Gladitudes

In a week, I'll have been married 20 years.  20 years ago, I was 21.  20 years from now, I'll be 61.  So, yeah, 20 years matters.  Is it a huge amount of time?  Nah.  But time, nonetheless.  Next week, I'll probably have a fitting tribute to an amazing man.  But right now...right now, I have to focus on my heart.  Focus on the amazing God that gave me the amazing man.  Who gave me the miracle of birthing 2 children.  Who loves me when I'm at my best and at my worst.  Who makes me holy.

You see, the last couple of weeks have been full.  Too full for my taste.  Full enough for complaining and being pi$$y.  It started the day before Mother's Day, and today...I'm tired.  Done in.  Pooped.  My dtr broke my nose, my husband had a longish trip in China, we had tons of kid activities because-after-all-it-is-May-and-you're-not-a-parent-if-you're-not-run-ragged-in-May, my daughter left on a sailing trip, my dad visited,  a family member is not well, I have allergies, and I am hormonal, thankyouverymuch.

BUT...feast your eyes on this little gem: 

"Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife." Proverbs 21:19

So...let's look at this again:

• 
  
  My daughter broke my nose----> we were having fun and playing around.  Sometimes fun is hard to come by with a pre-teen girl.
• 
  
  My husband had a longish trip to China----> My husband has a job which satisfies his creative needs and pays our bills.  He is well liked and well respected by those working above and below him.  Wait...in this economy, it's enough to say, "My husband has a job."
• 
  
  My kids, especially my daughter, are busy with activities---> Thank God they are healthy and have passions and /or areas of interest to explore.  My daughter set a record in track.  These are not bad things.  Last year, she had a heel fracture, and couldn't participate beyond the first meet.
• 
  
  My dad visited. I love him, but he is rigid, and often grumpish.----> I only have one living parent.  He and my son are kindred spirits regarding all manner (but especially WWII) of history.  It's also fun watching movies with him.
• 
  
  A family member is not well.---->She knows Jesus.  And I know Jesus.  And I stand firmly upon his promises for my hope.
• 
  
  I have allergies, and along w/my nose, my head is in pain.-----> I have Rx.  I also have it so much better, with clean food and water, than 99% of the world.  I bet they have sinus headaches, too.  And malaria.  And dysentery...
• 
  
  I am hormonal. ----> Honestly, God.  I'm stumped on that one. ;-)

Psalm 103

Of David.

1 Praise the LORD, O my soul;

all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

2 Praise the LORD, O my soul,

and forget not all his benefits-

3 who forgives all your sins

and heals all your diseases,

4 who redeems your life from the pit

and crowns you with love and compassion,

5 who satisfies your desires with good things

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

6 The LORD works righteousness

and justice for all the oppressed.

7 He made known his ways to Moses,

his deeds to the people of Israel:

8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,

slow to anger, abounding in love.

9 He will not always accuse,

nor will he harbor his anger forever;

10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve

or repay us according to our iniquities.

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is his love for those who fear him;

12 as far as the east is from the west,

so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

13 As a father has compassion on his children,

so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;

14 for he knows how we are formed,

he remembers that we are dust.

15 As for man, his days are like grass,

he flourishes like a flower of the field;

16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,

and its place remembers it no more.

17 But from everlasting to everlasting

the LORD's love is with those who fear him,

and his righteousness with their children's children-

18 with those who keep his covenant

and remember to obey his precepts.

19 The LORD has established his throne in heaven,

and his kingdom rules over all.

20 Praise the LORD, you his angels,

you mighty ones who do his bidding,

who obey his word.

21 Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts,

you his servants who do his will.

22 Praise the LORD, all his works

everywhere in his dominion.

Praise the LORD, O my soul.

Gladitudes

Hey, 
I don't know why I'm not blogging much, but I'm going with it.  Felt a bit of the bug today, and so, I thought I'd hop back in with some gladdies.  They aren't always the most exciting, but, if my heart ever stops knowing how to be thankful, I'll be in a mell of a hess, so I thought I'd share...

1.  Glad that we have paid our last tuition payment of the year to J's school.  Having that extra "too much money" for a month or two helps us regroup for next year.
2.  Proudissimusly glad that J. set the school record for the girls discus field event.  Do you need me to repeat that?  Oh...okay.  Well, I think she threw 56 or 57 feet.  I can't even imagine how it would look if I tried to throw one of those.  Shot put would even be more ghastly, I fear.  We are not an athletic family by nature.  The fact that she's out there every day, running on her flat feet and doing her very best--and is unafraid to go for it, based on wonderful coaches--is music to my heart.
3.  Glad for the man-parent's safe arrival home, yesterday.  Yes, he's my husband, and I love him dearly.  He's amazing, sexy, and brilliant.  But until I'm finished being tired of the kids, he's the man-parent. ;)
4.  Glad for female bonding opportunities with girlfriends and with my daughter.  My girlfriends and I are doing great--we just see too little of each other.  I had great occasion to squeeze a friend's baby for the first time over lunch with his mommy and other girlfriends yesterday.  So sweet!  He's 4+ months old, and his toothless grin won my heart.  He kept looking longingly at my (ahem) "girls", though, and I had to break the news that there was nothing for him.  Female bonding with my daughter has been a little trickier.  In between moments of bliss we are in age appropriate, but still stinky, mother-daughter hell; so I'm constantly praying for an opportunity to come for doing something positive and fun.  Because I'm so tired of praying for forgiveness about my ugly thoughts about her.  I think I might take her to Letters to Juliet this weekend.
5.  Glad for the fact that my "boys" will have a bonding bender of their own in a few weeks.  History Boy and Big are headed to D.C. for 4 days of opening/closing museums and seeing Gettysburg. 
6.  Glad I'm finally getting Kellie's winning Earth Day Celebration napkins finished.  By golly, I'm pokey!
7.  Terrifically, thankfully glad that when I update my son's neurologist, that he wastes no time in getting back to me.  How about a holla for that?!  We are blessed.  This guy understands that parents' observations and questions are quite reliable indicators of their children's needs. 
8.  Glad that I've begun reading again.  For some reason, I stopped.  Have to hit my goal of 50.  Will do it!
9.  Glad for the power of prayer.  I have a few folks whom I'm lifting up right now, and it's so gratifying to know that they already have victory over their trials, by the blood of Jesus.  And oh, how He loves us.  (hat tip to David Crowder band).  Grateful for those who lift us up, too. 
10.  Significantly gladacious for mentoring.  I have some women in my life who I really look up to for parenting, for grace under pressure, for spiritual sharpening.  Thank You, Lord, for I am blessed.

Bonus gladdy:  Season finale week...woo and hoo.

GladiWednesday!

1.  Glad for the one year anniversary of using my gladdy buttons.  Thank you, HisGirl for the tech-lurve.  They make me happy.

2.  Glad for forgiveness.  For His forgiveness of my sins, past and present because of the blood of Jesus.  Oh, how I need you, Lord!

3.  Glad for the "all read" button on Google Reader.  I always tell myself that blogging is a hobby, and that I can't feel guilty for not "keeping up".  And that is true.  However, blogging has led me to some beautiful friendships, and I miss y'all.  And I do guilt so well!  But I'm reforming.  I'll be around as I can to say hi, but there's no way I can truly catch up.  So I'm starting fresh.  Nothing personal.  I just needed a break from my own voice and the voice of others.  I am chatty and very relational by nature, but I also find that I need quiet nearly as much as chat--perhaps more. 

4.  So glad that I have hairapy t.o.m.o.r.r.o.w.!  Some of you may know that I looked like this over the weekend:

I had a run-in with my daughter's forehead which resulted in a small fracture (no displacement, YAY!) of my nose.  The saddest part of the whole thing is that I was too busy icing-ibuprofening-icing-watching Steel Magnolias-feeling lousy-icing that had to cancel my Saturday hairapy appt.  Lordy...it's been 3 months, and I'm starting to think they're gonna call me stripey around here.  Tomorrow, tomorrow, I LOVE YA, tomorrow.

5.  Gladdy for track meets and the character of a girl who knows that she's not the fastest runner...in fact she comes in last a lot.  But guess what?  She has fun and gives it her best.  I wouldn't have been brave enough to try track as a girl.  I'm so proud of her.

6.  Glad for a full DVR. :-)  And SO glad for the return of Friday Night Lights.  Can I have a witness?  I know that Mer and Whimz are on board.  Anyone else?  Coach Taylor is seriously competing with Phil Mickelson for second husband status.  Jon Hamm might be falling to third...might be.

7.  Gladdy mcgladicuddy for this girl and her b'day.  Though she'll always be younger than me, I will forgive her.  Love you, Amber!

8.  Significantly gladacious for my choir peeps.  Last night was our last rehearsal of the season, and Sunday will be the last time we're up on stage together.  I cannot put into words how precious the folks in this group are to me.  They love me.  They love and accept my husband, right where he is.  They welcome my entire family with open arms.  They have become family. 

9.  Amazingly, gratefully glad that 3 weeks from today, I can say I've been married to the best man evah for 20 years. 

10.  Glad for a lovely, non-combative, non-hormonal, sweet, deep conversation with my almost 12 year old daughter this morning.  Precious, indeed.

P.S. and BTW...Trying to be glad about the outcome of the Amazing Race, but good gravy, I really wanted the cowboys to win.  However, it was very fun to hear Big talk about all the places in Shanghai when they were racing there.  Still hard to wrap my mind around the fact that he commutes to China.

May Day

Contrary to the last week, wherein I pretty much left the blogosphere high and dry, I tend to be a communicator.  I like words.  I make up words.  I speak them, write them, and sing them.  Probably too much. I like communication, in general.  In fact, I have a dual degree in Psychology and Communication Disorders and Speech Science, and a Master's in Speech Pathology.  So really, I like how words are formulated and executed, from the brain, through the anatomy, and out through written or spoken word.  For that matter, I like sign language, too.  And all sort of nonverbal communication.  I send email communications on behalf of my worship ministry at church.  I've been asked to manage a musical production for our church, which essentially boils down to a bunch of phone calls, emails, and face-to-face chats.  I like information, and when used well, I do believe that knowledge is not power, per se, but powerful. 

And thanks to God's grace, I am trusted with a boat load of information and confidences from folks in my life.  I am wired for this.  And I wouldn't change a thing.

But there are days.

Days when my spirit seeks quiet, and there isn't any. 

Because a dear family member is terribly sick.  Or maybe a friend's family member passes away.  Or someone I love needs "another test" to assure good health.  Or a baby is fighting for his life, and may live, but only God knows if he will live well.  Or a relationship is broken.  Or a child needs soothing because of one of the innumerable inequities of life. 

Days which tire me so.  Days when this gift of communication seems more like a liability.

But God. 

God is in this.  He is the lifter of our heads.  The healer of the broken-hearted.  The amazing, holy, righteous, magnificent, glorious Maker of the universe.  And I know he cares.  About each disease and hurt.  Each relationship.  Each child.  Each hair on His children's heads.  He cares that I hurt when my loved ones hurt.  And when I cry "May Day!", His Spirit is the healing balm to my weary spirit.  For His yoke is gentle, and His burden is light.