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Okay, I’m back.
Notice I never said I was gone because it seems we have a theft ring in our little community and it didn’t seem wise to advertise an empty house. And sadly, I no longer have an attack cat. The day after I introduced you to Boo he went missing. I feel responsible since I bragged on his indestructibility. My suspicion is that the neighborhood dogs ate him immediately after they read my blog and took my taunts personally. I will never give my heart to another animal. It’s just too painful. For us both. Or maybe for him slightly more than me but you get what I’m saying.
Speaking of a heart-breaker, would you please look at this darling child aka my second-born, Elijah? He turned 14 over the weekend. Someone please make it stop.
He’s the funniest kid I know and though I’m certain he loves all his siblings, I think he’s a little partial to his big bro. The bro with the ‘fro. (This post has just morphed into a Pigeon Forge pictorial. Stay with me.)
I am tempted to suggest this image is symbolic of teenage angst. Of being at a crossroad. Of looking for direction. Of feeling alone even though surrounded by people. Truth is I snapped his picture just as he was standing in front of this sign and immediately afterward he said, in his best Napoleon Dynamite voice, “Moooommm, PLEASE stop taking pictures of me!” And then he made it his Facebook profile.
This is the first family picture we’ve had since 2009. Sad. Very Sad. The time in between, not the photo. I’m actually quite pleased with it. I’d better be since it will most likely be the last one until some time in 2018.
We went to the mountains with Luke’s Mom, Dad, Sis, BIL and their 2 boys. This is my super adorable nephew, Micah. He eats only from the four major food groups: macaroni, oatmeal, chicken and rice soup, and vanilla ice cream. Yes, that’s about the extent of it. Guess which one he likes best?
And of course, this is Syd. She’s laughing at her Papa and I can not resist that sweet dimple in her cheeks.
Another fabulous nephew, Matthew. He and Sam are 6 months apart in age and have an equal love for all things Georgia Bulldog. They are beast. I’m not sure what that means but they seem very self-confident when they say it.
I found this beautiful phone booth in the village and Sam agreed to pose. Talking on the phone was all his idea. Have I mentioned he is beast? Also, this photo is straight from the camera. I love my camera.
We took all the kids to ride go carts. This is the first time I have ridden since an unfortunate incident a few years back. I was speeding along when I realized that some poor woman’s purse was apparently dumping as she circled. And then I recognized some sunglasses. And lip gloss. And *feminine products*. It was my purse and somehow it had gotten turned sideways beside me in the car. In a state of mortification I stealthily retrieved the glasses and lip gloss whilst leaving the unmentionables unclaimed. I’m blushing all over again.
This time was decidedly more fun. I would post a picture of my driving Sydney but it seems when I am laughing deliriously my double chin turns into 2 double chins. (Which equals 4 double chins?) Remind me never to laugh again.
Sawyer wasn’t worrying about any of that stuff. He has a clear mind and pure heart. I would love to live in his world for just one day.
And there are more but I will stop now before I become obsessed with learning how to PhotoChop my chins. And yes, I am open for tips on exactly how to do that. So far, I have only mastered clicking the “4% thinner” action about 7 times.
It doesn’t work.
So.
I want to first thank those of you who took time to pray for Luke’s Uncle Dave. I am so pleased to tell you that he is improving and is now out of ICU. He still has a long road but at least he’s on his way down it. He and Aunt Faye are very grateful for your concern and ask that we keep it coming!
Also I want to thank you for giving us the opportunity to pray for those life issues that you are facing. Man, life is just stinkin’ hard. I’m a fixer and you have no idea how difficult it is for me when I am up close and personal with someone’s pain and realize there isn’t a thing in the world I can do to make it go away. All I know to do is care – and I do. And pray – which I will continue.
On a lighter note – yes, please – we watched the National Championship game Monday like good Alabamians. (Spell check wants me to be a good Albanian.) I’m not a Tide fan chiefly because my heart belongs to the Georgia Dogs and Coach Mark. Secondly, Satan/Saban cusses too much. However, foul mouth and all, you can’t take away from an awesome performance and the obviously excellent coaching that has led the team to another title. As for the game, I have a couple of things to say about that:
1. Roseanne Barr must have been unavailable for the National Anthem which is the only reason I can fathom they had the opera man from the unknown HBO show sing “And the land of the ah-weeeeeeee….” You really should find it on YouTube if you have no clue. It’s priceless.
2. If I never hear the words “honey badger” again in my life it will be too soon. I would like to re-dub him “Frustrated by the Bama Defense”. And then I would like to correct his hair.
3. It made me very nervous when all those players started passing around the crystal ball which begs the question: Is that one a stunt trophy and the real one is somewhere safe and sound? Inquiring minds want to know.
4. Let’s leave the BCS behind and talk about Tebow a minute. Did you know he passed for 316 yards in the Steeler game? Am I the only one who is thrilled with the allusion to John 3:16 all over the news? God is so cool.
5. Just think of the influence Saban could have if he didn’t cuss so much.
6. Mark Richt is not a cusser.
I’m going to go now because I need to take some time to figure out Pinterest. I just don’t get it, y’all, and the fact you all are so in love makes me know that I’m missing out on something. Do you have any favorite pinners you follow? What do you call Pinterest people anyway? Tips for me?
P.S. I have an important reminder: Contagious Joy is hosting a virtual conference More inJoy this Saturday from 10-12 p.m. CST. Rachel Lovingood (pastor’s wife and co-author of the ministry wife Bible study “In Her Shoes”) and Diane Nix (creator of CJ, author and seminary professor’s wife) will be speaking as well as yours truly. There will also be a panel discussion. Those always prove to be wild and crazy! Worship will be streamed from the band “Counting the Day”. It’s a short couple of hours that we pray will be a great encouragement to women serving alongside their husbands in all forms of ministry. You can register now for only $10.
I think one of the hardest things about blogging – aside from writing regularly which I obviously stink at – is holding sacred those things that just aren’t appropriate to share in a public forum while at the same time not appearing as if I am not deeply grieved and affected by them. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve felt like a fake for writing about something as trivial as the size of my laundry pile when people I love are experiencing the unimaginable and wishing the only thing they had to worry about was there being no clean underwear in the house. This is one of those times except today I’m just going to put it out there. The truth, not the underwear.
You know, I’m not sure we realize what people are requesting when they ask, “Will you pray for _________ ?” I used to think that people believed God would relent and bend to our will if enough individuals asked it of Him. That He would give us what we wanted based on the quantity of the pray-ers. But I’ve changed my mind about that. Not that the first option isn’t viable or biblical because we are invited into the process of God’s deliverances through intercession. But, in addition to this I’ve concluded that when I ask people to pray it isn’t because I believe I need “x” number of people or the Lord will not act. There are some things for which I need prayer that cannot be fixed by anything but time. What I’m really asking is for someone to care. Like mine, I wonder if your “prayer requests” are really ”care requests”?
In addition to the grief upon grief our own family has experienced recently, there are many people I love who are in great despair, who are suffering greatly, and are doing all they can to find sure ground because their earth has been moved from its axis. They are asking for prayer as evidence that someone will give them the second thought that calling out their names to God demands. And as much as I wanted to write some light-hearted follow-up to disinfecting the house after Syd’s bout with the stomach virus, the truth is I’m just too sad and I don’t have the energy to pretend I’m not. Profound concern demands that we push “pause” on the trivial and hit our faces on behalf of those whose battles are anything but. C.S. Lewis said of prayer, “The position of their bodies affects their souls”. Time out, face down prayer marks us. It marks us.
I feel compelled today to provide a forum for “care requests”. You can post anonymously if you wish but the question to answer is: “What thing in my life do I want someone to care about enough to mention it to the God of the Universe?” And if you feel so led, you may reply to those entries where the Lord moves you to respond. Consider this a blog altar call.*slight grin*
I will begin:
Today, I ask that you care about our Uncle Dave who is dearly loved and suffering complications from chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer and heart disease. He is a brilliant, interesting, gentle, lively, energetic Georgia Bulldog fan who loves his family and whose family adores him. It pains us to see him so sick and our great desire is to see him take up his mat and walk out of that hospital. I also ask for three matters that are either private or I have no permission to share but are the source of many, many tears.
