Grace is growing up too fast, much too fast. She is 8 years old and is no longer small enough to sit on my lap. When she tries to sit on my lap, her feet nearly touch the floor. She is growing physically.
Grace is also growing in other ways, and as a mom of three boys first, I find it interesting and exciting to watch Grace grow up and find her place in the family. She definately brings her own special character to our family. She is full of rainbows and unicorns, sugar and spice, and life and love.
She anticipates "girl time" whether with me or my mother. She is either always wanting to do a craft, clean something, cook something, or decorate something. I enjoy that she wants to hang out with me.
I hope to treasure all of these things in my heart so that when she is off setting up a household of her own, I will remember these special days, these precious times with Grace. I love you, sweetheart!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Lessons from a Brownie Scout
I was only in Brownie Scouts for a couple of years, but I learned some good life lessons:
1. Give the best of yourself, and try not to be too disappointed when someone else isn't their best self. They, like you, are a work in progress, and though you think you have it all together, you really aren't in any better shape than the one not giving her best. Remember to be humble. (Lesson from the Christmas Party.)
2. Goal setting is important. You may be prevented from realizing those goals, but by setting those goals and working towards those goals, you have made yourself a better person. So you did the preparation for the race, but you were not allowed to run in the race? So what! You are in better physical shape than you would have been otherwise. Look for the best when you feel you have been dealt the worst. (Lesson from not moving on to girl scouts.)
3. When you make a mistake, own up. When someone has wronged you, speak up. When you hear gossip, shut up. Being honest and true in your communications may not be easy or feel very good sometimes, but those who are watching will remember that you owned up, spoke up, or shut up at the appropriate times. You do not need to parade your character nor worry about what someone else says about your character. You are the best source of your character. If others choose to listen to gossip, they will soon be convinced of your true colors as they observe you. (Lesson from our brownie overnight.)
4. Laugh, have fun, try something new, step outside your box, live a little, enjoy, and keep smiling. Life is short and is not to be governed by "shoulds" and "should nots". Life is too short to dwell on other's judgements of your being high on life. (Lesson from the Halloween Party)
I was only in Brownies a couple of years, but I remember those life lessons well. Funny I was thinking about those years today. Funny that I remember those years so clearly. Funny how those little experiences revealed big lessons.
Hugs and many thanks to my Brownie leaders!!!
1. Give the best of yourself, and try not to be too disappointed when someone else isn't their best self. They, like you, are a work in progress, and though you think you have it all together, you really aren't in any better shape than the one not giving her best. Remember to be humble. (Lesson from the Christmas Party.)
2. Goal setting is important. You may be prevented from realizing those goals, but by setting those goals and working towards those goals, you have made yourself a better person. So you did the preparation for the race, but you were not allowed to run in the race? So what! You are in better physical shape than you would have been otherwise. Look for the best when you feel you have been dealt the worst. (Lesson from not moving on to girl scouts.)
3. When you make a mistake, own up. When someone has wronged you, speak up. When you hear gossip, shut up. Being honest and true in your communications may not be easy or feel very good sometimes, but those who are watching will remember that you owned up, spoke up, or shut up at the appropriate times. You do not need to parade your character nor worry about what someone else says about your character. You are the best source of your character. If others choose to listen to gossip, they will soon be convinced of your true colors as they observe you. (Lesson from our brownie overnight.)
4. Laugh, have fun, try something new, step outside your box, live a little, enjoy, and keep smiling. Life is short and is not to be governed by "shoulds" and "should nots". Life is too short to dwell on other's judgements of your being high on life. (Lesson from the Halloween Party)
I was only in Brownies a couple of years, but I remember those life lessons well. Funny I was thinking about those years today. Funny that I remember those years so clearly. Funny how those little experiences revealed big lessons.
Hugs and many thanks to my Brownie leaders!!!
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Changes
"There have been so many changes in my life. It is a wonder I've not lost my mind."
No truer statement can be made of the last 6 months in my little world. My world went from something familiar, through a huge transition, and now is resting in an unfamiliar, but lovely, place. I can not think of an aspect of my life that hasn't undergone significant change in the last 6 months. Along the way, I have had many life lessons. Some of the lessons have been nice and sweet, but others have sucked the breath right out of my lungs. Through it all, there have been a handful of faithful ones standing near who have weathered the storm with me. Here is a taste of who they are and what they did:
1. No matter what is going on in my world, my children love me. They saw the difficult things going on, the heard and witnessed the wickedness we all saw, and they respected and loved me through it all. We all learned to hold our tongue and let our actions, not our words, bare witness to who we are. Actions speak louder than words, we told the children.
2. My husband watched some really not so nice things go on in my world and hung in there for the wild ride. He encouraged, supported, and helped in many practical ways the last 6 months. There are too many to count. He was an angel, and he loves me.
3. My mother, father, and Aunt Barbara are great support. They silently watched what was going on, and helped in practical ways...dinners, watching children. When I finally gave them a few details, they were extremely supportive and loving. I could not have healed from the scars others inflicted without their help.
4. My dear friends Robert and Debi have been god-sends. My family has embraced both of these friends, who both are currently in major crisis in their own lives, but both have loved and supported me the last 6 months, watching in pain as I was dealing with some not so nice things, and then listening for a while, and finally, rejoicing with me when the storms had passed. I hope I will always be as true to them as they were to me.
I think the worst of the storm is over. There is some clean up, some debris to put out at the curb, some flowers to replant, and some damage to repair. My life will never be the same again, and that's ok. It may even be more than OK. I know it will be wonderful!
No truer statement can be made of the last 6 months in my little world. My world went from something familiar, through a huge transition, and now is resting in an unfamiliar, but lovely, place. I can not think of an aspect of my life that hasn't undergone significant change in the last 6 months. Along the way, I have had many life lessons. Some of the lessons have been nice and sweet, but others have sucked the breath right out of my lungs. Through it all, there have been a handful of faithful ones standing near who have weathered the storm with me. Here is a taste of who they are and what they did:
1. No matter what is going on in my world, my children love me. They saw the difficult things going on, the heard and witnessed the wickedness we all saw, and they respected and loved me through it all. We all learned to hold our tongue and let our actions, not our words, bare witness to who we are. Actions speak louder than words, we told the children.
2. My husband watched some really not so nice things go on in my world and hung in there for the wild ride. He encouraged, supported, and helped in many practical ways the last 6 months. There are too many to count. He was an angel, and he loves me.
3. My mother, father, and Aunt Barbara are great support. They silently watched what was going on, and helped in practical ways...dinners, watching children. When I finally gave them a few details, they were extremely supportive and loving. I could not have healed from the scars others inflicted without their help.
4. My dear friends Robert and Debi have been god-sends. My family has embraced both of these friends, who both are currently in major crisis in their own lives, but both have loved and supported me the last 6 months, watching in pain as I was dealing with some not so nice things, and then listening for a while, and finally, rejoicing with me when the storms had passed. I hope I will always be as true to them as they were to me.
I think the worst of the storm is over. There is some clean up, some debris to put out at the curb, some flowers to replant, and some damage to repair. My life will never be the same again, and that's ok. It may even be more than OK. I know it will be wonderful!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Closure
We just closed out 2008. Simple as that. One minute it is 11:59 PM on December 31, 2008, and two minutes later, it is 12:01 AM on January 1, 2009. Wouldn't it be great if life were that simple?
Closing out relationships with people is more difficult. Whether it is by choice or by circumstances, closure in realtionships can be tricky. We try our best to be careful with the other person, but in the end, someone always gets hurt.
I had to hurt a friend like that this month. I didn't want to do it, but circumstances required that I end a friendship. I feel awful about it. I hope one day, my friend can and will forgive me for ending the friendship. I think the friend will because the friend is that type or person.
Be careful out there with your friendships. They are sweet as honey, but fragile as glass.
Living and Learning,
Beth
Closing out relationships with people is more difficult. Whether it is by choice or by circumstances, closure in realtionships can be tricky. We try our best to be careful with the other person, but in the end, someone always gets hurt.
I had to hurt a friend like that this month. I didn't want to do it, but circumstances required that I end a friendship. I feel awful about it. I hope one day, my friend can and will forgive me for ending the friendship. I think the friend will because the friend is that type or person.
Be careful out there with your friendships. They are sweet as honey, but fragile as glass.
Living and Learning,
Beth
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
O Night Divine
Tonight my family went to Christmas Eve services at my church. It was one of the most emotionally and spiritually moving worship services I have attended in years. As I lifted my voice to join the choirs of angels worshiping the newborn King, I felt Heaven come down and the Christ child dwell in my heart. I have known the Lord for years, and tonight was one of those special nights where HIS presence was palpable.
Listening to the choir and the congregation sing about the Light, Immanuel, the Babe in the manger and the coming of our Savior was a moving experience, but more moving than that were two people I in the congregation. The first was my daughter. Her eyes lit up and her sweet voice sang the praises of our Lord. Charlie, who has a beautiful ear for pitch, sang with her to help her with pitch, but her sweet voice didn't quite make the notes. It didn't matter. She was singing with all her heart and soul to her Creator! Our Creator met Grace where she was in worship, and I know it was pleasing to Him. The second person in the congreation was a Hindu woman. Yes, the Lord brought a Hindu woman to a Christian service. I know it must have seem odd to this woman watching us celebrate the Life. I hope that He reached down and touched her so that she is never the same again.
I love Christmas Eve worship. God is good.
Listening to the choir and the congregation sing about the Light, Immanuel, the Babe in the manger and the coming of our Savior was a moving experience, but more moving than that were two people I in the congregation. The first was my daughter. Her eyes lit up and her sweet voice sang the praises of our Lord. Charlie, who has a beautiful ear for pitch, sang with her to help her with pitch, but her sweet voice didn't quite make the notes. It didn't matter. She was singing with all her heart and soul to her Creator! Our Creator met Grace where she was in worship, and I know it was pleasing to Him. The second person in the congreation was a Hindu woman. Yes, the Lord brought a Hindu woman to a Christian service. I know it must have seem odd to this woman watching us celebrate the Life. I hope that He reached down and touched her so that she is never the same again.
I love Christmas Eve worship. God is good.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
OOOPS, I Did It Again
Those of you who know your Bible, forgive these generalizations. For those of you new to the Word, let me share about a group of people: Israel.
At one point in ancient history, God had enough of the Israelites messing up. They kept making big mistakes (worshipping gods other than Jahovah God, comes to mind) that were not what God desired for them. At one point, God had the the Israelites wondering the desert for years. God kept forgiving each time the Isrealites messed up; He never abandoned them. It took so very many times for the Israelites to learn who their God was and that He was their salvation. He stayed faithful to His people through it all.
So many times I am like the Israelites. I do the same thing over and over, though in my innermost being I KNOW it is not the right thing. Yesterday, I did it AGAIN! I had two glasses of Mountain Dew yesterday. I was up unitl 6 AM or so this morning. You would think I would have all ready learned my lesson. I had told myself that the previous incident *really* didn't happen, but in my innermost being, I knew better. I knew better.
Paul says in Romans 7 "...When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being, I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war agianst the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin."
The Mountain Dew incident is but an insignificant speck on the body of sin I do daily. The only way I know to deal with this sin is to take it to the cross. Jesus is the One who washes spots, big or small, significant or insignificant, ALL of our spots, away! That's the essence of the God News!
On this December 23 Christians all over the world prepare to celebrate the arrival of our Salvation some 2000 years ago in a stable in Bethlehem. How can we not rejoice for the one who redeems us? We can not ignore the one who says, "Forgiven," when we...ooops..do it again, or in my case, DEW it again!
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government wil be on hsi shoulders. And he wil be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
Celebrate the Christ! Merry Christmas to One and All!
~Beth
At one point in ancient history, God had enough of the Israelites messing up. They kept making big mistakes (worshipping gods other than Jahovah God, comes to mind) that were not what God desired for them. At one point, God had the the Israelites wondering the desert for years. God kept forgiving each time the Isrealites messed up; He never abandoned them. It took so very many times for the Israelites to learn who their God was and that He was their salvation. He stayed faithful to His people through it all.
So many times I am like the Israelites. I do the same thing over and over, though in my innermost being I KNOW it is not the right thing. Yesterday, I did it AGAIN! I had two glasses of Mountain Dew yesterday. I was up unitl 6 AM or so this morning. You would think I would have all ready learned my lesson. I had told myself that the previous incident *really* didn't happen, but in my innermost being, I knew better. I knew better.
Paul says in Romans 7 "...When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being, I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war agianst the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin."
The Mountain Dew incident is but an insignificant speck on the body of sin I do daily. The only way I know to deal with this sin is to take it to the cross. Jesus is the One who washes spots, big or small, significant or insignificant, ALL of our spots, away! That's the essence of the God News!
On this December 23 Christians all over the world prepare to celebrate the arrival of our Salvation some 2000 years ago in a stable in Bethlehem. How can we not rejoice for the one who redeems us? We can not ignore the one who says, "Forgiven," when we...ooops..do it again, or in my case, DEW it again!
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government wil be on hsi shoulders. And he wil be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
Celebrate the Christ! Merry Christmas to One and All!
~Beth
Thursday, December 18, 2008
DON'T do the DEW!
Sometimes I just don't get it. Those of you who went to junior high and high school with me realize that I really didn't get into a whole lot of anything growing up. The friends I have made as an adult did not think that people like me really exist. Sometimes, I wonder how I managed to get to be 40 without knowing a few things. Take Mountain Dew for instance...
I work two nights a week really late hours. I usually have a diet coke about 8:00 or 9:00. That one diet coke seems to work just long enough for me to finish my work (about midnight) and drive home safely.
One night back in October, we had some the A2C (middle school aged kids) over for a fall party. They left, and I started cleaning up. I saw there was a bit of Mountain Dew left over, so I poured a glass. It was so good! I haven't had Mountain Dew in YEARS. I poured another two glasses to finish out the liter.
After I cleaned up, I went to bed. You guessed it. I couldn't sleep. I could not figure out what was happening. I seemed to be quite awake.
I don't recall now whether it was my 15 year old son, my husband, or my best friend that told me the next day that it was the Mountain Dew that kept me up. Whoever it was could hardly believe that I didn't know the large caffeine content of Mountain Dew.
Here was my thought process that night...I wanted a little soda. There was some Sprite, but there is no caffeine in Sprite, and I needed a little pick me up. There was Diet Coke, but I thought that would be too strong. I needed something in between... Since Sprite is clear and Diet Coke is dark, I thought the yellow Mountain Dew would have just a hint of caffeine.
Needless to say, that is another cultural lesson that I should have known, but did not. Where was I when they held classes on things like this???
Living and Learning,
Beth
I work two nights a week really late hours. I usually have a diet coke about 8:00 or 9:00. That one diet coke seems to work just long enough for me to finish my work (about midnight) and drive home safely.
One night back in October, we had some the A2C (middle school aged kids) over for a fall party. They left, and I started cleaning up. I saw there was a bit of Mountain Dew left over, so I poured a glass. It was so good! I haven't had Mountain Dew in YEARS. I poured another two glasses to finish out the liter.
After I cleaned up, I went to bed. You guessed it. I couldn't sleep. I could not figure out what was happening. I seemed to be quite awake.
I don't recall now whether it was my 15 year old son, my husband, or my best friend that told me the next day that it was the Mountain Dew that kept me up. Whoever it was could hardly believe that I didn't know the large caffeine content of Mountain Dew.
Here was my thought process that night...I wanted a little soda. There was some Sprite, but there is no caffeine in Sprite, and I needed a little pick me up. There was Diet Coke, but I thought that would be too strong. I needed something in between... Since Sprite is clear and Diet Coke is dark, I thought the yellow Mountain Dew would have just a hint of caffeine.
Needless to say, that is another cultural lesson that I should have known, but did not. Where was I when they held classes on things like this???
Living and Learning,
Beth
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