He said, "Whoa!" and I said, "Whoa" and then ....

“Jesus replied, "And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.” – Luke 11:46

I came across Luke 11:37-53 and saw the title “Six Woes,” which I’ve never really noticed before. First, I have to admit, (and you, too, you know it) I thought of the Finding Nemo movie and the six whoa’s the turtle, Crush, said, & I quote: “Saw the whole thing, dude. First you were like “whoa” and we were like “whoa” and you were like “whoa….” But then I reigned my brain back in to focus, as I often have to do, on reality. F-o-c-u-s.

Beth Moore uses the term “spiritual abuse” for what Christ was talking about here. Ever thought about that? Just like verbal abuse, mental abuse or physical abuse, there is spiritual abuse. Whoa. This whole passage reminds the religious people how easy it is to get caught up on following the letter of the law instead of purity of heart, instead of being full of the Spirit. It’s about checking your motives. Reminds me of a song, Newsboys’ Shine: “dull as dirt , you can´t assert the kind of light that might persuade a strict dictator to retire, fire the army, teach the poor origami; the truth is in the proof is when you hear your heart start asking, "What´s my motivation?"

The religious leaders were aghast that Jesus didn’t wash before eating. Jesus responded, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.” Dude. Whoa.

It’s so easy to get comfortable in spiritual laws and traditions and not notice when my heart goes astray. Take a minute today to say, “whoa” and check your heart, spend a few minutes in humility before Christ. Read the passage about the Six Woes. Remember how Isaiah cried out after seeing the Lord in all His glory:

“Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.”

The Doubt's Prevailing

Jadon Lavik's song "What If" is flowing through my veins. . . I have the lyrics out of order and some may not be included here... just random lines bouncing around in my head:

What if I climbed that mountain?
What if every battle was victorious?
What if I were everyone's first choice?
What if I stood high above the rest?
Then would You love me more?
What if I ignored the hand that fed me?
What if I forgot to confess?
What if I stumbled down that mountain?
Then would You love me less?
What if I were everyone's last choice?
Then would You love me less?

Lord, would You love me less?

You say I belong to You - apart from the things I do - You say I belong to You - I'm in awe of why You do. . .Why you do, why You do.

I'm in awe of You.

B's Back!

B's back in town, making a brief appearance over spring break. They don't come out of the cave long enough for me to see him much. Looks here like he might be winning.

The boys came out long enough to go to Marj's game. We played HKT and won something like 21-3. Marj looks here like she's thinking "Oh, yawn, another run." We were able to give all the players a lot of practice, it was nice. Most games thus far have been very close; we've won several, we have a good team that works hard, good leadership.

Drove by the church on our way home (took the route past Pizza Stop) and it looks like the birdies are enjoying the birdseed we threw over Nikki and Joey after the wedding.

The boys started to morph around 1:00 a.m. The body can only tolerate so much XBox HDTV radiation. I went to bed. Seems like since I hit 40, I've been morphing into something else, too.

Is it Just.....

...the angle of the camera or is this the biggest carrot you've ever seen?? Even Eva is displeased with it.

So it got me to thinking about unusually large things, which, by the way, I don't recommend you google.

First, I was confused by the following statement: "Worlds Largest Collection of the Worlds Smallest Versions of the Worlds Largest Things Traveling Roadside Attraction and Museum." I still don't know what that means.

I finally found a list of where the world's largest items can be found. For instance, the world's largest pecan is in Brunswick MO and looks very fake to me. But I don't have that much experience validating large pecans. I scrolled down to the world's largest talking cow and I realized these were all fakes. . . But the largest fakes.

Well, honestly, who needs that?

So I moved on. The world's largest catsup bottle...now there, that's something useful. Moving on... the world's largest appendix. Now we're talkin'. Now I'm interested. It belonged to one Safranco August from Croatia, which makes sense really, but get this.... he's dead. His claim to fame was discovered after he died.

Bummer.

My attention here began to wander because suddenly I was glancing at the Loudest Burper category and I know Marj has to be near the top in this one, but then I glanced down the list to "Furthest Eyeball Popper." Now I know I'm going off topic here, chasing a rabbit, but please.... furthest eyeball popper?? Furthest?? First of all, is that a word? And secondly, most disturbing, you mean there's more than one person who can pop their eyeball out? So many people, in fact, that we have to award one the furthest in order to make them stand out from the crowd?

My thirst for knowledge came to an abrupt halt when I next saw this category: Longest Ear Hair. I know. I know. I KNOW. I shouldn't have looked. But you know what it's like with the internet!!! Just one little innocent click and something you shouldn't see just pops right up and you try to click the x to close it, but then you just wonder, what else is out there??? so you click on the next button....... it's an illness. Somebody.... stop me!

Mr. & Mrs. Joey Black

Victoria Nicole Tyler

and

Joseph Allen Black

March 22, 2008

It's Friday...but Sunday's a-comin' !!

Mark 15: 33,34: “And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

The title above is the title of a sermon by Dr. W. Jack Hudson http://www.wjackhudson.net/ at Northside Baptist Church in Charlotte, NC, April 22, 1984. I heard it live and have heard it repeatedly by tape since then.
The Friday Christ died was bleak, dark, and humanly hopeless. Hearts were downcast and burdened. Max Lucado describes it this way: “death seemed final; life seemed futile.” The gist of the message is that we feel this way often. During these bleak moments in our lives, we must remember that “Sunday’s a Comin’!!” I can hear Dr. Hudson yell that out of the pulpit, oh how it excited him! “Sunday’s A-Comin!!!!” Hang in there! Life is NOT futile and death most certainly is NOT final.
The ultimate "Sunday" will be when Christ returns. That’s the ultimate hope we cling to, that's what we know is "a-comin'." As my Pastor reminded us Wednesday, this earth groans in pain in right now. We have an expectant pain, but we know that the day’s coming when all will be well.
If you are experiencing a dark moment in life, let me remind you, and I wish you could hear Dr. Hudson’s voice on this: “its Friday…. but Sunday’s a-comin’!!”

Guitar Hero Granny

Ohhhkaaay. So the challenge was to scrap a page with the theme of "Feelin' Groovy." I dug out old groovy pictures of my mom since I am way too young to have ever been groovy and I assembled mom left to right across the page.

Very nice.

Then I came across the most recent pic of my mother who is also a great-grandmother now and it shows her playing guitar hero. Hogging it, actually.

That's one groovy great gran!

Float Her Basket Over the Sea

“maybe I push when I'm meant to be still. maybe I take it all too personal. Jesus, how to reconcile - the joyful noise, the ancient land, the tug from some invisible hand, the dying mother weaving bulrushes along the Nile . . .
. . . float her basket over the sea, here on a barren shore, we'll be waiting for . . a tailwind to bring us your sweet cry, don't you worry, child, I wrote you a lullaby. . .”
(Newsboy’s “The Orphan”)

Just like Moses’ mom in the ancient days had to watch her baby float over the sea, there is a sweet mama, daddy and big sister who had to let their baby float away today. Sweet little McKenna Joy left this world of pain and so much love this morning.

McKenna was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy back in November. She wasn’t given long to live. Her family, grandparents and friends have been loving her every precious minute since then. McKenna was like a grandchild to my best friend, Rene’. You're in my heart, Rene'.

In our humanness, it is impossible to understand God’s ways. I don’t think Moses’ mother could understand what was going on with her precious baby. I don’t know how she let him go. Technically, I know God’s grace and mercy is how she did it, but I also know there was plain old obedience in there, too, and that requires self discipline, heartache, intense faith. I know this is exactly how McKenna’s family and friends will let her go. This is how they’ve managed through the last 5 months. But likewise, in their humanness, this has to be absolutely unfathomable. Pray for this family and all the families today who have grief on their doorstep.

Back to the lyrics. . . “we’ll be waiting for a tailwind to bring us your sweet cry…” I never heard McKenna’s sweet cry, but I’m waiting for that tailwind to bring us together someday.

So Many Choices . . .

. . . what's a girl to do??

The Boston Chronicles

This post is to sum up the rest of our Boston trip. Here's Patti and Eva switching trains in downtown Boston.....

Later in our week, we toured the UConn school of law. The UConn campus is absolutely beautiful. The buildings all look like castles. Of course, you can see that Eva still preoccupies my line of vision even amidst the architectural wonders. . .

And here, what's this? ... a Jackie O. sighting??? No, silly, it's just me.... freezing my tail off in downtown Boston while we walked block after block after block looking for a decent restaurant.


Eva and I did not attend many of the school tours. We usually found a playground or took a nap; however, at Quinnipiac in Connecticut, we decided to follow "mama" on her school tour. Shown below is Eva deciding that she is ready to start her law school education. See, she can sit still.
Here's a shot of Eva with an icicle at Boston Commons. She played in the leftover snowbanks there and then grabbed an icicle to go. We left the icicle outside Cheers when we went in to eat. When we came back out, the icicle was gone or melted. She was very upset.

And now..... Grampsy's turn to babysit . . . walking across the Commons, going towards the Beacon Hill area.
Don't they look like Bostonians already!!???? And . . . if you could see me now.... don't I look like a forlorn mama already???? The closer they get to Boston, the closer I get to... insanity...
And, finally, here we are at the North Shore -- Beverly, Mass. Looks like it's all over now but the thinkin'. Patti now has to simply make up her mind where she' d like to get her degree from. We have toured all over New England and she seems to like the northern states.

Fly away little birdie of mine.... fly away......

Letting Go

Is it possible she's a college grad heading off to law school? I remember 17 years ago thinking,

"I can't possibly let her climb on a bus and go off to school without me. How is a mother supposed to do that?!"

Just a few years ago as she climbed into her blue minivan,

"How can I just let her drive away without me? What if........"

And now?

"How can I let her move to Boston without me? How is a mother supposed to do that?"

I know it's good. It's right. It's healthy.

I know I should be proud, and I am.

But how am I supposed to let her go?

Look at her. You see a 22 year old beautiful, successful, brilliant, socially conscious future advocacy lawyer interested in international human rights or stopping domestic abuse, raising a daughter of her own, teaching a Sunday School class.....

I see my baby. And once again, I have to watch her get on a bus and go..... without me.

I'm so very proud.... but... how do I do it?

Boston: Fire & Ice

Fire & Ice is a restaurant in Boston located a few blocks off the Commons. We stumbled upon it Sunday afternoon after walking many, many, many, many blocks looking for someplace to eat. They were having their Sunday Brunch and a local TV crew was there doing footage for a foodtv special. What is it with me and tv crews in Boston? I was there in 04 and got on the Chris Matthews show, actually had a conversation with Chris on live tv.

So here we are, 4 years later, getting in some background shots at the Fire & Ice. To the left, you see Patti's pancake. She sure looks surprised at how big it is. Wuttapancake.

At this restaurant, the buffet tables feature raw foods -- meat, vegies, pasta, fruit, granola, tons of sauces, etc. You fill your bowl with whatever you want and take it to the guys at the huge round grill located in the middle of the restaurant. They toss everything on the grill and cook it for you while you watch.

To the right you see a woman

throwing her cheese on her burger.

The cheese is mid-air between the two chefs.

(It narrowly missed her burger.)

Here is Tom S. with his pancake. He looks more

resigned than happy, doncha think?

Boston: Jamaican Me Worship

“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.” - I Peter 1:22

After a frenzied, crazy train ride and a freezing walk covering several blocks of remodeled 1940’s homes, we found ourselves enveloped in the I Peter 1:22 kind of love at the River of Life Church in the Jamaica Plain area of Boston where Tom S. might have been the oldest person in the building. http://www.rolcboston.org/. This church is incredibly vibrant, energetic, dynamic. We were instantly welcomed, fussed over and passed around like Aunt Shirl’s homemade fudge, everybody wanting to talk to us, befriend us, and help us out.

When the pastor spoke, he informed the congregation that missionary friends of theirs were weary and feeling beaten down, wanting to come home, and that perhaps the church should send someone out to help them, but it has to be the right person who can be a help and not a hindrance. He spoke of “Kindred Care” and read verses from Phil. 2:19-30, how Paul sent Timothy out. He said we Christians are brothers and sisters, a household, maybe a “sort of dysfunctional family under the care of a loving, strong father.” It made me homesick for my home church, FBC.

Pastor Griffith (ironic, eh, maybe a little subconscious action there in our choice of pastor to visit??)… anyway… Pastor TOM Griffith reminded us how “we are encouraged when we hear good news and when we hear each other doing well. We are saddened when we hear bad news. We are “of” each other. The whole Bible is this idea of us being partners with each other and with God as obedient children and as Ambassadors who represent Him and His values.”

Isn’t it neat how we traveled so many miles away and still found loving brothers and sisters ready to meet our needs even though we’ve never before met?! Complete strangers are eager to help Patti in many different ways if she decides to move up there. Complete strangers…. And yet…. Family. And doesn’t it give you warm fuzzies to know that we would act the exact same way to someone who came timidly into our community? We’ve done it. I’ve seen it. I’ve experienced it. I once was new to this community, too, and this church reached out to me and loved me…. And, well, couldn’t get rid of me. -- It’s so good to be home. --

Boston or Bust

"Mama, I see Heaven over there!"

We landed in a blizzard in Cincinatti, it was so cool to see the ground covered in snow. We even exited the plane outside and walked through the snow to the airport. Very cool.

It's been raining steadily since we arrived in Boston. We went to Harvard Square for lunch and to the Curious George shop. Patti and Eva decided to rest and dry out while Tom and I walked part of the Freedom Trail in the downpour. We carried this loooooong loaf of Italian bread all around with us and shared it with Patti back at our place. Yum... bread and butter for dinner.

Looking forward to visiting two churches tomorrow and hopefully traveling in the sunshine.

We can eat anywhere in Boston and we eat at. . .
Boston's Kwik Karry??

Celebrating our 23rd year of wedded bliss. Espresso and whipped cream puff in the Italian North End.

I'm a Little Kid at a Three-Ring Circus

I was awakened this morning, once again, by Toby Mac. Not in person, of course, that would be a problem, but in my head -- his voice, his lyrics; he plays with words like he’s having so much fun, but the message is profound. When I’m struggling with something, it’s a Toby Mac lyric that redirects me.

This morning “Lose My Soul” was bouncing around my head. “I don’t want to gain the whole world and lose my soul…. Father God, I am clay in your hands. Help me to stay that way through all life’s demands, ‘cause they chip and they nag and they pull at me. And every little thing I make up my mind to be.”

Something was chipping and nagging at me, leaving me tossing and turning at night. I have to let it go. Repeat and fade -- “Father God I am clay in your hands……”

Another Toby Mac song intrudes, “The dream is fading, now I'm staring at the door. I know it's over cause my feet have hit the cold floor. Check my reflection, I ain't feelin what I see. It's no mystery. Whatever happened to a passion I could live for? What became of the flame that made me feel more? And when did i forget ...
...I was made to love You. I was made to find You. I was made just for You, Made to adore You….I was made to love And be loved by You. You were here before me, You were waiting on me, And you said you'd keep me, Never would you leave me, I was made to love and be loved by You..”

Wow.

Here are a couple of phrases from his songs that bounce around my head a lot:

“I'm reachin out, reachin up, reachin over. I feel a breeze cover me called Jehovah…”

“Woke up this morning, I didn't know what to do. . .There was people all around me tellin' me to sing the blues. Said 'I Ain't seen no happy since 1992', Then they turned to me, thinking I'd agree and I offered this humble view, and I said . . . Love in the house and the house is packed…so much soul we left the backdoor cracked...”

When love is in the house, the house is packed. What an amazing concept, simple, but often ignored...... maybe just neglected .

And my final random lyric... “….I’m a little kid at a three-ring circus…” Aren’t there some days that perfectly describes your awe with God and His creation??!

I don't know which of these concepts you need today; I need all. Think about them all. Think about the theology laced throughout. Guess it's kind of a hip-hop version of the gospel. And who don't need that?

..... the original "lyrics"....in the words of Jesus Christ:

"For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works." Matthew 16:25-27

PS - I think Toby Mac is Keith Green reincarnated. Remember how Keith Green would saturate his songs with in-your-face theology, padded with love?

Yesterday's News

The kitchen floor is so yesterday. Too busy today to pay much attention to it. I can report, however, that it has survived the facial. I think some of the shine is gone, it has a waxy look, but maybe repeated moppings will get rid of that.

I hope to write something more encouraging later on, but for now, off to pay the piper.

I'm Watching My Kitchen Floor

...to see what's going to happen to it. I mopped it with grill cleaner fluid, totally by accident, but once I started, I thought, "Hmph. Might be good stuff." Hey - if it can clean the gunk off the grill, imagine what it can do for a kitchen floor. And then I started imagining.... exactly what it could do to a kitchen floor. Now I'm nervous. So I'm just watching and waiting. If the whole thing gets eaten alive, I wouldn't be surprised.

Oh - you're probably wondering - I was cleaning the laundry closet and found the grill cleaner from a hundred years ago and decided to finally throw it away. I threw it in the trash bag, set the bag on the kitchen floor, came back later and found something leaking from the bag all over the floor. I began to mop it up and realized it smelled good, smelled like windex. So I spread it around and mopped while I was at it.

- tune in tomorrow -

When love is in the house, the house is packed

Can I go on about the voice a little more and then never mention it again?

The voice has come back, but it is not my voice. This voice is exotic, husky…smoky.. sultry. I feel like a new me – a temporary, different me. I slink around singing jazz, “feelin’ mellow like a cello…”, I resist the urge to toss over my shoulder “hi there, big fella” as I walk out the grocery store door. I feel like I should have slept in until 2 p.m. and have friends named Sunshine, Teddi or Zeno. I should have black seamed panty hose drying on my shower curtain rod.

Alas. I must be who God created me to be and not who I sound like I should be. Wouldn’t it be fun to decide each day, upon waking, who you want to be – just like deciding what to wear each day! “Okay, I’ll take the black socks today…and hmmm.. how about I’ll be Al Gore today and rescind the water saving legislation I introduced that rendered all toilets worthless….” As I think over this, I think of several people I’d like to be on any given day.

I’d like to be one of the angels with God the day He told Abraham Sara would soon be pregnant. What I’d give to hear Sara’s laughter! I’d like to be Mark Twain just for one day, careening down the Mighty Mississip, hair flying all askew. I’d like a day to be Ansel Adams with developing ink all over my hands or Lewis or Clarke exploring America, paddling through who knows what to come upon an awesome view in the middle of Oregon. I’d slap his hand and say, “Most triumphant, dude!"

I’d like to be anyone in Greece hanging out with Plato and Socrates when Athens was the envy of the world. I’d be calling Spartans “militaristic barbarians” or the Corinthians “immoral drunkards!” and slamming my fist on a marble column.

I’d like to be the first person to stumble across Hanauma Bay or the Grand Canyon and just keep that little secret to myself for awhile. I’d like to be Mustafa Kemal’s sister in Turkey around 1920 – who wouldn’t want to be a Young Turk for a day??

Speaking of 1920, I’d like to be the first woman to vote! I’d like to be the Apostle Paul preaching his “Unknown Gods” sermon on Mars Hill with a loose leather strap flapping on my sandal, wishing I had a little piece of duct tape. And just one day, maybe next Friday, I’d like to be Ruth Bell Graham hanging out with Patricia Cornwell enjoying tea and stimulating conversation. I’d tuck my loose strand of hair into my head scarf, grab her hand and say, “Let’s sit out on the terrace overlooking the North Carolina mountains. Billy, be a darling and bring us some ice for this tea.”

I want to be a lot of people but just for one day. Most days, I'm happy to be me, the me God created me to be. The Psalmist sang out to God, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful.” Psalm 139:13. Romans 12:5-8 tells us we are all different and are created for different purposes. We all have our strengths and weaknesses and God wants us to work together for His glory. I gotta be me; you gotta be you. God loves each and every one of us just as we are and we need to model that love towards each other. Think of another person you cross paths with and lovingly take notice of how they reflect God’s glory.

In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb

Is it March that comes in like a lion and out like a lamb? I know that statement is referring to the weather, which is usually accurate, but today I feel like it is referring to my life. My workload is definitely coming in like a lion this month. Guess that's because I took too much time off in February. Hopefully . . . if I work like a lion now, I can rest like a lamb at the end of the month.

- One can always hope.

Magic Spuds

I took Eva around the property the other day and showed her all the new buds. We discussed Spring and how flowers are made, we felt all the buds to see how they were different and we smelled a few flowers that blossomed early. She was really getting into it.

Eva's mother came out the front door and Eva ran up to her and said, "Mama! Come see the magic spuds!!"

You know it's goin' in the scrapbook!

The Voice of One Crying . . .

Okay, Okay, I’m a blogger. . . by default. I woke up this morning missing something very crucial to the success of my day. I have no voice. No voice!

I stumbled into the kitchen, steered myself towards the coffee, angled myself out of Tom’s line of vision so he wouldn’t ooze his happy hyper “the world is yours for the taking” morning self on me, but he saw me and cheerfully bubbled something uplifting. I opened my mouth and said “accccghkk.” He gave me his look that says, “You are such a pessimist!!” and asked me how I was feeling. Again, I said, “accccghkk!!” Nothing would come out, I had no voice. How am I supposed to wake Tommy up if I can’t yell up the stairs??

Three cups of coffee later, I still have no voice. I’m finding it very relaxing, it has sort of an introspective feel to it, or philosophical. Like everybody’s gonna line up today to see what I write on my scratch pad as I try to impart my wisdom. Then I remembered: The Blog. That’s the ticket. Today’s blog is yesterday’s scratch pad. So here I am. Hopefully, all my blogs won’t be about me. Probably some will be about Eva. And I’ll try to get some verses in there along the way to give you something of substance that will get you through the day.

I might as well start with my signature verse, Isaiah 50:4. I found this verse back in the day when everyone was walking around saying, “Word Up?” I would always think (and never say because I hate to talk and didn’t have a blog back then), “Word Up, honey, let me tell you about Word Up. Word Up’s the holy Word of God that sustains the weary, frees the oppressed, makes you wanna start your day like Tom S with a smile and a kick in your step and makes you wanna bend down and lend a hand to the one who is weary and hurting." Go ahead and do it today – lend a hand to someone who needs it. Share the Word.

Isaiah 50:4 - “The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.”