Spice It Up!

It all depends on your taste! Cooking is not one of my better atributes. I can do it satisfactorily, but what I prepare is definately not outstanding. One thing is for sure, I have learned to use a variety of spices in what I prepare. Something a bit more than salt and pepper.
The truth is...cooking requires a certain amount of patience. I tend to flip the control knob to high, slap on a pan and have at it....hoping what's in the pan is fortunate to make it to the table instead of the trash.
I have a wonderful friend who is a real cook. She's so good at it. When you walk into her kitchen there are shelves of cookbooks. Her refrigerator is bursting at the seams with delicious chewables. She's so well prepared that you could name off any dish and she's got the ingredients to make it. For her, the kitchen offers a quiet refuge from the day. She can mix and bake away any frustrations she may have had during the day. The great part about that is, there are goodies to be had as a result.
For me, the kitchen is a place to get in and out of. I like to cook but I don't love to do it. It's not restful for me because my creativity doesn't lie within the confines of a beautiful dish. I'm much happier putting pen to paper. Like I said, it's all in what your taste is.
This same friend is the one who taught me to use a mixture of spices. She taught me to take a plain piece of chicken and make it mouth watering all because of the spices. I was pretty much raised on good old salt and pepper.
Our lives need a little variety at times as well. Sometimes we need to step out from the boundries of our comforts and try something different. It's knocks off the "mundane" and brings a little zest into our hearts.
I often wonder if God gets tired of me being "the same ole me." He has stepped into my life frequently in the last twenty years and made some real changes. He knows where my fears lay and He's challenged me. One could say, "He's spiced me up a bit." However, God never lets me forget that beneath it all, I still need a little salt and pepper to give me good seasoning.
It's a good thing God keeps me well stirred. Just when I feel snuggled in and comfortable -- that's when everything breaks loose.
That's when it's time to walk outside and ponder awhile. Then flip open the grill! There's nothing like a good old fashioned hamburger with salt and pepper.
Somewhere along the way, I hope and pray I've been that seasoning for someone else. The Lord knows, He's used good friends to spice me up a bit. They've probably left my house shaking their heads in amazement....but, they've all left a little flavor behind.

What is Greatness?

There are times I sit and stare into the clouds wondering how they could have been created so utterly beautiful. Every one is different and each holds a picture; only clear to its beholder.
The vastness that stems as far as the eye can see, could have only been made by someone of infinate greatness.
I can remember as a child, laying on the grass and gazing into the sky, trying to find animal shapes. It was always a challenge to search for the figures of my favorite pets. Even then, I was awed at how the clouds twisted, twirlled and formed the imprints which hid inside my head. Learning to use my imagination began right there -- cloud watching.
Now, in mid-life, I still find myself cloud watching...and still impressed at greatness of the world around me. Just to think that God, in all His infinate wisdom, simply "thought" things into existance.
I find it humorous as scientist try to figure the in's and out's of how creation happened. They just don't get it. But isn't that how most people are? They long for the why's and how's instead of accepting the do's and done's? Sometimes it shouldn't matter how something is made -- Just that it is!
Life is so rushed these days and I still find myself occassionally daydreaming into the clouds. It's a quiet way to think -- to rest and ponder. It's a great time to assess ourselves and all the decisions we make on a daily basis. Then, right in the middle of our thoughts the question of "what is greatness?" pops in.
How could all this have come into being in such a magnificiant and perfect way. Every intimate piece knitted together in seamless picture -- flawless until we take hold of it. Greatness is found within the majesty of the Creator who defined the picture. We can't imagine the how's or whys because God is GOD. There is greatness within the clouds that should do nothing more than offer proof of deity which longed for our company, created us, loves us and forgives us. That, my friend is greatness. Isn't it amazing?

Silence

We recently attended the wedding of our niece in Andrews, NC. Somewhere in the Smokie Mountains, in a part of the Cherokee National Park (or somewhere pretty close), we found the tiny town of Andrews. Primarily, there to host summer campers and whitewater rafters, there was sweet refuge in this little place.
Of course, it couldn't have been located in a more beautiful region and though the green of trees and the flowers had not yet sprouted toward the sun, there was a pleasant silence here.
I walked out on the deck of field house we were in and I noticed there was silence. Nothing. Well...let me clairify that. No cars, no trains, no ratrace -- only the breeze and in the distance, the river. Overall, silence. There was no one to ask me questions, no one to make me move, not a soul willing to interupt me at that moment.
I placed my hands on the railing and lifted my head toward the sky; a chill from the mountains touched my arms. My eyes were closed as I stretched my neck to feel the warmth of the afternoon sun. It was so restful. That's when I realized, God's "quiet" is a whole lot different from our daily run of the mill "quiet." My normal quiet time includes the dogs barking, or the phone ringing downstairs, the alarm clock or the tv in the background -- it mostly means, nobody's talking to me. But God's quiet -- wow, it was different.
It's no wonder He created places like this. He wanted a place He could sit down and truly enjoy the peace He made. I'm convinced there's no "real" silence in our world today, but there is certainly serenity. Here, in this tiny town of Andrews, I found that peace and serenity. One had to take in a deep, long breath and exhale ever so slowly, just to feel the stress drain out of your body.
Ah, the mountains. I was raised in the mountains, just not THIS deep into the mountains. I also probably wouldn't have trouble becoming a hermit of sorts, if I lived someplace like Andrews. In the thirty minutes I stood absorbing the restfullness of this place, I felt as if I'd rested for hours.
Take time to listen to the silence....God's silence.

In God We Trust

A good friend shared a special story with me about his daughter. It's tender
and touching; one that deserved to be shared, "for out of the mouths of
babes..."
A father kissed his young daughter as he placed her in the car to leave.
"Give Dad a kiss." He said as he pulled her close for a peck on the cheek. Her tender lips pressed against his face and the love of a father bounded.
"Here Daddy. Take this." She pulled open his fingers and placed a quarter in his hand. "Read this everyday."
He smiled at the thought of her giving him her quarter, not really absorbing what her intent was.
"No, Daddy," the child insisted, "Read it over and over."
"It's a quarter, honey."
"I know, but read it, Daddy." He leaned over and kissed her once more, thanking for her for the coin and promising to read it frequently. He pushed the door closed and waved as the car left the driveway. His heart ached as he watched the car turn onto the highway. He already missed her. Walking up onto the porch, he sat down on the steps and slowly loosened his grip. It's a quarter. Still, the man kept his promise. Flipping the coin to its backside, he gasped. Tears welled in his eyes as he realized the words his daughter wanted him to continually read. "In God we trust."
Wow, what a powerful ministry from the mouth of a child. Isaiah 43:11 tells us, "I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior." If we would only believe those words, better yet -- if we would only follow the advice of a child. Children have a unique ability to blindly trust. They don't question the reasons why they should believe; they just wholeheartedly trust.
I later learned this dad taped the coin backside up, to his bathroom mirror and continued to faithfully read it daily. If we could trust like a child we would certainly be in better shape. God requires no explanation. He is who He is. He is what He is. -- almighty and awesome. He is God and Savior. Apart from Him, there is no other.
In the words of a child, wise beyond her years, "In God we trust."

God Couldn't Have Painted It Prettier

Within the realms of what we call earth lies some of the most breathtaking sights known to man.
A friend emailed this picture and I couldn't help but share it. Just look at the awesome watercolor God has painted.
Stare at the picture and let your imagination start to fly. Imagine walking through the pass at the foot of the mountains, lifting your eyes and following the emmense slant of the hills. The colors pop out, filling your senses with more than your mind can absorb.
You take in a deep breath, filling your lungs with a freshness found only in the hands of the creator. The scents from the flowers surround you with such an aroma that your mouth waters. And the sky -- the blue is crystal clear. Not a cloud in the sky. You drop to your knees then fall backwards into multicolored quilt which has been spread before you. Now, breathe out. The tension of the day fades into the clearness of the sky you are staring into. This is what it's all about.
You can loose yourself in this picture. It's truly a blessing to observe. (To whom ever shot this photo - congratulations and thank you for sharing it with everyone else.)
It's easy to loose ourselves in the creations God has whipped up. I am always amazed at His vastness, His continual abilties to re-create spring after spring, after spring. What a joyful renewal. It's wonderful to see the examples He sets in front us - simple to Him, complex to us. Still the meaning is the same. Within the arms of such a God, there must be peace and restfulness. Climb in!

Kids are Always Kids

I've come to the conclusion that regardless of their age...kids are always kids. Even as adults they're still kids. Of course, my own mother probably says that of me, but we all know "that's different."
My own children are all grown and still, through my eyes, I see the tiny tots they
once were. It didn't bother me to hit the middle aged 40's-- why it didn't even bother me when the kids graduated high school. What bothered me was the day my youngest, the baby, the least one, stood next to me and put his elbow on the top of my head. At 6'6 1/2, he now towers over me like a giant.
Still the inate desire to protect them is embedded deep within us. Regardless of their ages. I still can't bear the thoughts of one of the boys making a mistake similar to one I'd made as a youth. Especially knowing how it ended for me. So, I find myself trying to stay a step ahead. I pray for wisdom and open mindedness, but somehow I still mess up.
It's never an intentional thing -- messing up, that is. I have the best of intentions...but it's hard to let your adult children step into something you know holds nothing but heartache. When my first marriage ended I sat on the steps of a porch in Illinois. It was May and the snow was still up to my hips. I huddled with my 3 and 4 year old boys. Right there on the steps, I came face to face with the reality that it would be "me and the boys" from here on out. I can remember promising them I would never turn my back on them, that I'd always be there for them and I would never let them down. I trusted God would pull us through and He has. Still, over the years, I've goofed up.
I'm really not sure there is any rest in becoming a parent. We know there's not when they're babies. They're up every 3 hours, screaming for food and pooping. The they hit elementary school and you still don't rest. Primarily because they choose to share YOUR bed in the middle of the night and they can never lay still or straight in the bed. The good Lord knows I've suffered my share of bloody noses or lips where they manage to kick me in the fact as they flip yanny-wampling in the bed. They get to high school and there's really no rest. Thank goodness my boys were active in school activities that kept them safe and busy (i.e. the BAND). But there was the constant worry of would the obey us, would they come home when we told them to....would they drive safely. And of course....there's not a bit of rest in that.
College hits and if they've never been rebellious, suddenly they become late bloomers in that department. They search to define themselves, see with immature adult eyes (which is sometimes worse than the elementary school knock-outs). They start to make personal decisions and they begin to truly pay the consequence of whatever they choose to do. This is worse than the infant years. They still eat every 3 hours and they certainly never sleep.
The thing is...they're still my boys and I love them with all my heart. There in lies the problem. My heart gets smashed alot. Partically because they're boys, young adults...(sorry guys of the world...but clueless men when it comes to the sensitativty of females and their emotions. And oh....I still make mistakes.
It seems I make one after the other - -but they're out of love. You see, to my parents, I'm still a child that causes them a lack of sleep, just as my adult children do the same. The only thing is...they don't get it yet. They'll probably be in their 40's before it sinks in. Then they'll lean back in their chair and rub their forehead. The words, "Ohhhhh, now I see" will slip from their lips and maybe -- Just maybe at this point in their lives, I can get a little rest.
I'm blessed with wonderful children. And like any parent, I don't always agree with their decisions but they are adults. So, I pray...fervently, daily, relentlessly for them. My intentions are only meant to be good.
We sort of give up the rest privlege when we have babies. Was it worth it? Of course it is. So, tonight...I lay down knowing that I've raised them to the best of my ability, that I love them deeply and I really do trust them. I may sleep -- but I never really rest.

SURGERY!!!

This Blogger has been temporarily out of commission for the past few weeks. Yes - It was the dreaded surgery. (sigh) Though it was totally unexpected
it did throw me for a loop. (or loopy - which
ever you deem the fittest.
Since this blogsite is meant to edify and help you find rest, I'd like to share the good and bad things about surgery. So kick back and relax. I think you may find this interesting.
First off, THIS IS NOT THE GORY DETAILS OF SURGERY (get real - even I don't want to know what REALLY was done.) However, I do want to show you the rest I found within the surgery suite.
I was a bit nervous until the anesthesiologist brought the wonder injection into the room. After thatI was history. So, the best part of surgery was waking up three days later feeling completely rested. Ahhhhh! Silly as it seems, I needed the rest. Between the worry of the surgery, the ever possibililty of surgical mishap (ie death), working my job up until the day of surgery, making sure all the "t's" were crossed and the i's dotted...I was tired.
Anesthesia knocks me for a loop anyway, so I suppose from the moment the medication hit my blood stream I went to la-la land, not to revisit the real world for a couple of days. Oh, I roused and got up, moved about some after surgery, HOWEVER, I really don't remember it. So, for three days, I rested completely.
It's amazing how stressed we get in the day to day activities of our lives. We forget what it's like to lean back and kick our feet up. You know, put your arms behind your head and take in a nice long deep breath -- exhale slowly...let your body fall limp. It's really sad that we don't take the time we used to take. Time enough to take in the laughter of our children, a good cup of chocolate ice cream, or to smell the freshness of a misty spring morning. We miss so much these days.
Surgery, I suppose, was a breeze. The healing is never as quick as we'd like but again, it's the rest our body requires to speed things along. That ought to tell us something...don't you think?
Yeah for the antheshia!! I got three good days of rest. BOOO for the post op pain. (there always has to be a price to pay....shucks)
One way or the other the real meaning of this entry is to encourage you TOOOOO rest before you have to resort to surgery and the wonders of modern chemical aids. Rest my friends. It's good for you.

Pinchin'

Yep, silly as this picture is -- there is method behind the maddness. When my son was in high school, he served as a marching band manager. His disablitiy refused to allow him to play an instrument so the band director was wonderful to allow him to be a part of the band as best he could.
One weekend the band attended a Marching festival in Virginia. Struggling to keep up with the band as they marched down the street, my son put his best foot forward. Another manager continued to scream at him to keep up. Before long we saw this big smile come across Chase's face as he did exactly what you see in this picture. We all laughed wondering what he could possibibly be doing. After the parade, a friend asked him, "Chase exactly what were you doing squishing your fingers together as you marched?" He grined and said, "I was pinching his head!" We just roared. In his mental retardation, he'd found the perfect way to "vent" his frustrations and remain as sweet and kind as ever.
We all become frustrated and tired at times. The world tends to overwhelm us when we least expect it. So finding a way to vent without hurting others verbally or physically is important. I have often found we've learned so much from our disabled son. His childlike wisdom amazes us, but he is right so much of the time.
When we find ourselves overcome with the daily rush of life we find ourselves leaning back in the recliner and pinching anything that fits between our fingers. It's not only good for a laugh (which by the way, is an amazing and restful thing), but it's a stress reliever as well.
Just another way to find rest when you're tired.
God blesses us -- even through our disablitiies. I hope I never grow to old to learn.

Moooove Over

We had a dalmatian lovingly referred to as Jaws. It's not as bad as it seems...he was called Jaws because as a puppy all you experienced were those razor sharp puppy teeth. When Jaws was four months old, we started him into basic obedience classes. The lady who taught these classes lived on a farm which really kicked Jaws' ADHD into high gear. He loved the cows. He'd romp along the fence line and bark at the cattle as they grazed. One day he took off and ran beneath the fence line, right up to the nose of a momma cow laying in the field.
His butt went straight into the air and the tail did 180's as he bounced around in circles. The cow never moved. She just batted those big eyes and flicked her ears. After a short time Jaws finally decided it was fruitless to bark so he nudged his way under the side of the cow. It was really kinda sweet. She must have been an experienced momma because she seemed to understand the playful antics of a puppy. Once Jaws had squirmed his way next to her, she lovingly leaned around and gave him a sloppy cow lick right across the face.
Jaws was content. He'd found a nice comfortable and safe place to lay. Nuzzeled next to this momma cow, he found comfort and security.
Upon occassion I love to nuzzle next to my mom. It seems we never outgrown the warm arms of our mothers. Regardless of our age, there is still a sense of calm, a place of comfort, an expression of peace that can only be found in a parents embrace.
I feel the same way about my heavenly Father. There are times when only His embrace can bring me rest. You feel it in the warmth of the spring sun, the gentleness of a soft breeze, in the smell of freshly cut grass, or in the scent of the ocean air. It's that moment when you know, without a shadow of a doubt, there is a greater power.
On those occassions, I can only say, mooove over world. There is peace to be found.
(Now, let credit be given where credit is due...Thanks to Karma Shuford for beautiful cow picture. Visit her blogspot at www.karmashuford.blogspot.com for some very UNIQUE photos.)

There is Rest in the Sunset

I find great rest in a glass of tea, a rocking chair and a beautiful sunset. You can lean back in the rocker and with each swaying motion take in the last rays of the setting sun. There's something peaceful in that. It's the winding down of a busy day. As each ray of light first extends and then fades away, it's as if it's slowly preparing you to sleep.
I find myself taking in one long breath after the next, filling my lungs with a calmness only found in the sunset.
The colors range from bright orange to pale pinks and purples...what a sight. It makes me anxious to see what the night sky holds. So, I wait patiently for each star to open its eyes and look down at me. It kinda makes you wonder if the stars find rest in us.