When the lights go down in the city

So, my Becky is in this year's high school musical, The Wizard of Oz. She is one of the Lullaby League, a flying monkey and she is one of the featured dancers in the Jitter Bug.

I went and saw her perform last week...can I just say, I am so proud of my Becky.

She shines on stage....she is beautiful and when she smiles, the stage lights up.

I remember two years ago, when she wouldn't try out for the plays....instead she was on tech crew....coming out on the stage in all black only when the lights go out. But now, well now, she comes out on stage in beautiful costumes, when the spotlights are on her. She dances and sings and she shines.

I sat there and thought how far my Becky has come and how much she has grown up. No longer is she content to remain behind the scenes...no longer is she content to sit and watch the play happen and wait for the lights to dim. Now, she is confident and ready to face the audience.

It is how it should be....she's a junior now. I can see that she is getting ready to step out on the stage of life. Where I, as her mom, will become the spectator of her life...I am so sad, and yet so proud! You go Becky, I am your biggest fan! I love you!

Today's your birthday

So, today is my Katie's 19th birthday....she is 19 on the 19th.

Last year I had her with me on her birthday....last year was her 18th....and we had a cake for her and we gave her presents....

This year she is away at college....we didn't have cake....we had to mail her a card....no presents....

I know this is all part of growing up....and them growing independent and moving on....but, well, sometimes it hurts....19 years ago today....I saw her face to face and held her and began a love that has only grown stronger through the years....and today.....I can not see her face (because she won't be my friend on facebook) and I can not hold her.....but....I still love her....and it continues to grow.

Happy birthday my katie! I love you.

David and Goliath

So, this past weekend I spent the weekend in Cincinnati with my son, David, for a soccer tournament. My David is in the U-13 league...under 13, an interesting age in boys....

My David has always been tall for his age...he came into the world at 10 lbs. This year I have noticed that he is not always the tallest boy on the field anymore. As a matter of fact, at the start of one game, David was standing next to what I assumed was a man....maybe a ref or something....but he had on a uniform for the other team. David looks at me and rubs his chin and says, "I think he shaves." Then his eyes gets huge as he looks at this giant that he is going to defend.

David and I get in the car to come home and he falls asleep. The sunroof was open and the sun was shining in on his sweet face.....freckles.....peach-fuzz on his face...skin still baby smooth.....I look at him and smile. I think how much I wish he would stay like this....my sweet little boy.....no pimples....no straggly long hairs on his chin....no cuts from trying to shave.....just my baby boy's smooth little skin.

Then I think of him out on that field next to Goliath....David wanted nothing more than to stand up tall against this man....he wanted to be able to compete....he wanted to have hair on his chin...he wants to grow up.

Yes, it is how it should be....I can not wish or want to keep my David a little boy....he is becoming a young man....and soon, he will be the one on the field with facial hair.

Two plus two

So the other day, I had to call Sun Trust Bank. I dial the number and hear, "For hot sex now, stay on the line."

Needless to say....that got my attention....what the heck was Sun Trust up to. So...I'm sitting there wondering...do I stay on the line to find out....but if I do stay on the line...apparently I will get hot sex now......ohhhhhhh.....it's a dilemma.

Anyhow, I quickly hang up and realized what I have done....I transposed two numbers....so I called again and guess what, Sun Trust does answer their phone differently....."For great rates now, stay on the line."

Ohhhh....the irony of two numbers and two words!

Hey hillbilly

So, I find that God teaches me lessons from my own mouth...that I tend to be the illustration....I guess He knows that I need a very personal illustration.

Yesterday Becky and I were driving out of a parking garage in Lexington. I had gotten our parking ticket validated in the doctor's office. Becky pulls up behind the car at the toll booth....it is a typical eastern Kentucky looking car....with a typical eastern Kentucky looking hillbilly....er....I mean gentleman.

Well, he hands his parking ticket to the attendee and the attendee says something to him, and the hillbilly....er....gentleman begins to scrounge around his front seat for coins.....to which I announce, "Nice....hey hillbilly....it's always helpful to have the money out BEFORE pulling up to the toll booth."

It's our turn now...Becky pulls up to the booth, I hand her the parking ticket and she hands it to the attendee. He says, "That will be 75 cents." I say, "It was validated." He says, "Yep, it was, and that means that you get to park here for 75 cents.".....

So, as I begin to scrounge around the front seat for coins.....I begin to laugh and say, "Hmmm.....now who's the hillbilly who didn't have her money ready." Becky chuckles and says, "I wondered if you would realize that."

Yep....God has a way of teaching me through my own stupidity.

Paint by numbers

So, have you ever wondered how all the pieces parts of our life fit together in our spiritual journey? I do.

I am currently working through some spiritual formation material....one of the quotes that I ran across was this: "God has a holy will that draws every fragment of our lives into a beautiful mosaic of faith."

This caught my attention....just last night I was watching a Samantha Brown's travel show. She was visiting a city in Europe and she went to a shop that specialize in mosaics. Samantha was learning how to make a mosaic. She started with a drawing of a flower. Next, she began to break off pieces of glass....painstakingly breaking the right shade of color of the glass into the right shape and size....creating thousands of fragments of glass which she then began to place within the lines of the drawing. She asked the master why he spends so much time to make a mosaic instead of just painting the picture. He replied, "Look at the grand frescoes that were painted hundreds of years ago. The paint is fading, the color disappearing. But a mosaic made at the same time is still as vibrant and full of color as the day it was made. A mosaic does not fade. The beauty lasts."

Wow....so God prefers to create in a mosaic. He draws a grand outline....and instead of allowing me to quickly paint within the lines....using a brush to apply the color in one continuous stroke....instead.....He lets me create fragments....each one a different size and shape and color......and He is able to take the fragmented pieces of my life...each one just a fragmented piece on its own....but placed together....in His grand outline for my life.....and it is a beautiful piece of art that will not fade.

An Easter feast

So, here is an update on week 2 of my dog's diet. It's been a tough week on him....more growling over a bowl full of carrots....more barking at the treat door.....

But today...well today was a grand day for Graham. I had cooked a turkey with all the fixin's for lunch. I had put the grease and bones and fat from the turkey in the garbage bag....and I had pulled the bag out of the garbage can in the kitchen, and I set it on the floor to take it to the garbage can outside.

So, I got invited over to a friend's house for supper and quickly ran out of the house to be on time to supper. Yep....I forgot about the garbage bag on the kitchen floor.

Upon my return....I found my dog, laying in the midst of turkey drippings.....whiskers all greasy from the feast.....turkey breath.....and a very FULL belly. So much for this week's weigh-in.