My **new* January schedule:

Richmond to Washington/Dulles
Washington/Dulles to Vienna
Vienna to Prague
Prague to Budapest
Budapest to Skopje, Macedonia
Skopje, Macedonia to Vienna
Vienna to Washington/Dulles
Washington/Dulles to Vienna

I have always wanted to go to Austria and run across the green hills singing all my Sound of Music favorites....My layover is only two hours. I might have to run down the shiny polished floors in the airport instead. Wonder if that will cause any crazy looks?

Oh...did I mention that I hate to fly? And I just gained an extra leg?

Zechariah 4:6

My January Schedule:

Richmond to New York
New York to Prague
Prague to Budapest
Budapest to Skopje
Skopje to Zurich
Zurich to Atlanta
Atlanta to Richmond
________________
7 flights
11,058 miles
One purpose:
Jesus

What I did Monday Night...

What a thrill!!! What a chance of a lifetime!!! I can cross this off my bucket list although I hope it is not the last time I get to go to a Redskins game!

Yes, Andy and I were at FedEx field on Monday night for the Redskins vs. Steelers game. I am a diehard 'skins fan...and Andy is a diehard Steelers fan.

I only wish the outcome would have been different.



This happened too much.....

And this happened too much....


And there were too many of these twirling yellow things...

But I still llloooooovvvvvveeeee my skins!

Goblins and Ghouls!

Happy Halloween!
I love answering my door to see what goblins and ghouls are visiting me! Princesses, Grim Reaper, witches, Power Rangers (well...maybe not but I am not up on the current cartoons since all my kids are grown but they kinda looked like Power Rangers), etc. I even had "Slash" from Guns 'n Roses! I could not believe the 10 year old who was dressed up as him even knew who he was!

I always look forward to seeing the two boys who live next door (pictured below). Phillip (far right) would be upset that the flash allowed me to see his face...or would he? He IS smiling for the camera, after all!

Elijah threw together a wizard outfit in about 5 minutes from some stuff we found in the attic. Do wizards use cellphones? I guess the wizard on the Verizon commerical does...so why can't this wizard?

My cousins always come by the house to see me! I love it when they come! Their older sister is too old to trick or treat now and so I just get the two younger ones! Aren't they cute? Too much fun!

Just had two more trick or treaters ring the doorbell. Buzz Lightyear was so tired that he was leaning against his grandmother saying "I'm tired...can we finish now?"

priceless........................

Happy Birthday Elijah!

It has been a long time since I blogged last but what a great day to return! Today my baby turned 18 years old! Can that be true? Can it really have been 18 years ago today that I delivered this boy in an ambulance on the side of the road? Ummmm...excuse me....do you think you could pull this squad over? This baby is coming on it's own and there is nothing I can do about it!! And that he did...1...2...3.....baby delivered. On a beautiful fall day in front of Henry's Market! I'll never forget the squad driver calling JW over the radio and telling them that the "eagle had landed!"

And look at him now.............................love this boy! Should have named him "Henry"

My Jack is Baaaccckkk!

I've been waiting for this day!! This is the ONLY show that I stop what I am doing (well, besides some Redskin football) and actually sit down to watch! And if I'm not at home.....yes, I record it with my DVR! I know what I am doing November 23rd!
Wanna come over?

A Holy Vessel? YES!!!

I attend a weekly Bible study group that has been together for many years. These are amazing women that I would count as some of my closest friends. I can always count on them to speak truth over me.

We are currently in the Beth Moore study on the book of Daniel. Last night's lesson was particularly powerful for me.

We were studying about Belshazzar (Nebuchandnezzar's grandson) who threw a small party for a thousand nobles, his wives and his concubines. As the evening progressed and they had indulged quite a bit of wine (can you say drunk??), Belshazzar ordered the gold and silver goblets that had been taken from the temple of God to be brought in so that they could all drink from them. And as they drank, they praised the gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, etc.

In other words (and as Beth puts it) "Belshazzar made the grievous mistake of treating the holy as unholy." Something that had been conscreated by God or "set aside and reserved exclusively for God" had been treated as common and vile.



Then Beth made this comparison:



We, too, are holy vessels in the house of the Lord. Something holy is "that which has been brought into relationship with God and designated by Him as having a sacred purpose."



Many of us do not accept ourselves as holy or that we have a sacred purpose. Nothing is more to Satan's advantage than you not to see yourself as holy because you're gonna act as you feel. And if I don't feel holy or believe it to be true, I am opening myself up to unholy matters, or actions, or attitudes, or feelings, etc.



I have a sacred purpose. I am holy.



2 Corinthians 1:21 -22 says:

"...He anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come."

I love that! He put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit!
I'm on lay-away!!
God has bought me and he is "guaranteeing" that He is destined to complete it.

This lesson especially spoke to me because I often fall into the trap of self-depreciation. Many times, in the playings of my own mind, I allow the enemy to tell me that I am the ONE person in all of humankind that God is supremely dissappointed in and that He is indifferent toward me. Now I know this is not true but I allow the enemy to push that button with me over and over again.

So...Beth had us repeat this pledge, inserting our names and saying it loud and proud! I had a hard time saying it loud because I was choking back tears. But I believe it and I am going to post it on my refrigerator for a daily reminder.

I am posting it here and if you feel so inclined, insert your name and say it loud like you mean it!
'cuz it's true!

I, ____________, belong to God.
I am a holy vessel because I house the Holy Spirit of the living God.
The Lord of heaven and earth has said over me, "I declare you holy."
Today I commit to start believing what He says.

I am holy!

Empower me daily, Spirit of the Living God, to treat myself as holy.
Open my eyes to every scheme of the enemy to treat me as if I'm not.

You, God, are God!
Your word is truth.
This day, Father, I chose to believe you!

In Jesus name, Amen and Amen!

Christmas in September???

Tonight, a few from the youth group came to the house and we celebrated Christmas!! WHAT??? Yes, we celebrated Christmas by making handcrafted Christmas cards to sell for our Youth Group. Creativity was rampant in my dining room as we laughed and glued! All proceeds will go to Youth Fundraising account to help fund retreats and scholarships for kids who cannot afford some of our activities!

Aren't they beautiful???

We suckered Elijah to join in on the fun! And he created some pretty impressive cards, eh?

Merry Christmas! 107 days left to go!

Rainy Day Passtime and Generation Gap

Our rainy day event today was Cranium. I was invited to play with the 5 other guys hanging out at my house today. Josiah and I have been Pictionary partners before and we SMOKED the other teams so....today we partnered up again....and WON again!!
But I must say, it is pretty funny for a 45 year old to play with 16 and 17 year olds.

For example, my partner had NO IDEA who "The Fonz" was when I kept saying "eeehhhhh" with my thumbs up in the air. And Elijah had to guess Ed McMahon by Vance getting him to guess "Ed" from a current cartoon and "McMahon" from Vance humming "Old MACDONALD". Somehow he knew Ed McMahon's name enough to pull it off. Maybe it was his recent brush with the news when his house went into foreclosure??? Either way...he knew the name but had not a clue as to what had made him famous.

John Wayne proved to be a difficult person for the "younger generation" to describe as well. No one knew his famous line "Well I gotta tell ya, little pilgrim." They only knew him from his name being mentioned in a recent Jackie Chan movie.

None of these examples gave me an advantage because my partner was a 17 year old.

But it was a day full of good clean fun and lots of laughs!

Especially for this old fart.......

I LOVE this boy!

I cannot believe that in 9 short months, this child (my youngest) will graduate High School and forever close this chapter of my life! I AM NOT READY FOR THIS!! An empty nester? That is not in my vocabulary!!

It was so hard to watch the other two boys walk out the door on their journey "post High School". Yes, they come home every summer and Jared has taken this semester off and is currently at home working...BUT, it is not the same.

I cannot stop this train, I know. But I would love to somehow make it slow down....

I long for the day of kissing scraped knees, reading books at bedtime, wrestling on the floor, carrying them when they are too tired to walk, drying little tears and all the little Mommy things!

Thank you God for allowing me to be their Mom! It is truly my greatest joy!

Keep Chasin' Me!

If I ascend into the sky

Or hide behind the night

I can not run

Your love is chasing me

--Leeland

the C word

At first glance and maybe longer, this is a beautiful picture. But this picture is of a life destroyer..a dream killer...a hope squasher....a paramount struggle....a ferocious battle...a true enemy--the enemy within.

This is a picture of cancer. Specifically, this is colon cancer. It was my Aunt Jean's diagnosis today.

Suddenly this picture is ugly. Incredibly ugly.

Pray for Jean.

True Friend

Elijah's friend Vance has been here all day (except when he left to go to football practice) sitting with Elijah while he recovers....

now THIS is a true friend!

So far...So Good

Today Elijah had all 4 wisdom teeth removed. So far...so good. Looks pretty good, eh?

The day started with a meeting at 7 am. I sit on the production team at our church and I get to evaluate and celebrate the service from the previous Sunday. Afterward we talk about upcooming services, sermon series and desired outcomes. I had considered missing this meeting with E's surgery pending this morning. I am so glad I didn't. I need the people I sit at the table with on Tuesday mornings. Even if my mind was 1,000 other places, I was glad I went. Not sure if I contributed a thing but I am glad I was there nonetheless.

After leaving the meeting, I ran by the house and made 2 bowls of jello and 1 bowl of pudding. Now--we are ready to conquer the wrath of oral surgery!! We packed up and headed to Midlothian.

The funniest thing that happened was in the waiting room. Elijah and I arrived to a somewhat empty waiting room and then they starting coming....one by one.....we became surrounded by pre-medicated patients. I had opted NOT to give Elijah the prescribed diazepam. I am so glad I did! These teenagers were HIGH out of their minds! Some could not sit upright in the chair, others were being loud and giggly while their parent wanted to crawl under their seat. Others had slurred speech and kept wanting to break the "turn off your cellphone" rule. It was quite the scene!

Elijah and I just kept looking at each other like "What on God's green earth is going on here????"

Anyway...Elijah went through his procedure just fine. Didn't say too many hysterical things for me to post here. He did keep asking me if someone "carried" him into the post procedure room because he does not remember walking!

No, Elijah. You walked. I promise.

After we got home, Sarah brought him a milkshake which was awesome of her.

Right now there are 8 friends hanging out in the living room watching a movie with him.

We are keeping on the ice and will continue that regimen all through the night. No pain meds. Only good 'ol ibuprofen and an antibiotic.

Thanks for all the concern and the prayers! God is good!

Go USA!

USA vs. Brazil
Given my love of Brazil (my blog header pic is in my "home away from home" Salvador, Brazil)--this will be a tough one! I feel so torn!

But I am American...and I will be cheering for the US Women's team as they step out on the pitch later this week! Go Team!!

I sure hope I get whatever channel will be showing this. And what's up with that???? I can watch trampoline finals but the women's soccer gold medal round is not on NBC?? I don't get it. Somebody explain, please.


p.s. I'm sure I won't resist cheering on the blue, yellow & green from time to time. They are American, too! SOUTH American!

Emotional Bankruptcy

It is very distressing when people you love are struggling. For me, it is much harder to watch my family members struggle than when I am in a struggle myself. I would much rather be the one that is suffering. I am a people pleaser by nature. I like to make other's load seem lighter. It is what I am wired to do. And when it is what you are wired to do and yet you cannot seem to fix it--it is very overwhelming.

My father has so many struggles. A heart condition, diabetes, lymphoma, a degenerated hip that cannot be fixed, some dementia and a new diagnosis of Alzheimers. His hip causes him so much pain that he has a implanted pain pump that delivers enough meds to knock over a large cow, I'm sure..and yet, he still has pain. He has to augment this pain pump with oral pain meds from time to time which only adds to his moods being altered.

My father's struggles dominate the life of my stepmom who is his caregiver. Her days are filled with caring for him and little time to herself. Most of the time she is up to the task. Some days, she just can't take it anymore. Recently, that has been the case. And as his children, we have been left with the panic and anxiety that goes along with sorting out the future. Many questions. Many concerns for both Daddy and Momma Mary.

I feel like I am plunging into emotional bankruptcy.

I watched my mother fight leukemia for 10 years as my father held the role of caregiver. I didn't think I would survive her death. I literally thought it would cost me my life, the inability to take my next breath without my Mom. Of course that is not the case, God gives live and breath. But it is how I felt. I was a young single Mom and very desperate at the thought of losing her. And now, I am here watching my Daddy struggle in the same way.

In it all, THANK YOU God for gently reminding me of these things:

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Josh. 1:9

"Blessed be GOD- he heard me praying. He proved He's on my side; I've thrown my lot in with Him Now I'm jumping for joy and shouting and singing my thanks to Him." Psalm 28:7 (Msg)

"Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." Neh. 8:10b

"I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth." Psalm 121;1-2

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Phil. 4:6-7

Thank you God for making deposits into my soul through your Word and saving me from certain emotional bankruptcy.

Oh What a Time!

So, yesterday was the day!! Ashleigh and Scott's wedding reception. Everything about it was perfect! The reception hall was transformed into a tropical oasis. The bridge and groom looked great and fun was had by all. It was just so special to spend time with my family. I hardly ever get to spend time with my husband and three boys all together but to have my entire family (minus one brother-in-law who was sick) together was priceless!
The mother (my sis Judy) and the bride in a mother/daughter moment

Ashleigh and Judy in their now famous sunglasses and pose

My husband, Andy looking very handsome

The three best boys in the world, our sons.

Jared and Elijah chill before the wedding
Kong, Jessica and me

The father of the bride (Robert) and my Daddy

My Daddy really enjoyed "dancing" with all the ladies!

Jessica joins her Paw-Paw on the dance floor for a slow dance. Precious.

The tropical paradise

Elijah and Jared tear up the dance floor

My Daddy's sisters, Jean and Clara

Zach, me and ElijahMy brother Jay and his wife, JenniferJessica and my precious Aunt Dora Dean. She bought this dress in Hawaii many years ago and had never worn it. She pulled it out of her trunk for the tropical themed reception! Isn't she special?My two sisters......LOVE THEM!

Mr. Handsome, Elijah

Nephews Joseph and Justin chat it up with Uncle Robert

Celebrate Good Times, Come On!!

This Saturday we are heading to my hometown of Culpeper to celebrate the wedding of my neice. She and her husband, Scott, were married on July 4th in Mexico. Saturday is a reception back home for friends and family. I am sharing some of their beautiful wedding pics here and I hope to have lots more to share from the reception!

Good Times. Wish I could have been there.

My sister, Judy (mother of the bride) and her daughter AshleighMy brother-in-law escorting his daughter to the gazeboMy neice, Jessica (far left) and my nephew Justin in the middle, looking quite emotional. The bride and groom with my neices and nephew Jessica, Justin and Janel The family of the bride (from left) my nephew Joseph, the Bride and Groom, my brother-in-law Robert and my sissy, Judy.