| Tuesday, May 22 |
| Reflections and Promises |
Since Mother's Day, I have had many opportunities to observe the young mothers of our church family, listen to my own three daughters (in-laws included in the number) talk through their present day 'mothering' experiences, converse with my "Mothers" as I reflect on their wisdom in childrearing, and meditate upon biblical examples of both great and inappropriate matronly figures. The most thought provoking lessons I have learned about motherhood/mothering has not come from the above sources but rather from their offspring - the blessings of GOD - the children!
I learned from a very visible (and cherished by other adult women) lady's kiddos that they can see Mom for what she doesn't say and that superficial 'agape' and concern is just skin deep. They are learning firsthand by her actions that when one does not meet her expectations it is acceptable behavior to ignore the problem (person) away and just not deal with it. How very sad that type of adult behavior is because how is the person wronged (ignored into oblivion) suppose to know that this Mom has issues that involve her past. The kiddos see it and think "Mom does it so when my friend isn't "qualified" in my eyes, I don't have to be a friend with him." True AGAPE toward another would meet, discuss, express emotions and pray with the other. (I must mark my book of THINGS TO DO - approach with love and kindness this lady...see how I can help if she wants help. And pray - pray that she will do what Jesus did with the woman taken in adultery...forgive her and love her enough to help her not to sin again.)
I watched as several young mothers rejoiced with two of our other young mothers who were trimphant against severe fleshly trials. One mother was able to conceive and is about to deliver her first child after three consecutive miscarriages. How truly blessed the fruit of her womb will be as she brings daily happiness into her young parents' lives causing the sorrow of lost children to only a dim remembrance! The other single mom was able to adopt not only the first child she began caring for (as a result of abuse from biological parents) but ALSO this little daughter's brother who is just a month old! Jewels in her crown and a grand inheritance indeed! (I will add these young mothers to my prayer list that their futures will be transformed with many more awesome acts and answers of their personal prayers to the FATHER!)
As for my own daughters, the eldest (DiL) along with my son made the decision to assist her unwed sister in Atlanta who is due in September. She'll be there to financially assist for at least a year providing relief for a very stressed sister as well as work toward gaining that ever necessary experience in her chosen field of employment. Selflessly, my son has agreed to the arrangement as he knows he must finish as many courses at his college before he redeploys to Iraq. The college town is within an hour's driving distance of Atlanta and so they can be together throughout the week and weekends until he leaves. And while he's away, my oldest will have the comfort of being with and helping out her sister. (Again, pray for sister, daughter and son to be aware of each other's spiritual, emotional, and physical needs in such a world as this.)
MY daughter out west will be coming home to Dixie in two weeks. Hubby (my only SiL) will be deployed in early August to AL Asad. He will make ready a house/home while he's here so that his girls (daughter and their two daughters) will have natural and church family to care for them in his absence. My daughter is pregnant with their third. This will also give me a chance to 'get to know' their second daughter (my third grandbaby) who was born out there - a treat I'm really looking forward to whole heartedly experiencing! I will be able to reconnect with my longest known granddaughter AND be able to assist my daughter with the girls during the pregnancy. (Remeber to thank GOD daily for my son who is willing to sacrifice for his country and unconditionally loves my daughter and their children enough to give me such a priceless gift - time to watch, play, and grow with his family.) MY daughter's sweet and undying love for her family has rubbed into the grain of character in my second granddaughter - she (g-daughter) expresses her undying admiration and LOVE to her Daddy daily - and almost daily to her Mimomma and Granddaddy when she can get ahold of the phone!
My youngest daughter (who is married to my oldest son) gave my life regeneration with the birth of our fourth granddaughter. What a treasure to actually hold the newest when she was less than 15 minutes old - something I will hold in my heart forever! She allows us to tend to her oldest (my oldest granddaughter who is actually a 'step' in reality but more and more precious each moment she spends with me) daughter. I was able to see the tenderness Mommy taught her as she remarked while holding new baby sister, "I love you, I have always loved you, and I will always protect you because you are my baby sister." That's hearfelt agape that is learned by example and practiced through experience with your own mother! (Ask GOD to protect the tenderness of this family and to grant me the precious gift of my granddaughter's tender, sweet heart - to love others just because we are 'related' in HIS eyes.)
This concludes part one of Reflections and Promises - look for part two tomorrow night!Labels: Children, Church Family, grandchildren, personal, prayer requests |
posted by Marsha @ 5/22/2007 12:42:00 AM   |
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| Saturday, May 19 |
| Photo Hunters |
 At 48 hours old, our newest little blessing, Abby Grace is very alert and just ready to get 'into' the swing of things! Of course, Mimomma is doing a deja vu on this one as her Daddy has equally alert and slept his first night all the way through at 15 months old!!! (Just too much going on in 'the nut house' as Uncle Cameron labeled our home with his TAG teacher in first grade!) You can enjoy some of our first 60 minutes with Abby Grace at the video shares below! Labels: Children, grandchildren, introducing, photo hunters |
| posted by Marsha @ 5/19/2007 12:17:00 AM |
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| Thursday, May 17 |
| Video Picture Share!!!! |
 I'm hungry!!  Now that I'm holding her, what do I do with Abigail? |
| posted by Marsha @ 5/17/2007 08:21:00 PM |
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| Sunday, May 13 |
| Happy Mother's Day |
Well, I'm back - had to keep the Shoppe while Hubby was away out-of-state at a vey close friend's memorial service in NM. I was kept soo busy! Tomorrow I will resume my writings and postings...hope to update one site and begin a new one as well this week. But for now,
I've earned the 'privilege' of resting on this, my shared day, with all of the fortunate "Mothers"....enjoy your day as I know I will!!Labels: Children, grandchildren, Husband, personal, weekend reflection |
| posted by Marsha @ 5/13/2007 02:30:00 PM |
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| Saturday, May 5 |
| Saturday Snicker |
Trouble with dying and 'going below' is when you get mad at your friends, where are you going to tell them to go?Labels: Saturday Snickers |
| posted by Marsha @ 5/05/2007 10:12:00 PM |
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| Read the Bible in a Year Readings for May 6 - 10 |
May 6: 2 Samuel 7-8, 1 Chronicles 17, 2 Corinthians 1, Psalm 2
May 7: 2 Samuel 9-10, 1 Chronicles 18-19, 2 Corinthians 2
May 8: 2 Samuel 11-12, 1 Chronicles 20, 2 Corinthians 3, Psalm 20
May 9: 2 Samuel 13-14, 2 Corinthians 4, Psalm 51
May 10: 2 Samuel 15-17, 2 Corinthians 5, Psalms 32 and 71 |
| posted by Marsha @ 5/05/2007 10:12:00 PM |
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| Weekend Reflections |
 After such a busy last week, I felt a crash coming on, so I tried to take it easy. On Monday and Tuesday, I spent the majority of those days putting 'finishing touches' on one of my new blog spots I have labeled, "When Life Hands You Lemons,". It's to be dedicated to tiny snippet stories I have heard from PB's sermons the previous week. These Biblical 'paraphrased' stories will springboard ideas for teaching little kids from different areas of curriculum while using a variety of teaching activities and learning styles. Hopefully, I'll be able to continue 'teaching' this way while giving a few interesting tips and resources for those of us with small children and grandchildren. So far response has being very supportive and great!
Wednesday was spent helping Hubby 'get ready for his trip' this coming weekend. I'll have to run the Shoppe while he's gone....no easy fete since I'm not very knowledgeable in the areas of gunsmithing, gun products, etc. Trae plans to drop by and help some - if Abigail Grace doesn't arrive before her Granddaddy returns from the West. That evening after church service, I spent until 5 a.m. glazing Sherry's watermelon bowl. (It was a great success at the ceramics shop and a really big hit with Sherry. Time well spent!)
Crash day came Thursday afternoon and lasted until Friday evening. I tried (and wasn't very passionate) to help at the store, go to scripture reading class, and get ready for Santuck Flea Market on Saturday. But it was all overwhelming. So choices were made - a long night of rest on Friday evening and no Satuck on Saturday (boohoohoo ;-[ ) But I did get such a pleasant response for the birthday gift Sherry received and the birthday party grub was good.
This evening was spent talking to my lovely grown stay-at-home Mommy of two Daughter Hayley! 29 days until she returns to Dixie with Hubby, and girls (and one in the oven ;-)) Sad thing is that Kenny is scheduled to return to Iraq in early August for 6-9 months and will not be here for Hayley's 25th birthday, the new baby's birth, T-giving or Christmas! But LORD willing, he'll return by Valentine's Day and be relocated to the east coast upon his return.
I am thankful that he'll be in a safer area than most serving our country although his job demands no less than 100% accuracy. I'm thankful that they've already secured a rental home - just three doors down from Hayley's oldest brother Trae who was involved in a freak accident while attending a victim (He's a fire medic with the local FD.) I'm thankful that Trae is very much alive and on the road to recovery and that his new sweet baby should be here by next WR. I'm thankful for my children, grandchildren, and for those bloggers out there who offer strength and encouragement like Annie and Val, Dirkey and Laura, Heather and tegdirb82, and Rachel - a fellow textile artist - who took time to send a message all of which brightened my days this week.
And I'm thankful that LORD GOD blessed me with enough talent to see a way to help others this week. HE's always there just when I need HIM to carry me through it all. May HE bless your LORD's Day and the upcoming week with many wonderful SON-filled days!
grins,Labels: weekend reflection |
| posted by Marsha @ 5/05/2007 10:12:00 PM |
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| I like playing in mud! |
 I am a retired professional educator with nothing to do except play with mud! Oh the memories it churns up when I think lovingly and longingly back to my early childhood when I was the BEST mud pie maker on the whole block! (Don't take my word for it - ask my brother and sister as I tested every single recipe out on them.) When I had to retire from classroom work, I was completely void of what to do with my 'spare' time. Boy, oh, boy, was there ever lots and lots of it! At 48 (at my last day of public serving), I was too young for a nursing home, to shaky due to PD to work as the Tech Ed/Coord. for my school and county system, and too ornery to sit back and rest like the neurologists prescribed that I do. Luckily for me, I was introduced to the art of ceramics by a colleague at my school. She just came over one Thursday afternoon after school and said get in the car. You're not going to just sit there and do nothing the rest of your life! Dutifully, I obeyed - after all, you must follow Doctor's and Teacher's orders. At first, My motor coordination made everything to do with ceramics very tedious. But Judy the encourager kept after me. And I've regained my love for 'playing in mud' as I craft one of a kind gifts for family and friends. Above are two of my latest works. Both were birthday gifts to my daughters-in-law. The spaghetti gift basket was Steph's gift last week - the pasta bowl in the middle was my personal contribution crafted solely by me! The watermelon bowl is one I just picked up today. I've filled it with Cucumber-Melon 'stuff' and it's sooooo sute! I can hardly wait for her to open the wrappings today for her (Sherry's) birthday! Thank you to my brother David, my sister Beth, and my fellow ceramist Judy for encouraging me to find the child from within! P.S. She loved it!!! And will hhm please send an email addy - who knows you might get one similar to it....but I have to know who you are! Labels: personal |
| posted by Marsha @ 5/05/2007 02:04:00 PM |
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| Candy!! |
 (Friday Favorites is sponsored by Moments Amid Messes.)
My Friday Favorite -
My Favorite Candy is LICORICE - I'm digging that anise-flavored shoelace right now!! On the banks of the Wabash in my younger years it was a treat that no one else in my immediate family showed any interest in - so I got to savor each piece, slowly and to its fullest! jelly beans, gumdrops, shoelaces - mine all mine!
 In 1993, I took the Kiddos to Europe for a 17-day, 11-countries whirlwind 'on-economy' tour and we all were quite delighted with the stronger taste of German licorice. It was less sugary than American versions and had a plethora of combinations not sampled aforetime! Our favorite combo Euro-style was coconut sandwiched between two licorice squares. (My children also share my passion for coconut!)  Big thumbs up for this licorice wheels my paramedic son brought to me this week - thanks Trae-Boy!! Labels: friday favorites |
| posted by Marsha @ 5/04/2007 01:43:00 AM |
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| Trae's Wedding and the "Best Girls" |
Trae and wife are expecting Abigail Grace any day now. I wanted to share my granddaughters, Vallie - who returns for a visit one day soon - and Madison, Trae's first daughter who becomes the Big Sister when our Abby G gets here! |
| posted by Marsha @ 5/02/2007 02:43:00 AM |
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| How did she do that? |
 To keep it interesting without re-inventing the wheel, I borrow scripts from my favorite Javascript site, Dynamic Drive. Just cut-n-paste in most cases for a really terrific added feature to your blogspot!Labels: personal, WFMW |
| posted by Marsha @ 5/02/2007 01:51:00 AM |
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| Tuesday, May 1 |
| Time Travel Tuesday |
(Wherever possible, words are linked for further info.)
The year was 1967-68. Notables were:
Film - Bonnie and Clyde, Cold Hand Luke and The Graduate
World Series - Cardinals beat Red Sox in seven
Politics - Thurgood Marshall is sworn in as the first black Supreme Court Justice
NASA - Three astronauts are first Americans killed in fire on launch pad
Academy Award for Best Picture - A Man for All Seasons
Cost of bread: 22cents per loaf
My fondest memories: Being one of the 'guys' riding around with Dad's baseball All Stars with the top down in his new 1967 candy apple red Mustang, 4-H club activities, staying with Grandma B helping with my gravely sick Grandpa reading him the Psalms and watching "Captain Kangaroo" - he LOVED Mr. Green Jeans, meeting Barbara Eden ("I Dream of Jeanie" fame) and our family vacation all the way to the Little Big Horn Mountain in Wyoming!
My saddest moments included: Going to Junior High (I was SOOOO shy and didn't want to go without my brother who was two years younger), knowing that my Grandpa was dying (which actually happened less than a year later), not being an active part of my favorite aunt's wedding because I was too 'big' for a flower girl and to 'young' for a bridesmaid, and the 'poodle' perm my Momma gave me right after she cut my waist length, straight, thick, naturally blonde hair.
I was not boy crazy - why should I be? I helped out on the ball field as one of the guys!!! I dearly loved Nancy Drew books and would walk several miles to the town library to check out 3 at a time, have them read in a day, and return to the library the next day for more.
My best friend was my brother David. And our favorite pasttime was to walk to Welch's store, a couple of blocks from our tiny home, picking up glass bottles to redeem for 3-5 cents each. Then, on the spot, we'd buy 'slappin' taffy and enjoy it all the way back home. (I'd always get vanilla and he'd get chocolate. Yummmmmm!)
I was carefree and loving life in '67. Good thing, too, because it was the year just before such civil unrest and the most controversial murders of the century (King and Kennedy).Labels: personal, time travel tuesday |
| posted by Marsha @ 5/01/2007 03:54:00 PM |
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