Over and Over Again...

I went to TLC’s casa Monday. First, I met My Precious Friend, Mackie, for lunch at our favourite place in Frisco. (She, by the way, should have been a therapist. She is the BEST listener and has the most amazing insights and suggestions...) I think we were in Frisco! Might be Plano. I never actually know where I am when in that area…Sheesh. Fortunately, it doesn't actually matter, right? Right.

Anyway, got to TLC’s around 3:00ish. TLC made the BEST dinner and we had a nice evening.

Tuesday morn, all four of us—TLC, Little Leighton (LL aka Biscuit), Baby Elle and I—went to The Little Gals' pediatrician’s office, bright and early, for checkups. LL’s 4-year and Baby Elle’s 4-month. (I suggested TLC make said future appointments a teensy bit later. It was touch and go whether or not we'd make it on time. We did. By a minute.) Many shots were involved. It wasn’t fun.

The day went downhill from there. Wednesday went even farther down said hill. To the very bottom of a deep, deep pit. I won’t go into details. Suffice it to say that when I left yesterday afternoon around 3:00ish, we were all in tears. ALL. FOUR. OF. US. Not a pretty sight. Not a good feeling.

Biscuit and Baby Elle both slept, however, many hours last night. They were beyond exhaustion. A total of 24 between the two of them! That helped them. Mucho. TLC? Moi? Well, we got some sleep and our attitudes were slightly better today. (Our attitudes could ONLY go up…trust me!)

I keep cute little notebooks full of sayings I see on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. I thought this little ditty was perfect for the past four days:

Motherhood…

is a choice you make everyday

to put someone else’s happiness and

  well-being ahead of your own…

to teach the hard lessons…to do the

right thing…even when you’re not sure

  what the right thing is…

and to forgive yourself

  over and over again

for doing everything wrong.

I wish I knew who to give credit to for these awesome words and thoughts. Sadly, it didn’t show the author. It is true. Very. VERY. True.

I hope My Three Gals can/will forgive me for everything I did and said wrong on Tuesday and Wednesday. I love them—with all of my heart and all of my soul.

It’s Friday Eve!!! THANK YOU, LORD GOD. Tomorrow afternoon I drive South to Georgetown for a “Mini College Reunion and Slumber Party” with seven FANTASTIC Friends and WONDERFUL Women. All of us in our 60s. TeeHEEhee. I’ll try to recap our adventures for you next week!

In the meantime…forgive yourself. Over and over again.

smooches and hugs...

Sunday Breakfast Bible Study

I’ve shared with Y’all that My Sweet Hubby (MSH) is reading The Bible. From cover to cover. He never had done this before. Not where he read it from beginning to end. He started on January 1^st and is making great progress. The Bible he’s reading has explanations/interpretations to each chapter. So it’s taking him some time. He’s still in the Old Testament. He’s found it fascinating. Inspiring. Confusing. Amazing. Shocking. Encouraging. Difficult. Important. He tells me, often, he’s feeling a peace he’s never really had before. Wow. That makes me incredibly happy. (And I need some of that peace—for sure. Today.)

Yesterday morning, as we headed East to celebrate Little Leighton’s (LL aka Biscuit) birthday, I told MSH I follow Anne Graham Lotz on Twitter. She’d posted a tweet that said: Pray like Daniel. I asked him what he thought she meant. Since he’s two books away from Daniel, he said he’d research it for me this morning. He reads every day around 5:30 a.m. For about an hour. He makes me proud.

So, bright and early today, we had Bible Study while eating breakfast. (This is a picture of his plate. Yes. It’s an egg. On scrambled eggs.

The fried egg is a pheasant egg. MSH gets pheasant and quail eggs from Kit—our dear, special friend that is our family hair stylist. She has been for thirty years. She and her Hubby have a marvelous garden and many kinds of birds that lay eggs. She shares their bounty with us and others at her shop. We're all quite lucky. I can’t, though, bring myself to even try a pheasant egg. I can’t explain why. I’ve stated many times to Y’all I am NOT NOT NOT an adventurous eater. I don’t like to be brave and eat things that don’t sound appetizing to me. Pheasant eggs are certainly pretty and cute—I simply don’t want one. MSH, ontheotherhand, will try anything. Anywhere. Any time. Although I do admire this courage, I’ve no intentions of acting outside of the rather-strict-and smallish range of my normal eating/dining preferences. Period. End of story.)

By The Way: I did cook those scrambled eggs. I don’t have a large repertoire of food I cook or prepare, but I have some things I am EXCELLENT at cooking. Scrambled eggs are one of my go-to meals that everyone compliments. It’s kind of embarrassing. I accept graciously, however, all compliments of anything I fix. Simple though most of it is. (I think the key to my prep of scrambled eggs is the fact that I stand and stir them constantly in the frying pan. I do NOT like crunchy eggs. Not even a tiny bit of crunch. I do understand most people don’t have time to do this. Or even want to. It’s my egg thing. What can I say?)

While we ate, MSH told me he’d looked ahead at Daniel. Bible Study commenced. I LOVE to hear his thoughts. I’m truly serious. I’ll now try to sum up his Breakfast Lecture:

Daniel prayed every day. Every day. At a time when the King did not want anyone to pray to God at all—much less every day. When someone told the King Daniel was doing this, the King sent people to spy on Daniel. (He now, at this point, compared the King’s spies to peeps in the leadership of a Home Owner’s Association. HOA. I’m not kidding. I can't make this stuff up.)

MSH: You know—HOA authorities drive around looking for violations of their “rules.” And they give warnings. Then the person breaking the rules is told they’re out of warnings. Daniel was warned. But he, of course, didn’t care. He kept praying. Every day. He was thrown to the lions by the King. Daniel didn’t seem to have even been worried about this—as he had faith that God was going to take care of him. If, in fact, he lost his life to the lions, then that was what God decided had to be his destiny. Of course, Daniel was saved. I think when Anne Lotz says “Pray like Daniel,” she clearly means pray every day. Faithfully. Every day. Don’t ever stop. Don’t let anyone stop you. Believe that God will take care of you.

Of course, I've known the story of Daniel in the Lions' Den since I was a teensy tot. We all know it, right? But I loved MSH's version. He is interesting. Kind. Determined. Loyal. Faithful. And funny. The man is F.U.N.N.Y. (Even though he doesn’t intend to be.)

Hope Y’all are having a Sweet Sunday—wherever in the World you are! Have a Wonderful Week, too!

(Read the Bible. Think. Pray. Discuss. Encourage. Pray some more. For this World. It’s in a big, BIG mess, Y'all. Makes me cry. Too often now.)

p.s.: I could have heard some of this wrong. It was now five hours ago. And I don't have a photographic memory. Forgive me (and MSH) if any of this is not completely accurate. Some of you Bible experts may think we're both a bit off. MSH is still studying/learning. I'm just the lucky person who is honored to listen to his Bible stories and his thoughts and theories.

different is okay...

My sister-in-law's brother's girlfriend took this wonderful picture of Little Leighton over the weekend. I love it! We were celebrating our sweet niece's first birthday. We made our own ice cream--it was gluten-free and delicious! (My SIL had checked on all of this for us ahead of time. The employees there were great and knowledgable!) Behind her in the photo, you can see a little lunchbox. This is LL's. It travels to all parties with us. LL, though she may not fully understand, will tell you she has Celiac Disease. She asks me, rather frequently, if this or that is gluten-free--right down to the hand soap we use (yes--it can even be in soap). She knows she's different, though we work hard to make sure that doesn't translate negatively. Different is okay. We just don't want that to make her feel lonely. LL has been poked and prodded more in her short little life than I have in my 32 years. She turns four very soon--too soon. On an Instagram post I made a few days ago, I mentioned my emotions regarding this quickly approaching birthday were equal parts disbelief--in how quickly the time has gone--and pride--in what a brave, strong little lady she is. Motherhood is bittersweet. Though I wish she could stay here--in this moment--a bit longer, I'm learning change is one of God's greatest gifts. Little Leighton, and her sister, Baby Elle, will always be my very best gifts. God is good. God's grace is amazing.

Resolve...

O God of love, give me a fresh experience of Your love today. Help me to think about how much You love me with unqualified acceptance and forgiveness. May the tone and tenor of my words to the people in my life be an expression of Your love. You have called me to love as You have loved me. Help me to love those with whom I find it difficult to bear and those who find it a challenge to bear with me.

Show me practical ways to express love in creative ways. May I lift burdens rather than become one; may I add to people’s strength rather than being a source of stress. Place on my agenda the particular people to whom You have called me to communicate Your love. And give me that resolve of which great days are made:

If no one else does, Lord, I will!

Place in my mind loving thoughts and feelings for the people in my life. Show me caring things I can do to enact what’s in my heart. Direct specific acts of caring You have motivated in my heart. Don’t let me forget, Lord. Give me the will to act, to say what I feel.

Through Him who is Your amazing Grace. Amen.

From: Praying Through the Tough Times. By Lloyd John Ogilvie.

I needed this prayer today. (Actually, it’s probably one I could pray every day.)

I hope each of you are happy, healthy and experiencing PEACE on this beautiful Sunday—Wherever in the World you are!