Nana Renanalogies

I've had a very dear and precious friend in my life for TWENTY-FIVE years. Cheryl has been closer than a sister, another mother to my children -- a constant in whatever wave of chaos or pit of despair I have found myself in. **hold on, gotta grab a Kleenex** Okay.... We are vastly different in a lot of ways, yet completely simpatico in others -- therefore, we make a great pair. A team. We're both (IMHO) a healthy mixture of Martha and Mary. We love our homes and family and church -- so tending to what needs to be done is no grave duty. But, we also value friendship and fellowship and special moments that are over in a blink -- so we know the importance of letting those duties WAIT while we savor the moments. We've tested the theory and have scientifically proven time and again that dust bunnies THRIVE on neglect. One long held "tradition" that has become inseparable in my mind is "Cleaning Out Closets with Cheryl". I'm serious -- it's a f...

I found this quote a while back, it really spoke to me and I used it in my siggies for a while. Unfortunately, some people would tell me "I don't get it." It's been going over and over in my mind today, so I guess I need to share it. "FORGIVENESS is.................... 'letting go of a better past' ." I guess it spoke to me because I once had a therapist tell me that I was 'grieving for the childhood I THO'T I should have had'. And she was right -- I was VERY hung up on recounting the atrocities to anyone who would listen, even if I had to PAY them to listen! My parents weren't terrible. They tried their best and made some mistakes -- just as I have done in my job of parenting. There were just some things I tho't needed to have been better. But y'know what...? They're ancient history now. (Okay, not THAT ancient!) Dwelling on them in the present would steal a lot of today's joy. And who among us has SO MUCH JOY in thei...

I've been deeply troubled lately because various and assorted people I care for deeply are having some seriously and serial relationship 'issues'. Every couple is different, every scenario unique. But ultimately, however BIG they seem at the time, they are microscopic in comparison to how big our God is. My husband and I were discussing it today as I was repeatedly called and texted by one soul who was having a particularly rough day. We vowed to agree in prayer and really seek the Throne of God over this individual and the circumstances in which she finds herself. Mike mentioned that he was listening to Rev. Ed Young on the radio the other day and he was saying -- and I paraphrase Mike's paraphrase, my apologies to Ed! -- If you're having problems in your marriage, on your job, with your children, with your neighbors, etc. I can tell you what is the root of your problem....SELFISHNESS. HOW TRUE IS THAT!!?!!!! Think about it.....have you ever had one single pro...

I am SO clever. I know this. Even if people didn't line up to tell me, I'd instinctively just KNOW it. (That bulge in my cheek is just my tongue, okay, nothing serious.) And, to further PROVE to me how smart I am, God lets me get into situations where I THINK I have Him all figured out and KNOW what it is He is doing in my life. Okay -- this is where the sarcasm falls away and I must confess.... I am SO wrong, SO often, that I should be ashamed to even spend a nanosecond thinking about what He might be up to! But I just can't help it. It's in my nature -- He made me this way! I'm too analytical for my own good sometimes. In fact, it's caused us (me and Him!) no small amount of anguish along our journey together. So I DO try to not think it all over too much. But, like a lot of my other carnal tendencies, I fail more often than not. But, undaunted, I don't take it personally -- instead I prefer to think that He is greatly amused to watch me try to figure thi...