Notes from the Letter N

The Love of God

2012-02-13T12:10:00.000-06:00

After listening to Ebenezer: The Lord Has Brought Me This Far by Dave Hunt, as well as some other CDs recently, I am inspired to try to share a hymn with you on a weekly basis. I think it will be on Sundays, but since this is "Love Week" (in case you haven't checked the calendar, tomorrow is Valentine's Day), I wanted to post this one today. It's about a greater love than any human can give another. And when I hear/read the last stanza and let the word picture form in my mind, it totally blows me away. Every time.

The Love of God

The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell.
It goes beyond the highest star
And reaches to the lowest hell.
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win.
His erring child He reconciled
And pardoned from his sin.

When years of time shall pass away
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men, who here, refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call,
God’s love so sure shall still endure,
All measureless and strong.
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race –
The saints’ and angels’ song.

Could we with ink the ocean fill
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were ev’ry stalk on earth a quill
And ev’ry man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry,
Nor could the scroll contain the whole
Though stretched from sky to sky.

O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure –
The saints’ and angels’ song.

Words: Frederick M. Lehman; he wrote this song in 1917 in Pasadena, California, and it was published in Songs That Are Different, Volume 2, 1919. The lyrics are based on the Jewish poem Haddamut, written in Aramaic in 1050 by Meir Ben Isaac Nehorai, a cantor in Worms, Germany; they have been translated into at least 18 languages.

One day, during short intervals of inattention to our work, we picked up a scrap of paper and, seated upon an empty lemon box pushed against the wall, with a stub pencil, added the (first) two stanzas and chorus of the song…Since the lines (3rd stanza from the Jewish poem) had been found penciled on the wall of a patient’s room in an insane asylum after he had been carried to his grave, the general opinion was that this inmate had written the epic in moments of sanity.
Frederick M. Lehman, “History of the Song, The Love of God,” 1948

Music: Frederick Lehman; arranged by his daughter, Claudia L. Mays (MIDI, score).

Friday Favorite: Surprises!

2012-02-10T07:00:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, my sweet friend, Ruth stopped by my office to bring me a present. It wasn't my birthday (yet). In fact, it was just a regular January day. Ruth told me that she was bringing me a January Surprise. It was a painting of the Bluebird Cafe that she had done for me, which I love (the painting and the place)!

A little more of the back story is that back in November, Ruth and her daughter and I went to a craft sale at The Station Inn near downtown Nashville. There were lots of vendors with lots of cool, hand-made stuff, and we all found fun gifts to give friends and family, and were creatively inspired to make some things of our own. At that sale, we saw a painting of the Bluebird Cafe (one of my favorite places in Nashville), but it was large, and cost more than I needed to spend, so I got the name of the artist and went on my way.

Well, Ruth was evidently inspired that day, and decided to make me a painting of the Bluebird Cafe! What a thoughtful friend! And it warmed my heart so much for her to surprise me with it on an ordinary January day! Because if you didn't know this about me, I love surprises (good ones, of course) and I love gifts (small or large, store-bought or hand-made). It just make me feel very special and loved!

So, I wanted to share the love and reciprocate with a special "thank you" for Ruth. I knew that Anderson Design Group had done a Bluebird Cafe print and I thought I had a post card of it somewhere. Long story short, I didn't have one on hand, but I finally was able to get what I needed to create the card that I was envisioning in my mind. Here's how it turned out:

I could also say that some of my favorite things are the Bluebird Cafe, card-making, and the Spirit of Nashville prints, but I'll save those for some other Friday Favorites!

Birthday Fun

2012-02-07T21:35:00.000-06:00

My birthday was a workday, but it was an unusually quiet Friday at the church house, so Jeanette brought the girls by for a few minutes. It was fun to have some birthday visitors!


I wish I had a picture of Mary Lane "sashay-ing" across the church lawn in this get-up (she had a ponytail on top of her head for a few minutes before she pulled it out).


My little office "helpers"!

Erica can write her name (needs a little help with the "C")

Erica thought it was cool to get a bulletin "hot off the press"

Sherry and Maddie brought me a yummy cupcake treat!

That night, our family was invited to the Tusculum Hills Baptist Church Strider's Club Banquet. My parents have walked on the indoor track there for over 13 years and as part of the program, my dad was remembered among the other walkers who had passed away during the previous year. We appreciated the tribute to Dad and also enjoyed the dinner and the entertainment: a Barney Fife impersonator.

On Saturday afternoon, we had our family birthday celebration at Mom's house for an early supper. Earlier in the week, Erica had asked what kind of birthday I was going to have. I told her to pick it out for me and I loved the "ballerina princess" theme that she chose!


Don't mess with this Princess!

Princess Sisters!

There weren't enough princess tiaras to go around (and Erica wanted to take this picture).


I guess he thinks we won't know who it is wearing that backwards tiara!


They put a question mark, but I held up my hand to show how many fingers I am this year!

Sister Saturday: Guest Blogger

2012-02-04T07:00:00.002-06:00

Yesterday was my sister's birthday. In honor of Nanette, I am writing a guest post today about sisters. It is extra cool having two girls because I think about many ways that Erica and Mary Lane will benefit from having each other, just like Nanette and I do.

Nanette and I shared a unique childhood growing up in the Metropolitan New York area as missionary kids. Our little town in NJ had very few families who shared our faith. Even with that challenge we thrived because of our parents' commitment to raising us to know the Lord. We had an amazing time learning about other cultures by attending many churches as part of my Dad's work. I remember giggling through some pretty interesting weddings and church services with Nanette. We had a terrible habit of laughing (loudly and partly out of nervousness) in new or uncomfortable situations.

Because of our vastly different temperaments, Nanette and I weren't always the best of friends through the teen years. When she left for college, "1000s of miles" away in Nashville, my appreciation for her grew and we connected on a deeper level through phone calls and letters. After my freshman year of never fitting in at Samford University, I joined Nanette in Nashville when I transferred to Belmont. Our friendship and dedication to one another grew immensely.

I could go on and on about the times we've shared, but I will skip ahead to this past year and try to describe how priceless it was to have a sister to share the month of October 2011 with. We stumbled into the month, continuing our regular routines of working and parenting, and WHAM -- October 4th came. Dad entered the hospital and within two days was in ICU, unresponsive, and expected to die any hour. Nanette and I had many hours together either in the hospital, loving on Dad, supporting and advising Mom, or just staying connected every hour by phone or text. My love for her grew to a new level during the time when Dad died on October 13 and through the time of his memorial service and continuing now as we walk through a long season of grief together. Of course we never know the day or the hour that any of us will die, but I have a strong sense of hope for my children knowing they will have a sister who will hold their hand through the death of their parents.

OK, enough heavy stuff.

Fun Facts for Sister Saturday:

Nanette is 31 months older than Jeanette. Erica is 22 months older than Mary Lane.
Erica shares many "firstborn" traits with Nanette. Mary Lane shares many "youngest" traits with Jeanette.
So far in our personalities, Erica is the brainy one like Nanette was as a child and Mary Lane is much more happy-go-lucky like Jeanette. Of course that could all change, because Nanette and I agree that we have reversed personalities in our current stages of life. Who knows?

It is just the coolest to share the sister experience. Love you, Nanette!!!!!!!

Birthday Letter

2012-02-03T17:55:00.000-06:00

Because it's my birthday and I often received letters from my Dad on my birthday, I thought I'd write one to him today.

Dear Dad,

It's my first birthday without being able to hear you sing "Happy Birthday" to me. I kind of feel like you were probably singing it today, but I just couldn't hear you. It made me smile when Mom sang to me on the phone this morning, although I was also thinking about how her soprano voice sounded like it needed your baritone along with it. She told me what you would have said, that my parents love me and are proud of me and are thankful that I was born. You never let me forget that I was a much-wanted child and that the day I was born was a special day in your lives. As I told Mom this morning, thank you for having me!

While I couldn't hear your voice this morning, I heard loud and clear from my Lord in my devotional reading for today:

"I am with you and for you. You face nothing alone--nothing! When you feel anxious, know that you are focusing on the visible world and leaving Me out of the picture. The answer is simple: Fix your eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen. Verbalize your trust in Me, the Living One who sees you always. I will get you safely through this day and all your days. But you can find Me only in the present. Each day is a precious gift from My Father. How ridiculous to grasp for future gifts when today's is set before you! Receive today's gift gratefully, unwrapping it tenderly and delving into its depths. As you savor this gift, you find Me." (Jesus Calling, by Sarah Young, pg. 36)

Dad, I remember you telling me lots of times how you were "with me and for me" and I know you got that from the Bible. Lots of the scriptures that I know and love today were spoken and read to me by you throughout my life and I am so thankful for that gift that you gave me. You also gave me my introduction to Jesus and helped me grow to know and trust Him as my own Savior and Lord. Thank you for that as well!

Today has been a great day and there have been many precious gifts throughout the day:

I got to see a beautiful sunrise out of the windows at the Christ Church indoor track as I walk/jogged my two miles.
Starbuck's for breakfast and Jersey Mike's for lunch: all for free!
Gifts and treats from co-workers and friends, as well as family.
Being serenaded with the birthday song via telephone, text and in person, from as far away as New York (Randel) and as close as my den (Daniel).
Having a visit from Jeanette and the girls during the morning at the office. Seeing Mary Lane "mosey" across the church lawn wearing her hot pink tu-tu, a pink scarf, with a paci in her mouth and a "Pebbles" ponytail on top of her head was priceless! Erica and Mary Lane both made themselves at home and could have probably taken over my work at the computer for me.
Hearing from over 100 friends/family via Facebook posts, emails, e-cards, texts, cards and phone calls. I have "felt the love" today.

I miss you, Dad, and I wish that I could celebrate my birthday with you, but that's not our reality. One way that you are with us as we celebrate is that tonight is the Strider's Club banquet at Tusculum Hills Baptist Church, where you used to walk miles around the track (and Mom still does). They will be paying tribute to you tonight, so our family will all attend.

Thanks for still being "for me" and for letting me know so often throughout my life that you loved me. There's no way I could ever forget it now!

I love YOU, Dad!

Has anyone seen Old Man Winter?

2012-01-31T09:00:00.001-06:00

Actually, I'm not sure that old gentleman was ever here in Nashville this year. Oh wait, there was the snow day that they had when the roads were clear by 8:00am. And I know it's been getting down in the 30s at night some.

I realize that many people I know will not like what I'm going to say, but I want some snow! I would like to have some actual winter temperatures and weather. In my book, it's supposed to be cold in the winter, not wavering between the 50s and 60s in January!

The thing is, I don't have a real vested interest in it being cold and snowy outside. I'm not a teacher, nor am I a student, so I will have to go to work as long as the roads are safe to drive on. But that's fine. I like my job. I am blessed with employers who are flexible when it comes to things like that, so we don't sweat the snow days.

I just like for it to be cold in the winter, with some snow thrown in for fun. So, as we move from January into February this week, would you please join me in praying for some real winter weather, at least for a month? I'm OK with spring weather coming around in March. Along with the early spring flowers. Right now, the poor crocuses and forsythia think it's time to bloom, but I'm afraid they are going to be very surprised when the cold weather hits. And so will all "you people" who have been happy about these mild temperatures in January! :-)

Sometimes I wish . . .

2012-01-30T21:55:00.000-06:00

. . . that I could have an electronic message board on the back of my car that I could program from inside whenever someone behind me was doing something annoying.

Like the lady behind me today when I was waiting for a pedestrian to cross the street before I turned right. HONK! I pointed to the man in the crosswalk. He saw me and thought I was being impatient, so then I felt the need to try to let him know that the lady behind me was honking at me.

Yeah, that message board could have come in handy today . . . or it might have gotten me into some deep trouble. One time a few years ago, I was mentioning that idea to Daniel while we were driving home on the interstate. I said something about how it would be nice if I could have a way to talk to the other drivers. He looked at me and said in his awesome middle-school wisdom, "Mom, sometimes that wouldn't be a very good idea."

I guess it's a good thing I'm not an inventor. I'll just have to let my wishes be wishes.

The Downton Abbey Craze

2012-01-15T22:03:00.000-06:00

Have you gotten caught up in the Masterpiece Classics series on PBS, Downton Abbey? According to NBC Nightly News, it's biggest thing to come out of Britain since the Beatles! I must admit that I was a little late to the party, only finding out about the series around Christmastime, when I was watching Christmas at Belmont on PBS and saw a commercial for the upcoming premier of the second season of Downton Abbey and it piqued my interest. And the buzz on Facebook got me even more intrigued, so I decided to find out for myself what all the talk was about. I watched the first season online and got hooked immediately.

If you are like me and this is new to you (and might even have not read the title correctly and thought the show was shot in some downtown setting), it would be easier if you just go to PBS.org and read up on the series. Or you can watch the first season on Netflix. Or buy the DVDs (and you can get me a set while you're at it).

I can't decide what it is that has drawn me in the most about this show: the characters, the storyline or the setting. Maybe some of all three. I love the characters, both the family that lives in the estate (Downton Abbey) and the servants who work for them. Of course, there are some characters that you love to hate (Thomas, O'Brien, Edith), but there are many that quickly make their way into your heart (Mary, Matthew, Lord Grantham, Lady Grantham, Mr. Bates, Anna--yes, I realize that these are not real people).

The storyline grabbed me, too, since I love history and haven't watched a lot of things that are set during the first World War. It's also interesting to me to have it told from the British perspective. I think it's kind of fun to have the cobwebs of my brain blown away a little bit by historical and political references from that time period that I studied way back in high school and college.

I also appreciate that except for a couple of instances, the writers didn't choose to make immorality and language the emphasis in order to boost ratings (as is the case in TV shows and movies). In fact, while some of the story lines have been about bad choices that the characters made, there was a refreshing scene in the second episode of season two that made me like the character involved even more (don't worry, I won't give it away).

And the setting of the show and the cinematography (if you can call it that when you're watching on a TVset from the 1990s) is outstanding. Makes me want to jump on the next plane to London and go spend a month touring England!

So, if you haven't already gotten caught up in the Downton Abbey craze, come join the party! At the very least, you'd then be able to know what everyone is talking about around the proverbial water cooler on Monday morning! And you'll understand when all of us Downton Abbey crazies are crying on February 19 after the last episode of season two airs. Good news, though: I heard that they've started production of season three, so there's hope that this show will continue on for a little while longer!

Friday Favorites: Scrapbooking

2012-01-13T11:10:00.000-06:00

It is high time for a Friday Favorites blogpost! And what better thing to talk about today than scrapbooking, since I'm getting ready to spend the WHOLE weekend away with friends doing one of my favorite things! How fun is that? And I'm so excited!

I have been doing some form of scrapbooking since I was in high school. Granted, in those early days, I was using those horrible magnetic page albums and had little to no supplies besides index cards (to make my photo labels) and regular scissors to crop with. Or did I even do any cropping back then? Who knows? All I know is that I have taken lots of pictures for most of my life and loved being able to do something with them so that they could be viewed.

Soon after Daniel was born, I went to a Creative Memories workshop and learned all about "photo safe" and "archival" and had a whole new world of tools and stickers and die cuts opened up to me. Ka-ching! I decided that I would become a Creative Memories consultant and help others learn about scrapbooking and then I'd be able to get my supplies for a discount. I seemed to forget about one of my major personality characteristics: I hate to sell things and even feel embarrassed to ask people to buy anything from me. So that little "career move" was short-lived.

Once I got out from under the business aspect of scrapbooking, I got back into the fun part full-swing. At that time in my life, I could go to a crop once a month on a Friday night and all day Saturday. Boy, did I get a lot of scrapbooking done! I think Daniel has three books for the first five years of his life. And then there are the family albums, holiday albums, travel albums. The thing about scrapbooking is that if you continue to take pictures, there is always something to scrapbook about. I never get finished!

These days, I don't have as much time to scrapbook, so I have a lot of pictures just waiting to be put into albums. I've had to adjust my strategy through the years and have ventured into digital scrapbooking for some things and have changed my standard of scrapbooking chronologically (although that's still a long-term goal). I would like to finish Daniel's "school years" albums by the time he graduates from high school next year. I think I left off in his 4th grade year, but the good thing is that after elementary school, there's a lot less to scrapbook (it's not cool to have your mom go on all the field trips when you're a seventh grader).

My other new scrapbook obsession has been doing first year books for Erica and Mary Lane. And not just one each, but one for me and one for their family. That's what this weekend will be about: getting Mary Lane's baby book done for her family. Mine can come later, but not too much later, I hope.

Two of my favorite things about scrapbooking are the time it gives me with friends who also scrapbook (like on retreats and crops). It's like the quilting bees of days gone by. There's a whole lot of relationship-building that happens around the cropping tables. The friends who I scrapbook with are some of my dearest friends and I look forward to time we can spend together.

The other thing I love about scrapbooking, and the underlying reason why I do it in the first place, is the end result. Whether it is one of several traditional albums I've made or a digital book that I created online, my family and I get endless opportunities to revisit the events and memories that initiated the photos being taken. I love being able to sit with my nieces and look at scrapbooks together and it's always fun to find Daniel looking at one of his albums. Even the scrapbooking skills I used to create the display of photos at my dad's memorial service gave me and everyone who attended something tangible to look at and remember times past spent with him.

I know that scrapbooking can be overwhelming for many people, and in some ways, it is for me, too. But whatever form of memory-keeping you choose that works for you, it will bring a great return and will give lots of joy, both to you and to the ones who will come after you.

Special Christmas gifts

2012-01-07T17:17:00.000-06:00

I have been such a slacker with my blog lately! Here it is the seventh day of January and I haven't written anything about the new year, not to mention posting anything about our Christmas gatherings.

In spite of my slight anxiety over what the Christmas holidays might feel like this year, we had a wonderful time as a family. Yes, we missed my dad, and yes, the first part of Christmas was more quiet, with just me and Mom to fend for ourselves (we had lots of fun things to keep us busy). But God was so faithful and gave us lots of joy throughout the entire Christmas season and into this new year.

One cool thing is how we included Dad in our Christmas, even in his absence. One serendipitous thing that happened was on Christmas Day, when Mom and I went to brunch at Joel and Patty Anderson's house. They had invited several families to come and when it came time to pray before dinner, Joel had everyone join hands and then suggested that we sing The Doxology. I just turned to Mom and squeezed her hand extra tight, because this was something that my dad would have done. Unknowingly, Joel helped us give a tribute to Dad that warmed both of our hearts.

After Christmas, when Jeanette and family, as well as Daniel, got back to Nashville, the quiet side of Christmas was over and we got to celebrate as a family. During our gift-giving time, Jeanette and Mom each had some special tributes to Dad/Grandpa that made it feel like he was still a part of the festivities.

First, Jeanette had made some special gifts for me and Mom: framed 12x12 layouts with some pictures and words of wisdom from Dad's emails to her in the past. Jeanette got a little help from scrapbooker extroidinairre, Barbara Tenpenny, but put together very meaningful mementos that Mom and I can put on the wall. Here's a photo of the one she made for me and below it is what is written:

Dad's Wisdom
11/18/96 Be encouraged today

"From Proverbs 3:5-7 (CEV) "With all your heart you must trust the Lord and not your own judgment. Always let him lead you, and he will clear the road for you to follow. Don't ever think that you are wise enough, but respect the Lord and stay away from evil."

God can bring order out of chaos and good out of evil, as shown in the OT story of Joseph and his brothers. They put him in the pit and sold him to foreigners, but years later they needed him in time of famine and Joseph said: (Genesis 50:20-21, NEV) "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children. And he (Joseph) reassured them (his brothers) and spoke kindly to them."

Remember all day today that your parents love you and are proud of you.

Mom (Grandma) also had some special Grandpa-related gifts for Daniel. One thing she put together was a photo album of photos of Daniel and Grandpa together through the years. Daniel was the first grandchild and was almost three years old when GM and GP moved to Nashville, so they had many photo ops during the past thirteen years. Some of the photos made me laugh, some brought a little tear to my eye, but all of them showed the special relationship that Daniel and Grandpa shared.

The other gift for Daniel was very unique and will be a treasure for Daniel to keep for years to come. Grandma gathered up many of Grandpa's personal keepsakes (medals, cuff links, buttons, etc.) and made a shadow box for Daniel. She included a list of each item and what its significance is. I'll include this list after the photo.

Memory Items from your Grandpa DeLane Ryals
(October 19, 1936 - October 13, 2011)
First row:
"A Father's Love"
Home Mission Board Medallion
Home Mission Board Years of Service pins (10, 15, 20 years)

Second row:
Stonewall Jackson Jr. High Oratory Award
Metropolitan NY: United Nations pin
"I Love NY" button
Baptist Convention of NY 25 pin
NYC subway token
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (1958-1962) cuff links

Third row:
DeLane's dog tag made in his dad's (M.D. Ryals) machine shop
Oklahoma Baptist University 50 year pin
1936 silver dollar given to DeLane by his brother, Dean

Fourth row:
"Striving for Excellence" Capitol Hill H.S., Oklahoma City, OK (1950-1954)
National Honor Society pins
Capitol Hill H.S. 50 year reunion pin (1954-2004)

Tidings of Comfort and Joy

2011-12-22T11:16:00.000-06:00

Grieving is an interesting thing, especially at the holidays. I generally love Christmas and love the joy that it brings and the message of joy that God gave to all people through the birth of His Son, Jesus. And that is still very true for me this year.

But, there's also the sadness I feel when I think of celebrating this Christmas without my dad here on earth with us. And there's the new empathy and compassion I feel for others around me who have experienced loss this year, or in recent years. Of course, I think of my own family: my mom, my sister, my brother-in-law, my son, my nieces, my aunts and uncles, who are also grieving in their own ways. Others also come to mind: the friend and her young son who lost their husband/daddy to cancer this past summer; the friends who also lost older parents this year; friends who are dealing with illness (their own or their parent's); friends who have gone through divorces this year. I find myself wanting to extend love and comfort to these loved ones, as well as seeking comfort for myself.

The Christmas carol, "God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen" has been coming to mind a lot this year. Or maybe when I hear it now, the words from the refrain ring truer and louder in my ears:

O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy!

It was far from a perfect world that Jesus came into as a baby, and it was not a comfortable situation in the Bethlehem stable for his parents. But the reason He came, "to save us all from Satan's power when we were gone astray" and the fact that Jesus is our Emmanuel, "God with us," brings me great comfort and joy, even in my grief.

The last stanza of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" encourages us to sing praises and to extend love and brotherhood, while remembering the message of redeeming grace:

Now to the Lord sing praises,
All you within this place,
And with true love and brotherhood,
Each other now embrace.
This holy tide of Christmas
Doth bring redeeming grace.

My prayer for my family, my friends and for myself, is that we would press closer to Jesus in our times of sadness and in our times of joy, and in doing so, would know a deeper sense of His presence and comfort.

Dessert-of-the-Month: November and December

2011-12-12T20:43:00.000-06:00

I've made it to the end of the year with my ambitious gift to my brother-in-law last Christmas! I will admit that the past couple of months, my motivation has not been what it was back at the first of the year, but I was committed to 12 months and I wanted to finish strong! (I did get a "pass" in October, since we had so many distractions.)

For most of the months, I had gotten requests from Russell, so I tried to honor those. For November, he asked for Pecan Pie, but since I knew that his favorite mother-in-law would make him one for Thanksgiving, I decided to go with a slight variation and try a recipe I saw on The Pioneer Woman/Tasty Kitchen blog. I think these Pecan Pie Muffins were a big hit (even though they kind of stuck to the pan).


He's excited . . . really! :-)

For December, I asked Russell what he wanted and he named some suggestions and then I came up with an idea of my own (nice of me, huh?). Seriously, I thought of Seven Layer Bars because they have several ingredients that Russell loves: chocolate, coconut, caramel (the sweetened condensed milk carmelizes). And I haven't heard any complaints from the recipient on these either!

Cute little helper/model!

If you ever need the gift that keeps on giving and have someone who deserves such a thoughtful gift, you can copy me copying someone else!

Christmas Tree Stories

2011-12-06T21:08:00.000-06:00

Last week I had high hopes (or plans) to put up our Christmas tree on Saturday. I knew it was a little iffy, with Daniel having his audition for Mid-state Jazz Band and homework. The thought of getting it all out and mostly doing all of the decorating myself started stressing me out. Then I went with my mom and sister to a grief seminar about dealing with the holidays. One of the take-aways I got was that when grieving the loss of a loved one, you can change the way you do things, for one year, or forever. Basically, I took that as a great opportunity to not put up our big Christmas tree this year.

Believe me, I wavered and spent a few days being wishy-washy about it. Daniel told me that he was fine with whatever I wanted to do (although he thought I'd "regret it later" and also had to point out that next year will be his "last Christmas before he graduates"), so I decided that I'd use a small table-top tree that my mom wasn't using and have a scaled-down Christmas this year.

This week, I was telling some friends about my decision and one of them started telling us about an unfortunate incident involving their Christmas tree and some mice who decided to make a nest in the tree while it was in storage. Needless to say, this family was planning to get a new tree this year, although they would rather wait until the after-Christmas deals. I had a sudden "brilliant idea" and offered for my friends to borrow our tree!

During the whole Christmas tree conversation that I had with my friends, we started remembering other Christmas trees that had made "history" for us. One that popped into my head was the year when I was growing up and we convinced my mom to let us get a real tree. My parents always stood their ground together every year when we'd ask to replace our aging artificial tree with a real tree, so this particular year, when my dad went out of town for a conference or something a couple of weeks before Christmas, my sister and I were able to "wear down" our mom's resolve and off to the tree lot we went. We brought some family friends and it turned out to be one of the most fun afternoons ever! We laughed and joked as we searched for the "perfect" tree and once we found it and got it home, we decorated it and got it all ready to surprise my dad when he got home from his trip. I don't really remember his reaction, but I do remember that we continued getting real Christmas trees for several years after that!

My other favorite Christmas tree memory happened the year that Daniel was born. We thought it would be fun to go to a Christmas tree farm to buy a tree, so after church one Sunday, Daniel stayed with my sister, and we went down to Thompson's Station to find a tree. Well, I'm somewhat picky about my trees and I didn't particularly like the type of trees they grew there, so we left without a tree and drove to find a regular tree lot where we could find more of a variety. We ended up at Hillsboro High School in Green Hills and when we walked in, we told a salesperson what our price range was and he led us to one solitary row of trees to look at. We browsed the row and didn't see anything we wanted, so we turned to walk toward the exit. A man who looked like Santa Claus stopped us and asked us where we were going without a tree. We explained that we hadn't found anything in our price range, so he brought us to another section and indicated that we could find whatever tree we wanted in that area and we could have it for the amount we could spend.

We looked a little longer at the larger selection and found what we felt was the "perfect" tree. We lugged it over to the place where they wrapped them and cut off the bottom of the trunk and started the check-out process. The original sales guy (who happened to be the owner of the business) came up and looked at the tree we had picked out and said, "Wait! You can't have that tree! It's a ???-dollar tree." (I can't remember the amount now.) He said that the tree we wanted had been put in the wrong place and it was a mistake. We were disappointed, but we didn't want to pay more than we had originally told him, so we turned and started to walk away again. He had a quick change of heart and called us back and told us we could have the tree for the price we wanted to pay.

We took that tree home to our apartment and it took up a good third of the living room (and I think we had to cut some more off to get it inside). We got it decorated with our growing collection of ornaments and enjoyed having such a beautiful tree for Daniel's first Christmas (he was almost six months old).

Back to this year, I'm planning to still decorate the house with our Nativity sets and am using our Christmas dishes as usual. As another "scaling back" friend said, I'm having a merry "little" Christmas this year! I'm sure that I'll get back to putting up my big tree next year and will hopefully have more "favorite" tree memories in the years to come. It makes me really happy that my tree will get some use this year and love how God worked out all of those little details!

You can tell Christmas is coming . . .

2011-12-01T08:05:00.000-06:00

Happy December! Turning the page on the calendar to the month of December is a sure sign that Christmas is coming soon. So are all the sales ads and craziness that starts way before Black Friday. And the lights that start popping up in neighborhoods as we drive around town.

At our house, these are some ways you can tell that Christmas is coming:

We put up our Christmas tree.

(This was taken last year and we hope to get the tree & house decorated this coming weekend.)

They light the tree in Rockefeller Center in New York City (and I clap every year when the lights go on).

Also, as is our long-time Christmas tradition, we start the Advent Jesse Tree devotions. If you'd like to read some posts from the year that I blogged for each day of the devotional, from December 1 until Christmas Day, click here. You'll be able to click through to all of them (either all in one sitting or you can spread it out).

So here's some audience participation: What are some sure signs for you that Christmas is coming soon?

Persimmons anyone?

2011-11-30T20:50:00.001-06:00

On Thanksgiving morning, we were sitting around watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade when the phone rang. It was our Korean friends wanting to drop off a gift for us. The gift turned out to be a fruit basket and some Choco-pies (they've given us these before and they are like a Moon Pie). In the fruit basket were apples, kiwi and some persimmons.

We'd heard of persimmons, but probably nobody in the family (except maybe Grandma) had ever eaten one. In fact, my main association with persimmons was that if they are not ripe, they make you pucker! These were bright orange and looked to be ripe and ready to eat. But none of us knew exactly how to eat one.

Google and YouTube to the rescue! I'm sure we could have found several choices of videos to watch (or articles to read), but somehow we stumbled on this one. Based on the fact that it was an Asian family who brought us the fruit, this instruction video seems appropriate.

We enjoyed tasting this new (to us) fruit and we appreciated the thoughtful gifts that our friends brought to us.

Thanksgiving Parade Party

2011-11-28T20:51:00.001-06:00

Our entire Thanksgiving weekend was special for our family. We had lots of good times together as a family making memories and remembering Dad. One of the highlights for me was our Thanksgiving Parade Party on Thanksgiving morning.

It all started with Daniel saying that he'd like to stay home and watch the parade in his p.j.'s (instead of he and I going to walk/run the Boulevard Bolt, which has been a Thanksgiving activity for us in the past). I liked his stay-at-home idea this year and decided I'd invite the rest of the family over too. Jeanette got in the spirit by bringing several costume-y things for the girls to dress up in and I bought them each a balloon (what's a Macy's parade without balloons??). We had a great time lounging around watching the parade on TV and being entertained by our own personal parade!

I think this may become a new tradition for our family on the years when we are all together on Thanksgiving!

Thankful for thankfulness

2011-11-24T08:33:00.000-06:00

I know I've been quiet on this blog lately. I have so many feelings and thoughts, swirling around in my head and heart, and I need to make time to get them down on paper. Some of them will make it to the blog . . . eventually!

Today, on Thanksgiving Day 2011, I am so thankful for the ability, privilege and gift of thankfulness. I am thankful that the Lord has put thankfulness in my heart, mixed in with the sadness and grief, because thankfulness brings joyfulness.

In his letters to the churches, Paul repeatedly told them (and now us) to be thankful in all circumstances. One that has stuck with me through the years is 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18:

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (NIV)

Today's devotion in Jesus Calling gave perfect insight to this (referring to Ephesians 5:20, "giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."):

"Thankfulness takes the sting out of adversity. That is why I have instructed you to give thanks for everything. There is an element of mystery in this transaction: You give Me thanks (regardless of your feelings), and I give you Joy (regardless of your circumstances). This is a spiritual act of obedience . . . those who obey Me in this way are invariably blessed, even though difficulties may remain. Thankfulness opens your heart to My Presence and your mind to My thoughts. You may still be in the same place, with the same set of circumstances, but it is as if a light has been switched on, enabling you to see from My perspective. It is this Light of My Presence that removes the sting from adversity." (pg. 343)

I am so thankful for Jesus and that because of Him, I can have salvation and joy and thankfulness. Even when my heart is sad and missing my dad (which it is and will be), I can be glad. I can have joy. I can be thankful. And the Lord has done this!

"I thank you that you have answered me
    and have become my salvation.
The stone that the builders rejected
   has become the cornerstone.
This is the LORD’s doing;
   it is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day that the LORD has made;
   let us rejoice and be glad in it.
The LORD is God,
   and he has made his light to shine upon us.
You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
   you are my God; I will extol you.
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
   for his steadfast love endures forever!"
Psalm 118: 21-24, 27a, 28-29, ESV

If I had a "bucket list"

2011-11-14T14:02:00.000-06:00

I guess everyone has at least a mental "bucket list" but if I had one that was written down, I would have "attend a Chris Tomlin concert" on it. And after this past Friday night, I would be able to cross that one off my list. In fact, I think I'll leave it on my unwritten list (or if you want to know a little-known fact about me, I am such a list-maker that if I have just completed something that I had not written down on a list, I'll still add it after the fact, just so I can check it off . . . weird, I know).

Back to the concert, it was a sold-out show, at a large church in Murfreesboro, about 45 minutes away from my house. Of course, it was on a Friday night, and there was traffic, but my friends and I still made it there in plenty of time and even though I was tired after a busy work-day and week, being there energized me and I am so thankful that I got the opportunity to experience a night of worship like that.

This tour was the "And If Our God Is For Us" tour and he opened with "Our God" and then kept us on an upbeat, on-our-feet, hand-clapping, giant screen karaoke worship experience for probably an hour. Then Chris and the band took a break and speaker, Louie Giglio came up and preached for about 30 minutes (awesome) before Chris came back to finish out the night. I wish that I had a set list so that I could remember the order of the songs that they played.

It was fun to get to experience the concert with four friends, two who I've known since college, and two who go to church with me now. I think we were all so glad that we went and for those who are kicking themselves for not getting a ticket, don't worry . . . I'll let you know the next time the opportunity comes around and you can cross it off your "bucket list" too!

Two Sisters and a Cousin

2011-11-07T13:59:00.000-06:00

I would be remiss to not show some pictures of my sweet nieces and their awesome big cousin from Halloween ~~earlier this~~ last week. I've also got to share some cute pics from the pumpkin patch (unfortunately, the big cousin wasn't able to come).

Disclaimer: The reason why this is just being posted today is because I was tripped up by the pictures. I do NOT know why Blogger won't do vertical pictures, but . . . whatever.


Have you ever seen an angel drumming?


So glad she decided to wear her halo and wings (it was a dilemma earlier in the day)


Here is the world's squirmiest flower! :-)


Not sure why the flower is crying, but the angel wasn't tellin'.

Sweet sister moment at the pumpkin patch


Love, love, love these sweet faces!


There was a picture of them from the front, but don't know where it went.

A "90s Kid" with the flower and the angel. Cousins R Great!

Praying down the number

2011-11-01T07:00:00.006-05:00

Throughout the past few years, I have had a greater awareness and interest in adoption. I don't have all of the statistics, but I know that there are hundreds of thousands of children all over the world who have lost one or both parents (147 million is a number that has been put out there). I obviously can't "fix" that problem on my own and I don't feel God calling me to adopt a child into my family, but I do feel like there are some things that I (we) can do to help.

I can give financially to support adoption and even though I am limited in what I can give, I have been blessed 100 times more by even having a small part in bringing a child home to an adopting family. Click here to see an amazing story of one family who recently brought home a daughter from Uganda. It's "the rest of the story" from a story I shared earlier this year.

I can also pray for adopting families and children who need to be adopted. Some bloggers are starting a new initiative to help us remember to pray for adoption: PRAY DOWN THE NUMBER AT 1:47 PM. You can read about it on their blog, but basically, where ever you are at 1:47pm each day, just stop and lift up orphans to the Father - pray for friend's adoptions, pray for the orphan who is hungry, pray the for the orphan that is sick, pray for the families sitting on the fence about adoption, pray for orphan/adoption ministries, pray for those serving orphans, whatever God lays on your heart to pray.

Wouldn't it be cool to be standing in line at a store and hear a bunch of phone alarms going off at 1:47pm as reminders to pray for orphans and adoptions? Or to see someone with a "147" written on her hand. It'll be even more amazing to see what God does in answer to these prayers!

Years gone by

2011-10-31T07:00:00.000-05:00

Last year I shared a couple of pictures of me and my sister on Halloween when we were little. This year, I'm reminiscing about Daniel's costumes when he was younger. Oddly enough, after several years of being "too cool" to dress up, he's actually dressing up and going trick-or-treating this year (I stopped trying to figure out a teenager a while ago).

From 1998--and that's Jesse Smeltzer sitting next to him

1999--showing off his Superman muscles

Also 1999, but just had to show Pirate Sean and Batman Taylor

2000--with friend, Joey, who moved to Florida

2001--Pirate
(after he ditched the bandanna and eye patch,
he looked like Clark Gable)

Friday Favorites: Songs that lift me up

2011-10-28T13:43:00.000-05:00

I've been wanting to find a time to write about a song that has been touching me deeply and helping me through this time of my life. Since it's Friday, what better way than a "Friday Favorites" post!

My friend, Barbara, has recently released an album project that has been years in the making. Some other friends from church were a part of it, from writing and producing to designing the cover art. You need to go get this CD for yourself or listen to the songs here.

While I have been enjoying the entire CD, there is a song that I have literally been listening to over and over again as I drive around town. We also sang it at the women's retreat and in church last week, which only reinforced how it has been ministering to me.

To be able to "Praise Him" in the hard times, as well as the easier times of life is a gift that only God can give. And I'm so thankful that this time of deep sadness and grief has not caught me unprepared. God was not surprised by the timing of my dad's death and has used my life experiences and my relationship with my dad throughout the past 44 years to give me the tools I need to walk through this time with faith and hope.

Thanks, Barbara and Ben for including this song on the CD. And thanks Kristi and Jay for the calming and beautiful design that I just wanted to share and not just cut and paste the lyrics.

2011 Scripture Memory #20

2011-10-22T17:34:00.001-05:00

Paul's Letter to the Colossians has been coming up a lot lately. Several verses from the first chapter were read in our worship service last Sunday, the entire theme of our church women's retreat was "Opening the Letter to the Colossians" and this verse was chosen by my mom to be printed on the cover of the program for my dad's memorial service:

"Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way." Colossians 3:17, The Message

While nobody is perfect, this verse is one of many that exemplifies how my father lived his life. And it is how I desire to live as well. I choose to be thankful to God the Father every step of the way (even the ones that are hard). And I'm thankful to my dad for teaching this to me throughout my life.

Memorializing October

2011-10-13T21:30:00.000-05:00

October will always be my Dad's month. His birthday is October 19th, so we've always had a celebration of his life in October. Today, October 13, 2011, is the day he left this earth to live forever with his Savior, so this month will have another remembrance of my dad. I kind of think it's appropriate that we'll always celebrate him and remember his life during this month.

A few years ago on his birthday, I had some time in the afternoon and picked him up to go on a surprise outing to Radnor Lake. We walked and talked and viewed the beautiful changing colors of the leaves. We also shared some Pecan Sandies cookies, which were some of his favorites. I gave him a picture I took of the trees reflecting on the lake and he hung it in his home study.

Yes, October will always be memorable and not only in sad ways, because the happy far outweighs the sad. Even in his death, I can celebrate, because of the hope we have in Christ and because Dad is no longer in pain and is enjoying all things new, including his body.

I love you, Dad!

My father's eyes

2011-10-11T20:58:00.000-05:00

There is so much I could write about this experience that we're going through as my dad nears the end of his life on earth, but it's mostly too raw for me right now. Our family has been lifted up and loved on and are getting through this only by the grace of God and the prayers of His people. And we are thankful.

My father has blue eyes and while I didn't get his exact eye color like my sister did (mine fluctuate between dark blue and green), I think my eyes are shaped like his. But more than just the physical characteristics of his eyes, the ways that they looked at me, his daughter, have spoken volumes to me. Nothing but pure love has come across to me through his eyes, even when I made him angry. My father's eyes told me that he loved me and that he thought I was beautiful and that he was one of my biggest fans.

This morning while he was lying in his hospital bed, I went close to his face to tell him "good morning" and that I love him. Many times while he's been so ill, his eyes have not been focusing and I couldn't get a good read on how he was doing through his eyes. But this morning, we had a sweet interaction through our eyes and I will remember it forever.

I looked at his eyes and told him I was there and that I liked the morning. He kind of blinked, so I asked him to blink again. He did it, so I smiled and told him I loved him and that it made my heart happy for him to blink for me. He closed his eyes in a deliberate way and kept them closed a second, and then opened them again. I thanked him for doing that for me.

There's an old Amy Grant song called, "Father's Eyes" which talks about the love of our heavenly Father. All of my life, I knew that my earthly father loved me, either by his words or the loving twinkle in his eyes, and he also taught me about the love of God, the Father, throughout my life. I am so thankful that my dad was able to show me his love through his eyes once again when my heart is so broken over having to say good-bye very soon.

What a Mighty God We Serve!

2011-10-06T07:03:00.000-05:00

2011 Scripture Memory #19

2011-10-03T14:02:00.000-05:00

I recently started a Bible study with a group of women from church and we are studying Romans 8. If you need a good dose of gospel truth any day of the week (or hour of the day), read this chapter. It gives me hope and encouragement every time I read it.

I decided to take some verses from Romans 8 to focus on and hopefully get more ingrained in my brain:

"For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace." Romans 8:5-6, ESV

I don't know about you, but for me, every battle and struggle that I face begins in my mind. I can't fight these battles on my own (in my flesh), so my only hope is to set my mind on Christ and on His Spirit. That is where I can find victory and life and peace. More, please!

Dessert-of-the-Month: September

2011-09-28T08:26:00.000-05:00

I made Russell's dessert for the month a couple of weeks ago, but I am squeaking in here at the end of the month to blog about it. It's still September for two more days, though!

Back when we were brainstorming ideas for the year of desserts, Russell made a sweet request for September, in honor of his wonderful wife, since her birthday falls in that month. He knew that her favorite birthday dessert (usually) is a Strawberry Cake that our mom has made for many years. I ended up making the cake for Jeanette's birthday this year, and oddly enough, she didn't ask for that cake (she wanted a caramel cake)! I waited a week or so after Jeanette's birthday, to spread the cake wealth a bit.

Around the same time that I was planning to make the strawberry cake, I saw this post on a friend's blog (she is the one I "borrowed" the whole dessert-of-the-month idea from in the first place, too). As I compared her recipe for strawberry cake with my mom's the cake parts were basically the same, but the icings were different. Also, she recommended making them as cupcakes, which I thought might be a fun idea (and also allowed me to share some of the cupcakes with some friends). I decided to try the strawberry cream cheese icing recipe and used my mom's recipe for the cake part. They turned out yummy, so I hear!

Here's Mom's recipe and you can find the alternate recipes on the other blog:

Strawberry Cake

1 box white cake mix
1 small box strawberry Jello
3 eggs
1/2 c. oil
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. chopped strawberries.

Mix first 5 ingredients for 5 minutes on medium. Add strawberries. Put in pan(s) and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes (follow directions on cake mix for using different type pans).

For the icing Mom uses:
1 bag confectioners sugar
1 stick margarine
1/2 c. chopped strawberries

Mix together the ingredients, adding more sugar if needed. It is not a thick icing.

Thirteen point one!

2011-09-25T21:46:00.000-05:00

I know that if you are my friend on Facebook, you already got the news that I finished my first half marathon this weekend and have seen some of these pictures. But I couldn't ignore my blog and wanted to document this very big event in my life!

I'm not going to lie . . . it was not an easy walk for me. About half way through, maybe a little before that, I noticed that my right hip was hurting, and by mile 8 or so, I was stopping every so often to stretch and definitely had to slow my pace by the last couple of miles. And I wanted to cry and quit a couple of times. But, I persevered (thanks to a well-timed text that simply said, "Press on" and to prayers that I know were being lifted up for me).

I was so thankful for my friends and family who were cheering me on along the way, either in person or via text and prayers. Believe me when I say that I could not have done it without you! I especially want to thank Debbie Cox for being the "snack lady" and cheerleader extraordinaire who met us at mile 5 and mile 10 with some nourishment and enthusiasm. Also, a big thank you to my family for being at mile 12, over by Titans' stadium. It was very fun to see them all at the end of Victory Drive, and get some hugs before turning the corner to ascend the hill onto the Gateway Bridge and finish the last mile and a tenth.

I am still wavering in between "next time" and "never again" but I am really glad that I did a half marathon. I now know that I can do it and it feels good!

Friday Favorites: Nashville

2011-09-23T11:27:00.001-05:00

I don't know why I haven't thought of posting about this before, but it will be an appropriate topic for today, the day before the NASHVILLE Women's Half Marathon! I went downtown to the convention center to pick up my race packet last night and am so excited for tomorrow morning to get here. Hopefully I will be able to sleep tonight . . .

So, one of the things I'm excited about with this half marathon is that will take me through some of my favorite parts of the city. I have spent a lot of my time in the downtown area, either working at Lifeway or taking Daniel to school at Hume-Fogg. I'm a city girl, so I love getting to go to downtown Nashville often. The half marathon starts and ends downtown at the Country Music Hall of Fame at 4th Avenue and Demonbreun Avenue.

We'll go down by Centennial Park, where the Parthenon is located (or a replica).

And then we'll go over to Belmont Boulevard and go along that street with wonderful old homes and will swing by my alma mater.

Once we pass Belmont, we'll head down Music Row toward the Roundabout and say hello to the famous "naked statue" called "Musica."

Once we get back into the downtown area, we'll head across the Cumberland River and do a loop around LP Field, where the Tennessee Titans play. When I drove over by there the other day to get a feel for the last couple miles of the course, I got excited without any other people around, so I can imagine (and hope) that with all the spectators and race excitement on Saturday, it will help me to stay motivated to go across the Gateway Bridge and finish the last 1.1 miles of the race.

I have now lived in Nashville longer than I lived anyplace else, so even though I still have my East Coast/Yankee roots, I am proud to call this city my home.

The final countdown

2011-09-19T08:00:00.003-05:00

It's the week of the Nashville Women's Half Marathon! Race Day is Saturday! That fact brings many different emotions for me and I thought I'd share a couple of ways that you can support me in this endeavor this week:

Pray for me, and for my friends (Ruth, Sondra, Libby, and Tiffanie) who will be walking or running, as well as the many other people involved in this event. Pray for cool temps and no rain on Saturday. Pray for us to get adequate rest this week (I have a busy week and will need to be purposeful about going to bed on time). Pray for us to not be too nervous as the day approaches. Just think about all the ways that anxiety and nerves can manifest themselves and pray that those won't happen.
Cheer for us on Saturday, either from the actual race course, or in your heart at home. I know it's early to be out and about on a Saturday morning, so I don't have high expectations for seeing people along the way, but if you're so inclined, here's a link to the map of the course. We're going to try to be walking a 15-minute mile, so we hope to finish in about three and a half hours (give or take a few minutes). I won't know until I pick up my race packet what time we'll be starting to walk (they'll start us later than the runners), but if you plan to come out, you can touch base with me on Friday and I can give you a better time estimate.

I mostly feel very excited about this adventure and know that there will be so much going on around us on race day that it will keep me motivated and energized. I'm ready to feel what it's like to cross the finish line and put that 13.1 sticker on my car!

2011 Scripture Memory #18

2011-09-18T21:27:00.000-05:00

It's September 18th (and almost the end of the day) and I have known that I needed to write a post about the next scripture memory verse for three days now, but other things have gotten in my way. Also, I can't honestly say that I remember any of the previous 17 verses, much less the five other points of the gospel from camp. So, I feel defeated and like I shouldn't even post about memorizing scripture because I haven't followed through on it very well. How's that for some honesty???

But, because I know in my heart that the reason for even trying to memorize scripture is so that we can grow in our relationship with God, and because I believe that God uses any effort to know the Word more, I will persevere and I will continue to post the verses. If for no other reason than I am NOT willing to let Satan have a victory here, here's the next verse (#6 in the Six Points of the Gospel from Crossings Camp):

"That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,”

and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified,

and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."

Romans 10:9-10, NIV

We are called to trust Jesus as Lord of our lives.

I vividly remember hearing Carolyn Jenkins say these verses at a youth event when I was helping with the youth group at First Baptist Church, Nashville, during college. I had already personally made this confession of Jesus as Lord, but the simplicity of the gospel in those verses stayed with me and give a good word picture to help us remember. And tonight, I am thankful to have this reminder that Jesus is Lord and I will continue to trust Him as Lord of my life.

An old favorite

2011-09-12T20:54:00.000-05:00

Over Labor Day weekend, some friends posted on Facebook about a Walton's marathon on television, so I searched through our channels until I found it. It brought back memories of when my family would watch the show when I was growing up and I got caught up in watching several episodes that day. In fact, I also figured out that episodes are shown every weeknight, so I've been getting a "Walton's fix" all week!

Tonight, I was watching one episode while I ate supper after I came back from my walk. I really needed to take a shower, so I looked at the clock and decided to try and get a quick one before the next episode started. As I was drying off, I had to laugh, because I remembered another little tidbit about when we used to watch The Walton's on Thursday nights.

My sister and I would play outside as long as possible in the spring and summer and then would have to rush to get our showers before we could watch TV that night. The ante was upped when we got a bean bag chair (notice I only mentioned one chair). The deal became that whichever one of us girls got finished with our shower first, she could sit in the bean bag chair. I can remember my dad calling up the stairs to tell us that the show was starting and one of us would inevitably still be in the shower. Also, I'm pretty sure my sister was able to take a faster shower than I did most nights (and get to sit in the bean bag chair) because she didn't use soap! Or maybe she was just smaller and it didn't take her as long to soap up and rinse off. Either way, we'd end up in the den together, watching The Walton's.

Good night, John Boy!

Remembering and Believing

2011-09-11T08:00:00.007-05:00

Remembering about where I was on 9-11-01 when I first began hearing the news of the attacks: In the car on the way to my part-time job in Adult Events at Lifeway Christian Resources.

Remembering how I felt throughout that day: Sickened by the images and the realization of what had taken place, fear of the unknown of what was happening to our country, sadness for those who lost their lives and for those who lost loved ones, protectiveness for my first-grader, gratefulness for the first responders who did what they were called to do to help.

Remembering the places that were familiar to me and remembering the people in my circle of influence who were affected: The World Trade Center buildings were places I had visited and viewed from across the Hudson River, and there were at least two guys from my hometown who were among those who lost their lives that day. I had not visited the Pentagon or been to the place in Pennsylvania where the other plane crashed, however, the fact that they were on my home country's soil made them part of my history.

Remembering that there are people today who put their lives on the line to help others, either as firefighters or police officers or emergency medical responders. I am thankful for their service to their communities and for the commitment and sacrifices they make each day.

Remembering that for ten years, our country has been sending troops overseas to fight the war on terrorism. There are people serving today, like my cousin, who were still children and teenagers back in 2001, yet are willing to go and serve our country because they understand the importance of the freedoms we have here and want to protect those freedoms for us and for generations to come.

Believing that God was still in control, even when things were chaotic.

Believing that God heard our prayers and was still with us in the midst of the tragedy.

Believing that time would still continue to move forward and that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

On the night of 9-11-01, after spending the day in front of the television and the evening with my family and with fellow parents at a PTO meeting, I was winding down and trying to calm my mind before sleep. I was working through the Bible study, Breaking Free, by Beth Moore, and one of the focal passages in that study is from Isaiah 61:1-4:

"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified.
They shall build up the ancient ruins;
they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
the devastations of many generations."

These verses gave me comfort that night ten years ago and I pray that they would continue to give comfort to all of us as we remember and believe.

World Trade Center (1973-2001)

2011-09-10T12:57:00.000-05:00

I asked my father, DeLane Ryals, if I could share an excerpt from an essay he wrote in the days following the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. I appreciated the history he gave, as well as his memories of living across the Hudson River from those buildings for many years.

When I came to New York in 1962, the World Trade Center was but an ugly rumor on the drawing boards. The Village Voice opposed the “urban removal” that would disperse an electronics trading district to clear a corner of lower Manhattan for the WTC.

The next time I noticed, The WTC was a hole in the ground. Some skeptics wondered whether its tall buildings would fall into New York Harbor from the sheer weight of the new structures. “No,” engineers assured us, “Manhattan is a slab of stone. As much weight of soil and stone would be excavated as the weight of the superstructures to be raised on the site.”

In the early 1970s I was living in central NJ and watching the Twin Towers rise across the Hudson. Curiosity got the best of me, and one weekday morning I walked onto the construction site. Talk about our “open society”, I boarded an elevator; no one stopped me or questioned the legitimacy of my being there. A lift delivered me to a sky-lobby about 50 stories up, where passengers would transfer to other elevators rising to the 110^th floor(except the 110^th floor did not exist). The towers were constructed simultaneously, but one tower was taller, sooner, so it was possible during construction to look down on the shorter of the two taller. On completion, Tower One (north) rose to 1368 feet while Tower Two reached 1362 feet.

Beneath the WTC was a terminal for PATH (Port Authority Trans-Hudson) trains from NJ. This became a commuting route between my house in NJ and my office on Manhattan’s West Side. A lasting impression of the WTC was of rush hour, as thousands of commuters emerged from the PATH trains and ran up the dozen escalators to jobs and appointments in the Center and the Wall Street financial district.

The garage of the North Tower was bombed on February 26, 1993. The toll: 6 persons died; more than a thousand were injured. That catastrophe was a dress rehearsal for the terror and devastation wreaked upon the WTC on September 11, 2001.

A young man who had grown up on our block in Glen Ridge, NJ, was killed that day. Missing were countless sons and daughters, parents, friends and neighbors. Some of them woke up in New York, Connecticut, or New Jersey and made their way to work in the WTC on that Tuesday morning. Others caught flights at Boston’s Logan Airport, anticipating about 6 hours of flying time to California. But hatred boarded those flights in the person of those who commandeered the airliners and rammed them into the WTC, while their co-conspirators attacked the Pentagon and Somerset, PA.

Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on us!

No condemnation

2011-09-08T06:33:00.001-05:00

I love it when God "layers" lessons for me. This happens pretty often and I still am amazed at how purposeful God is in how he teaches and guides me. I'm so thankful that He does it in a loving and gentle way.

One example of this happened on Sunday. I go to the worship service during the first hour and the sermon was on the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15). I went to my Sunday School class after worship and what do you think the teacher said that the lesson was on that day? You guessed it: The Prodigal Son from Luke 15. It was so cool to have the background of the sermon so fresh in our minds and the teacher did a great job leading the discussion to build on the whole experience of the morning.

One theme that came out was the truth that in the parable, and in our lives with God, the Father, when we have trusted Jesus as our Savior (are "in Christ"), there is no longer any condemnation for sin. If you know the story from Luke 15, you remember that the father in the parable never had condemnation for his son, but instead showed him abundant grace and compassion. Our teacher even read Romans 12:1-2:

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death."

As a Christian, if you really stop and think about those verses and the truth of them, you can't help but have gratitude and appreciation for God's gift of grace. That means that the only ones left doing the condemning are Satan and ourselves (to ourselves and to others).

I was reminded of these verses from Romans again in my Jesus Calling devotion:

"Enjoy the warmth of My Presence shining upon you. Feel your face tingle as you bask in My Love-Light. I delight in you more than you can imagine. I approve of you continuously, for I see you cloaked in My Light, arrayed in My righteousness. There is no condemnation for those who are clothed in Me!" (p. 262)

And if that wasn't enough, God gave me one more layer through another blog/devotion that I read called "Encouragement for Today." I love how God does that! And I'm pretty sure He'll keep doing it, since He knows me better than I know myself and knows that I need the reinforced lessons. He's good that way (among many!).

Learning to ride shotgun

2011-09-07T21:45:00.000-05:00

As a parent these days, I am having to learn to ride in the passenger seat (literally and figuratively). Here are some lessons I'm learning, some requiring repetition:

The car only has one gas pedal and brake pedal and they're not on the passenger side of the floorboard. I honestly don't think that I've put my foot on the phantom pedals more than maybe one time, but each time we've been in the car when Daniel is driving, I am getting a lesson in letting go of the controls . . . and that's not easy!
My role is increasingly becoming that of a coach and advisor, and it works better if I wait until my advice is asked for before giving it.
I have become a real, live, in-car GPS and I don't speak in a British accent.
Some people's depth perception is different than other's (I'm just sayin').
Other drivers in this town (OK, on any road we've been on) are just plain crazy! I'm definitely more afraid of our safety on the roads because of what other drivers will do more than I am afraid of Daniel's driving abilities.
There is going to come a day, very soon, when my son is driving solo (sans parent in the car). That's going to be a hard day for me in some ways, but mostly, I am looking forward to it. He will be ready and will be safe driver. I just hope we go many years before he has to tell me about blue lights coming up behind him or has to call and tell me, "Mom, the important thing is that I'm not hurt."

Sister Birthday Wishes

2011-09-06T06:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday, dear Sister!!

I love you and your sweet babies!

Labor Day Memories

2011-09-05T07:00:00.001-05:00

Happy Labor Day! I have always loved this holiday, even though I don't think I really understood until I was grown up what the history of it is and that it wasn't originally about cook-outs and getting one last hurrah in before the summer ended.

But for me, Labor Day weekend has always been a time of getting together with friends and family and I have lots of happy memories connected to this holiday.

For one thing, my sister's birthday has always come near or on Labor Day, making it an even more perfect reason to have a celebration. Also, when we were growing up in New Jersey, we didn't start school until the Tuesday after Labor Day, so our family would often go to my grandparent's house in Maryland for the long weekend.

Part of the Labor Day weekends spent in Maryland included our immediate family going on an overnight camping trip to "The Ranch" (a rustic campground owned by two or three couples) with several other families from my mom's home church. Many of these friends were long-time friends of my parents and my mom's family and the event had evolved into a huge camp-out with at least two huge tents, as well as some campers. The adults would sit around and play games and tell stories while the kids ran around playing in the creek and having fun being together. I remember going frog hunting there and having frog legs with our campfire breakfast (tastes like chicken). I also remember getting up in the middle of the night to go to the outhouse (waiting until someone else also had to go, so I didn't have to walk out in the dark woods by myself). I don't remember how many years we went there on the Sunday night and Monday of Labor Day weekend, but those were fond memories.

After I got married, we started meeting up with our friends, Leanne and Doug, in Hot Springs, Arkansas, over Labor Day weekend (half-way point between where they lived in TX and our home in TN). We would rent a condo and meet there on Friday night (late, since it was a six-hour drive). On Saturday, the guys would usually be parked in front of the TV so they could watch all of the college football games and Leanne and I would find things to do like shopping, scrapbooking, and non-stop conversations. We'd go out to eat in Hot Springs for dinner on Saturday, but also enjoyed making meals in the condo. One year, Leanne and I went to experience the historic bath house in Hot Springs, kind of like a spa. It was always a weekend that we looked forward to each year and was a tradition for us for several years in a row (Jeanette and Russell even got to join us one year, and I think we also brought Daniel with us one time, too).

Daniel and I, along with my parents and sister and brother-in-law also spent some Labor Day weekends in Hot Springs with my Uncle Bud and Aunt Vickie (and cousins) and got to have some time on the lake in their boat. Two memorable things from those visits were me trying to get up on a jet ski after falling off (no pictures, thank the Lord) and the time my cousin was driving the boat and sent Daniel and me airborne. We were in some kind of tube thing being towed behind the boat and my cousin would drive fast and then make a quick turn, causing the tube to go flying. Sometimes we'd be able to hang on, but this one particular time, we hit a wave and it tossed me and Daniel up into the air and sent us sailing several feet out into the lake. When I got finished flipping over in the water and came up for air, I realized that my face was hurting. I thought I'd fallen on top of Daniel, but when I looked around, he was a few feet away. We swam back to the boat and climbed up and Daniel said, "Cool! Let's do that again!" I had some different sentiments and only wanted to get back to the dock. The next morning I had a black eye and all we could figure was that the impact of my face hitting the water was what did it. Fun times!

I know that Labor Day weekend traditionally is the end of summer and that is sad for some people. For me, though, I see it as the early beginnings of Fall, which is my favorite season. So bring on the changing leaves, pumpkins and cooler temps. I'm ready for Fall!

Putting one foot in front of the other

2011-09-03T20:38:00.000-05:00

This could be subtitled: "Why I Am Choosing to Walk a Half Marathon"

If you asked me that question on about mile 8 or 9 of a training walk, I'd probably be wondering the answer to that myself. But once I finish the walk and get some nourishment and some cool air blowing on my face, I can give a better answer.

Back in 2001, I think it was, I witnessed my first marathon in person as a volunteer at a water station for the Country Music Marathon. I was completely caught up in the excitement and awe of watching the runners, walkers and wheel-chair racers. At that time I didn't consider it a possibility for myself to complete a race like that, but it was inspiring nonetheless.

A few years later, after volunteering at other marathons and walking a 5K or two, the Country Music Marathon added a half marathon (only 13.1 miles) and more people I knew began to participate. The thought crossed my mind that I might consider doing it myself, but I still wasn't ready to commit the time or money.

Fast-forward to 2011. A friend from church was running the CMM half and I organized a few people to go cheer her on (we missed seeing her, which was a bummer). Being back along the course cheering the racers reminded me of the excitement that surrounds a marathon, and I started thinking more seriously about how I might want to do it someday. The clincher came when the friends I was with (and watching) started all talking about signing up for the Nashville Women's Half Marathon later in the year. Some of the proceeds from that race go to charity, which made it more appealing to me, and there aren't as many people involved as the CMM.

Well, it's now later in the year and I am three weeks away from walking my first half marathon! I have learned a lot during the training process, both practically-speaking and personally about myself.

I had to get to the point where walking a half marathon was something that I wanted to do for myself, to see if I could do it. I had to want to do this bad enough to pay the money and commit to the training.
I have had some fear and anxiety during this process, mainly before I would walk the distances that I had never done before. God has helped me through each of those times and has given me tools (scripture, music and sermons/teaching on my ipod, prayer) to get me through it.
I have discovered that I need short goals to go for as I reach for bigger ones. For example, when I walked my first 10-mile training walk, my route took me from my house to Target and back. When I crested a hill and saw the Target sign, it got me motivated to go all the way to the sign. Then when I turned around, I knew I could get back to the Shell station, and then from there it was just three more miles. I actually said to myself, "I can do this!"
I am more motivated and have more fun when I can walk with someone else, although for most of my training walks, I've been by myself. I look forward to the race day when there will be LOTS of people around me!
I have surprised myself with my perseverence and determination. There have been times when I wanted to quit, but something kept me going and I was so glad!
Hydration and nutrition are ESSENTIAL on long walks. On one of early longer walks, I didn't bring enough water and had not learned the trick of brining a snack, so I wasn't doing so great at the end of that walk!
Good shoes and socks are also a must! I have done some minor damage to my feet by walking in sub-par shoes (they might be fine for shorter walks, but don't "go the distance"). Some of the wear and tear on your feet is unavoidable, but I am looking forward to a good pedicure after this is all over!
I have needed help from others who have done this before and who know more about training than I do (did). I have been able to get through my subsequent longer training walks because I have taken advice from others and have worn the right socks, slathered my feet in vaseline and brought adequate water and snacks. It makes a WORLD of difference and if I hadn't asked for tips, I'd still be back at mile seven!
I am going to need some cheerleaders along the way. Like I said, I've been doing a lot of the training on my own and have done fine, but I will welcome friends to come to different points along the course on race day (Sept. 24) and cheer us on. And at the finish line too!
This is a BIG deal to me. Once I bit the bullet and paid my money, it became real and I was in for the long haul. So getting to the finish line is going to be a big accomplishment in my mind and I can't wait to see what that feels like. And I really want one of those "13.2" stickers for my car!

2011 Scripture Memory #17

2011-09-01T06:00:00.001-05:00

Happy September! I always like this month of the year and am personally glad to see August behind us once again. Bring on the cooler temps! Come on, Fall, we're ready for you!

OK, now that I've gotten that out of my system, here's the verse I'm highlighting this month. It's the fifth verse from the Six Points of the Gospel from Crossings Camp this summer.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast."

Ephesians 2:8-9

Salvation is a free gift by grace.

By grace, through faith. That's such a wonderful truth to ponder any day of the week, every month of the year! Let that sink in a little bit.

And I know that I need a reminder daily that this free gift is nothing of my own doing, so I can just put my pride and boasting away. I'm so thankful that my salvation isn't dependent on my own ability to be good and righteous, because that's just impossible! Thank you, Jesus, for doing for me what I could not do for myself!

Friday Favorites: Mornings

2011-08-26T07:48:00.000-05:00

I know that many people will think I'm weird for saying this, but I love mornings! I'm a "morning person" so I wake up in a good mood (sometimes I have to quickly refocus my mind if I wake up anxious). I have energy and am most productive and creative in the morning/daytime hours. It's just how I'm wired. Don't hate me!

I love mornings because of the promise of a fresh start, new mercies (Lam. 3:22-23), yesterday is gone. I love the quiet of morning (because all the "night owls" are sleeping in) and the sweet times I have with the Lord and His Word.

I love morning walks and the coolness of the day and getting to see sunrises (the one below was taken on my walk a couple of weeks ago). I also love sunrises at the beach (second picture) and how the sun blushes through the clouds and brings light after the dark night.

I also love mornings because of breakfast. It could easily be my favorite meal of the day and I don't mind eating breakfast foods for dinner. Some of my favorite breakfasts are ones my mom makes: poached egg on toast (she knows how to cook it exactly how I like it), pancakes made from scratch, waffles. Yum!

I think another reason I love mornings is because mornings were always family time for us when we were growing up. My dad often had meetings or work that kept him out later in the evenings, so breakfast was a time when we would all be together and would sit down together to start the day. My parents led in daily Bible readings and we read the names of missionaries with birthdays that day and then we'd pray together. I know that the way our family started each day made an impact on how the rest of the day went for us and it helped me to establish my own morning devotion time once I was at college.

One more note, I don't judge others for being not as chipper as I am in the mornings. I can respect the need for a slow wake-up process and the need for caffeine. We're all different. But I do recommend that if you've never been up to see a sunrise, put it on your "bucket list", set your alarm and grab a cup of coffee early one morning (hint: if you wait til later in the year, the sun rises later). You'll be glad you did and you can thank me later!

Happy Birthday to Erica!

2011-08-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

We've been celebrating all weekend, but TODAY is the day that Erica is THREE! I love being an aunt to Erica and Mary Lane! It's fun to celebrate birthdays and to spend time with them throughtout the year. I look forward to getting to do some new things with Erica now that she's a little older.

Enjoy this fun little slideshow (more pics are on Facebook).

Personalize a digital scrapbooking design

For His Grandma . . .

2011-08-16T21:32:00.000-05:00

. . . and Aunt Jeanette, and anyone else who wanted to see Daniel's picture from the first day of school last week. He willingly let me take the traditional picture on the front steps, but I didn't want to "push it" by posting it on Facebook. But since Grandma asked nicely, here it is!

Junior Year!

By the way, click here to see how he looked on his first day of Kindergarten. And you can guarantee that there will be a grand finale next year!

2011 Scripture Memory #16

2011-08-15T07:00:00.001-05:00

The verse I'm focusing on this time is the fourth verse/statement in the "Six Points of the Gospel" from Crossings Camp:

"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

John 14:6

Jesus is the only way to salvation.

There has never been any doubt about this in my mind, mainly because I have been taught about Jesus since I was a baby. But I know that there are many people in the world, and in my city, who don't know or believe this truth about Jesus. This month I've been praying specifically for Muslims around the world, who are participating in Ramadan. I pray that God would reveal Himself to them in such a way that they would believe that Jesus is the only way and that they can find true peace and joy and forgiveness in Him.

Blonde moments

2011-08-14T16:13:00.000-05:00

Disclaimer: My apologies to people who will read this who have naturally blonde hair. I'm just going with the stereotype here, not picking on specific blondes, most of whom are very smart and not scatter-brained. :-)

Author/speaker, Beth Moore, has used the line, "I was acting blonder than I paid to be" and there have been a couple of instances this weekend that made me able to relate and identify with that statement. Another way to put it is that I've had some "duh" moments this weekend, and I just thought I'd allow others to have the chance to laugh with me.

First, this week I got some new running shoes (to use for walking) and some orthotic inserts. The guy at the store suggested that I alternate between the orthotics and the standard inserts that come with the shoes for a few days to let my feet get used to the differences. So on Friday I wore my shoes with the standard inserts, and then on Saturday before I walk, I replaced them with the orthotics. I walked 7.5 miles and my right foot was giving me problems pretty much the whole way. I was ready to take the shoes and orthotics back to the store and try to find out what was wrong. Well, this morning, I happened to notice that there was only one of the standard inserts on the shelf where I'd put "them" and it dawned on me that I had put the orthotic on top of the standard insert in my right shoe. Duh! No wonder my foot was sore and crowded! I'm so glad I didn't go back to the store and make a fool of myself there!

Secondly, it's school supply time and I had planned to go take advantage of the "fill a bag for 20% off" sale at OfficeMax. So today I took my bag (and even had to go back to the car and get it after I got inside the store), and put all the binders, paper, index cards, etc., in it--pretty much filled that baby up! I got to the check-out counter and put my bag up on the desk and the salesgirl looked at me and said, "Um, did you just want to keep that bag?" I didn't understand why she was saying that, so I told her that I was wanting the discount on everything in the bag, like it said right there on the bag. She said, "Well, that expired yesterday." Duh! Of course it did! I still bought all of the stuff, but I could have saved $13 if I had been paying more attention.

Maybe I better think twice about getting any more blonde highlights in my hair. I think maybe the chemicals are seeping into my brain!

Belmont College, Alma Mater . . .

2011-08-08T20:11:00.000-05:00

Twenty-five years ago this month, I moved to Nashville as a freshman at Belmont College. The college hymn back then began with the words, "Belmont College, Alma Mater, proudly we proclaim." Today as we walked around the campus with Daniel on his first official ~~college~~ university visit, I felt that Belmont pride welling up inside me. I had fun giving Daniel a running "backstage" commentary as we went on the tour (and he's probably very glad that I won't be able to do that at every school we visit during his college search process).

Yes, things have changed at the old alma mater and there are many new buildings that weren't there when I was a student (I think my old dorm is now a men's dorm). And the cost per year . . . let's not even talk about it! But what hasn't changed is the sense of community and the commitment to helping students reach for their dreams.

I listened to the presentation during the School of Music Q&A session and remembered hearing my friends talk about taking required piano lessons and music theory classes and singing with the Belmont Chorale. Back when I was a freshman and was meeting other new students, one of the common questions to ask was, "What's your major?" Nine times out of ten, the answer was "Music" or "Music Business." For a Communication Arts major like me, I was definitely in the minority and felt like I was surrounded by talented people who were planning to "make it big" in the music business.

I know that Daniel's experience (if he winds up attending Belmont) will be different and unique, and I don't want him to feel like he is "required" to go there just because his parents did. But now that I have a kid who is dreaming about making it in the music business, it's interesting to see it all from a new perspective. And I can't wait to see how it all turns out!

Dessert-of-the-Month: August

2011-08-07T22:24:00.000-05:00

For my brother-in-law's August Dessert-of-the-Month, Russell had chosen coconut cake. Even though I'm not a fan of anything coconut, I knew that I had a recipe that would be perfect to use: Granny's Luscious Coconut Cake. Daniel's great-grandmother used to make this for many family holiday get-togethers and it was always raved about by those who ate it.

Also, since my sister and brother-in-law were celebrating their 9th wedding anniversary last week, I thought it would be fun to let them have a "cake date" at my house one evening while we went to stay with their girls. It worked out for them to have the date on their actual anniversary night and it was fun to set the table with china and some of their wedding photos to make it more festive for the occasion.

In case you're interested, here's the recipe for Granny's Luscious Coconut Cake, as printed in the Bellevue Baptist Church (Owensboro, KY) Cookbook from 1998:

1 pkg. butter cake mix
1 c. sugar
1 (8 oz.) carton sour cream
2 (6 oz.) pkgs. frozen coconut, thawed (I actually used bagged coconut from the baking aisle)
1 (9 oz.) carton whipped topping

Prepare cake mix according to directions, making two 8-inch layers. When cool, split both layers. Combine sugar, sour cream, coconut and whipped topping. Spread between layers, sides and top. Seal cake in airtight container and refrigerate 3 days before serving (I only made it one day ahead and it was fine).

Friday Favorites: Summer Salads

2011-08-05T07:30:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite things about summer is getting to eat cool, fresh, yummy salads. I usually start with a bag of mixed greens and then build it from there. I honestly have never thought that my salads were anything special, but I often get comments about what a pretty salad I've made, or how delicious it looks. Well, I appreciate the compliments, but really, for me, it's gotta be easy or it doesn't get done in my kitchen (or in the other kitchen I frequent at work).

This salad is Tex-Mex, made with a bean salad that I love to make in the summertime (because it's easy and tasty). I put a pile of greens on the plate, add a half cup (or sometimes more) of the bean salad, grape tomatoes (another staple of a lot of my salads), and guacamole (usually storebought). I sometimes add shredded cheddar, too. It's good to have some tortilla chips on the side, because at the end, you need something to help you get the rest of the bean salad that is still on the plate. Yum!

You're just going to have to ignore the fact that this photo is turned the wrong way and try to focus on my culinary creativity (haha!).

This salad starts with mixed greens and the other ingredients are a *sliced mango (as much as you can slice a mango when all the juices are running down your arm), a pouch of salmon (like canned, but you don't have to drain it), and some goat cheese. I usually spritz this with some vinegarette dressing, but really, the juice of the mango does provide enough moisture to act as dressing. I love the mesh of flavors of the fruit, fish and cheese. And it makes me feel so "Food Network-y"!

I have also made variations of the above salad using tuna and a nectarine and feta cheese, and it is good, too. I think the key is that you just find ingredients that you like and experiment with what tastes good to you. Summer is a great time to have salads, since the ingredients are readily available, but really, these salads can be done any time of the year.

If you have any favorite salad combinations, I'd love to hear your ideas. Happy Friday!

Red and Black Bean Salad

1 can black beans
1 can red beans
1 can Fiesta Corn (has peppers added)
3 T. red wine vinegar
3 T. olive oil
1 t. cumin
1 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper

Drain the beans and corn and place in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix vinegar, oil and spices. Pour over the bean/corn mixture and stir to coat. Can be served immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve. This recipe is easily doubled and is also great as a filling for tacos/burritos or with chips as a heavy dip.

*I discovered a handy kitchen gadget that helps to get the pit out of a mango. It doesn't make the slices, but does make it easier to get as much of the mango fruit to then cut up and use in a recipe. The gadget costs about $12 and I've found them at several places that sell kitchen items, even Kroger.

2011 Scripture Memory #15

2011-08-03T05:44:00.001-05:00

Happy August! I can't believe the "summer" is almost over and that Daniel will be starting back to school next week. But since the calendar keeps on moving all year long, it's time for another memory verse!

The third verse in the "Six Points of the Gospel" from Crossings Camp is:

"But God demonstrated His love toward us, in this:
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Romans 5:8

Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead.

This is such a basic truth, yet at the same time hard to comprehend. God loves us so much that even though we could never deserve it, he gave His only Son to die and to take the punishment for our sins on Himself. I encourage you to do some thinking on this and let this wonderful truth of the gospel sink deeper into your soul. Wow! That's love!

I was born in a small town . . .

2011-08-01T19:07:00.000-05:00

Well, I wasn't born in a small town, but my friend, Doug Goddard was, or at least he grew up in a small town that happens to be the 2nd oldest town in Tennessee: Dandridge. It's just a few miles east of Knoxville, in the foothills of the Smokies (and the English Mountains, which Doug pointed out to me from the top of his family's farmland).

Anyway, since Doug and his wonderful wife, Leanne, were in Dandridge for the week, we (the Masseys and I) decided to head for the hills and help Leanne celebrate her birthday. And what a fun weekend it was! We mostly enjoyed hanging out together at Doug's family's house, but on Saturday, we ventured into "downtown" Dandridge and went to a couple of shops and took pictures at an old-fashioned soda shop (which was unfortunately not serving that day). I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking.

The last few pictures were taken on Leanne's actual birthday on Sunday. The Masseys were already back in Nashville, but Doug, Leanne and I decided to go find a place that we'd seen on the Food Network show, "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives," in Knoxville, called Pizza Palace. It's a drive-in pizza place, but we opted to eat at the counter inside the store, since it was as hot as the pizza oven outside! The pizza and onion rings were wonderful and we had fun hanging out a little longer before I had to head home to Nashville.

Gen X

2011-07-30T08:00:00.001-05:00

What a relief!!! I'm a Gen X-er!!! I noticed an article on The Tennessean website about Gen X-ers turning 40 and that got me to wondering if I had "made the cut" in the Generation X. For a while there, people born in the late 1960s, such as myself, were kind of in limbo, not really counted as "Baby Boomers" (too young, thank you very much), but kind of classified as "Baby Busters" (say what?).

I decided to do a little research and found out, via Wikipedia (don't judge, it can be reliable information) that indeed people born between the years of 1964 and 1980-81 are counted among those in Generation X, and I fall well within that range.

I'm sure I'd be glad to pick and choose which characteristics of Gen X-ers that I'd like to be associated with, but at least for now a) I don't feel so old and b) I feel a little more trendy and relevant! And I agree that 40 isn't as old as it used to be (to quote the article in The Tennessean).

By the way, I think I know more than I let on about pop culture and current events. The other day I didn't "get" a reference to a Will Ferrell line from a movie, and my response to the person was that I wasn't that "up" on Will Ferrell (not a bad thing, in my opinion). I was asked what am I "up" on and my answer was, "Anything that shows up on my Yahoo homepage."

OK, I think I'll go listen to some 80s music now!

Friday Favorites: Blogs

2011-07-29T11:18:00.000-05:00

This was not exactly the Friday Favorites post I was excited about writing today, but since I was having some technical difficulties getting my computer to upload some pictures I wanted to use in the post, that one will have to wait for another week.

So, I am now equally excited to share with you some recent favorite blogs that I've found! You probably noticed that I have a pretty long list of blogs in a sidebar on my blog and all of them are favorites in different ways (otherwise, I wouldn't have them on there, right?). I love to read blogs as a form of entertainment, and with a few exceptions, the blogs I read are written by people I personally know. I also find blogs to be inspirational, either giving me creative ideas and prompting me to write something on my own blog, or they inspire me to grow spiritually and help me to focus on God and His Word.

The first blog I want to highlight today is a favorite because I think the writer is "tops"!!! She is full of enthusiasm for life and is such a good encourager and I had a blast getting to know her better when we were both adult leaders at camp with our church youth group. Nan Goes From Nam to Nash has recently gotten a fresh, new look, which made it even more fun. And she's been highlighting some great Nashville restaurants and treateries that makes me want to blow my dining out budget for sure! I think you'll agree that this blog is worth subscribing to or adding to your "favorites" list (or just click over to it from my blog).

The second blog is one that I recently found and have been blown away with how relevant each post has been for my life. Heavenward by Scotty Smith is a series of daily prayers written by the Founding Pastor of Christ Community Church in Franklin, TN and a Council member with The Gospel Coalition. I may have met Scotty personally at some point in my years here in Nashville (I know I've been to his church and have friends who have been or are members there), but I have really appreciated the honesty and depth he shares in his prayers and like I said, I have been totally amazed at how many of the prayers deal with something that is on my mind on that particular day. God is awesome like that and I am thankful for how this blog helps me grow in my own prayer life.

One more blog that I'll list as a "favorite" is written by a guy who goes to my church and has been my Sunday School teacher for the past several months. Forward Progress is one of the blogs that I check every day, because Michael usually posts every day and I enjoy the variety of things that he posts about. One fun thing I look forward to every week is his "Fridays Are For One Question" posts. It's always interesting to see what he comes up with and also to read how others answer the question.

Well, now maybe I've given you something to do when you're bored this weekend or needing to stay inside in the air-conditioning to avoid this nasty heat wave that keeps on giving! And feel free to let me know of favorite blogs you have come across . . . or to just post a comment in general to let me know you're out there (hint, hint!)!

Chasing sunsets

2011-07-21T20:53:00.000-05:00

From Wikipedia

I love a good sunset! I have viewed sunsets in the mountains of North Carolina and on the beaches in Florida and many places in between, and have never seen one that didn't leave me in awe of my God who created it.

Tonight, the clouds looked like they would produce a beautiful sunset, so about 8 o'clock I started walking across the street so I could get on the other side of the school, kind of up on a hill, to attempt to watch the colors and take in a good sunset. When I got on the other side of the school, I couldn't find the vantage point that I wanted, and it almost seemed like I'd missed it, so I walked back home. As I sat on my front steps, watching the colors in the sky over the school building, I realized that sunsets sometimes have to be chased to be viewed. Sure, sometimes, you find yourself in the right place at the right time and you look up and there it is, the perfect sunset. But I think some of the best sunsets have to be sought after.

I can remember times when I was growing up and we'd be visiting our long-time family friends, Bob and Fredna Vaught, in the rural Virginia mountains. One of the highlights would always be to take a ride in the back of a wagon pulled by Uncle Henry (Bob's uncle, but they were all like family to us) up to The Kingdom to watch the sunset. We had to time it just right so that we wouldn't miss it. Other evenings at "the cabin," as we called it, we'd take a hike up the mountain and watch the sunset from a different high point. Those sunsets were so worth the effort! And if we walked too slowly or started out too late, we would miss it and have to try again another day.

I also have memories of chasing sunsets while I was living in Hawaii in the fall after I graduated from college. I lived only a mile or so from Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, but when I looked out the front door of my apartment, I'd only see another apartment building. If I wanted to see the beautiful Hawaiian sunset, I had to go chase it. It wasn't the happiest time of my life for me while I was there, but I know that getting to see lots of gorgeous sunsets was definitely one of the things that gave me joy during those three months.

Someday it would be nice to have a "sunset porch" where I could always know that I could see the sunset without anything hindering my view or having to go chase it and possibly miss seeing it that night. But part of the intrigue about sunsets for me is the thrill of the chasing and being able to catch it before it goes away. Yes, sometimes I miss them, but many times I catch one and it makes the chase so sweet!

2011 Scripture Memory #14

2011-07-17T21:10:00.000-05:00

The next verse in the set of verses from Crossings Camp that they called the "Six Points of the Gospel" is:

Jesus lived a perfect life.
"God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in him, we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:21

Each verse has an explanatory sentence or two to go with it, to help in the memorization and to help with sharing the gospel. In review, the first one was:

God is holy. We are sinful and separated from God.
"For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23

Different, but the same

2011-07-16T13:30:00.000-05:00

Last night, Daniel had six of his friends over to spend the night to celebrate his birthday (remember, most of them were out of town over his birthday weekend, since it was also 4th of July weekend). For several years now, this has been how Daniel chooses to celebrate his birthday. We also have gotten into a tradition of having the guys over to spend the night sometime during the week after Christmas. That means that twice a year, once every six months, I have a tempory loss of all sanity and allow my house to be completely taken over by testosterone! And I am glad to do it because they always have so much fun.

Now that they are getting older, the things they like to do while they are here all night have changed. Or have they? Here are some things that are different and some that are the same:

Different:

I dropped the guys off at the Japanese steak house restaurant and let them have dinner sans parents as a special treat for Daniel's 16th birthday. Of course, I still came back to pay the bill.
One of the guys is already 16 and has his driver's license and a car, so instead of having another parent help me transport everyone, he was able to take some of the crew in his car. Now that's different!
There wasn't as much "physical" activity going on. In the past, these guys have spent at least a couple of hours wrestling like puppies on the floor or playing "King of the Hill" and taking turns throwing each other off the den "ledge" (those who know my house know what I'm talking about) onto a pile of pillows and cushions on the floor.

Same:

Hide-and-seek-type game played with nerf guns. I'm not sure about all the specifics of this, since I stay safely hidden in my room so I don't get hit with a stray "bullet" or run over by anyone, but apparently boys will still be boys, even when they are 15 and 16 years old.
Playing disgusting "Dare" games, making each other eat or drink awful concoctions of things found in the fridge and pantry. Lots of laughter is involved with this game, which is how I always know that is what they're doing.
Lots of food and canned sodas are consumed. I think it was only an hour after they'd gotten back from dinner, I heard them raiding the pantry. And these boys can eat, no matter what age they are!
Movie watching.
Fun, fun and more fun.

I'm so thankful that Daniel has a group of guys who he can hang out with and who I am confident are good influences on each other. Many of them have known each other since they were babies and it will be fun to see how they continue to stay in each others' lives as life takes its course in the years to come.

Dessert-of-the-Month: June/July

2011-07-15T09:34:00.000-05:00

I got so caught up in other things during the month of June that I totally forgot to make Russell his Dessert-of-the-Month! By the time I realized what I had done, it was the 4th of July weekend, so it was the perfect opportunity to combine the treats for June and July into a fun summer dessert to share with the whole family!

Back at the beginning of this year, Russell had chosen things that he would like to have throughout the year and he chose Rice Krispie Treats and homemade ice cream for his June and July options, so that's what we had. I had a little bit of "user error" with the ice cream freezer, but it still tasted good and since I have some whipping cream left over, I need to try, try again to see if I can learn from my mistake. Thankfully, the ice cream still tasted good and I didn't get any complaints from anyone.

(Vintage harvest gold ice cream maker that I think my mom bought with Green Stamps)

Patriotic Rice Krispie Treats

Yummy final result!

53 Weeks Old

2011-07-13T21:34:00.000-05:00

If I don't hurry up and blog about sweet Mary Lane turning one year old, I might lose my status as "aunt in good standing"!! She had her first birthday last Thursday and I have been such a slacker to not post something on my blog!! So here a year review in pictures.

We welcomed this sweet bundle to our family on 7/7/10

She joined big sister, Erica, and it was so fun to have another generation of sisters in the family!

3 months old

6 months old

9 months old

12 months old

Enjoying her birthday cake!

And the balloons!

Now she's one!!!

2011 Scripture Memory #13

2011-07-05T20:00:00.000-05:00

At Crossings Camp, the students were challenged to learn a set of verses that they called the "Six Points of the Gospel." Each verse has an explanatory sentence or two to go with it, to help in the memorization and to help with sharing the gospel.

I decided that I would rise to the challenge to memorize these six verses, too, even if they are already familiar to me or even somewhat in my head. It will be a good refresher and will be good for me to help encourage Daniel and the other GCC youth to memorize them as well. Here's the first one:

God is holy. We are sinful and separated from God.
"For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23

I know that at least one of our girls went to an arts and crafts class at camp where they made bracelets with the Six Points of the Gospel on them. I might check with her to see if it's something I can do on my own and that would give me even more reinforcement!

Suave Sixteen

2011-07-02T07:00:00.002-05:00

Daniel is sixteen years old today! I'm not even going to get all into the reasons why that seems impossible. He is so much fun to be around, and also has such insight into things going on around him. I know I'm very biased, but he's my favorite guy!

While we will be celebrating Daniel's birthday with gusto, it's a little bit anticlimactic for a few reasons. First of all, I was trying to get Daniel to give me some ideas about how he'd like to celebrate his birthday in a special way this year, he told me that it's not like he'll have a "Sweet Sixteen" party like girls have. So a couple of days later, I coined the term, "Suave Sixteen" in an attempt to find the male counterpart. I don't know if it will catch on, but I did notice that Daniel himself used that term in his Facebook post tonight.

Another reason why the excitement over turning sixteen is a tad bit diminished is because Daniel will not be getting his driver's license right away. He seems to be OK with it, but I remember that I wouldn't have it any other way than going to take my driver's test on my actual birthday when I turned seventeen (the driving age in NJ, where I grew up). Since Daniel didn't get his learner's permit until March and has to have it for 180 days before he can take the road test, he'll have to wait until sometime in September to become a licensed driver.

The last reason why Daniel's actual birthday is anticlimactic is that most of his friends are out of town this weekend (holiday weekend), so we'll wait and have his party with friends in a couple of weeks. Again, Daniel's fine with that and will get to do some other fun stuff on his actual birthday (U2 concert at Vandy--hello!).

All that adds up to me having one of the most awesome kids in the universe! Happy Birthday, Daniel!

But I would walk 100 miles . . .

2011-06-30T13:46:00.000-05:00

I did it!!! I logged in 2 miles on the track this morning and that put me just over 100 miles that I've walked (purposefully for exercise) since the beginning of April!

The Walk 100 Miles with the Mayor challenge was a good motivator for me to get miles in this spring (even though I didn't ever actually walk with the mayor at any of the organized events). I mainly walked in my own neighborhood and on the school track across the street. I am proof that miles add up . . . 2 + 2 + 2, etc.

My next ~~big~~ huge goal is the Nashville Women's Half Marathon in September! I've thought about walking a half marathon (that's 13.1 miles, in case you didn't know) for a while, but was hesitant for several reasons (for one, I don't want them to have to come looking for me at the end when the race is over and I haven't crossed the finish line!). After some encouragement from friends, I decided to take the challenge and there are some other women from church who will be walking with me. It's not too late to join us, either, since the training schedule hasn't started yet and registration is still open!!

*By the way, the song I kind of referenced in my title is a "one-hit wonder" by The Proclaimers, made famous in the movie, Benny and Joon, back in 1993, called "I Would Walk 500 Miles."

The Proclaimers - I Would Walk 500 Miles by nex3uk

I'm a camp girl!

2011-06-29T08:57:00.000-05:00

Most everyone who has been in contact with me lately knows that I got to spend a week at camp with our church youth group last week. It was honestly a refreshing and energizing experience and I have been missing being there this week.

From the first night we were at Jonathan Creek, I felt like I was back in my element. I have had so many positive camp experiences in my life and those experiences have truly shaped who I am as a person and as a Christian. Now that I'm home, here are some of the reasons why I love camp so much:

Camp makes me happy! Like I said, as soon as I got to camp, I felt like I had returned to a happy place in my past. I'd never been to this particular camp before, but it was organized in a similar way to other camps I've been a part of, so from the minute that we drove onto the camp property and were greeted by enthusiastic staffers, I just wanted to jump up and participate whole-heartedly.
Camp songs! I love to sing and I'm not afraid to do silly motions to songs. I also love to worship and the songs that were used in the worship services at Jonathan Creek were very vertical and led us to the throne of God. I wasn't the only one who appreciated these songs, because most of the youth group, including my son, have been posting lyrics on Facebook and have been downloading them since we've been back home.
Relaxed schedule and change of pace. Obviously for me, as an adult going to camp, I experienced a completely different schedule from my normal routine and work and at home. But for everyone who goes to camp, it's a chance to get away from things that distract and spend time focusing on having fun and learning more about God. While I did have some limited access to the internet and my cell phone, I definitely benefitted from spending time "unplugged" during the week.
Hearts are changed at camp. God has used the camp experiences in my life to draw me closer to Him. I think it's the fact that many of life's normal distractions are not present at camp, plus much time is spent reading and hearing the Word and in worship. Whether as a camper, staffer or adult leader at camp, God has spoken to my heart during camp experiences. It was also very moving for me to see God working in the hearts and lives of the kids from our youth group. I have known some of these kids since they were babies (including my own), so to have a front-row seat to watch God work in their hearts was one of my favorite things at camp last week.

Lessons I learned from my Dad

2011-06-25T08:35:00.000-05:00

**I had intended for this to show up last Sunday, but for some reason, it did not.**

I was reading in a magazine recently and there was an article that was talking about the most important lesson your dad ever taught you. After thinking about it for a little while, I have come up with some lessons I learned from my dad.

1. I realized that the greatest thing my dad ever taught me was to have a relationship with God. From the time I became a Christian, my dad would give me a yearly plan to read the Bible and encouraged me to have a daily quiet time with the Lord. Sadly, I didn't really pay attention to his advice until I had gone off to college, but I am so thankful for my dad's quiet, loving leadership in my life that has influenced me throughout the past decades.

2. My dad taught me how to love the city. He was born and raised in Oklahoma City, where he rode city busses to school and church and would go downtown to shop or to work and rode his bike along sidewalks to throw newspapers on his paper route. He was a summer missionary during college in two even more urban areas: Detroit and Chicago. During those summers, God grew his love for the city and for people in the city who needed to know about Jesus. He went to seminary in Ft. Worth, and then moved to Long Island, to begin his life's work as a pastor and church planter and missionary. After a couple of other moves, he spent 21 years as Director of Church Extension for the Metro NY Baptist Association, where he commuted daily into "the City" and learned about the demographics and dynamics of the "city that never sleeps" and its outlying areas (NJ and Connecticut). Today, he is a member of First Baptist Church in downtown Nashville. He loves the city and he taught me about loving the city. Some people might hate city living and long for the quiet and peace of the country life (and I agree that it's a nice place to get away and relax). But I love the excitement and opportunities that come from being close to a city and I will always be a "city girl" because of my dad.

3. Dad taught me how to be a parent and how to relate to my son: with love and time together. I remember always being a "daddy's girl" when I was growing up. He tells stories about me coming into his office (or study as he called it) when I was a preschooler and would tell him things and have him write things down. Or I'd draw him pictures. I just liked to be near him. I loved going into NYC with him, even though he'd walk so fast, I had to jog to keep up sometimes. But I knew I was always safe with my dad and that he knew what he was doing and where he was going (most of the time!). Once Daniel was born and Dad was retired, he spent countless hours with his grandson, playing any manner of pretend games (school, office, construction, sports games), just being with him and loving him through time together.

4. My dad taught me how to drive a car. There were times when I was really small that he would let me sit in his lap behind the steering wheel and "drive" with him. After I got old enough to reach the pedals and once I had my learner's permit, Dad was my primary driving instructor in the family. He patiently told me what I needed to do and how to back out of our driveway with the looming tree by the street. He helped me to gain confidence behind the wheel and then demonstrated his trust in my abilities by letting me drive solo on the night I got my license (in the snow!). He also taught me my example how to "talk" to traffic, which is a lesson I'm unfortunately passing along to my son by example. As Daniel told me a long time ago, when I was wishing for a megaphone on top of my car, "that wouldn't be a great idea, Mom." It's a good thing for me and Dad that we can drive with the windows rolled up!

There are many other things that my dad taught me and is still teaching me, and I'm thankful that God gave me an earthly father who loves me and has shown me characteristics of my Heavenly Father. I'm so thankful for DeLane Ryals, and that I get to celebrate him as my Dad all throughout the year, not just on Father's Day. I love you, Dad!

2011 Scripture Memory #12

2011-06-18T08:08:00.000-05:00

Wow! With this verse, we're halfway through the year! Like the saying goes, "time flies!"

The verse I am choosing this time is:

"A joyful heart makes a cheerful face,
But when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken."
Proverbs 15:13, NASB

Lately, I've been doing some thinking about joy and what it means to be joyful. I think it definitely involves happiness and peace and gladness, but joy goes deeper than that. Also, joy is not dependent on circumstances. Sometimes we might think that we can't be joyful because everything around us is crashing in or falling apart, but that's not the case. We don't have to be jumping up and down or celebrating when hard things happen, but it doesn't mean we can't have joy.

I have learned (and am still learning), that my joy comes from the Lord. It not only comes from Him, but my joy is in the Lord. I can be anxious or sad or feeling lonely, but if I turn my focus to Christ, He helps me to remember that He gives me joy (along with many other blessings).

Joy is not something I can conjure up on my own. It has to come from the Lord, by His Spirit. I can ask for more joy, as well as the other fruit of the Spirit (love, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, self control) and He will give it freely and fully.

Joy comes from a thankful heart. I can choose to focus inwardly and dwell on things that are not right in my life or in the world, or I can choose to find things to be thankful for and to even thank God for the hard things. When I am able to do that, I find that my heart can't help but be joyful.

I don't want to come across as trite or uncaring about things that people go through that are very hard and sad. I've experienced grief and sadness and there are seasons when our hearts are just broken and sad. My prayer is to have a truly joyful heart that makes my face cheerful. I want to have a joy that flows out of my heart and onto others and that reminds them of the source of all joy.

Beautiful

2011-06-11T19:49:00.001-05:00

It has been a beautiful thing to watch the body of Christ serve and love the family of Emmett Stallings this week, and ever since he was diagnosed with cancer in February 2010. And today was the culimination of that love in action, as we came together to have a celebration/memorial service of Emmett's life on earth and his life in Christ.

Here are some of the beautiful things I have seen from my vantage point:

A memorial service planned by close friends and family members (with input from Emmett himself before he left this earth).
A reception, as well as a separate dinner for the family, were planned with people signing up to bring food, set up, clean up and organize the two events.
Within 24 hours, childcare volunteers were in place, ready to care for young children so that their parents (Emmett's friends and peers) could attend the service.
Technology was implemented to make it possible for people who couldn't attend the memorial service, whether because of miles separating them or other restraints, to watch a live video stream.
Hearing the gospel clearly explained, at the request of Emmett's family, and partly prompted by little Quinn's question of his mom when he found out that his dad was in heaven, "How do we get to heaven?"
Being able to worship the Lord with a group of people gathered to honor Emmett's life on earth.
Seeing the people on the worship team who sang or played with tears in their eyes and on their cheeks because they had played on worship teams with Emmett in the past.
The quiet hush that came over the entire chapel as approximately 400 people filed out to go down the hall to the reception. It was a collective, unspoken tribute to a man who had touched so many people during his life on earth, and who will remain in our hearts and minds now that he is in heaven.
Hearing the stories and seeing pictures and remembering interactions that I have witnessed of Emmett's love for his wife and his son. He loved them in a beautiful way.

"How beautiful, how beautiful, how beautiful is the body of Christ." --Twila Paris

Weeping with those who weep

2011-06-09T09:35:00.000-05:00

I am dedicating my blog to the family of Emmett James Stallings IV, who went home to the arms of His Savior early this morning, after a long, hard fight with cancer. Please pray for his wife, Wendy, their 4-year-old son, Quinn, his parents, Jim and Debbie, and his other family members and countless friends who are grieving today.

We do not grieve without hope (1 Thess. 4:13-18), and for that I am thankful. But I, and many others, are "weeping with those who weep" (Romans 12:15) today.

If you are interested in the Stallings' story, you can read their blog here.

I will come back in a day or two and share some of my memories of Emmett. I am thankful to have had the opportunity to be blessed by his life on earth.

Everything

2011-06-04T09:33:00.000-05:00

Thursday and Friday were emotionally difficult days for me because of hard things that some friends and fellow church members are going through. I know it's not about me, AT ALL, and I am thankful that I have a job where I can serve people during times of sorrow and in times of joy, by praying and getting information out to others. I'm thankful that I work with people who will stop everything and reach out to those in need. I am thankful for the body of Christ that I get to see in action as they mobilize to bring comfort and care and meet practical needs. It's still emotionally draining, though, because I'm human and finite and lack the "big picture" perspective that God has.

The verses that kept running through my mind, along with a song that is based on them, were from Romans 11:33-36:

"Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen."

We sang the song at our Corporate Prayer & Worship service last Sunday night:

Everything

Unsearchable, His wisdom.
Untraceable, His ways.
Who can know the mind of the Lord Most High?
Who could ever give Him counsel?

Everything is from Him,
Everything is through Him,
Everything is to Him,
To Him be the glory
In everything.

The final chorus ends with "Forever and ever, Forever and ever, Amen."

I can't even begin to understand the whys and what fors about the things that happen in this world. But I pray that we will all be able to rest in the knowledge that God is sovereign and that He is Forever. And may He receive the glory through all the hard things and the easier things in my life and in the lives of my friends and family.

Friday Favorites: Magazines

2011-06-03T09:30:00.000-05:00

I love magazines! I've gotten more selective in recent years, and for budget and time constraints have cut way back on my personal subscriptions, but I love it when I have a "fun" (in my mind) magazine and a leisurely afternoon to read through it.

Here are some "fun facts" about my love for magazines:

My mom shares my love for magazines, and probably is my main influence in developing that love. I can remember her having a subscription to Good Housekeeping when I was growing up and I'd love to read through it on lazy afternoons. She gave me my own subscription once I was out on my own.
My mom, sister and I have a magazine sharing system that works pretty well for us. We try not to subscribe to the same magazines and then once we finish reading the ones that we buy, we make a checkmark on the front with our initials, letting the others know that we're finished with it. For the record, I'm "NRR" and my mom is "NBR" since we both have the same first and last initials. My sister gets her very own letters: "JRM".
I used to save every issue of certain magazines, mostly the scrapbooking ones, and just recently got rid of a huge stack of cooking magazines (can you say, "scanner," for the recipes I wanted to keep?). My sister had to have a mini-intervention and stood beside me at the recycling bin when I got rid of all the scrapbooking mags.
I don't usually do it this way anymore, but my favorite way to read a magazine (there is more than one way, you say?) was to start at the beginning and turn through every page, just to see what was in that issue. Then I'd go back and thoroughly read every article, using those pesky subscription cards as bookmarks.
And speaking of subscription cards, those are one of my pet peeves (both the ones that fall out and the ones that are stuck into the spine of the magazine). Why do we need so many cards to get a subscription to something that already comes in our mailbox? Now, I have been to a printing plant and saw how magazines were printed, so I know that they are put in there for both the mags sold in stores and sent out to subscribers, but they still annoy me to no end!
When I was working in the publishing industry, I actually worked on some specialized magazines (including Sunday School materials). I like the longer deadlines of working on a monthly or quarterly publication, even though you have to keep your head in multiple years at the same time.

So, there you have it. It's not just a passing fling with magazines . . . I've had a long relationship and plan to continue it. Hey Mom, Sis: got any mags you need to pass on this weekend? :-)

Someone's Having a Birthday!

2011-06-02T06:05:00.002-05:00

On June 2nd, a little more than a few years ago, a sweet baby girl was born.

She grew up and married a man who started out as this cute little guy.

They had two girls. First this one . . .

And then this one

And when those girls grew up, they had some sweet babies of their own.

Happy Birthday to our wonderful Mom and Grandma!

We love you!

2011 Scripture Memory #11

2011-06-01T21:15:00.000-05:00

Happy June! It's a new month and time for a new scripture memory verse:

"God’s way is perfect.

All the Lord’s promises prove true.

He is a shield for all who look to him for protection."

Psalm 18:30, New Living Translation

I have been pondering some truths of the Bible and about God this week. One of those is that "His way is perfect." In the New American Standard Bible, the word "blameless" is used in place of perfect, but in the notes, it listed "perfect, having integrity, complete." So if His way is perfect, then it is best, even if my finite, human, imperfect mind can't understand it. His ways are higher than my ways, and His thoughts are higher than my thoughts (Isaiah 55:9).

Another truth that I've had a recent "A-ha!" moment about is the promise that God does not withhold good from His children (those who follow Him and walk according to His ways). Again, His definition of "good" and mine sometimes don't match, but it gave me comfort to realize that since God does not purposefully keep good things from me, so if I don't have something (right now) that I think I need/want, then it must not be good for me (right now). "A-ha!"

And since this post is about what scripture I'm going to attempt to put in my brain and meditate on over the next couple of weeks, I wanted to share a link to some creative ideas for memorizing scripture (or helping others to do so). I'll admit that when I read this post, I felt kind of guilty that I a) hadn't done as "great a job" at memorizing scripture this year as I want to think I have and b) that I have somewhat failed as a mom because I didn't encourage scripture memory with my son when he was young. But that guilt was pointless and not from the Lord, and I was thankfully able to switch over to being thankful that each day is a new day and that it's not too late for either me or Daniel to put scripture in our heads and hearts. And it's not too late for anyone reading this either.

Friday Favorites: Matching Shower Gel & Lotion

2011-05-27T10:41:00.000-05:00

I'll admit it: I'm a "matchy-matchy" kind of girl. I like to have outfits that have "matching" components (I'll make a great "sweet older lady" who loves to wear those Alfred Dunner outfits with the piping on the shirt that matches the pants). I like it when the napkins, plates and cups all match at a party or picnic. I think it's so adorable when little girls (twins or not) are dressed in matching outfits (awww!!!)

And one of my favorite things is to have matching shower gel and body lotion (the same fragrance). It's called "layering" you know. I don't use perfume that comes in a pretty bottle and is sprayed on anymore, but I like the subtle effect of bathing with some sweet-smelling shower gel and then slathering the same sweet-smelling lotion all over my body after I get out of the shower.

My all-time favorite fragrance, Mango Mandarin, from Bath and Body Works has been discontinued (so sad), but I got a few to stock up when they had them on clearance. I am looking for a replacement, but so far, nothing has measured up. I do like the Vanilla Bean Noel that comes out at Christmastime, but that I can take for only a few months and then I want something else.

Maybe you learned something new about me today. Hope you have a Happy Friday!

A New Obsession

2011-05-25T18:03:00.000-05:00

I think it's safe to say that when it comes to trendy things in life, I am usually slightly, if not exceedingly, late to the party. I guess I like to see how the trends are going to go and then jump on board. Or maybe I just stick to what I know too much and then when I finally wake up and realize what others are talking about, it's been five years! Such is the case with my latest "obsession" with The Pioneer Woman.

Sure, I've seen links to her blog on my friends' blogs and I've heard people talk about recipes that they have tried that were in her cookbook. But it wasn't until a few months ago that I clicked on a link to her blog one day and then found myself checking often to see what new stuff she'd written. She writes in a way that makes you want to sit down with her at her kitchen table and eat one of the yummy desserts she's made (and photographed so nicely). And the photos . . . they're real pretty!

She recently wrote a book about her whirlwind romance with her husband, The Marlboro Man (just a reference to his rugged cowboy looks). I put my name on the list to get the book from the library and when it came in, I read it in about two days! It was written in her usual funny way and was a fun and easy read to start my summer off right. Now, if I could just find me a cowboy to sweep me off my feet (just kidding . . . I don't think this city girl would survive on the Oklahoma prairie!)

If there are any other trends I've been missing out on, please feel free to enlighten me. I'll be sure to get obsessed over them after another five years!

Dessert-of-the-Month: May

2011-05-24T21:06:00.000-05:00

Chocolate Eclair Dessert

For Russell's Christmas present in May (read here if you missed the back story), I decided that he would like an easy dessert! Really, when we were brainstorming ideas of desserts for each month, he had a little lapse in listing desserts, so Jeanette suggested this one, knowing that he'd like it (I've made it for family get-togethers). I think she also was putting in a plug for something she knew she'd like, too!

I got this recipe from someone I used to work with and it literally takes 10-15 minutes to prepare (not counting the chill time in the fridge). You use five ingredients and it is a crowd-pleaser wherever it goes. Russell liked it this time, and that's what's important for this story!

Here's the recipe:

Graham crackers (takes about a sleeve and a half of Kroger brand crackers)

Large pkg of Vanilla Instant Pudding (you can use regular or sugar-free)

Container of Cool Whip

Container of Chocolate icing

Mix pudding according to the directions on the box (using milk, the 5th ingredient). When pudding begins to thicken, mix in Cool Whip. Line a 9x13 pan with graham crackers. Pour half of the pudding mixture over the crackers. Place another layer of crackers on top of the pudding. Pour remaining pudding mixture on top of second layer of crackers. Finish with one more layer of crackers. Remove the foil from the can of frosting and heat it in the microwave for 45 seconds. Stir and pour over the last layer of crackers spreading if necessary. Refrigerate overnight (or all day if you make it in the morning).

Friday Favorites: Worship Songs

2011-05-20T10:32:00.000-05:00

Music just lifts my spirits and I have found that listening to worship songs on my iPod or on a CD in the car helps me to stay focused on the Lord as I am going through the normal routines of my day/week. Some of my recent favorite worship CDs are:

Until the Whole World Hears, by Casting Crowns

Awaken the Dawn, by Keith and Kristyn Getty

anything by Selah

and of course, the two Grace Community Church CDs, Lavished Grace and Waves of Grace.

If you want to listen to songs from my church, you can go here and click "play" and let it be the background music for your day. Hopefully, it will lift your spirits and will help you sing your own songs of worship and praise to our great God!

2011 Scripture Memory #10

2011-05-16T21:38:00.000-05:00

Do you ever read a scripture passage or a verse one day and then in the next couple of days, you keep seeing it in other places? Kind of like layering. When that happens to me, I have finally come to realize that the verse must be something I need to pay attention to. This is why I am choosing these verses for my next scripture to put in my mind.

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." James 4:7, NIV

The other day, I came across this verse while reading my favorite devotional book, Jesus Calling. Then this morning when I was preparing the weekly prayer email for our church, this verse was part of the focal passage for the week.

I'm hoping that this verse will help me resist temptation when I am wanting to over-indulge in sweets or other foods that I need to be more self-controlled about. I also have been thinking of this verse, along with the verse surrounding it, as some good verses to pray for my son and share with him as he continues to grow up and gain more independence. It gives a good list of things to remember as we seek to honor and follow God in our lives.

Friday Favorites

2011-05-13T17:42:00.000-05:00

I've decided to start a new little series called "Friday Favorites." You may have noticed that I have a list of some of my favorite things in the sidebar to the right, so I'm going to take one of those and also include other things that I haven't included on that list. Should be a fun, little thing to look forward to each week!

I actually got this idea as I was filling up my Tervis tumbler with water today at work. I realized that this tumbler is one of my all-time favorite cups and I hadn't put it on my favorites list! For shame (haha)! I've added it now and it's my first favorite thing to spotlight:

I also use mine with a lid and a big straw and that makes it even easier to drink lots of water during the day. Here are some reasons why Tervis tumbers are my favorite cup:

Tervis tumblers do not sweat!
You can put iced or hot beverages in them and they stay the temperature that they are meant to be (within a reasonable time, of course).
This cup fits nicely in the cup holder in my car, ensuring most days that I will not spill water in the floor of my car (or in the seat) like I sometimes did when I used a different insulated water mug.
You can get fun designs or personalizations for your cup. I bought mine at a retail store, but I know that you can order them directly from the company with personalized sayings or names. You can also choose from all kinds of sports teams.
Tervis tumblers make great gifts. I have given them to friends with their own initial on the cup, and was so excited a few weeks ago when I went to buy a wedding shower gift and the bride and groom had Tervis tumblers on their registry! I was happy to purchase a set of monogrammed tumblers for their new home (although their last name begins with "R" like mine, so I was very tempted to sneak the set out with me when I left the shower!).

So, there you have it. If you're looking for a new cup to drink lots of water during the day (a-hem, Dad), this might be a good one to try. Or if you just want to find out more about some of my favorite things, be sure and check back every Friday for a while (I'm sure my list will run out eventually).

Daniel's new smile

2011-05-10T21:07:00.000-05:00

After two years and nine months (not that he was counting), Daniel finally got his braces off today! Check out those pearly whites!

When I asked Daniel what foods he would like to have when he got his braces off, at the top of the list was Milk Duds. Mom delivered.

In order to fully appreciate the "after" picture,

you need to see some "before" pictures

This was the day he got the braces on, in August of 2008.

Pre-braces

And way before!

If you need a good orthodontist, I can't say enough good things about Dr. Joel Gluck. He and his staff were friendly, professional and fun. If you go see them, tell them Daniel Ryan sent you!

Frappuccino Friday

2011-05-06T15:41:00.000-05:00

It's the little things that make me happy. Really!

Today starts a week or so of Frappuccino Happy Hours at Starbuck's. It's their sly little ploy to get everyone addicted to frapps just in time for the summer heat. And I play right into their hand on this one!

The best thing about it is that Starbuck's now lets you completely customize your frappuccino. You can order it decaf, non-fat, even sugar-free, I think. Heck, I had one that was totally sans coffee today! I call it a "grown up" vanilla milkshake. I also call it yummy!

I have a feeling that I'll be finding an excuse to drive by a Starbuck's every afternoon between 3 and 5 for the next few days. At least as long as I still have a balance on my gift card!

The thing about it that I don't like (besides the fact that it only runs through May 15th) is the brain freeze I get when I take in too much of the yummy frozenness at once. I think I can get past that though . . .

National Day of Prayer

2011-05-05T11:51:00.000-05:00

Every weekday morning, I wake up to the radio. This morning was no different: the alarm went off at 5:15 and there was some radio ad playing and I hit the snooze. Ten minutes later, the alarm went off again and I heard the DJ talking about how today is the National Day of Prayer, and heard an interview with Ginny Owens, a Christian artist who is a spokesperson for NDP this year. She was talking about the theme verse for this year's prayer emphasis, Psalm 91:2, "I will say to the LORD, 'My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'" In light of the week's news events, with tornadoes and the capture of Osama Bin Laden, I think that is a very relevant verse to ponder (and the entire Psalm 91 as well).

Then they started playing a song, written (with her husband) and sung by Christy Nockels. I really wish that I could post a video for you, but the ones I found on You Tube were not professional and were too cheesy for me to share with a good conscience. They use the real song recording, though, so you can go listen to it. It's a powerful song, so I'll share the lyrics (we sang it at Grace a while back):

A Mighty Fortress

Our God is a consuming fire,
A burning holy flame
With glory and freedom.
Our God is the only righteous Judge
Ruling over us
With kindness and wisdom.

We will keep our eyes on You.
We will keep our eyes on You.

A mighty fortress is our God.
A sacred refuge is Your name.
Your kingdom is unshakeable.
With You forever we will reign.

Our God is jealous for His own.
None could comprehend
His love and His mercy.
Our God is exalted on His throne.
High above the heavens,
Forever He’s worthy.

We will keep our eyes on You.
We will keep our eyes on You.

A mighty fortress is our God.
A sacred refuge is Your name.
Your kingdom is unshakeable.
With You forever we will reign.

We will keep our eyes on You,
We will keep our eyes on You,
So we can set our hearts on You,
Lord, we will set our hearts on You.

A mighty fortress is our God.
A sacred refuge is Your name.
Your kingdom is unshakeable.
With You forever we will reign.

2011 Scripture Memory #9

2011-05-01T21:02:00.000-05:00

Happy May to all! I don't know why exactly, but I love the month of May. I think I associate it with Spring and there are so many happy and fun events that take place in May: Mother's Day, graduations, school's out (usually), Memorial Day, and my Granddaddy's birthday was May 12.

With it being the first of the month, that means it's time for the next scripture verse to think on/memorize. When I read Beth Moore's blog today, the verse she chose was familiar to me, although not in that particular translation. She chose Psalm 27:14 from the New Living Translation, and I like the use of the word "rely" as it relates to waiting.

But, since this verse has come up ~~several~~ many times for me in different devotional readings in the past year or so, even last week, I decided that I'd like to put this one in my memory bank. I am choosing to use the New American Standard Bible because of the use of the word, "wait."

"Wait for the LORD;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the LORD."
Psalm 27:14, NASB

I like the word, "yes" in the last part. It's like the writer was saying, "It's OK, the Lord will show up and come through, just wait for Him (and rely on Him)." I also like how the directive to wait is repeated, to reinforce the message.

I've been thinking on the "waiting" theme for a while now and will probably do a blog post about it sometime. I think that waiting is an important part of the Christian life and for a while now, God has used this verse and others like it to give me comfort when I am anxious or just plain impatient. I love how God uses His word to bring comfort and gentle reminders of things that I (we) need to learn.

I hope that God brings lots of fun events to your life in the month of May, as I trust He will surely bring in mine. And I pray that this verse will bring you comfort when you are in a period of waiting, even if it's just for five minutes!

Sister Saturday: A Birthday Tribute

2011-04-30T08:10:00.000-05:00

Today I want to celebrate and honor my dear friend, Rhesa, on her birthday. Rhesa and I met at Belmont almost 25 years ago (Is that right? Oh my gosh, YES!). She has become a sister-friend to me over these years, so that's why it's only fitting that I devote a Sister Saturday post to her!

Rhesa and I have experienced a lot together during our friendship. We had lots of fun times with our group of friends in college, eating in the cafeteria, going to movies, staying up late talking, taking "Dead Day" trips to my uncle's house in Memphis to study for finals by the pool.

We were bridesmaids in each others' weddings, but I couldn't put my hands on pictures to show. You'll just have to imagine the teal taffeta dress that Rhesa had to wear in my wedding and the floral-print Laura Ashley dress that I wore in hers (I had the better end of that deal).

Rhesa also walked with me through my divorce. She drove two hours one-way to spend the day with me, loving on me, along with Leanne and Doug, when things were still very fresh, and spent many hours talking on the phone and praying for me throughout that whole experience. She has always had a knack for calming me down and helping me to find peace in difficult situations, which is one of the reasons I am so thankful for her friendship!

Here are a few pictures I found that give you an idea of some of the fun we've had through the years.

Here we are at Belmont in the "Big Hair 80s"

The lucky dude in the middle is our brother-friend, Michael Dean.

I wish you could see our faces better, but the car is part of the story.

One time when Daniel was almost two and Rhesa's firstborn was a baby,

I rented a car to drive to visit Rhesa in Knoxville. The rental car agency gave

me an upgrade . . . to a Chrysler Sebring convertible! Driving on the interstate

with a toddler wasn't really the setting for putting the top down, so one night

Rhesa's husband stayed home with the kids while "us girls" went out for a drive in the convertible.

You know where these young mommies went?

Target!

Rhesa has two sweet sister daughters of her own.

Here she's at the lake with Rebekah (center) and Rachel (right).
Daniel and I got to take several trips to visit Rhesa and her family in
Somerset, KY, when they lived there, and we'd go out on
the lake in their boat and spend some fun time swimming and snacking!

We have another Sister-Friend, Leanne (left).

The three of us have stayed close and I treasure

them as my dear friends!

I can't wait to see what other adventures we find ourselves in during the next 25-plus years!
Happy Birthday, Rhesa!

Dessert-of-the-Month: April

2011-04-28T20:08:00.000-05:00

For my brother-in-law's April dessert (see here if you need the back story), he requested chocolate chip cookies. I thought that would be a pretty easy request to fill, and it was . . . for the most part. On the last day of March, one of my co-workers was celebrating his birthday and his family came by the office with a plate of cookies for him. He shared some with us and they were g-ooo-d! And they were chocolate chip! So I asked him for the recipe and he pulled it up from allrecipes.com. They are called "Award Winning Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies" and I don't know what award they got, but I think they deserved it!

I will definitely keep these in mind for the next time I feel like making a huge (6 dozen) batch of cookies. Speaking of that, I almost doubled the recipe (don't know what I was thinking), and I'm so glad I was short some ingredients and wasn't able to do that! Also, if I'm going to get into making cookies like this (which I'm not saying I am), I might need to upgrade from the little hand-held mixer that I got as a wedding gift almost 20 years ago.

I also think it would be fun to change up the chips a little bit, too. I'm thinking white chocolate with macadamia nuts. Or maybe peanut butter chips. The possibilities really are endless.

Easter Week

2011-04-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

I had two pretty powerful experiences over the weekend, one being the Women's Gathering at church, where some women who are going through some tough circumstances shared how God has been their Rock and Refuge during their storms. One of the women shared from Habakkuk 3, which lists all the things that are going wrong for the prophet, but he vows to still "rejoice in the God of His salvation" (Hab. 3:18).

The other meaningful experience this weekend was at my parents' church downtown. It was called "Celebrate Life: An Easter Music Celebration" (if any of you who are reading grew up Baptist in the 70s, you might remember this musical written by Ragan Courtney and Cynthia Clawson). It included music, drama, and the beautiful interpretive dancing done by a Christian ballet group called "Ballet Magnificat." The musical is a telling of the life of Christ, from the foretelling of his birth, to his death and resurrection. The Lord's Supper and the crucifixion scenes made me pause once again to consider the enormity of what Christ did for me and then the following scenes about his resurrection brought out the familiar joy and excitement that I have felt every Easter ever since I was a child. The choir sang, "He's alive, He's alive! He IS alive!" and eventually the congregation was invited to sing along.

I am working this week on the details related to the five worship services at our church this coming weekend (2 on Good Friday and 3 on Easter Sunday), and am also participating in the choir for these services. It will be a busy week, but my hope and prayer is that I will not lose sight of the true meaning of what Christ did for us on the cross. I want to have joy in my heart as I work and sing and remember that He IS alive!

2011 Scripture Memory #8

2011-04-19T16:08:00.000-05:00

I'm a couple of days late, but I've been thinking about what scripture I want to focus on next. I think I've decided to give myself some grace and if I don't get all of these verses completely memorized word-for-word, I am at least spending time thinking on them and they do come to mind when I least except them to. It helps me to do as Paul encouraged in Philippians 4:8, "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things."

As a quick aside, I memorized that verse a few years ago when I was doing a Bible study called "Conversation Peace" which is all about taming the tongue and speech (something I needed then and still have lessons to learn). The writer gave the acronym, PREPLANT, as a way to remember the list of things to think about (probably using the New International Version). I still remember them in that order: pure, right, excellent, praiseworthy, lovely, admirable, noble, trustworthy.

Back to the verse I'm going to put in my mind and think on over the next two weeks. With it being Easter Week (or Holy Week), I wanted to find a verse that will help me to "preach the gospel to myself" any time of the year.

"For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures." 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, ESV

"Preaching the gospel to ourselves every day addresses both the self-righteous Pharisee and the guilt-laden sinner that dwell in our hearts. Since the gospel is only for sinners, preaching it to ourselves every day reminds us that we are indeed sinners in need of God’s grace. It causes us to say to God, in the words of an old hymn, ‘Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to thy cross I cling.’" (Jerry Bridges, The Disciple of Grace: God's Role and Our Role in the Pursuit of Holiness.)

May we never forget the wonderful gospel of Jesus Christ!

Springtime at Radnor Lake

2011-04-15T12:00:00.001-05:00

I've written before about how Radnor Lake is one of my favorite places on earth and Springtime at Radnor does not disappoint. I took advantage of a perfect Spring afternoon to go for a walk there this week. I didn't bring my camera, but thankfully, my phone took some decent pictures.

This one was actually taken with my regular camera on a quick photo detour to Radnor on Monday morning.

Today in my devotional book the writer, speaking from Jesus' voice, said:
"Heaven is both present and future. As you walk along your life-path holding My hand, you are already in touch with the essence of heaven: nearness to Me. You can also find many hints of heaven along your pathway, because the earth is radiantly alive with My Presence." (Jesus Calling, by Sarah Young, p. 109)

I immediately thought of my walk at Radnor and how it feels like a glimpse of heaven when I go there. The bright green new growth that was evident all throughout the woods. The late-afternoon sunlight coming through the trees. The pretty dogwoods blooming in their natural habitat. The shimmering lake and the babbling streams. By the time I left, I had praise songs and old hymns going through my head because I couldn't hold back the urge to give glory and praise and thanks to the Creator God!

It's Nothing

2011-04-14T20:00:00.000-05:00

Daniel agreed to do a "guest post" and gave me permission to post this English assignment that he wrote this afternoon. He called it a "free-write" and I think the writing prompt he chose was the question he starts off with. My favorite part about this is that he wrote it in about five or ten minutes. As much as the proofreader in me wanted to change some capitalizations, I chose not to do any editing. I think he needs to write more often, but he won't listen to his mother!

“How was your day today?” And my mind goes off. I think of all of my classes, all of my projects that I have to finish before the year ends. April can be one of the hardest months of the school year; better weather, but still rainy, almost May but wait! now we have to make up those lovely days back in the winter where we stayed in bed. Almost done with regular schoolwork, but now to study for exams! Just not quite there. When one class seems as if you could spend all your free time working on it, and in reality, you still have five others to worry about, too. I think of each of my classes that I suffered through another day, just to come home and work some more. Although, friends can make it better sometimes. The fresh breaths of air you get about five minutes per hour, passing people in the halls, wondering if they have the same dread of next period’s test as you do. Oh, and lunch. Except this time of year you’re always making up a test, or studying for a test, or studying for a make-up test that you forgot you were taking today so you better study! No time for eating; that’s nonsense. Sometimes you might just be so tired that you zone out in the middle of class. Or worse, fall asleep. Then there comes the very rude awakening of a strange adult who you’ve only known for a few months smacking your desk, waking you up from your “seems like 30 second” nap. Until you realize, it’s your history teacher. And then, as if you’re waking up from another dream, a daydream that is, still a better awakening than the one in 6^th period today, you sum it all up in a one word answer. “Nothing.”

I'm walking, yes indeed!

2011-04-07T18:44:00.000-05:00

I've got a new little project for myself. I'm going to try to walk 100 miles in the next three months! Thankfully, I don't have to do it all at once (in case you were worried) and I won't be doing it entirely alone. Nashville's mayor, Karl Dean, launched a program to encourage Nashvillians to walk more and to use the greenways that have been built throughout our city and Davidson County. It's called the "Walk 100 Miles with the Mayor" (catchy, huh?) and you can read more about it and even sign up to track your miles here.

I love to walk outside when I can and enjoy walking in parks and on the greenways around town. Lots of times, I have to stay close to home in my neighborhood, due to time constraints, but the good thing is that I can count those walks in my 100 mile tally. I hope to get to some of the organized walks this spring, as my schedule allows, but my goal is to walk 8 miles a week (mostly 2 miles at a time) in order to reach the 100 mile mark.

I can remember when walking a few blocks to school was all that I thought I could do. The town I grew up in has a street that runs through it and it's three miles from one end to the other. There was a time when I was a kid that I thought I was going to die from walking not even the whole length of that street! My poor Girl Scout leaders probably wished they hadn't signed up for that job when they were walking with me down Ridgewood Avenue that day!

Then, in college, for one of my P.E. classes, I took a walking class. Yep, I got three hours credit for walking! We even had a textbook. I think that was when I first started enjoying the benefits of walking for exercise. My friends and I would get up early in the morning and go walk on the track together. After I graduated from Belmont and moved on to the "grown up" world, I continued to use walking as one of my main forms of exercise. I added aerobics classes in there, too, but walking is something I can do by myself, on my own time, as well as with friends. And, I have a "no excuses" place to walk right across the street from my house at the middle school track.

So, there you have it. I'm going to be walking, yes indeed, and will hopefully rack up 100 miles by July! Wish me luck . . . and come join me! It's more fun to walk with friends!

2011 Scripture Memory #7

2011-04-03T21:34:00.000-05:00

It's time for a new verse to add to my brain, and more importantly, my heart. I liked the one that Beth Moore suggested for this time because it speaks to my need to not give up when things get hard. I have had this tendency for most of my life and while I don't usually actually throw in the towel, I get frustrated and get a negative attitude about whatever it is that I'm wanting to give up on. This verse helps me to remember to stand firm and let nothing, especially myself, keep me from finishing what I started (or what the Lord has started).

"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."
1 Corinthians 15:58 NIV

Sister Saturday: Team Emmett Edition

2011-04-02T18:50:00.001-05:00

Today was the 1st Annual Team Emmett Courage to Conquer 5K, hosted by our church in Brentwood. Erica and Mary Lane had on their Team Emmett shirts and cheered on the runners/walkers with their Mommy. Russell and I walked most of the 3.1 miles together (he left me at the end to jog on in, but that was OK). There were over 400 people who came out to volunteer, run or walk and show support to our friends, Emmett, Wendy and Quinn Stallings, as Emmett battles cancer. If you don't know their story, you can read more about it here.

Dessert-of-the-Month Club: March

2011-03-28T18:48:00.001-05:00

In case you forgot, or hadn't read about this before, I gave my brother-in-law, Russell, a Dessert-of-the-Month gift for Christmas last year (go here for back story). We're three months into it, and I think I'm in a good groove with getting the dessert made around the middle of the month. (Nevermind that I am just now getting around to putting a post on my blog.)

For March Russell asked for fudge brownies. I could have gone the easy route and made them from a box mix (which are usually pretty good and pretty fudgey), but I am trying to do these desserts from scratch as much as possible. Also, since I got ~~stole~~ the idea of the Dessert-of-the-Month Club from another blogging friend of mine, I thought it would be cool to use a brownie recipe that she posted a while back, which actually came from another cooking/blogging friend (I highly suggest checking out both of these blogs on a regular basis). So that's how it came about that I made "Just-Right Brownies" for Russell. And from the smiles on everyone's faces after they ate them, I'd say I made the right decision.

Oh yeah, I need to mention that I pretty much forced Russell to share his dessert with a crowd this month. We (the Masseys and Ryans) were co-hosting some friends, the Norris family (or the Nori as we sometimes refer to them), who live in Birmingham. By co-hosting, I mean that the friends slept at the Ryan's house and otherwise hung out at the Massey's house, except for Saturday breakfast. I offered to make dessert to bring over for Friday's dinner and thought I'd kill two birds with one stone and make Russell's March dessert.

See all the smiles? And that was before they ate the brownies!

Serendipity

2011-03-25T11:16:00.000-05:00

noun

an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident.

Last month, I was reading the blog of some friends who are tremendous and generous adoption supporters and learned about a birthday surprise that was being planned to honor the blogger's upcoming 40th birthday. Knowing that her friend had a generous and giving heart, and that another family that they knew was raising money to bring a child home from Africa to join their family, readers of the blog were being asked to donate money toward the adoption. I read the phrase, "no amount is too small" and decided to participate with a small donation of my own.

You can see the results of the birthday surprise here. AMAZING!!!

Fast-forward to yesterday. I was sitting at my desk and looked out the window to see our familiar Terminix man coming across the lawn to do our monthly pest control treatment (to keep our church bug-free). He came in and did what he needed to do in the office and then I took him over to unlock some other parts of the buildings where he needed access. Normal routine.

When he came back to the office to give me the receipt, he began searching for something on his phone and said that he wanted to show us a picture. He brought up a photo of a sweet little girl with dark skin and told me that this was the daughter that his family was adopting soon. I asked where she is from and he told me she is from Uganda.

I immediately asked if she was related to a ministry that my blogging friend started, and I began dropping names of people that I either knew or read about. The light finally came on in my head and I finally connected enough dots and realized that Mr. Terminix is the husband/father in the family for whom the birthday donations were benefiting! Before I knew it, Mr. Terminix was giving me a hug and thanking me for being a part of bringing his daughter home!

After he left, I continued to marvel at everything that had just taken place. From the beginning, I had felt like my involvement was just a drop in the bucket of what was needed, and when I had originally seen the video of the results of the birthday gift, I had tears in my eyes, in awe of what God had done, using the small and not-so-small gifts of so many! It was icing on the cake to be able to make the connection with the man who is going to be traveling to Africa in a few weeks to get his sweet little girl!

Last Sunday, our pastor preached from Luke 9 about the feeding of the five-thousand and how Jesus works through His Church and His disciples to further His kingdom and spread the gospel. He desires to do it that way, even though He is capable of speaking a word and making something happen without any help from anyone. But Jesus chooses to use me, you, all believers, and no amount of money, or no prayer or no person is too small. He puts it all together and makes beautiful things happen, like putting orphans into families.

May I never be surprised at what God can do, but may I always stand amazed when I see what He has done!

We're not talking about a "Cozy Coupe" any more!

2011-03-24T18:00:00.000-05:00

Last week, Daniel and I finally were able to find the time to go to the DMV and get Daniel his learner's permit. Yep, that's right, he's now legally allowed to drive a car (with limitations)!

Without allowing myself to get too sentimental about this milestone in my son's life, because I do realize that my son is not the first kid in history to ever get his driver's license, here are some observations/emotional snippets I've had over the past week:

I'm not completely sure how it can be possible that a) Daniel is old enough to get his permit and b) I am old enough to have a child that age!
While I was waiting for Daniel to take his written driver's exam, the thought crossed my mind that I don't remember anyone (or any parenting books) telling me about how it might feel to be at this point in my child's life. There isn't any "pomp and circumstance" with this milestone, but still causes you to stop and think about all of the other major things that will be taking place over the next couple of years. I sure don't want to "blink and miss it" and want to be the kind of parent that gives my child "wings" and doesn't hold him back unnecessarily.

We're not talking about bumper cars or go-carts or even the Little Tykes "Cozy Coupe" that he used to drive around the driveway. He gets behind the wheel of an actual vehicle that goes out on the actual road.
Driving takes courage, both on the part of the learning driver and on his parent giving the lessons. I think Daniel would admit that one of the reasons we didn't go get his permit when he first turned 15 last summer was that he had to get his courage up. I'm finding out that as careful a driver as Daniel will most-likely be, I'm going to have to gather up some new courage of my own as he starts driving more and eventually goes out on his own.
I'm thankful, once again, for the community that I have around me who help and encourage and walk with me as I parent my son. I have plenty of friends who have gone before me in this process, as well as many who are at the same place in the journey, and I have my family to support me and remind me that they survived similar experiences when I was a teenager.

Phone conversations with a toddler

2011-03-16T10:53:00.000-05:00

My two-and-a-half-year-old niece, Erica, has been wanting to talk to me on the phone lately and it makes me laugh every time. Here's a snippet from our convo today:

E: Hi Aunt Nette! (very loud and enthusiastically)

Me: Hi Erica! (also with enthusiasm) How are you today?

E: I brushed my heh (hair).

Me: You did? I bet it looks pretty!

E: I'm wearing a headband.

Her mom prompts her to tell me that it's a headband like I sometimes wear.

E: It's pink!

Me: That's fun!

E: (silence)

Me: Erica, are you ready to say bye-bye?

E: No, I'm not finished.

E: (silence)

N: Are you there?

E: (silence)

Her mom asks her if she's finished and Erica says no again. Her mom says that if she's not going to talk, she needs to hang up.

E: I'm going to hang up now.
(phone goes dead)

Another time when I was talking to my sister on the phone, Erica was singing, and Jeanette said that Erica would sing me a song after we finished talking. When we finished our conversation, Jeanette handed the phone to Erica:

E: What's your favorite color, Aunt Nette?

Me: Well, it's . . .

E: Pink? OK! (singing) Pink is the color of the rainbow . . .

I guess she didn't want to wait for me to tell her what my favorite color actually is, but that's OK.

I love these phone conversations and hope they continue for a long, long time!!!

2011 Scripture Memory #6

2011-03-15T06:51:00.001-05:00

I cannot believe that it's already the middle of March! I really don't understand where time goes, but it "marches" on, day by day.

In my quiet time on Monday, I was reading from 2 Corinthians 3 about where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty, and I followed the notes that were in the margin and came to some other verses about freedom in Christ. Lately I have been struggling, yet again, with my life-long sin of gluttony, still not getting the concept that I can be free to eat what is good for me and necessary to live, but not over-indulge and put unnecessary weight on my body. It's frustrating and sometimes causes me to despair and feel hopeless about that part of my life, or to feel like I'm unable to be changed.

But that is where the Evil One wants me to be, and he is always ready to feed me lies and try to get me to forget that in Christ, I am free from the bondage to sin. But what Satan forgets or hates to hear is that "if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed" (John 8:30).

So, for my next memory verse, I want to put some ammunition in my head to help me fight against the lies that Satan wants me to believe. I will keep taking one day at a time with my eating and exercising, as well as with other things that I strive to overcome (or be transformed by God's power). I don't want to go back to what I once was (a slave to sin) and I don't want to use my freedom in Christ as an excuse to give in to fleshly pursuits. I will stand firm and remember that I have been set free!

"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love." Galatians 5:13, NIV

Bracketology

2011-03-14T20:15:00.000-05:00

It's March Madness and Daniel is holding to a long-standing family tradition of filling out (multiple) brackets for the NCAA basketball tournament. This is serious business!

He is participating in at least two different tournament pools with friends and then he likes to fill out a bracket for himself and then have the one that he fills in with the actual results of the games. He learned all of this from his dad, and if I could put my hands on it, I would post a picture of one of the first years Daniel filled out a bracket. (Why aren't things ever where you think they will be???)

This made me laugh

2011-03-14T14:04:00.000-05:00

Well, it has not even been a week since Lent began, but this video is a good representation of how I may have felt, at times, this past week, as I have tried to deny myself something I love . . .

Oh, The Temptation from Steve V on Vimeo.

(Much thanks to my co-worker and friend, Sondra, for sharing this with me today!)

The Real Ash Wednesday

2011-03-08T21:41:00.000-06:00

Growing up Baptist among Catholic friends, I have known about the practice of giving up something for Lent, but I have not ever personally participated. Over the past year, God has been teaching me about sacrifice and obedience through fasting. I see fasting as a spiritual discipline that draws me closer to the Lord, when done with the right attitude and motives. So the idea of observing an extended period of sacrifice in order to prepare my heart for Easter had a different meaning for me this year.

Ever since last week's mistaken Ash Wednesday debacle, though, I have been kind of going back and forth in my mind about whether I will definitely observe Lent this year. Mainly, I want to make sure that I am doing it for the right reason, and not just to make myself feel better about myself or come across a certain way to other people. And I want to be sure that I won't fail at this, which I know that there are no guarantees about, except that because I'm human, I probably will have times of weakness and possibly will give in to temptation at some point during the Lenten season.

Tonight I came across a blog post from a local pastor about this subject. Actually, his words were not what encouraged me, but it was the comments of other people about how they plan to observe Lent. If you are interested, I'd recommend reading the comments, and I think that they have helped me to come to a decision about my personal observance. I am going to participate this year, and my hope and prayer is that God will do a transforming work in my heart between now and Easter Sunday.

By the way, if you ask me in person about what I've chosen to give up, I will share it with you, but I think I'd rather leave that out of this post. And just in case you're wondering, I don't plan to go get ashes on my forehead tomorrow.

2011 Scripture Memory #5

2011-03-02T21:36:00.000-06:00

It's almost the third day of March and I realize that I have not posted my next scripture memory verse. One reason is that I am kind of struggling with this project and do not feel like I am making much progress. In other words, I doubt that I could successfully quote from memory any of the four verses that I previously posted. That's not good, but I'm trying to not be so hard on myself. I need to be diligent, but I also don't want to be legalistic about this either. God can and will use my efforts and the verses that I have chosen, regardless of my human failures.

That being said, here's the other reason that I did not post on the first day of March: I was purposely waiting to post my verse to coincide with Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the season of Lent. I have known about Lent for most of my life, but since my denomination doesn't observe it in the traditional sense, I have never personally observed it before now. But I had decided that maybe that would be a meaningful thing for me to do as I contemplate the events leading up to Resurrection Sunday, so I was planning to give up something in my life and was going to start today, March 2. Except that Ash Wednesday 2011 is not until NEXT week, March 9. That's right. My first time observing Lent and I got the date wrong!

So, without further ado, here is the verse I have chosen to truly memorize over the next two weeks:

"For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline." 2 Timothy 1:7, New International Version

I personally need the Spirit of God to continually give me power, love and self-discipline in my life and I need the reminder that He does this faithfully.

Grandma and the GPS

2011-03-01T07:38:00.001-06:00

My sister offered to bring her Garmin GPS thingy on our road-trip to Oklahoma City this past weekend. It was pretty helpful, especially when we were wanting to find out how far to the next McDonald's (many reasons why that was a good place for a car load of 2 seventy-somethings, 2 girls in the the "new" twenties, and a baby).

So then when my sister flew the coop (literally . . . she and her baby took an airplane home), she left us with the Garmin. I was driving away from the airport in OKC, asking my dad (who grew up there and also had just picked up a new map of the city) how to get to the interstate, and my mom was in the back seat figuring out how to use the GPS!

Now, with all respect to my mom (and I think she would concur that I am being factual), she is not the most tech-savvy. She has, in the past, had trouble programming the VCR and has limited technical know-how. But let me just say that she was awesome in how she figured out how to program the Garmin! She turned it on and somehow got to the screen where you type in the destination, which this time happened to be her brother's house in Memphis, TN. Her only little glitch was that when she would try to type in his street name, "Cheval", the Garmin was trying to be smart and kept inputting "Chevy Chase." Once she showed the Garmin who was the boss, it straightened up and gave us what we needed to know.

Of course, then I had to listen to "the lady" tell me insistently to "turn left in .3 miles," but it was very helpful to have a little crutch to rely on when we needed to veer off the well-beaten path of Interstate 40. Except when we decided to take a detour to drive through my dad's college campus. Or when Ms. Garmin told us that there was a Chick-Fil-A on the right, but there wasn't.

I asked my mom if she'd like to have a GPS of her own. Before she could answer, my dad piped in, "I already have a lady's voice that tells me what to do!" We got a great chuckle out of that! The next day, after I got back in the car after pumping gas, my mom told me that the Garmin had switched to a man's voice that morning. I didn't immediately clue in to her reference to the fact that my dad had been telling me which way to turn for a few minutes, but once I did, I got another chuckle.

I'm glad to know that my mom is not too stuck in her ways to learn a new trick or two every once in a while. I think she might need a Garmin of her own one day!

Celebrating 47 Years of Marriage

2011-02-28T17:33:00.000-06:00

Happy Anniversary, Dad & Mom!

On the way back from a quick trip to my dad's hometown of Oklahoma City, we stopped for an ice cream break at Braum's, a regional and family favorite place for ice cream and burgers. This was taken the day before their anniversary, but it's safe to say that ice cream is a welcome anniversary celebration treat!

(I got to share in the celebration, too!)