For the past few days, I've been thinking, "June 7. Why is June 7 important? Something happened on June 7. What WAS it??"
I've been wracking my brain trying to figure out whose birthday or anniversary I was about to miss (not that I've done too well with keeping up with those in the past few years, anyway, but at least I like to *know* which ones I'm missing. ;-))
Yesterday I kept thinking all day..."What on earth is June 7? Or is it June 6? Maybe whatever *it* is is actually today, and I'm already missing it."
Finally, this morning, just before I was ready for the men in white coats to come get me, I figured it out.
June 7, 1987, was Constitution Sunday for "the new church", now known as Woodland Heights Baptist, in Conway. We had planned and prepared for the day for weeks, worked on special choir music (which was exciting, as we hadn't even had a *choir* so far, due to having no building.) It isn't every day you get to be a charter member of a new church (especially one starting out with 200 members! :)), and this was going to be an event to remember forever.
And I was actually right on both counts. June 6 *and* June 7 were memorable days. On June *6*, 1987, I came down with the chicken pox. Yep. The chicken pox. I was 18 years old, and had been exposed a million times, to the point that we all thought I was immune. Um...no. My brother had had them for two weeks, and the first day he was able to get out, we went to Little Rock to shop and go to the zoo. We were at War Memorial Park enjoying the beautiful day, when I began to feel funny. *REALLY* funny. My head was feeling really strange. My dad said, "I think you are coming down with chicken pox." I remember my reply as though it were yesterday:
"No, I can't be coming down with the chicken pox. If I have the chicken pox I will miss Constitution Day, and I CAN'T miss Constitution Day. I must have a brain tumor."
I wasn't joking. A brain tumor was not contagious, therefore there would be no need for me to miss Constitution Day. Chicken Pox, at that point, was the worst *possible* diagnosis I could have.
We arrived home an hour or so later, and sure enough, there were a few telltale spots peeking out. By that evening, there was no doubt. I cried myself to sleep over the fact that everyone would be going to Constitution Day without me, and then spent the next few days practically delirious with fever and severe itching.
Constitution Day went on without me, and I was declared a charter member despite my unplanned absence. Those early days of seeing God start a new church from scratch and bless it abundantly were a tremendous period of growth in my own life. I spent five wonderful years there until I moved to Fort Smith after college, and no matter how long I am gone, it will always be part of *home* to me.
I had hoped to post some pictures today of the early days of WHBC, but I haven't had time to locate and scan them. Maybe I'll get to do that before we leave for camp. In the meantime, Happy Birthday, Woodland Heights!!
6.07.2008
Question of the Day
Ammah Grace was in the living room earlier with Billy and I while I was folding laundry, when out of the blue she asks:
"Why Quincey and Darcy not have to wear underwear?"
Quincey and Darcy, for those of you who are wondering, are the four-legged residents of our house.
I decided to defer the answer to that one to Billy...it's hard to answer a serious question when you are doubled over trying not to laugh out loud.
:-D
"Why Quincey and Darcy not have to wear underwear?"
Quincey and Darcy, for those of you who are wondering, are the four-legged residents of our house.
I decided to defer the answer to that one to Billy...it's hard to answer a serious question when you are doubled over trying not to laugh out loud.
:-D
Thankful Saturday :-)
I was so determined to post my Thankful Thursday post this week. When that didn't happen, I was determined that I would get it posted yesterday. I guess it is appropriate that in this week of plans gone awry, my Thankful Thursday post has turned into Thankful Saturday!
We won't even talk about all the ways that our plans have been mangled this week. It would have been a busy week regardless...getting ready for camp, and for VBS soon after we return. Throw in a large last-minute camp assignment (planning crafts :)), a dead air conditioner, and a van that wouldn't start, and it went from busy to berserk really fast!
But there is still much to be thankful for. I had a whole list on Thursday, and I can't even remember what those things were at the moment. Here's what's on my mind today, in completely random fashion (because that is all I am capable of this morning :)):
* A van that runs.
* My husband and our friend Justin who transformed "the van that won't start" into "the van that runs", after almost 5 hours of work last night.
* Good friends who are always there no matter what. Especially for Jodie and Kathy, who have listened to me whine all week and are still speaking to me. :)
* My friend Kathy, who not only saved our lives yesterday when it was hotter in our house than it was outside by bringing big ice-cold Sonic drinks for the whole crew, but who also sat in the middle of the street in front of my house in her brand new car with her flashers on so that our husbands wouldn't be mangled by speeding cars as they laid half in the street and half under our van, wrestling with an uncooperative fuel pump. And who let me sit in the car with her in the ice cold air conditioning to get cooled off after *roasting* in our nice, warm, toasty house. ;-)
* That Kathy's daughter (and Bayley's best friend) wasn't seriously injured when she was hit in the head by a fly ball at softball practice last night. She's going to have quite the goose-egg for a while, not to mention a serious headache, but it could have been much worse.
* For my mom, who saved the day by loaning her van for a while yesterday so that I could run at least the most urgent of my pre-camp errands.
* That less than 48 hours after I found out I would be doing crafts with the kids at camp, the supplies were (almost) all bought and I have a plan. :) For Kathy's help in making that happen, and for Phyllis, who keeps assuring me that all will be wonderful. :)
* For a new window unit A/C, provided by a friend and a friend-of-a-friend, which as soon as we figure out the best way to make it and the wiring in our house cooperate, is going to be a life-saver, following the death of our over-20-year-old main window unit on Thursday.
* For my children's excitement about going to camp! It has been so much fun to watch their enthusiasm spill out into everything this week.
* That God truly does provide for every need, even when our faith is very small.
For more Thankful Thursday posts, visit Iris at Sting My Heart.
6.02.2008
FOR June 2, 2008...
Outside My Window...very welcome sunshine.
I am thinking...pondering the subject of suffering today.
I am thankful for...a handy hubby who has once again patched the roof so that it didn't leak during the storm yesterday! And for a week *at home* to prepare for some very busy (and fun) weeks ahead!
From the kitchen...chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, and veggies for supper, with chocolate chip cookies for dessert.
I am wearing...shorts and a top with patriotic flip flops. :)
I am creating...finishing some clipboards this week (I hope!), starting a special gift album, and actually pulling out the sewing machine to make a few things for camp.
I am going...Nowhere (!!) today, I hope. At some point this week we will need to do some shopping for odds and ends for camp, and one night I need to go to church and sort and count and prep VBS materials. Other than that and normal church activities, we are planning for a busy but quiet week at home. (Yay!)
I am reading...Going back through some old Bible study notes on suffering, flipping through recipes for menu ideas, working through When All Hell Breaks Loose by Steve Lawson, and for bedtime reading, Ten Thousand Charms by Allison Pittman.
I am hoping...for uneventful days between now and the time we leave for camp, for everyone to get back to normal sleeping schedules (we've had lots of interruptions in that area lately!), and for my somewhat temperamental sewing machine to be cooperative as I attempt some sewing projects this week. :)
I am hearing...My 6-and 4-year olds singing silly songs and my 10-year-old chatting with the dog. ;-D
Around the house...I need desperately to get back to decluttering!!! And priming the dining room walls. *That* will probably have to wait until after camp, however. I do have a beautiful new red front door (well, the *red paint* is new, the door is definitely not!) and a lovely new shade of brown paint on my porch, thanks to my wonderful and hard-working husband. :)
One of my favorite things...creative little pieces of artwork from my children.
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:
Finish and mail some "thank you" and "just because" notes, sew!, work on our schedule for the rest of the summer, finalize the camp packing list, finish a few creative projects, and cook a *real* dinner every night. ;-)
Finish and mail some "thank you" and "just because" notes, sew!, work on our schedule for the rest of the summer, finalize the camp packing list, finish a few creative projects, and cook a *real* dinner every night. ;-)
Here is picture thought I am sharing...(add your picture here)
(The little girls helping Daddy at the hardware store. Bay and I had to run back *again* on Saturday morning, and she said, "Mom, I think we've been to Home Depot 18 times this week!" I said, "Well, not *quite* that many, but it is starting to feel like a second home." ;-))
For more info on the Simple Woman's Daybook, to see what others are doing this week, or to participate yourself, visit The Simple Woman. Thanks to Peggy for hosting!
On the Subject of Suffering...
"Nothing takes God by surprise."
"The situation you are experiencing now came as no surprise to God. He knew it was going to happen before the beginning of time, and He has a plan for it."
"God is not sitting in Heaven saying, 'Oh, dear, how did *that* happen?'"
About 18 months ago, during some very hard days when I was questioning my faith in ways I'd never imagined questioning before, words like those above began to hit me from every direction. A friend encouraging me over the phone, every book I picked up to read, a radio program I just *happened* across, and more than one sermon. They were the words I needed to hear....over and over again....and I was awestruck by God's grace in gently reminding me of what I should already have known.
It's happening again.
Everywhere I have turned lately, I have been bombarded by reminders that all carry the same theme:
As Christians, we are to *expect* to suffer. We are not to expect an easy life. God does not give us a *free pass* from the storms of life. But we have the assurance that God is in control, whether it *seems* that way to us or not, and we know that His plans for us are for good and not for evil, plans to give us a future and a hope.
Old journal entries. This book, that book, and the other book I pick up. A blog entry emailed to me by my BIL. An entire blog I *happened* across due to a news article. A sermon by a guest preacher while Bro. Kent was on vacation. A sermon by Bro. Kent when he returned from vacation. A conversation between a friend and one of my children. *Everywhere* I turn, that is the message I am hearing and reading. Again...not a new message at all. But somehow one I keep needing to be reminded of as we continue on the path down which God is leading us now, and as I ache for friends who are suffering intensely as well. Seemingly senseless, needless suffering on all sides, suffering that tempts me daily to question the sovereignty and goodness of God. Suffering that unexplainably continues to lead me back to a constantly renewed assurance of that very sovereignty and goodness. And love, and grace, and mercy, and power.
From a sermon by a guest preacher a few weeks ago :
I don't know that I had ever noticed that particular verse before. Here's an excerpt of an email I typed to a friend about my notes from the sermon:
"Not anything new or earth-shattering, but the first thing I heard him say was, "God is good, period. Whether circumstances are or not, He is. It is God's character to be good, and He cannot be anything else." Then he said, "When you start to struggle with the issue of God's goodness, look to the cross." He talked about the fact that if we focus on the cross, we can't help but see God's inherent goodness...no matter what else is going on around us.
I was already really beginning to see this as a refresher in what God has been teaching me about His goodness for the past 22 months. I was sitting there thinking about how easy it was to cling to and be certain of His goodness with all that went on with Ammah Grace, and even in the bittersweet testimony of my dad at the end: 'God has been *so* good to me,' but how I struggled with the issue of His goodness two summers ago to the point that I questioned everything I had believed all my life for a while....and how much He has taught me since about His goodness and love and grace. Then he said this:
'Goodness and safety are not synonymous. The church has begun to equate safety with the goodness of God, and it is just not true.' He said that even most Christians today have the idea that God's goodness means that we are always going to be safe and protected from harm...or that if something does happen, it will all be okay in the end, because 'God is good.' He said that is a false idea of God's goodness, and then went on to talk about the disciples, and how all but John ended up as martyrs, tortured before they were killed.
When he was talking about all of that, the quote from The Chronicles of Narnia popped into my head..."Aslan is not a tame lion. He is good, but He is not a tame lion." That quote and surrounding parts of that book were a big part of getting me *over the hump* with things [two years ago, when we] were teaching the Narnia class. The next thing I know, he is saying, "In the Narnia movie and book The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, the Beavers are telling the children about Aslan, and one of the children asks, 'Is he a good lion?' and the Beaver responds..." and then goes on into the quote about his being good, but not being tame. He went into some detail about it, and then said, "And God says to us, 'You can count on my goodness, even when it is not safe."
Wow. I needed to again be reminded of all that, especially [right now]."
From the book, When All Hell Breaks Loose, by Steve Lawson (btw...this book should be required reading for every Christian going through trials. *Excellent* reading.):
"But the fact of the matter is that God's children do suffer, don't they? We are not exempt from trials. Tragedy is a required course, not a chosen elective....
The prophet Jeremiah says,
Here is what God is saying: Those who trust God are like massive trees. Strong. Tall. Towering. Deeply rooted. Growing upward. Fruitful. Productive. And, yes, exposed to life's storms."
A little later in that same chapter, Lawson says to those who are suffering:
"...the message of this book is for you. An all-wise God who knows what is best for your life loves you very much. He remains completely in control, ruling in unrivaled sovereignty. He is Lord of your storms, able to calm the angry waves and hush the fierce winds. He is Lord over Satan. He is Lord over adversity. He loves you deeply and seeks your best."
From Bro. Kent's sermon yesterday (pardon the shape of my notes here...I had been up all night with my mom and my notes show it!):
At the end of John 15, the Holy Spirit is referred to as "The Helper". This refers to the fact that we are not going to have the strength to make it on our own. In John 15 and 16, He is telling them, and us, that times are going to get so tough that we can't face them on our own, so...we need a Helper. "We have a bullseye on our back."
1. God discloses our need for a Helper because we are prone to stumble.
2. God discloses our need for a Helper because of the certainty of persecution.
3. God discloses our need for a Helper so that we will not be discouraged when trials come. Our flesh says, "If you loved me, why would you allow me to suffer like this?" Jesus says, "When suffering happens, remember I told you it would happen, so don't be discouraged."
When the world sees us looking like Christ, they will hate us, because they can't see us without seeing Him. They aren't going to love us for our love and kindness and goodness. They are going to hate us."
4. God discloses our need for a Helper because when Jesus left, we became the target.
God is glorified in us when we are going through the fire...that is when others see God in us more than at any other time.
Excerpt from a blog entry my BIL forwarded to me: (Btw...if you want a blessing, check out my BIL's blog. God's work in His life is so evident and exciting, and His heart for the Lord shines through everything else.)
"No doubt the incident [referring to the death of Steven Curtis Chapman's daughter Maria in a tragic accident] shook the faith of some. How could God allow such a thing to happen? Some will even conclude that God must not exist, because of the accident. Yet, being a Christian doesn’t mean that you are immune from the pains of this life. If a Christian is in a tornado, he may be killed, just like a non-Christian. If it rains, he gets wet." He goes on to share his thoughts on tragedy in the life of a Christian here.
And then this week, I *happened* upon this blog, following the death of Greg and Nicol Sponberg's infant son. The blog is written by the Sponberg's sister-in-law, Angie. She and her husband, Todd, lost their infant daugher just a few months ago. Although our circumstances are very different, I have devoured her blog this week and been amazed at how often her words are a perfect echo of what God has been teaching me over the past two years. There is truly a shared "fellowship of His sufferings" in those who have been brought to the point where intense suffering challenges faith and belief, those to whom God has said, as Angie puts it,
For those who have come to that point, and made the choice, "I do. I do believe. No matter what, " there is a fellowship of suffering, even in those who have never met.
God continues to teach me that there *is* joy in suffering...and that the deeper the pain, the more precious the things He shows us about Himself through it.
"The situation you are experiencing now came as no surprise to God. He knew it was going to happen before the beginning of time, and He has a plan for it."
"God is not sitting in Heaven saying, 'Oh, dear, how did *that* happen?'"
About 18 months ago, during some very hard days when I was questioning my faith in ways I'd never imagined questioning before, words like those above began to hit me from every direction. A friend encouraging me over the phone, every book I picked up to read, a radio program I just *happened* across, and more than one sermon. They were the words I needed to hear....over and over again....and I was awestruck by God's grace in gently reminding me of what I should already have known.
It's happening again.
Everywhere I have turned lately, I have been bombarded by reminders that all carry the same theme:
As Christians, we are to *expect* to suffer. We are not to expect an easy life. God does not give us a *free pass* from the storms of life. But we have the assurance that God is in control, whether it *seems* that way to us or not, and we know that His plans for us are for good and not for evil, plans to give us a future and a hope.
Old journal entries. This book, that book, and the other book I pick up. A blog entry emailed to me by my BIL. An entire blog I *happened* across due to a news article. A sermon by a guest preacher while Bro. Kent was on vacation. A sermon by Bro. Kent when he returned from vacation. A conversation between a friend and one of my children. *Everywhere* I turn, that is the message I am hearing and reading. Again...not a new message at all. But somehow one I keep needing to be reminded of as we continue on the path down which God is leading us now, and as I ache for friends who are suffering intensely as well. Seemingly senseless, needless suffering on all sides, suffering that tempts me daily to question the sovereignty and goodness of God. Suffering that unexplainably continues to lead me back to a constantly renewed assurance of that very sovereignty and goodness. And love, and grace, and mercy, and power.
From a sermon by a guest preacher a few weeks ago :
"The Lord is good,
a refuge in times of trouble.
He cares for those who trust in Him."
Nahum 1:7
a refuge in times of trouble.
He cares for those who trust in Him."
Nahum 1:7
I don't know that I had ever noticed that particular verse before. Here's an excerpt of an email I typed to a friend about my notes from the sermon:
"Not anything new or earth-shattering, but the first thing I heard him say was, "God is good, period. Whether circumstances are or not, He is. It is God's character to be good, and He cannot be anything else." Then he said, "When you start to struggle with the issue of God's goodness, look to the cross." He talked about the fact that if we focus on the cross, we can't help but see God's inherent goodness...no matter what else is going on around us.
I was already really beginning to see this as a refresher in what God has been teaching me about His goodness for the past 22 months. I was sitting there thinking about how easy it was to cling to and be certain of His goodness with all that went on with Ammah Grace, and even in the bittersweet testimony of my dad at the end: 'God has been *so* good to me,' but how I struggled with the issue of His goodness two summers ago to the point that I questioned everything I had believed all my life for a while....and how much He has taught me since about His goodness and love and grace. Then he said this:
'Goodness and safety are not synonymous. The church has begun to equate safety with the goodness of God, and it is just not true.' He said that even most Christians today have the idea that God's goodness means that we are always going to be safe and protected from harm...or that if something does happen, it will all be okay in the end, because 'God is good.' He said that is a false idea of God's goodness, and then went on to talk about the disciples, and how all but John ended up as martyrs, tortured before they were killed.
When he was talking about all of that, the quote from The Chronicles of Narnia popped into my head..."Aslan is not a tame lion. He is good, but He is not a tame lion." That quote and surrounding parts of that book were a big part of getting me *over the hump* with things [two years ago, when we] were teaching the Narnia class. The next thing I know, he is saying, "In the Narnia movie and book The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, the Beavers are telling the children about Aslan, and one of the children asks, 'Is he a good lion?' and the Beaver responds..." and then goes on into the quote about his being good, but not being tame. He went into some detail about it, and then said, "And God says to us, 'You can count on my goodness, even when it is not safe."
Wow. I needed to again be reminded of all that, especially [right now]."
From the book, When All Hell Breaks Loose, by Steve Lawson (btw...this book should be required reading for every Christian going through trials. *Excellent* reading.):
"But the fact of the matter is that God's children do suffer, don't they? We are not exempt from trials. Tragedy is a required course, not a chosen elective....
The prophet Jeremiah says,
'Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord
And whose trust is the Lord.
For he will be like a tree planted by the water,
that extends its roots by a stream
And will not fear when the heat comes;
But its leaves will be green,
And it will not be anxious in a year of drought
Nor cease to yield fruit.'
~Jeremiah 17:7-8
And whose trust is the Lord.
For he will be like a tree planted by the water,
that extends its roots by a stream
And will not fear when the heat comes;
But its leaves will be green,
And it will not be anxious in a year of drought
Nor cease to yield fruit.'
~Jeremiah 17:7-8
Here is what God is saying: Those who trust God are like massive trees. Strong. Tall. Towering. Deeply rooted. Growing upward. Fruitful. Productive. And, yes, exposed to life's storms."
A little later in that same chapter, Lawson says to those who are suffering:
"...the message of this book is for you. An all-wise God who knows what is best for your life loves you very much. He remains completely in control, ruling in unrivaled sovereignty. He is Lord of your storms, able to calm the angry waves and hush the fierce winds. He is Lord over Satan. He is Lord over adversity. He loves you deeply and seeks your best."
From Bro. Kent's sermon yesterday (pardon the shape of my notes here...I had been up all night with my mom and my notes show it!):
At the end of John 15, the Holy Spirit is referred to as "The Helper". This refers to the fact that we are not going to have the strength to make it on our own. In John 15 and 16, He is telling them, and us, that times are going to get so tough that we can't face them on our own, so...we need a Helper. "We have a bullseye on our back."
1. God discloses our need for a Helper because we are prone to stumble.
2. God discloses our need for a Helper because of the certainty of persecution.
3. God discloses our need for a Helper so that we will not be discouraged when trials come. Our flesh says, "If you loved me, why would you allow me to suffer like this?" Jesus says, "When suffering happens, remember I told you it would happen, so don't be discouraged."
When the world sees us looking like Christ, they will hate us, because they can't see us without seeing Him. They aren't going to love us for our love and kindness and goodness. They are going to hate us."
4. God discloses our need for a Helper because when Jesus left, we became the target.
God is glorified in us when we are going through the fire...that is when others see God in us more than at any other time.
Excerpt from a blog entry my BIL forwarded to me: (Btw...if you want a blessing, check out my BIL's blog. God's work in His life is so evident and exciting, and His heart for the Lord shines through everything else.)
"No doubt the incident [referring to the death of Steven Curtis Chapman's daughter Maria in a tragic accident] shook the faith of some. How could God allow such a thing to happen? Some will even conclude that God must not exist, because of the accident. Yet, being a Christian doesn’t mean that you are immune from the pains of this life. If a Christian is in a tornado, he may be killed, just like a non-Christian. If it rains, he gets wet." He goes on to share his thoughts on tragedy in the life of a Christian here.
And then this week, I *happened* upon this blog, following the death of Greg and Nicol Sponberg's infant son. The blog is written by the Sponberg's sister-in-law, Angie. She and her husband, Todd, lost their infant daugher just a few months ago. Although our circumstances are very different, I have devoured her blog this week and been amazed at how often her words are a perfect echo of what God has been teaching me over the past two years. There is truly a shared "fellowship of His sufferings" in those who have been brought to the point where intense suffering challenges faith and belief, those to whom God has said, as Angie puts it,
"Either you do, or you don't."
For those who have come to that point, and made the choice, "I do. I do believe. No matter what, " there is a fellowship of suffering, even in those who have never met.
God continues to teach me that there *is* joy in suffering...and that the deeper the pain, the more precious the things He shows us about Himself through it.
"The Spirit Himself testifies with our Spirit that we are God's children.
Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ,
if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory.
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."
~Romans 8:16-18
Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ,
if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory.
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."
~Romans 8:16-18
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,
who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives,
so also through Christ our comfort overflows.
If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.
And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort."
~2 Cor. 1:3-7
the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,
who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives,
so also through Christ our comfort overflows.
If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.
And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort."
~2 Cor. 1:3-7
6.01.2008
Happy Birthday....
to my best-friend-since-college-and-Maid-of-Honor-in-my-wedding T Marie!!!!!!!!
I had great plans for a wonderfully fun post complete with photos and all sorts of creative stuff. However, spending the night in the ER has not only temporarily zapped me of any and all creative juices, but also rendered me completely mentally and physically incapable of finding and/or scanning/uploading vintage "Jef and T-Ri" photos at the present time.
So, for now, I will just say a huge "Happy Birthday" to my dear friend, and direct you to her blog, Creative Confetti, if you would like to pop in and wish her a wonderful day yourself. (While you are there, scroll down and check out her Haiti pictures. They are incredible. Grab some Kleenex.)
Love you, Girl!!! Have a totally fabulous day!!!!
I had great plans for a wonderfully fun post complete with photos and all sorts of creative stuff. However, spending the night in the ER has not only temporarily zapped me of any and all creative juices, but also rendered me completely mentally and physically incapable of finding and/or scanning/uploading vintage "Jef and T-Ri" photos at the present time.
So, for now, I will just say a huge "Happy Birthday" to my dear friend, and direct you to her blog, Creative Confetti, if you would like to pop in and wish her a wonderful day yourself. (While you are there, scroll down and check out her Haiti pictures. They are incredible. Grab some Kleenex.)
Love you, Girl!!! Have a totally fabulous day!!!!
Are We Having Fun Yet??
My mom is always asking this in the midst of the *not-so-fun* experiences of life. Last night sometime around 11 she asked the inevitable question. And for anyone who is curious...no, we weren't.
In case you have lived a charmed life and not discovered this fact for yourself yet....the local ER is not the place you want to be on a Saturday night. (Especially when it is the *other* ER...the one across town from the one where Dear Hubby is employed. ;-)) However, that is precisely where I ended up last night with my mom. I'll save my rant for later, but let's just say I have spent more than my share of time in ER's in my life, and last night was one of the *worst* experiences *ever*. (And that is saying a lot. Believe me.)
The short story (aka the "I Still Haven't Had Any Sleep" version) is that the external fixator (metal pin/screw/bar contraption that was surgically placed 7 1/2 weeks ago to set my mom's broken arm) was coming loose and moving in places that it wasn't supposed to. We were told that she would have to have surgery (in the middle of the night, mind you) to re-place it. After sitting for *hours* with no activity at all, she finally went up to surgery at 11-something. And *after* they had already started pre-op anesthesia, the surgeon actually looked at her arm and decided she didn't need surgery after all, but simply needed the device removed.
So....they went ahead and put her to sleep to do a procedure that they would normally do in-office without any sort of anesthesia. Have I mentioned that my mom does not do well with anesthesia? For anyone local, if you want the name of an orthopedic surgeon to avoid like the plague....let me know and I'll be glad to share. :)
However, all's well that ends well, I suppose. Mother's arm is now metal-free, I finally ate supper around 1:30 a.m., and I even got home in time for Billy to finish patching the roof before church (in anticipation of the heavy rain/wind we did indeed have immediately *after* church. Ugh!)
I'm trying diligently to stay up until the church-bound folk leave in an hour or so, and then I plan to go to bed. For the night. As in, until tomorrow morning.
Maybe we'll have fun tomorrow.
;-)
In case you have lived a charmed life and not discovered this fact for yourself yet....the local ER is not the place you want to be on a Saturday night. (Especially when it is the *other* ER...the one across town from the one where Dear Hubby is employed. ;-)) However, that is precisely where I ended up last night with my mom. I'll save my rant for later, but let's just say I have spent more than my share of time in ER's in my life, and last night was one of the *worst* experiences *ever*. (And that is saying a lot. Believe me.)
The short story (aka the "I Still Haven't Had Any Sleep" version) is that the external fixator (metal pin/screw/bar contraption that was surgically placed 7 1/2 weeks ago to set my mom's broken arm) was coming loose and moving in places that it wasn't supposed to. We were told that she would have to have surgery (in the middle of the night, mind you) to re-place it. After sitting for *hours* with no activity at all, she finally went up to surgery at 11-something. And *after* they had already started pre-op anesthesia, the surgeon actually looked at her arm and decided she didn't need surgery after all, but simply needed the device removed.
So....they went ahead and put her to sleep to do a procedure that they would normally do in-office without any sort of anesthesia. Have I mentioned that my mom does not do well with anesthesia? For anyone local, if you want the name of an orthopedic surgeon to avoid like the plague....let me know and I'll be glad to share. :)
However, all's well that ends well, I suppose. Mother's arm is now metal-free, I finally ate supper around 1:30 a.m., and I even got home in time for Billy to finish patching the roof before church (in anticipation of the heavy rain/wind we did indeed have immediately *after* church. Ugh!)
I'm trying diligently to stay up until the church-bound folk leave in an hour or so, and then I plan to go to bed. For the night. As in, until tomorrow morning.
Maybe we'll have fun tomorrow.
;-)
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