A rolling Mom.... gets grass in her mouth.

A couple weeks ago the kids and I spent the afternoon at Mt. Trashmore enjoying the incredible spring weather....

Creation Groans

It took 17 hours to deliver my first son. Not bad for a first delivery.

But it didn't have to last that long.

I was a wimp. Every time it hurt I'd stop. So it dragged on until I finally had no choice but to suck it up and get it over with. Then I wondered what my problem had been. I had a C-section with my second son, but when my daughter came along I knew what to do. I knew it was gonna hurt like hell, but I was gonna push through it and get it over with.

She was born in 3 hours.

Last week I was working on some storyboards, which is no big deal... unless your hands have forgotten how to interpret what's in your head. And that's exactly what was happening to me. I couldn't draw a stick man.

The process of trying and failing and praying and begging and trying and failing was taking its toll. There were wads of paper all over the floor. I wasn't sure what I was battling, but I was losing. Miserably.

I called Eric for a pep talk and all he said was "I know you can do this, honey."

I cried harder.

It sounds ridiculous now that the storyboards are on their way to completion - I actually laughed about it - but I still wondered why it had to be so painful and tormenting?

Then someone wise reminded me that creating is a birthing process. Pulling something new out of ourselves hurts!!! But WOW the excitement when we look at what we've accomplished. The overwhelming awe and sense of pride... "I did that!"

And God stands there beaming, "I knew you could."

I'm glad He made me stubborn.

I love when I muscle my way through something that stretches every limit I thought I had, only to discover there is more to me than I knew.

Now, if I can just remember the next time this happens... and embrace the pains knowing the result will be worth it.

10 Things About Me

1. I love balloons, ladybugs and sparklers.

2. I have a list of 100 things to do before I die.

3. I love words and use them in all my art.

4. My spices and movies are in alphabetical order. My books are not.

5. On my 35th birthday my son caught me singing into my hairbrush. :o)

6. I learned how to waterski when I was 10. I can slalom (one ski), too.

7. If I believed in past lives (which I don't), I would have been a lizard.

8. I will search out a sunbeam to sit in. I love being outside.

9. I love to climb trees... find a good one and I'm there.

10. I've been playing the flute for 30 years. I wanted to play the cello.

Time Flies...

Life's been busy.

So I haven't written much... not that I don't have a lot to say.

I don't look like that picture anymore, either.

There's a new and improved model in her place. :o)

God's just cool like that!

I was perusing the Regent Blogger page, looking at new faces when someone caught my eye... 

I knew that face!  The name was the same, too... hmmmm.

I clicked on her profile... right age, right location.... so I searched her on Facebook where her profile came up with a picture of her and her hubby... it was definitely her!

Amy Gutierrez and I went to junior high and high school together in Tampa, Florida. We hung out with some of the same people here and there but never got to know each other very well.  Her husband and I were in the band together. She's still in Tampa and I'm way up here in Virginia... 

We haven't seen each other since we graduated in 1982, and 27 years later we both go to Regent!

God's just cool like that!

Six Words Is All It Takes

I read an article in today's Daily Press about a recent trend of writing one's memoirs in exactly six words. (See www.smithmag.net)

I remember participating in this exercise in college (my first time around).

Although I had forgotten the exercise, I never forgot Strunk & White's command to "Omit needless words!"

I'm constantly proofing my papers to narrow things down and make them less wordy.

I've been playing with this exercise in my head.

My first thought? Life is hard. God is good.

There are things that we hear about happening to other people and think to ourselves, I could never go through that...  while inwardly begging God not to ask us to.

Then it happens.

And we survive.

And we add it to our list of "done that".

And the fear of it loses its power over us because we faced it and came out standing on the other side.

And we learn that we can walk through anything God asks us to because He doesn't ask us to walk alone.

And we are no longer afraid.

After beginning my life wrought with fear, I can quite honestly and humbly say that there is very little I am afraid of anymore. I have a better understanding of how big God is and what He can do.

I have no reason to be afraid.