Ok. Carole has plugged me. I've got to keep up with this.
Everyone is doing fine today. I'm happy most of the time, but I sure miss home. No, I'm not talking about heaven. It's the next best thing...Red Stick. Baton Rouge, baby. It's hard to explain the way it feels to be so bonded to a piece of geography. I relate it to Scarlett O'Hara's deep need to go back to Tara. And it doesn't look like I'll be back any time soon.
My kids have wonderful lives. They have good friends, a good church, happy times. We have a home that is the Grand Central of teenagers and kids. It's never clean (the house)and I could not care less. Some of my kids' friends will come and spend the night even if my own kids aren't here. Football season has become gumbo season for these Florida boys. I love it. But I need to go home. I need to go to the Mobil station and eat a tiger burger. I need to see my mom and laugh my butt off at Kandi. And Little Ken. I need to go shopping with Ashley and go anywhere with Kay Lynn. I need to see my brother and hear him laugh. I need to see my boys play with Micah and Dalton. I need Dean and Carole to block off their whole week to come sit around and do nothing with me. I need to go to the cemetery and cry. I really need John to cut and color my hair.
So, pray for me. People I love are living and dying and I'm 600 miles away. I know I'm just homesick, but I never want to be cured of it.
Monday, August 28, 2006
Friday, August 11, 2006
OK. I'm obviously not very faithful to the blog. I just have so much going on.
School started. Bradley is going to school (he's a Senior) and running Cross Country. Andrew is taking guitar lessons so he can be in the church band. He is really good. Evan is playing Jr. High football and homeschooling. How am I homeschooling since I work? They (the football team) start hitting on Monday. I have become one of those Moms. I can't wait. Evan is probably going to get cut in half, but hitting day is awesome. I'm bringing my camera. He is also playing the drums now, so there's a constant jam session in my dining room. Honey is taking gymnastics and art lessons. Isabelle is also taking gymnastics. I'm responsible for my 3rd and 4th grade class's education for now. Brad is helping me clean and cook even though he thinks that it's God's will for me to do that. (!) Whatever, man! I love my life, but it's hectic. Anybody wanna come visit me? I wish you would!! I love you all. Pray for us!
School started. Bradley is going to school (he's a Senior) and running Cross Country. Andrew is taking guitar lessons so he can be in the church band. He is really good. Evan is playing Jr. High football and homeschooling. How am I homeschooling since I work? They (the football team) start hitting on Monday. I have become one of those Moms. I can't wait. Evan is probably going to get cut in half, but hitting day is awesome. I'm bringing my camera. He is also playing the drums now, so there's a constant jam session in my dining room. Honey is taking gymnastics and art lessons. Isabelle is also taking gymnastics. I'm responsible for my 3rd and 4th grade class's education for now. Brad is helping me clean and cook even though he thinks that it's God's will for me to do that. (!) Whatever, man! I love my life, but it's hectic. Anybody wanna come visit me? I wish you would!! I love you all. Pray for us!
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Is that it??
Most of you know that I have 5 children: Bradley,16, Andrew, 14, Evan, 12, Honey, 10, and Isabelle, 7. It never stops being amazing that they are all so different. I am so amused and shamelessly proud of all of them. It's almost tacky.
Recently, while sitting on the couch with Honey, watching a little Sponge Bob, God spoke to me. His voice was not thunderous, or still and small for that matter. It was a high pitched voice, not shrill, but up there, with a heavy southern accent. He said, via Honey, "So. Let me get this straight. God made us to live for Him? We pray and worship Him. We go to church. Is that it? (if you're not saying this in the high voice with the accent, you're robbing yourself. Back to Honey) What are we doing here? Why did he make us? What's the point?"
Now, I know that everyone has eloquent answers to these questions. I pride myself on being able to come up with some deep stuff in a pinch. Unfortunately, I, that particular day or week (ok, month), wasn't getting the whole 'Why are we here?' thing. In fact, I wasn't even caring enough to inquire. Now, if God would have asked with his big, outdoor voice, I could have just fallen limp, flopped like a dying fish, and said "I don't know, God. Don't you feel sorry for me?" But since He was using Honey (nice touch), I had to come up with something. Here is my child, my love, my extention, my 10 year old looking to me for hope and meaning in her young, unjaded, green life. Here I am wanting to say, "Well, Honey, it stays just like this, and then you get to do other people's laundry until Jesus breaks open the sky. Good luck. Keep a positive attitude, too." No, I didn't. But I thought it. Then I dug deep.
I told her that we are supposed to let God change us into His likeness, and the way He does that is by us loving other people, especially the annoying ones. That's it. The meaning of life. Love people. Don't just talk about it. There is always someone to love. I've never been without in that area. Everyone needs it, and we are transformed when we do it, and we are transformed when we receive it. Honey said, "Oh." as she nodded slowly. Made sense to her. That's not so deep. God's going to take care of the judging. It's our job to love, to touch, to hug, to feed, clothe, teach, play with, listen to, pay for, pray for, and on and on. Good luck. Keep a positive attitude, too!
Recently, while sitting on the couch with Honey, watching a little Sponge Bob, God spoke to me. His voice was not thunderous, or still and small for that matter. It was a high pitched voice, not shrill, but up there, with a heavy southern accent. He said, via Honey, "So. Let me get this straight. God made us to live for Him? We pray and worship Him. We go to church. Is that it? (if you're not saying this in the high voice with the accent, you're robbing yourself. Back to Honey) What are we doing here? Why did he make us? What's the point?"
Now, I know that everyone has eloquent answers to these questions. I pride myself on being able to come up with some deep stuff in a pinch. Unfortunately, I, that particular day or week (ok, month), wasn't getting the whole 'Why are we here?' thing. In fact, I wasn't even caring enough to inquire. Now, if God would have asked with his big, outdoor voice, I could have just fallen limp, flopped like a dying fish, and said "I don't know, God. Don't you feel sorry for me?" But since He was using Honey (nice touch), I had to come up with something. Here is my child, my love, my extention, my 10 year old looking to me for hope and meaning in her young, unjaded, green life. Here I am wanting to say, "Well, Honey, it stays just like this, and then you get to do other people's laundry until Jesus breaks open the sky. Good luck. Keep a positive attitude, too." No, I didn't. But I thought it. Then I dug deep.
I told her that we are supposed to let God change us into His likeness, and the way He does that is by us loving other people, especially the annoying ones. That's it. The meaning of life. Love people. Don't just talk about it. There is always someone to love. I've never been without in that area. Everyone needs it, and we are transformed when we do it, and we are transformed when we receive it. Honey said, "Oh." as she nodded slowly. Made sense to her. That's not so deep. God's going to take care of the judging. It's our job to love, to touch, to hug, to feed, clothe, teach, play with, listen to, pay for, pray for, and on and on. Good luck. Keep a positive attitude, too!
My first...
Well, hello. I've decided that if Dean is willing to do this, then what am I waiting for? The title of my blog is a reference from the end of To Kill a Mockingbird. Scout had walked Boo Radley home and thought, "Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Just standing on the Radley porch was enough." I'm completely in to that. Perhaps some people will also benefit, enjoy, or just laugh at the world from my porch. So pull up your rocking chair, and I think there's room on the swing. I have a story to tell you...
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