Spring has sprung?

There Goes Winter
sloshing off
with puddles in his tracks.

Here comes Spring
on roller skates
with jumping ropes and jacks.

P.S. Don't worry--we are beginning to have some 65-70 degree days. I love these pictures of snow boots and no coats on the playground.

The Leap of Faith

I know most of you have seen this picture. It has been on all of our face books. I know it will be forever embedded in my memory. It was also the picture posted in the Sunday bulletin today. The passage David used was Phillipians 4:12-14.

"I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back. " (The Message)

I spent weeks worrying about this event. My Kate. Jumping out of an airplane. Strapped to a strange, old man. Wearing weird shoes (the old man, not Kate and that was Molly's observation.) A teeny, tiny parachute. For two. Of all the counter-intuitive things to do. Well, as with most things in her life, Kate handled it gracefully and embraced it to the fullest. I have the video to prove it. But this is really about me, and my experience. The bottom line-she jumped, she fell, she landed. Safely. There are many parallels to her jump and life in the spirit. Number one, she didn't do it alone. She was embraced by a community of likewise minded people all on the same mission. Their objective: to share their experience with others and in the journey to be transformed. She was also there with tremendous support from those who know and love her best...her aunt, uncle and cousin. You know, I've got to hand it to my brother (the jump instigator and one of my kid's biggest fans,) he said she was different when she left to come home. He's right. The experience changed her. It also changed me. I need to have that faith, that unwavering trust in what, to me, is counter intuitive and appears to be fool hardy. I need to take a hard look at my life and find my own "jumping off" place. Then, well, I guess I need to....jump.
P.S. I have profound thankfulness to the old man in the funny shoes who was with her every step(?) of the way. By the way, that last step was a big one :)

Friends on the Journey

The Christian season of Lent is strange. It is like Alice being in Wonderland. It has great excitement and joy, but also confusion and fear. And maybe, like Alice, we tumble into it more that we intentionally take action to be in it. Everything around you will try to fight off the practice of Lent. Or it will try to subtly make it fit into the ways of the world, but with the illusion that it is truly a deep god-designed spiritual time. A lot of what the church calls spiritual is more a way to prop up and to confirm the ways of the world rather than the Kingdom of God. You cannot do Lent alone! It will take a group of you supporting, forgiving, encouraging, and confronting each other. Find a group of people who will walk with you through Lent. (Rev. David Loar)

Thank God for friends on the journey! This season of Lent I am so blessed to have two special friends on the journey with me. I give thanks everyday for the gift of Julia and Mary in my life. They are more than friends--they are my sisters in Christ. They hold me accountable, they hold me to humility, sometimes they simply hold me. I would not be on the journey I'm on, or traveled the distance I have without their abiding presence in my life, their unwavering belief in Jesus Christ and the humble example of servanthood they place before me; both shining examples of contrite hearts filled with love for God and all of his children.
Julia - You are teaching me so much! Not to be afraid. To know that God is with me always! Even in the darkest of places I am learning to fear NOthing. You help me understand my gifts and to know that they come from God and were given to me to further His kingdom. This has/is been life-transforming for me! Boo ya to the Warriors! Saddle up! Put on the armor! Kick evil's $%&&!! To know you have my back is comforting and empowering! I love you!
Mary - I know you will walk with me to Hell and back until we complete step four! I know you will walk to Hell with me period. You give me the courage to be the best I can be. You challenge me to discipleship above and beyond anything I could ever have imagined. You are my anchor when things unravel, simply by your unwavering belief in God and his son Jesus Christ. You are my prayer partner, my accountability partner and my "Martha, see you don't suffer from terminal uniqueness after all", partner. Thanks for keeping me sane, helping me not sweat the small stuff (and it's all small stuff!), and always reminding me that life is meant to be enjoyed and that loving and serving God is a joy! I love you!
Nancy...Lastly, I love you. Thanks for being the first person who helped me realize the unfathomable presence and possibility of God in my life, who loved me warts and all-just simply for me, and for showing me that even princesses are expected to "walk the talk" too. See you on the other side. Save me a seat... or maybe a cloud! :)

Tin Grin

I just went to the orthodontist the other day, and for once it wasn't to take a child. This time, it was for me. Somehow, over the course of 35 years or so, my teeth shifted. This caused a problem with my bite. I mentioned it to my dentist (who is also exactly my age) and he said, "Go over and see about a retainer." Well, I ended up with a full-blown set of braces. I may not look like the Taz, but I sure felt like him yesterday. Today is much better. Actually, my braces look just like his. Even though David and I have great dental insurance, it doesn't cover braces if you're over 20. ( I think that's called age discrimination!) Anyway, invisalin wasn't an option for me, and the cute ceramic brackets were an extra $600! Yikes! Since I only have to wear them a year, I opted to send my $600 to Heidelberg and go with the fabulous totally metal sets. So, I may be 50, but right now I have the mouth of a 12 year old. Maybe I'll be brave and post a photo soon! P.S. To all of my 20 and 30 something nieces and nephews.....wear your retainers...My ortho says the new recommendations are that you wear your retainers at night for....LIFE!

Ordinary Time 2010

It's hard to believe that today is the first day of the new year. I know it's cliched, but really, where does time go? I'm always telling the girls that time seems different now that I'm older. Especially now that I'm 50. When I was little, it seemed to take Christmas forever to get here. Now, it seems like I hardly have time to enjoy the season and the decorations and it's gone. In a paradoxical way though, I totally enjoyed the holidays this year. I think I'm beginning to learn the art of slowing down and just accepting and enjoying the days for what they bring. Two things I can count on for sure: the days will always bring some joy and some pain. I'm looking forward to the new year. I don't know about most people, but I really enjoy ordinary days the best. I often speak to my mom about this, as we share this common philosophy and a host of others as well. For me, it's not the high times that define my life. It's the ordinary things that bring me the most pleasure: cooking dinner for people I love, walking the dog, knitting a hat, reading a book, having coffee with friends, and all the other commonplace things that can happen in an ordinary week. I had a great time in Tennessee this vacation. Aside from the fact I had a nasty stomach virus, it was a great visit. Now that I've been for the Christmas visit, I'm anxious to go back. I'm looking forward to seeing Ross in a less hectic, quieter setting. I want to talk, really talk, to the people who matter most to me. I'm looking forward to the new puppy and the spring time. I want to watch my brother cook something fabulous. I want to pester my dad into a boat trip around the lake. I want to sit by the water and simply be, because my favorite time to spend at home is ordinary time.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday, Baby! Today is David's sixty-first birthday! The first birthday we celebrated together was his 40th. Here we are 21 years later. Who'd have thought? Kate, Molly and I have plans for today. We are taking David to see the movie Invictus, with Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon. After that, we are going to Tre Bella an Italian restaurant near my school. Happy Birthday, my darling from three girls who love you very much!

P.S. In case you're wondering, David is the one on the far left playing the clarinet and yes, in this picture he is (a lot) younger than 40! It was definitely made before my time!

It's never too late for an update on Kate!

Sorry, I just couldn't resist the title. Too much Dr. Seuss, phonemic awareness and rhyming schema in my balanced literacy teaching brain! :) This is a current pic of her on tour with the Heidelberg University Concert Choir. She just came home from a trip to Chicago to see/hear and visit with the Chicago lyric opera. While there she also got to see two high school friends. One, is a student at Loyola and the other was visiting the French Consulate to get a visa for an exchange program. From what I understand, they had a great visit, but it was just too short. Kate is talking about Arts administration and vocal performance for her master's work......all big decisions, but who knows what the future holds. Me? I'm just waiting to be a fly on the wall when student teaching begins in the next year or two. I do know what the present holds--two great daughters and a husband I am very thankful for, great family, great friends, great life! Happy Thanksgiving!!