O Christmas tree

So, because of my job, December and January are very busy months for me....actually they are crazy! Anyhow, that tends to make me very late in getting my Christmas decorations up in my house....and really late in taking them down. I finally got my tree and decorations down this week.

On Tuesday night I began to take the bulbs off of the tree and my Becky came over and joined me. She stood there, right beside me.....I looked her right in the eye.....she could reach the same branches as me.

My mind wanders back a few years....it doesn't seem that long ago when she only stood up to my waist. I have always let the kids hang the decorations on the tree....so throughout the years I have watched my tree go from being only decorated on the bottom branches....to half of the tree.....to 2/3rds decorated...to this year.....when Becky was able to reach the top of the tree and take down the angel. As we continued to put the decorations into the boxes for storage.....my eyes fill with tears as I think of next year....when Becky will be at college as we put the tree up and as we take it down.

I love you Beck!

Trust and....

So, I have looked over the past year and saw God's hand teaching me the meaning of my word for last year - "trust." I have been praying for my word for 2011....

and praying.....

and praying.....

I didn't really feel anything jumping out at me....well, that's what I kept telling myself....and others.

But I had heard my word.....and I kept hearing it.....but I didn't like it so I just kept asking for a new one. I feel like this word just might be a hard word.

But every time I prayed for a new word....this word kept coming to me.....and the funny thing is....I think this might have been my first lesson on the word.....

So......here it is.......I fear that when I say it that it's going to set me on a path that might be difficult....but here goes.....

My word for 2011 is "obey." Hang on tight....it's going to be a wild ride.

Trust affirmed

So, it is the end of 2010. It's time for me to reflect on last year.

It was a good year....a hard year....but a good year.

My word for 2010 was "trust." I started the year with some simple, baby steps of "trusting" my Father. First there was the UK basketball tickets for my David, within one month of praying and trusting, David got to go to 2 UK games.

In April, I spent a day going on a spiritual retreat....a time of personal formation. It was profound for me....a deep, deep healing of my soul. It all centered around my word, "trust."

In May, Becky got her license, on the first try....way to go....she's a chip off the old block. As I watched her drive away all alone in a big Buick Lesabre, I had to trust my Father to protect her.

In August, my trust in God was put to the test....my dad was diagnosed with lung cancer. It was a pain and hurt so deep that I could not verbalize it. It cut me to the core....it re-opened some very real wounds....as a single mom, I had to hide my fear and lean deep into Jesus. I had to find a strength that was not my own...I had to "trust."

In September, my dad was given the "all clear" of cancer. They had found it in stage 1, unheard of for lung cancer.....trust affirmed.

In October, my Katie tore her ACL. Surgery up in Pennsylvania was scheduled....no knowledge of the doctor or hospital....no peace.....Katie texts me with a name of a doctor at my church....a few emails and phone calls and I have his name and number and have spoken to him on the phone.....my Father tells me to trust this doctor....we re-schedule surgery for Katie's Christmas break.

In November, I schedule a trip with my Becky to New York City to see Phantom of the Opera and to do the town. I find good prices on the flights, I find great seats at a good price for the Phantom, but I can not find a hotel, at least not in my price range. I pray about it....and God tells me to "trust" Him. It's one week before the trip and I still don't have a hotel room. A friend comes to see me, we are talking about the trip. She asks me where we are going to stay and I tell her that I haven't found a place yet. She recommends a hotel (it happens to be the hotel that I wanted to stay in but couldn't afford)......I tell her that I can't stay there. She asks if the rooms are all booked...I politely tell her that they have rooms, but they are not in my budget. She makes one phone call....she books Becky and I a room in that hotel....overlooking Times Square.....for two nights....on her. Trust in my kind Father.

Later in November, a friend and her husband invite my David and I down to see an LSU football game....box seats.....tailgating in the Chancellor's Club. Trust in my kind Father.

In December, Katie came home and had surgery....the doctor from my church....an angel for us....he was so sweet.....he prayed over Katie before surgery....he was a great surgeon.....and during the followup, Katie got an internship with this doctor for the summer....to help her with her new major. Trust in my kind Father.

It's been a good year....a year where I learned that I can TRUST my kind Father. He is worthy.

I come from a long line of em.

So, I called my parent's last night. Turns out my younger sister was visiting....she answered the phone and we were talking....and laughing....and connecting like sisters do. She then began to do something that every daughter since the dawn of time has done....she begins to pick on mom a bit...now I know what you're thinking, "That's not very respectful or nice," right, like you've never done it to your mom....like my girls don't do it to me. I'm sure my mom has done it to her mom and her mom picked on her mom, and so on and so on....it's our heritage.

Anyhow, she dishes on mom a bit and I comment....then suddenly she said, "Where did mom go?" Then she says, "Oh my gosh, is she on the phone.....mom......mom......are you on the phone.......mom.....did you hear the phone line crack...she's on the phone isn't she." I begin to laugh....she continues to freak out as she walks to the kitchen to see if she finds mom on the phone.

"Mom.....mom........MOM, are you on the phone?" she asks.

Faintly I hear my mom respond, "No, I'm on the pot, not the phone."

I laughed as I ran to my own bathroom!

The tell-tale heart

So....the other night I was on run number 574 of mom's taxi service to Lexington. It was the eve of New Year's eve....it was late....I had to go and pick up my oldest from her dad's house.

Now let me just say this...it was late.....let me say that again....it was late. So, I had already showered and was in my PJs, which include a very large pima cotton t-shirt, a pair of Scooby Doo boxers and an old, oversized, blue terry cloth robe.

When the call came, "Mom, come pick me up." I had a fleeting thought run through my mind...."maybe I should change into clothes." It was fleeting..the large oversized, comfy robe was calling me to resist that temptation. The robe won.

So, I get in my car, and drive northward. Side note....I'm fanatic about my car and funny sounds.
As I accelerate I hear a faint, "Thump, thump.................thump," come from under my car. I immediately turn the radio down low.....and listen. Nothing. Hmmmmm......must have just been my imagination.

I continue to drive....a few miles later......"Thump, thump.................thump," I immediately turn the radio down low.....and listen. Nothing. Hmmmmm......must have been something stuck to my tire....maybe it's off now.

I continue to drive....a few miles later......"Thump, thump.................thump," I immediately turn the radio off, this is driving me crazy.....and listen. Nothing. What on earth? Now my imagination begins to run to all of the unlikely things that this sound could be.....my engine ready to drop out....my transmission is ready to fall out.....my tire will drop off.....you get the idea.

I continue to drive....a few miles later....."Thump, thump...................thump, thump." Radio is still off.....now my imagination goes to crazy things.....is there a cat that was trying to warm himself on my engine caught under my car.....did I run over my dog backing out of the driveway and I am dragging him under my car.

I'm ready to vomit now, so I slow down and begin to pull over. As I slow down, I really hear the thumping. I reach over to put my purse down on the floor and I realize I'm stuck.....I can't reach over.....something is holding from pulling away from the door.....

That's when it all converges......my old, oversized, blue terry cloth robe that urged me to resist the temptation of putting on my clothes.....well, the tie of that robe was sticking out of the door and was the tell-tale robe.