Take The Shower

Recently, I learned an important lesson.

A lesson about showers.

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The day that you think you have all the breathing room in the world?  You know, the one where you don’t need to get dressed in anything other than fuzzy slippers and cruddy shorts; and you certainly don’t need to put on make-up? That wildly free day that no child has to be anywhere and you are scheduled for no exercise and no errands, and so, really, why shower?

Take the shower!

And, for the love of everyone’s eyeballs, at least don’t wear the shorts with the broken zipper and too-short-t-shirt to see one of your dearest friends. No, please don’t!

You know why?

Here’s why.

Your car might start acting up on the way there.  Acting up much like a bucking bronco would when you tried to harness it for the first time.

Then, just when you decide that you might be able to make it across the finish line of your dear friend’s doorstep after all, to call the car doctor, the babysitter might call to cancel. For your date night. You know, the one that you missed last month because the kids were sick. And better still, the car doctor will tell you that acting up of this sort is going to require an overnight stay at the auto hospital.

You will realize, quickly, that you should have taken the shower.

Or, at least done a bit of plucking.

And possibly even brushed your teeth for longer than 6 seconds.

And put on shorts that didn’t have a broken zipper.

(I kept meaning to get that zipper fixed, and… well-played Captain Procrastination!)

Then, THEN, when you pull into the car doctor’s parking lot, you won’t suddenly develop an overwhelming sense of Procrastinator’s Regret as you step out of the car and catch sight of those 3 stray hairs that did. not. get. plucked.  Or, of the zipper that is perpetually down and the t-shirt that is simply too short to be able to hide it.  Or the fact that your legs aren’t shaved and your toenails could also have stood some grooming.

But no. Not now.

Now, I was staring into the eyes of the car doctor’s receptionist, silently willing her to LOOK IN MY EYES WOMAN, and not at the stray hairs sprouting from my chin! And please, for the love of dollars that are scarce, tell me there will only be two zeros after that final number at the bottom of the bill when we return to discharge the automotive patient tomorrow!

No. Now, I was spending the next 30 minutes calling around, frantically looking for another babysitter that Sweetboy felt comfortable enough to leave him with. 

Which, was a feat not accomplished on 7 hours notice. SHOCKER!

Now, I was worn out, frazzled, and fried.

WITH chin hairs, leg hair, and toes au-naturel`.

There is good news, though.

By day’s end, I had taken that shower, shaved those legs, plucked those unruly suckers, AND painted my toenails.

More importantly though, the car made it out of surgery.

Alive.

Me?

Barely.

But next time, I’ll take the shower.

Yes indeedy.

A Little Summer Reading and a Giveaway

Books…I love me some books.  And I’m talking about the real, honest to goodness, Paper And Binding kind. I love to smell those books, fan the pages of those books, and feel the heft of those books as I use them to swat the back-end of a hornet.  Can an i Pad, Kindle, or Nook do that?  I. Think. Not.

We love books so much around here, that we have five full bookcases, in the basement, housing books we’ve read and loved so long that we just can’t bear to part with them.  Oh, yes indeedy! And I’m not even counting the bookcase exploding with books from my elementary teaching days or the books my children have outgrown. I do believe I might have just nominated myself for an intervention.

Now, Sweetman counts textbooks among some of his favorites down in the Basement Library (as we affectionately call it), but he’s crazy like that.  I mean, we’re talking about a man who is reading “The Resurrection of Jesus: A New Historiographical Approach” by Michael R. Licona.  For fun.  FOR THE LOVE, people!

Below is a “small” stack of books that I hope to get through by summer’s end.  One of these books I’m rereading for inspiration and information.  The rest are all new to me. (And this doesn’t even include “What Happens When Women Say Yes to God” by Lysa TerKeurst, the next Online Bible Study I’ll be participating in  over at Proverbs 31 Ministries!)

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To celebrate the fact that summer is really and truly almost here (the kids only have school for three more days. LORD BE NEAR!), I’m doing my very first giveaway.  All you have to do is leave a comment below with the book you are most looking forward to reading over the summer.  The rest is up to the random picker thingy at random.org.  Easy peasy!  (I’ll close out the giveaway on Friday, June 21st at 6:00 p.m Eastern Standard Time.)

If you’re the lucky commenter, you’ll be sent a copy of “Sparkly Green Earrings” by Melanie Shankle and, “A Little Salty To Cut the Sweet” by Sophie Hudson.  Both of these books are delightful and poignant summer reads – or anytime reads, really. These two first-time authors are also two very funny bloggers, Big Mama and Boomama, respectively.

Sparkly Green Earrings A Little Salty To Cut The Sweet

So, tell me, whatcha’ reading???

Get to sharin’!

Captain Ahab, I Love You

Ahab and I have always had a tender and precious father-daughter relationship.  It hasn’t always been roses, of course. Just ask him about the terribly hurtful stage I went through when it didn’t feel “comfortable” to hug and kiss him anymore.  (That lovely age of 13 – it should be banned.) 

I now see the redemptive power hindsight has, though.  Looking back on the behaviors of my parents, through the lens of adulthood, provides a new understanding of All The Rules.

Clarity is an irony.  It’s only in looking backward that I understand more clearly the path I want to forge with my own family, moving forward.

That path, in large part, is because of the one forged by Ahab for his own family.

He may be a Fishing Guru, but what he really excels at is this:

 “Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves…”

Romans 12:3 (NLT)

He may have been rough around the edges, but, with Ahab?  What you see is most definitely what you get.  (Nana – stop that sighing. Right now!) I learned to take myself, and the things of this world, a little less seriously from him.  (Unless, of course, we’re talking about the battle plan for the two Sport Lobster Days in the Keys each July. Then?  Then, it’s Get Your Game Face On!)

Ahab taught me how to laugh in the face of danger (“That shark over there? He isn’t interested in you.”), how to go after something you want with determination somethin’ fierce (“Well, get after it! And don’t quit until it’s done!”), how to find the joy in simplicity (“Aw, that’s nothin’ but a thing.”), how loyalty should mean something (“We take care of our own!”),  and how laughter can bring some much needed levity to A Situation (“Hair on your upper lip you say?  Well then, we’ll just call you Harry and the Hendersons from now on.”)

And he taught me love.

“Aw, you’re just sayin’ that cuz it’s true.”  Indeed I am!

I love you Captain Ahab.  Happy Father’s Day!

He always can make me laugh.

He always can make me laugh.

Do you have some fond memories of your father, step-father, uncle, or grandfather?  Please, share! And spread a memory or two.  I love hearing other people’s stories!

 

A Social Story About Shorts

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Shorts. We’re talking about shorts.  The kind you wear.

I’m over at (in)courage today in my (in)Able and (included) community, writing a social story about shorts.  And a deep need for something bigger than All The Patience to lean on when the learning curve is steep.

Join me over there, won’t you?  Just click the button below and you’ll be whisked away.  See you there!

InCourage Is My superpower

Yes indeedy!

 

Bound Up

Wouldn’t it be something if we didn’t act in ways that forced us to seek grace?

I think about that, in my quieter moments.

Because, if you’ve been around here for any length of time, you can imagine how often, mercy, I must seek grace.

Not being one with a tendency toward quiet and gentle, I have to work overly hard to cease All The Talking and All The Busy.  I have to work harder, still, to quiet my thoughts and my mouth enough to hear those Petal Soft Whispers meant for my ears alone.

I fail at this – this getting quiet.  Again. And again.

But, for every mishap, there is grace.  And for each grace extended, my hands reach out a little more thankfully, and a little more desperately, for it.

My understanding of God’s grace for my mistakes has changed.  I’m becoming more aware of my deep need for it. Always.

I used to think I didn’t need it.  That one little mistake, one little sin,  one little lie or mishap, wasn’t grace-worthy.  But each one was.  Oh, how they were.

And are.

Then, after a while of living life and seeing the many ways I was capable of messing up a day, I began to think that maybe only the bigger mistakes needed the desperate pleas for grace.

Each request was met with a resounding “Yes.  My grace is sufficient for you.”  For this mistake.  For these many.

And now, now, I am in constant need of All The Grace that my God will so mercifully dish out.   I’m more than desperate for it.

I’ve come to realize that I am destitute without it.

Destitute.

Without it.

I truly have come to understand that:

I came into this world needing a Savior.

Many a thing has happened along the way to alter the depth of my need for a Savior.

Chief among those things, is my knack for finding a pit to grovel in.

My need for my Savior grows exponentially.

And while His grace is, indeed, sufficient for me, I still willingly covet it.

Because I am destitute without it.

Furthermore, and truly, furthermore, I am destitute without Him;

My savior.

My Jesus.

My all.

One hundred times one million THANK YOU JESUS’, wouldn’t be enough.  He took this broken heart bleeding with need and bound it up with the very fibers of His being.  Oh, thank you God.  May I never take this healing for granted.  May I never forget how strong my heart is now that it is bound up with You, by You, and for You.

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Yes indeedy.

Weekend Review

Riveting name for a blog post, I know.  Please, try to contain your excitement.

And, if you are still here, Bless Your Heart.

I kicked off the weekend by killing The Largest Fly I have ever had the displeasure of meeting in an area enclosed by walls.  I informed my Facebook friends that I almost felt the need to deliver a eulogy for the dad-gum thing.  I didn’t , of course, because then you’d have bigger concerns than what else I was going to write in my weekend review.  Concerns that centered around thoughts like “Why am I reading this blog again?”.  Followed closely, I can only imagine, by thoughts like “Does her husband realize the extent of The Crazy rattling around in there?”. He does. Oh, how he does.

Anywho…

Things took a decidedly more upbeat turn when Sweetman and I headed out for date night. Finally.

My man and I love Star Trek. Okay, I have to back that train right up.  So, here’s how this really breaks down. Sweetman is a Trekkie.  And my father, Captain Ahab, loved him some Star Trek, too.  I have fond and vivid memories of watching Jim (I really can’t call him James – he’s far too wild for that!) Tiberius Kirk fight for civilizations that knew nothing of the final frontier of space.  I also decided early on that the Tribbles were awfully cute.  But, I digress.

When Sweetman and I were dating, he re-introduced me to the love of all things Star Trek.  I really hope you get where this is going, because I fear I’m going to end up being flagged as one of those wack-a-doodle Star Trek fanatics if I have to continue on with all the ‘splainin.

We went to see the “new” Star Trek movie. And I got to grab that husband of mine’s arm a few times, and practically jump into his lap.  I consider that a WIN for date night, don’t you? Plus, HELLO, popcorn for dinner.  Total. Win.

We also, just so you know how NORMAL we really are, went out for an appetizer and a drink afterwards.  Now, we were pretty deep in the middle of our Discussin’ when the entire restaurant exploded in an uproar of clapping and hootin’ and hollerin’.  It turns out that the Boston Bruins won game four, in the Hockey Playoffs.  We live in the midst of Bruins Country, people. However, we were simply too in love and in the moment to notice the TV screens.

No, no.  Actually, we were deeply in love with the taste of these illegally good “Sirloin Spring Rolls” we were eating.  That’s the way we roll.  I just wanted to keep it real for ya.

Sweetgirl and I rounded out our weekend with something that I unexpectedly enjoyed.

My sweet five-year old was invited to go to a “Fashion Party”. At Claire’s.  In the mall.  On Sunday morning.  For a five-year old.

Y’all.

I’d like to be able to say that I was able to keep up My Indignation until we walked back into the house two hours later.

Alas, I cannot.

Did you know, DID YOU KNOW, that they have leg warmers and shredded foot-less tights and finger-less gloves (way cuter than I remember them from back in the 80′s) there?  And, AND, they had so many different kinds of sunglasses, that at one point, one of the other moms suggested I go ahead and put down my purse and join in the dressing up.  I was this many shades of tempted to do just that.  But, I held my inner Madonna in check and just watched with glee as my daughter tried on about every sparkly necklace that she could get her hands on.  And she picked a mighty fine tutu, purse, and fairy wings to “model”, might I add.

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We returned home with far too many a few hair bows, and an unplanned stuffed animal.

And, just so that we’re all clear, I may not have stepped foot into a Claire’s since 1988, but y’all, I am SO going back.

Oh. Yes. I. Am!

We closed out our riveting weekend by stopping by Starbuck’s drive-thru to get daddy a coffee.  I was trying desperately to text Sweetman to make sure he hadn’t already made his Starbuck’s run.  This is what ensued:

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Happy Monday my sweet friends!

Falling All Over Myself

It’s been an odd assortment of weeks around here.  The word “chaotic” doesn’t quite do them justice.

How-some-evah, I’ve been missing the writing community over at Lisa Jo Baker’s Five Minute Friday Link Up.  And somethin’ fierce.

So it’s time to jump back in and write for five unedited minutes on this week’s topic.  Click the button below to join in or read what others had to say.

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FALL

Go…

I’m reading many books at once.  I like to live dangerously that way.  This week, I read this in one of them- and it knocked the wind right outta my sails.

“We don’t want to fall. We like to see great testimonies of God’s grace, but we don’t want to be the testimony.” *

Out into the great unknown, I am allowing myself to fall.  Even as I type.

My words prove nothing to anyone and everything to me.  I find with each word that I type that I am, indeed, using the passion that’s been brewing inside of me, to affect change.

In myself, definitely.

And, prayerfully, in any one of the friends that are reading.

I want to be the testimony.  Right here.  In black and white, or grey and teal, or whatever other colors are used to type out these words.

The testimony I share can only be shared in bits and pieces, because there are so many.  No single grand event. Only snapshots of a life, that when finally put together into that cohesive scrapbook, tell a story of one redeemed by a grace that never fails.

One bit, one picture, is of this 40 something girl, finally learning to fall freely.  Knowing that wherever I land, whenever I land, God’s got this.

STOP

*One of the books I am currently reading is “Anything” by Jennie Allen.  This book is shaking me up.  Have you read it?  What were some of your greatest takeaways from this book?  What have you actually acted on because of it?  I love me a good book talk, so please, do share!