors hinged to hold the bread in place then you had to flip the bread to toast the other side of it. The man who got the picture was thinking of a toaster oven. I asked my husband what came into his mind when I said "old fashioned toaster" and he got a picture in his mind similar to what was in mine but his was to be put over a stove for the heating of the bread.
It made me laugh when I thought of all the different pictures that come into mind when words are put together. My mother blogs as well at http://kathleen-thewordsmith.blogspot.com/    A recent blog she had was on the old style typewriters and other old fashioned items.
Her blog made me realize that so many of the kids today won't have ever used anything other than a computer keyboard or a tablet. They won't know about typewriters and carbon paper and phones that had cords attached and rotary dials. They don't know about phonographs and reel style lawn mowers. Many children today don't know about camping in a tent and dealing with the heat because they haven't been exposed to it.
Technology is great but sometimes I wish for the days of yore when things were not as easy and instantaneous.

Right and Wrong

When I was a child, my parents tried to teach me right and wrong when it came to polite behaviors. I think they succeded quite well in teaching me to "Be Nice", and to say "please" and "thank you". I don't see much of that these days in children. I also don't see parents correcting the behavior of their children. I sometimes wish that the adage "it takes a village to raise a child" were taken more to heart. If it were, I might feel that I could make the corrections necessary for these young people to learn right from wrong. As it is, I am afraid of being rebuked by the adult because "who do you think you are correcting MY child" is the attitude of many people these days.
This brings me as well to a message I saw on another blog today. On Facebook, there has been a status copy and paste, over the past few days, that has to do with Mary having a little Lamb. The Lamb referred to is Jesus. The rhyme goes on to say that it is said that children can't pray in school. Someone took it upon themselves to write a message to the blogger, via facebook, and give him a hard time for his beliefs. I don't think that he was advocating forcing religion on anyone. My opinion on the matter is that we have gone so far away from the beliefs this country was founded upon, that of freedom of religion and of choice, that we are in danger of losing all rights entirely.
Perhaps if we were allowed to pray in school, the idea of right and wrong would return to this country. Perhaps morals and politeness would return. Perhaps civility and modesty would also come back. Oh what a radical idea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The past and the future

The past year has been an eventful one. There have been losses and gains not just in money but in friends. Family has been touched with sorrow and joy. Each year brings its own hardships. I look forward to the newness of the coming year and welcome it. I know that it will bring its own memories, things to mourn and things to rejoice in.

date night

Tonight is date night. My teenagers got movie passes from their aunts for Christmas so are taking their respective dating partners to a movie tonight. That means actually that I am doing the driving. Since that is happening and the movie theater is about 30 minutes or so from home, my husband and I are going out to dinner while the teens are at the movies. I am looking forward to some time reconnecting with this hardworking man that I married 20 plus years ago.

Thoughts of Christmas

Christmas is a special time of year for so many people. I have been reading posts that others write about visiting and decorating and what the different things mean to them. It made me decide to write a little of it myself. I had a friend ask on Facebook recently about what year you would go back to if you could pick any year to go back for Christmas. It too made me think.

I don't know if I could pick just one Christmas to return to. There are many that stand out in my mind. I remember that year that we woke up as children to find Gabriel our lab/setter puppy. He was black with a white spot on his belly and he sure did love us kids even if he was more my brother's dog than us girls. Or the year I was in Norway and my host family and I were snowed in. We opened our gifts on Christmas Eve because my youngest host sister was born on Christmas and they wanted her day to be special, so the tradition for them was to celebrate Christmas the day before and give her a good birthday.

I remember the year my daughter was two and my son was one. He took his first steps that morning in his great grandparents living room. He walked across the width of the living room from the couch to the chair so he could be with his Great pap. I think I wanted to cry.

The year when my daughter was 5 was a hard one for  us. We had been in Georgia a short time and it was the first year we weren't with extended family. We didn't have much money and didn't know how we were going to give the kids anything. My husband's work helped provide the little we were going to be able to give them. Someone adopted us.... actually several someones adopted us and the kids had a great year.

A few years later we ran into problems again. I think that year really stands out in my mind because the woman that chose to be Special Santa for my children asked if there were only one thing they could have for Christmas what would it be. I asked them and they told me. A real looking doll baby for my daughter and a green power ranger for my son. The day she called to ask if she could bring the presents over will stand out especially. I thought it would be one or two presents for each of them. When she got there with her daughter they carried not one or two presents in but two large black garbage bags full of presents for each of them. I was amazed and kept telling her thank you and that she didn't have to do that. She said she hadn't done it all, that when her daughter found out what she was doing then her daughter wanted to do some too and then a neighbor and another friend wanted to do it as well. Before she left she handed me a gift card and told me to use it to buy Christmas dinner. My daughter got her real looking dolly and my son got his power ranger. That is the same year they got quilts from my grandmother that they both still use.

Not long after that Christmas, my daughter asked me if Santa was real. It almost broke my heart to realize she was growing up. I looked at her and asked what she thought. She said she just didnt' know. I told her that the man in the red suit and white beard didn't really exist anymore but that the spirit of him did, that each time someone helped another person or gave from their heart then that was what Santa wanted. She thanked me and took that to her heart. I explained it to my son the same way a year later.

Christmas isn't really about the presents although being able to give them to others is so nice. It isn't about Santa. It is about Christ and being with family in whatever way it works out. It is seeing the joy in a young child's face, the excitement of being together.

This time 18 years ago I was at the hospital in active labor. My first child was about to be born. My husband and I looked forward to the new life about to join us with great anticipation and some trepidation. We were young with no experience of raising a child on our own.

We were as prepared as we could be. The crib was set up as was the cradle for the baby to sleep in while in the living area of the house. The cloth diapers were folded and ready for use. The blanket I had made for the baby was just waiting for the little life that it would cover for warmth.

At 2:15 in the morning of the 4th of December, our daughter entered the world with a little cry. The nurses took her right away to be warmed and checked over. My husband went over to the little basinnet and looked at her. He came back to me with her in his arms and he said for her to meet her mommy. How precious was this life that God had entrusted us with. How great a responsibility was placed upon our shoulders to raise this baby to be a woman with values and goals, to be a contributing member of society. The task seemed enormous.

Now eighteen years later, she is an adult. She is a beautiful, gifted, giving, smart, couragous, ambitious woman. She has goals in life and knows what she needs to do to achieve those goals. She is loving and gentle and kind. She is understanding, God-fearing and God-loving.

We were blessed when God gave her to us and are so blessed that we have been her parents

Celtic Woman

Over the years while watching PBS we have enjoyed the concerts of Celtic Woman that were broadcast. My husband had become a fan on their webpage and kept asking me to get him tickets for the shows that were at the Atlanta Fox Theatre. I unfortunately kept having to turn him down as tickets were so expensive.
This year, just before his birthday, he was at the website for Celtic Woman and all of a sudden let out a yell. They were again coming to the Fox Theatre but this time were filming their new video and tickets were to be $30 to $55 each. I told him I would order them the day they went on sale! I got four tickets since I knew that our almost 18 year old daughter would shoot us if we were to go without her and since she was going so was the son whether he wanted to or not. (turns out he did really want to go even though I didn't know he liked their music).
For a month now, we have been waiting for the show. My husband and I took the day off after the concert just to be sure that we weren't going in exhausted. The kids still had to go to school the next day regardless of the time we go home. Excitement was in the air as the day go closer.
Yesterday was the openning night for the two-day show which was being taped for the first video they have done in America. It was the night for us to attend. I stayed home that day as well and spent the day relaxing and getting myself ready for an evening in Atlanta. I picked the kids up from school about 15 minutes before the final bell and we drove to get my husband at work. He drove us down to Atlanta and we drove around Peachtree Street trying to find the theatre and then finding a parking lot that was close but reasonable in pricing. We were in line by 6 p.m. and excited as could be.
As we go to the door to have out tickets scanned, the usher informed us that we were going to have to go back to the ticket booth as there was an issue with our tickets. I was very upset since I knew that I had paid for them through ticketmaster and that they were valid tickets. I couldn't imagine what was going on but we wended our way through the crowd trying to get to the doors as we made our way back to the ticket booth. My son said "maybe they upgraded our seats" and I scoffed at him. After waiting at the booth for several minutes they came back and handed us new tickets explaining they had had to relocate us due to the taping. Our son was right... they were upgraded. The upgrade wasn't by much but it was an upgrade. Our original seats were on the right side in orchestra seating and we were to have been against the wall, our new seats were on the left side in orchestra seating, three rows closer to the stage and against center aisle! We had a good view of the stage and didn't have too many people in our way due to the boom camera that was set up off to our left and slightly in front. It wasn't in our way at all but it did keep people from being able to sit there.
Finally we were ready for the show to start..... Mairead came on the stage and the crowd went wild. She played her fiddle and danced about the stage as Chloe and the two Lisas joined her in song. It was an incredible start to the show and just fascinating to watch and hear in person. Tears sprang to my eyes as I was not able to believe I was actually there and getting to see this. There were many standing ovations throughout the evening as the women sang and the instumentalists played. There was even a spot where the crowd sang happy birthday to the drummer of the group. Costumes were amazing as well as the music. Bagpipers played along on several of the songs as well as a penny whistle and the bodran being played. I was in heaven. ( I honestly believe the haunting tones of the bagpipe will be played in heaven along with the harps and penny whistles and spoons and drums. How can they not be when they move my soul so much.)  The Gwinnett Childrens Choir came on stage a few times to participate in the backup for the women. It was enjoyable to watch the women interact with the children. Mairead played and danced to her fiddle and the clogging man came out and danced along with her. It brought whoots from the crowd as my feet tapped and danced along with the music. (I am a fantastic jigger when my bottom is in a chair)
The show came to an end and we made our way out the side doors of the building and headed for our car talking about what we had seen. As we waited for the crosswalk to head to our car, our son caused several in the crowd to chuckle as he said " I liked the dancer, He is my favorite Celtic Woman"  He was being silly but I knew what he meant. He really liked the energy that buzzed when the dancer came out on stage.
I know this is a night that none of us will forget and we look forward to watching the video time and again. I know we will be buying it the minute it goes on sale as well as watching it on PBA30 on December 3 when it airs on tv for the first time. The first time we watch it we will again be transported back to the Fox Theatre and watching the live taping of the video as well as looking for ourselves in the crowd!

Updates on Lifes twists and turns

I wrote about a month ago about the concerns I was having with my father being in the hospital as I was heading even further away from him on a trip with my family to see my father in law.

God has truly answered many prayers regarding my father. Daddy is doing much better and I have been in touch with him via phone about once a week and he states he is doing really well. His weight is down as well as an assortment of ailments are being helped by that simple fact.

In the night as we slept before leaving PA to return to our home, lightning struck my mother in law's chicken coop. She had to file an insurance claim and is in the process of getting the coop fixed. I am glad and thankful that it wasn't the house.

We returned to our home in good time and were able to sleep well in our beds that night.

Shortly after returning home we got news that our daughter was accepted for the summer independant study course she would need in order to get the credit for the physics class that she had not passed during the regular school year. She had 12 days to do the coursework and was finished with it in 6. I am proud of her for the hard work and perseverence she had with this class. She tried her best and she just wasn't able to pass the class during the regular school year. I believe it is how it was taught and not through her failings since there were at least nine other students that had to take this summer course as well.

Anyway, we have one month left of summer before my teens go back to high school. My daughter is a senior this year and my son is a junior. That means aptitude tests for college as well as college applications and visits this year. We are also planning a trip to see my dad in October as well as a trip to camp over labor day weekend. I look forward to the times we still get to spend with our children as they are growing up.

Tell your problems how big your God is.

Instead of telling God how big your problems are, start telling your problems how big your God is. A friend of mine posted that as her status on facebook earlier in the week. I promptly decided that is what I need to do. I tend to get overwhelmed with the worries and concerns of life. It doesn't mean that I don't trust God or that I don't know that HE can take care of them all. I just sometimes give them to Him and try to take them back again instead of leaving them with Him.
Since reading my friend's status, I have told each of the problems that come my way that God is big enough to handle them even if I am not and that I know He will give me that peace and grace and ability to get past each and every one of them.
I have still been praying over them and trusting God to take them on His shoulders instead of me lugging them around everywhere. It isn't easy to not try to take them back, I have been doing it for so long. But I am really making an effort to let them go.
I wrote this wonderful piece of advice down and attached it to my computer monitor at work where I see it every day. It is a fantastic reminder that God is bigger than anything I might encounter. With that reminder I am calmer and more focussed. I am able to let the annoyances go and be the person I want to be.

Life's twists and turns

This has been a week of ups and downs and twists and turns. We had plans for a trip to PA to see my inlaws and were to leave last Sunday. On the Friday before we were to leave, I got a call from my sister telling me that my father in FL was at the emergency room. She didn't have more information than that but would call me when she got more. Now I was concerned about his health again.I just didn't know what was going on and I was trying to work and get the stuff done there because regardless of if I was going to PA or to FL I was going to need to leave my desk in order.
One of my other sisters called and said they had admitted Dad into the hospital and she was on her way to FL to see him. Then the sister that first called said she was on her way to pack for her and my third sister and they were flying down to FL from NY. Now I was really really scared and crying all the harder as I was trying to get my work done. I had no way to reach my dad and didn't know even what hospital he was at.
I called my mother for some much needed advice as to whether she thought I should go to Florida or keep my plans for going to PA. She didn't tell me which way I should go. Just gave me some advice to wait and see what the day brought. She did however remind me that my little brother who had dad's phone would probably know what hospital he was at and then i could maybe call the hospital.
I called him back and got the hospital name and then called the hospital where I hoped to get some information from a floor nurse or something. I got put straight to my dad's room and actually got to talk to him. He told me that he didnt know anything at that point other than they were waiting for test results. He told me that he thought I should go to PA and spend time with my inlaws.
I talked to my kids and to my husband and it was decided that we would see what the next morning brought but the plan was to continue with our current plans.
The next morning I spoke with my sisters who encouraged me to continue with the current plan and to not go to FL. They were there and if I was needed they would let me know for sure. So I did the necessary oil change in the car and the shopping that needed to be done and the trip to the dog sitter who would be coming in so I could give final instructions. I got the packing done and the car cleaned up and proceded to wait for Sunday.
Sunday morning dawned bright and clear and was a good day for a road trip. We loaded up the car with kids, luggage and cooler and headed north. While on the trip I placed a call to my father who again told me he was doing better but didn't know results of the tests. He again encouraged us to enjoy our trip.
Each day of this past week I have called the hospital and checked in with my dad or with my sister. Today he is being released. My emotions have been on a bit of a roller coaster as i have been concerned for Dad's health as well as tried to enjoy this time with my inlaws.
My father in law had a major surgery two month ago and this was the first time my kids and i were seeing him since that had happened. We were uncertain how independant he might still be able to be and I know i was concerned about his spirits. I should have known better. He has such an abiding faith that God has a purpose for everything and that there is a reason that God allows him to go through the difficult times and health issues.
On Tuesday my husband took his parents up to Hershey hospital for a followup on his dad's surgery. They were given the news that he is healing well and is ready for his preliminary prostetic leg. We are so thankful that this is already in the works as we thought it would be at least another month. It will give my father in law more freedom and indepence of movement again.
He has enjoyed this visit a great deal in that he has been able to spend time with his son and grandchildren as well as being able to get some of the jobs done around here that he hasn't been able to do on his own.
Life is a journey that we all must travel and we never know where it will lead or what twists there are in store for us. We must trust God to not let us stray too far from the path He wants us on.

Blessings

There are those that are claiming the world will end tomorrow. I am not mocking them by any means but I don't believe this will be the case. If the Lord returns tomorrow I know where I am going so I will just continue to live my life as I do now. I am going to do nothing special just because others say life is ending. I know that I am saved by Grace and will be living in Heaven with my Lord and family when the time comes for Him to call me home.
One of the other blessings that I will have, if the Lord calls me home tomorrow, is I won't have to clean my house. I hate house cleaning. Anyone that has entered my home over the years will be able to attest to that. I have plans to dun the house out tomorrow as today is the last day of school for my children and they will be able to help with the work. They don't really like to do it either but it is something that is needing to be done.

Joke and pondering

I heard a joke the other day that went like this:


A little girl walked up to her mother and asked her where she came from. Her mother responded that a long time ago God made Adam and Eve and that those two people had children and their children had children and so on and so forth all the way down to her. The little girl smiled and said ok and walked off. She then went to her father and asked the same question, her father told her that the monkeys from many years ago had evolved to be more man like until eventually they became man and that is where she came from. The little girl said ok and walked away. She went back to her mother and said that she was confused. That mom had said one thing and dad had said another. Her mother responded with a laugh, I can explain honey. I told you where my family came from and your father told you where his is from.


Now that joke made me laugh but it also made me think. I think it is important to have mutual beliefs and standards so that when your children ask you an important question like where they come from or if there is a God, that your answers match. If these children are already questioning something then it makes no sense for them to get more confused by asking their parents and getting differing answers. Maybe that is one of the reasons that God has stated "Be not unequally yoked".

Amazing sometimes what comes about when someone tells you a joke.

Twenty Years Ago

Twenty years ago I was getting ready to marry the man I believe God chose for me. We had dated for two and a half years prior to the day we'd chosen to marry. We'd been through scares that our pastor might not be in the country to marry us. He was in the reserves and Desert Storm was going on. We'd changed the date to move it forward a week because my father had a trip planned to Ireland the day we had originally planned to get married. I had two bridesmaids that I had to replace due to an illness for one and plans for school for another. I had changed my mind about the wedding dress I had originally put on layaway and was going to wear a different one. We had been through premarital counselling that our pastor required. He asked some hard questions during it and gave some really good advice. I think those sessions are part of the reason that my husband and I stayed together for twenty years.
Excitement and nervousness ran through me as we got ready to embark on a new adventure. I wasn't only getting married but moving to PA to live. I was about to forever leave behind being a child and becoming a wife.
In the past twenty years we have had our ups and downs, joy and sorrow, plenty and want. It hasn't always been an easy twenty years but we have been through them together. We have grown up together as well as growing older. We have been blessed with two children who are not that far from embarking on their own adventure to adulthood. When they leave we will be alone together once more. It will be another segment on this journey we call our marriage. I look forward to at least 20 more years with him.

words

Better to keep your silence and have someone think you a fool than to open your mouth and prove you are one.

I have been thinking about that some today. I know that words have the ability to cause joy as well as pain. Sometimes what is said hurts someone so much. I would rather keep my mouth shut than have something I have said cause someone to be upset.

Communication is a key in relationships of all sorts. Keeping quiet isn't always the easiest or best thing to do. However it is also important to know when to speak and how to speak. The tone is as important as the words spoken.

Sometimes I talk too much. I know it. I think sometimes I am doing it so that my brain doesn't have the chance to worry about items that I am concerned about. If I keep talking about nonsensical or non important items then my brain is busy with that and doesn't have time to think about the items that are really concerning me. It is my sanity at stake sometimes when I seem to babble.

When I am quiet, no one knows what is going on in my head. Sometimes that is better too.