It's recuperation day. Occasionally I can get together w/ all the girls and make a day of it. Yesterday, since Laurie's birthday and Spring break coincided we made it an Event. Monday Laurie & children (w/ the help of a college student friend) went to Southaven to get Molly. Molly spent the night w/ us and we got up Tuesday prepared to roam. Voting was first on the agenda.
Laurie got sitters lined up for the four oldest children, but had to bring Pearce with her. Not a problem for this Mamaw. She picked Molly & me up and we met Katey at the mall area. There are a couple of new stores - Ross's and Maurice's - that we wanted to visit. I found an Easter suit at Dress Barn. Then we met Nanny, Katelee, Tucker & Christina at Logan's for lunch. (I need to come back to the food issue.) After a very good meal, we started shopping again. I found some skirts and tops at Kohl's, but no dark chocolate shoes, which I now need. Katey left us at Kohl's and we went on to the mall. By this time Pearce & Mamaw are beginning to get tired so it's home for us.
But our day isn't over. Terry & I took Molly home to Southaven. Of course, since Terry got Brewster gift certificates for Christmas, we had to stop there for ice cream. It was a very long day & I finally got in bed after midnight.
Now back to the food issue...My friend, Glenda, is having surgery Friday. The type of surgery required her to be on a semi-liquid diet for 2 weeks prior to surgery. As support for her, and because I need it, I joined her in the semi-liquid diet. Some soups, yogurt, jello, puddings, Carnation Instant Breakfast, V8, juices, coffee (lots of coffee), water (lots of water) are on our menu. So you might understand that when I put something solid in my system like salads, hamburgers, etc., my body goes a little haywire. Net result is that in a 1.5 weeks I've lost 5 pounds!! Yea! It will be over three months before Glenda can go back to a regular diet (sorry, modified diet) so here's hoping I can continue to lose more weight. Just so you'll know, her's isn't one of those weight loss surgeries, but it does involve her digestive system and will result in a significant weight loss. Yea for her! This has been so hard for her. For me it's been a choice to support her, but for her it's been a mandate. Naturally, when you're told you absolutely cannot do something, it's harder to do. Add to this that she plans to quit smoking when she goes into hospital, she is going to have a tough time. But she's strong and I expect great things for her.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Happy Birthday, Laurie! It's hard to believe you're 33 years old. It seems only yesterday you were hiding behind your mama when someone tried to talk to you. Those days are definitely gone; you're a people person if ever there was one. I'm looking forward to spending the day with all my daughters today to celebrate "your day".
The weekend was a mixed bag for me. The snow was refreshing and beautiful. Terry & I, Katey & Andy went to the Regional Rehabilitation Center's benefit concert at the Davis Center on the ICC campus. It was a night of bluegrass music with Connie Smith (not quite bluegrass), the Chuch Wagon Gang, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver and Rhonda Vincent. Bluegrass is not my very favorite genre, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Since it was Daylight Saving Time weekend, it made for a short night's sleep before church. SS class was unusually lively. We did a little role play with Jacob, Rachel & Leah from Genesis 29. It was fun and we all learned a lot.
The blessings of a nursery worker: About every seven weeks I keep nursery during morning worship service. MomaG is not on the volunteer list, but she always works when I do. Another friend of ours was with us Sunday and it's a good thing. We had six little girls from 8 months to 18 months. Gracie & Katherine played the entire time; Rebecca fussed occasionally, but mostly played by herself; Marlee K sat in my lap a while, but eventually decided to play; Hannah talked up a storm w/ a strong vocabulary for an 18-mo old; and AJ cried and cried and cried. Some children just don't do well with strangers and she had a bad day. We changed diapers, mixed up sippy cups, crawled around on the floor, rocked and generally managed the chaos. It was fun and I took a nap as soon as I got home. ~smiles
The weekend was a mixed bag for me. The snow was refreshing and beautiful. Terry & I, Katey & Andy went to the Regional Rehabilitation Center's benefit concert at the Davis Center on the ICC campus. It was a night of bluegrass music with Connie Smith (not quite bluegrass), the Chuch Wagon Gang, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver and Rhonda Vincent. Bluegrass is not my very favorite genre, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Since it was Daylight Saving Time weekend, it made for a short night's sleep before church. SS class was unusually lively. We did a little role play with Jacob, Rachel & Leah from Genesis 29. It was fun and we all learned a lot.
The blessings of a nursery worker: About every seven weeks I keep nursery during morning worship service. MomaG is not on the volunteer list, but she always works when I do. Another friend of ours was with us Sunday and it's a good thing. We had six little girls from 8 months to 18 months. Gracie & Katherine played the entire time; Rebecca fussed occasionally, but mostly played by herself; Marlee K sat in my lap a while, but eventually decided to play; Hannah talked up a storm w/ a strong vocabulary for an 18-mo old; and AJ cried and cried and cried. Some children just don't do well with strangers and she had a bad day. We changed diapers, mixed up sippy cups, crawled around on the floor, rocked and generally managed the chaos. It was fun and I took a nap as soon as I got home. ~smiles
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Frustration...
I spent about 30 minutes yesterday morning writing a post, then when I tried to publish it, wouldn't you know, I got an error message. Usually I write in MS Word, but I didn't yesterday. My gripe about doing that is that when I write in Word, my codes (bold, italics, underline) don't paste over into my blog. You'd think it would be a simple thing for Blogger to do. I mean, even xanga will accept Word codes. And I don't know enough about html codes to bother with that.
Oh, well, by now you know we had the perfect snow. Blows in overnite; wake to a pristine covering; it's gone by 2pm. If there's a perfect snow, that's it. No sludge; no mess; no ice.
I'll post again when I'm not so frustrated with Blogger. (And if I've totally missed the instructions for pasting Word codes, would some kind soul let me know? Thanks.)
I spent about 30 minutes yesterday morning writing a post, then when I tried to publish it, wouldn't you know, I got an error message. Usually I write in MS Word, but I didn't yesterday. My gripe about doing that is that when I write in Word, my codes (bold, italics, underline) don't paste over into my blog. You'd think it would be a simple thing for Blogger to do. I mean, even xanga will accept Word codes. And I don't know enough about html codes to bother with that.
Oh, well, by now you know we had the perfect snow. Blows in overnite; wake to a pristine covering; it's gone by 2pm. If there's a perfect snow, that's it. No sludge; no mess; no ice.
I'll post again when I'm not so frustrated with Blogger. (And if I've totally missed the instructions for pasting Word codes, would some kind soul let me know? Thanks.)
Saturday, February 16, 2008
I’ve missed posting this week, but every time I started to write something it sounded whiny. My work life is a series of challenges and has been for over a year. I know it’s where God wants me to be – what He’s called me to – but the path is rough and my inadequacy is showing through. My boss tells me that in this last series of challenges I may feel inadequate, but the truth is that many of us haven’t been given the tools to do what is required of us. (He always knows how to make me feel better.) Ever heard of ISO9001-2000? 5S/Lean Manufacturing? Kaizan? Me neither until recently. Now I have to become an expert on the fly. It ain’t gonna happen. Oh, I’ll learn, but it’s going to take time. I dreamed about all this early this morning; alll those stacks of paperwork woke me early. That’s not a good sign.
Couple with all this the fact that I haven’t seen my kids and kidlettes in at least 2 weeks and you get a grouchy Mamaw. The sinus bug bit me and I’ve been staying away from them all, especially the tiniest, since they definitely don’t need this respiratory problem. A shot and a Z-pak have done the trick and I may actually get to see at least some of them today & tomorrow. You know I’ll feel better then.
Missing church last week also made me crankier. Being involved in Bible study and hearing God’s Word preached each week breaks the fast of the previous days. You know I do have my own worship time, but God created us to want/need corporate worship. It’s who we are in His body of believers.
For those of you who missed it, Pearce McGuire Phillips made his entrance into our world on February 1, 2008. He’s a laid-back little fellow, according to his mom. You can read more about that family right here. And I really need to see Katelee & Tucker real soon. OK, kids & kidlettes, Mamaw needs an infusion of family time.
Couple with all this the fact that I haven’t seen my kids and kidlettes in at least 2 weeks and you get a grouchy Mamaw. The sinus bug bit me and I’ve been staying away from them all, especially the tiniest, since they definitely don’t need this respiratory problem. A shot and a Z-pak have done the trick and I may actually get to see at least some of them today & tomorrow. You know I’ll feel better then.
Missing church last week also made me crankier. Being involved in Bible study and hearing God’s Word preached each week breaks the fast of the previous days. You know I do have my own worship time, but God created us to want/need corporate worship. It’s who we are in His body of believers.
For those of you who missed it, Pearce McGuire Phillips made his entrance into our world on February 1, 2008. He’s a laid-back little fellow, according to his mom. You can read more about that family right here. And I really need to see Katelee & Tucker real soon. OK, kids & kidlettes, Mamaw needs an infusion of family time.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
There are many daily Bible reading plans that will take you through the entire Bible in one year. This year I’m going straight through from Genesis through The Revelation, which means that right now I’m in Leviticus. A dear lady in my SS class, who loves and faithfully studies the Bible, is reading in Leviticus and Numbers and commented on how burdensome and boring these two books can be.
Genesis is God’s way of taking us back to our beginnings to show us how He planned, created and orchestrated all of this for all of us. Here He first teaches us of the gloriousness of His plan for us; He reveals as much as we can understand of why He created us. God also shows us how He is always at work in the lives of people, especially the ones He has chosen to carry on His work. Genesis shows us that nothing ever occurs to God; He’s known all of it from forever.
Exodus is the exciting picture of God showing off His glory to a heathen people and to another people who would be His own. It’s a story of millions who would be released from bondage if they would only believe that I AM had come to save them. It would be about brave souls who stepped onto the floor of the Red Sea with a wall of water on the left and another rising on the right. (It makes me laugh to think of the fish that bumped their snouts into the invisible barrier that was God’s Breath holding that water back. ~grins) Exodus is a story of people who wanted to be free, but had trouble putting God’s commandments into practice. An exciting page-turner if ever there was one.
Then we stumble up on Leviticus. There’s a strange feel to this book; it tells of customs and cultures most of us have no knowledge of. Blood sacrifices are abhorrent to our culture, and we wonder at a God Who would give so many laws governing so many different aspects of life. Lots of what God deals with has to do with the health of His people – protecting them from possible infections that could be passed around in a deadly way, teaching them which foods would be healthy for them to eat. And He wanted His people to be different; to look different and act different, to be set apart (holy).
But we do tend to get hung up on the blood sacrifice. There’s blood on the altar, on the mercy seat, and on the priests’ clothes. It’s hard for us to see what the lesson is for us in these passages. Then a verse in the middle of many takes us by surprise. Several years ago I read this verse, did a double take, read it again and ever since it has been very important to what I know about what God did for me.
‘For the life [soul] of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.’ Leviticus 17:11 (NASB) [emphasis mine}
God stopped right here in the middle of all the blood and gore and told us about Jesus Christ. You see, it wasn’t just any lifeblood; it was "the blood by reason of the life.” The blood of bulls and goats and lambs would have to be shed over and over again in a never-ending ritual. The same is true if any other human being had tried to sacrifice their lifeblood since none are perfect (spotless, unblemished). But because Jesus Christ lived a perfect, sinless life, His Blood would suffice once for all - "the blood by reason of the life." (Rom 3:25; Eph 1:7, Heb 9; 1Pe 1:19)
Jesus appears numerous times in the Old Testament – never by His earthly name. This is just one of those times that we might miss if we’re not careful. The whole of the Holy Writ is important and can speak volumes to us today. Are you reading God's Word every day? (Psalm 119:105)
Genesis is God’s way of taking us back to our beginnings to show us how He planned, created and orchestrated all of this for all of us. Here He first teaches us of the gloriousness of His plan for us; He reveals as much as we can understand of why He created us. God also shows us how He is always at work in the lives of people, especially the ones He has chosen to carry on His work. Genesis shows us that nothing ever occurs to God; He’s known all of it from forever.
Exodus is the exciting picture of God showing off His glory to a heathen people and to another people who would be His own. It’s a story of millions who would be released from bondage if they would only believe that I AM had come to save them. It would be about brave souls who stepped onto the floor of the Red Sea with a wall of water on the left and another rising on the right. (It makes me laugh to think of the fish that bumped their snouts into the invisible barrier that was God’s Breath holding that water back. ~grins) Exodus is a story of people who wanted to be free, but had trouble putting God’s commandments into practice. An exciting page-turner if ever there was one.
Then we stumble up on Leviticus. There’s a strange feel to this book; it tells of customs and cultures most of us have no knowledge of. Blood sacrifices are abhorrent to our culture, and we wonder at a God Who would give so many laws governing so many different aspects of life. Lots of what God deals with has to do with the health of His people – protecting them from possible infections that could be passed around in a deadly way, teaching them which foods would be healthy for them to eat. And He wanted His people to be different; to look different and act different, to be set apart (holy).
But we do tend to get hung up on the blood sacrifice. There’s blood on the altar, on the mercy seat, and on the priests’ clothes. It’s hard for us to see what the lesson is for us in these passages. Then a verse in the middle of many takes us by surprise. Several years ago I read this verse, did a double take, read it again and ever since it has been very important to what I know about what God did for me.
‘For the life [soul] of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.’ Leviticus 17:11 (NASB) [emphasis mine}
God stopped right here in the middle of all the blood and gore and told us about Jesus Christ. You see, it wasn’t just any lifeblood; it was "the blood by reason of the life.” The blood of bulls and goats and lambs would have to be shed over and over again in a never-ending ritual. The same is true if any other human being had tried to sacrifice their lifeblood since none are perfect (spotless, unblemished). But because Jesus Christ lived a perfect, sinless life, His Blood would suffice once for all - "the blood by reason of the life." (Rom 3:25; Eph 1:7, Heb 9; 1Pe 1:19)
Jesus appears numerous times in the Old Testament – never by His earthly name. This is just one of those times that we might miss if we’re not careful. The whole of the Holy Writ is important and can speak volumes to us today. Are you reading God's Word every day? (Psalm 119:105)
Thursday, February 7, 2008
The storms of Monday night came too close for my comfort since Southaven was in the storm path. Terry walked into the bedroom about the time Molly called. He was telling me there was a bad storm where she was and she was telling me the sirens were going off and she was getting Tip and going to the toilet room. Their house was built for wireless Internet so she took the laptop w/ her so she could watch the radar. Kevin was traveling between Germantown & home in the middle of all this. Terry & I talked to Molly on the cell phone the whole time this was going on just to keep her company. It was a horrendous night and my heart goes out to those who are hurt, have lost loved ones or have lost their homes/businesses. Union University got a bad hit, but they will rebuild and go on. I saw a woman on CNN this morning who had no shoes and it was 33*. (Note to Terry: Thank you for making us all put our shoes beside the bed all these years.)
In the aftermath, there was a little comic relief. Tornado Monday & Super Tuesday are vying for air time on all the cable news programs. This morning as Terry & I watched a segment on the storm damage, he mentioned a now-infamous Mississippi lawyer who probably wanted to get things settled quickly so he could sue someone over the storms. I wondered aloud who he would sue this time. Terry responded that he’d probably sue God and win, but he would definitely lose it on appeal. (Terry has a dry sense of humor that catches most people by surprise.)
Katey & Andy closed on their new house yesterday and were able to keep it within the budget they’d set. Andy was in Memphis Monday evening during all the storm trouble, but made it home safe & sound.
Laurie & Pearce are doing fine, but she can’t get all her other babies home at one time. She’s ready to have them home and settled into a routine. L&D are fortunate to have his parents living near them; they are super about keeping the kids.
In the aftermath, there was a little comic relief. Tornado Monday & Super Tuesday are vying for air time on all the cable news programs. This morning as Terry & I watched a segment on the storm damage, he mentioned a now-infamous Mississippi lawyer who probably wanted to get things settled quickly so he could sue someone over the storms. I wondered aloud who he would sue this time. Terry responded that he’d probably sue God and win, but he would definitely lose it on appeal. (Terry has a dry sense of humor that catches most people by surprise.)
Katey & Andy closed on their new house yesterday and were able to keep it within the budget they’d set. Andy was in Memphis Monday evening during all the storm trouble, but made it home safe & sound.
Laurie & Pearce are doing fine, but she can’t get all her other babies home at one time. She’s ready to have them home and settled into a routine. L&D are fortunate to have his parents living near them; they are super about keeping the kids.
Friday, February 1, 2008
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