The Friendship

                  

 Senior year of highschool we road in a limo to Memphis to go to dinner, watch a play and celebrate Donald's birthday and our last summer together as The Friendship. That limo ride was hilarious and so sad, a wave of emotions as we laughed about past memories and we cried about what the future meant for each of us. We had the world at our fingertips, we were good kids and we all had potential to grow and flourish into adulthood. We were all going our separate ways in just a couple of weeks and while we were all excited we were all terrified. We were each others best friends, but more than that we had become family and life didn't seem like it could go on with us all being in separate places.

              Every college break we met up, we cooked elaborate dinners for our parents, we traveled together and we laughed a lot. When we were away at school we sent group texts and group chats and laughed until it hurt. As with all of us the more we grew into adults the more we experienced life.  We all had blessed lives but no life is spared from heartache, trials or pain.  From breakups, a cancer diagnosis in one of our moms, several grandparents deaths, a stroke that tried to steal one of our dads, trouble in trying to find a job, dealing with job loss, and the list goes on and on. Through all of the bad came lots of good.  New cities, a mom who overcame cancer, marriage, a dad who beat the odds, children, new jobs and then other new jobs. Through the heartache and the joys one thing has remained constant and that is The Friendship. Some of us have added significant others, some have added kids and while we have shed many tears together we still continue to laugh. We laugh a lot!


           This past weekend all of The Friendship, except one, had the blessing of traveling together to Chicago. This marks Chicago trip #11 and it always seems that Chicago comes at just the right time in our lives. In the midst of turmoil and stress we reunite in Chicago and talk and laugh and pour out our pains and worries.  There are times that the stress seems to be like too much and it is in those times that I am reminded of The Friendship and the way that these relationships are truly the best medicine. Blessed with friends old and new and always thankful for The Friendship!

Chasing Bubbles

         After what feels like the longest, grayest, coldest winter we at last have a day of warmer temps and beautiful sunshine! Meritt and I head outside for an afternoon of soaking up as much sunshine and fresh air as we possibly can.  I push her on the swing, she climbs her rock wall and slides down her slide over and over and over. Then she spots the container. The big, plastic, purple container that holds her bubbles. "Blow bubbles mommy, blow bubbles." I grab the container, pull out the wand and begin blowing bubbles. The first bubbles I blow come straight for my face so I turn adjust the wand in a new direction and start blowing. I blow bubbles and Meritt chases bubbles. When I blow into the wand 8-10 bubbles go flying through the air and each time Meritt looks up picks one bubble out of the bunch and starts chasing it. She runs until the bubble lands and then she stomps on it or smashes it with her hand, this is followed by the sweetest giggles that only a two year old can provide. The seventh or eighth time that I go to blow into the wand the bubbles are released and Meritt spots the bubble she wants to pop. This particular bubble is flying sporadically through the air. It goes up and down and side to side, Meritt begins to get frustrated and starts to cry out. I say Meritt go pop another bubble there are several over there and she says "no, me want this bubble."  I think to myself how crazy her ration is and then I am reminded of the Shepard who leaves his 99 sheep to go look for the one lost sheep.

     Aren't we like bubbles? God releases us into this crazy world and we all fly through it differently. Some of us fly in a straight line, some of us clump together and some of us take the bumpy ride we falter all over and end up over the fence lost. But isn't it so reassuring to know that the God that releases us cares about us all the same. He wants all of us, the do-gooders, the ones that blend with the crowd and he even wants the wanderers.  God loves us enough that He will abandon the 99 to come and seek out the one that has strayed away. I am so thankful to serve a God that chases the bubbles and loves me unconditionally. He knows my name, He knows my heart and He claims me as His own!

The Joy in Cleaning

     This past Friday was a day of deep cleaning. I was expecting a lot of company on Saturday so Friday I dove into cleaning my house. I tackled areas that had been neglected for quite some time. I cleaned the inside and outside of all my windows, dusted blinds, wiped down kitchen cabinets, bathroom cabinets, vacuumed ceiling fans...you get the idea. Pretty much it was a BLAH day!

    If you have been to my house you know that I have white cabinets. Picture this a 21 month old toddler and white cabinets. I was down on my hands and knees cleaning hand print, after hand print, smudge after smudge from little Meritt and I ALMOST let myself get a feeling of frustration but just before the frustration swept over me I was flooded with the thought that in a few short years I won't have smudges or hand prints to clean. My little girl won't be a little girl she will be a big girl and I will long for these moments of remembering her sweet little hands.


    I then began to pray. Every time I came across a hand print of Meritt's or a smudge made by Meritt I prayed. I prayed that she would grow up and love God more than anything. I prayed that at that very moment God is raising up a young man that is going to be her husband and that he will love Meritt but that he will love God more than Meritt. I prayed for Meritt to have a tender heart. I prayed that she would be quick to listen and slow to speak. I prayed that she would be quick to forgive and be kind to all people. As I prayed these prayers suddenly cleaning didn't feel like the chore that it had started out to be.

    My prayers for Meritt then turned to prayers for my husband, for my family, for my friends. This daunting task of cleaning had turned into such a blessing. As my day came to an end Friday my house was clean and my heart was full. Full to the brim. I felt joy, and a feeling of calmness knowing that my baby, husband, family and friends are all being guarded by our Heavenly Father!! I know that there will be frustrations to come in life's boring tasks but I pray that I remember Friday and that when the mundane tasks come I can turn those tasks into a time of joyous conversation between me and my Heavenly Father!!

Hopeless

      Maybe it is because I am getting older;  or maybe it is because it is the reality of the world we live in but I am overwhelmed by the amount of people living in circumstances that at the time can only be described as hopeless. 

      This is a picture of my beautiful sister in law, Brooke, and our sweet friend Josh. A couple of summers ago my dad coached an inner city baseball team. Josh was one of his players. My parents found themselves picking Josh up and taking him home after practices and ball games. A few weeks later they started bringing him to church. Over the last couple of years I can count on one hand how many times Josh has missed church. He loves my parents and he loves to come to church.

    Josh had been coming to church for 7 or 8 months when he told my dad that he wanted to proclaim Jesus as his Lord and Savior and he wanted to be baptized. It was a Wednesday night and I can still see Josh being dunked in the water and coming up a new babe in Christ.

       Now for the hopeless part of this story...Josh's parents are separated. He primarily lives with his mom in a public housing complex in Jackson. It is the norm to hear gun shots, to talk about gangs and to witness arrests. Josh's brother, a gang member, was released from prison a few months ago and lives with Josh and his mom.

     Hopeless...this weekend Josh's mom has been in the hospital having fluid removed from her heart because she has congestive heart failure. Same weekend...Josh's dad is in the hospital because of terminal cancer.  Josh, this weekend has taken care of himself, found something to eat and tried his best at 13 years old to stay out of trouble.  Saturday night he called my dad to tell him to make sure and pick him up for church. When my parents got there this morning Josh told them of his parents hospitalizations.

    Thirteen years old, 13 years old, Thirteen years young! Josh has more baggage to carry than some people will carry their entire lives. Josh at times makes immature decisions, Josh at times says inappropriate things, but this from a boy who basically is raising himself...hopeless.

    And just when I am completely flooded and frustrated with the hopelessness that is Josh's reality I am reminded of a young babe that was born in a manger, a feeding trough, for barn animals and through all the hopeless circumstances that surrounded this young babe he grew to be a young man and He died saving the world of our hopeless sins.

   I am reminded that true hopeless is not knowing Jesus! I am reminded that Josh while surrounded by difficulty is also surrounded by a Savior who lived so that He could die to save the hopeless to save us all. I ask that you all pray for Josh's current situation and for his parents. I also ask that you say a prayer of Thanksgiving to the God who delivered us all from a hopeless world.

The Inspirational Betty

    

    Last night while looking at this picture I became overwhelmed with emotion. Not because I knew Matthew, the deceased, all that well but because of the background. Look at the lady sitting behind the memorial in the turquoise pants. That is the part that brought tears to my eyes and made me appreciate my blessings all the more.

   This Memorial as you can see is for CPL Matthew Clark. Two and a half years ago, February 3, 2010, Matthew and two others were killed when on a helicopter training excercise in Germany. The family of Matthew and the other two guys have forever been changed. They now have a pain in their heart and miss the voice and presence of Matthew every single day.

  Matthew's brother, Nick, is a very close friend to me and Brian. I can tell you exactly where I was and what I was doing when I got the call from Kristin, Nick's wife. I was devestated for Nick and his entire family.

   The woman in the background of the memorial is Betty Clark. She buried her husband too early in life. She also buried her son, Matthew Clark, way before his time. This picture hurts my heart because I cannot imagine sitting on that bench and looking at the spot that stole my son's future. That spot held him last. His mother didn't get to hold him last. That spot held him last. 

  As a mother now myself I have learned so much from Betty. I have learned that everyday with my child is precious. I have learned to not take my daughter for granted because no day is guaranteed.  I also know that no one will escape this life without heartache and hurt. What shapes us is how react to the heartaches in our life.

   While I am sure there is not a day that Betty doesn't grieve her precious Matthew she continues to live life and be such an inspiration to everyone that knows her. If you read this I ask that you say a special prayer for the Clark's as they continue to mourn their precious Matthew.
           

The Best Cravings

   When it has been a bad day or maybe a bad week what are the things you turn to to find comfort and satisfaction? If I am stressed or having a bad day I go shopping. I literally could shop everyday. I love to scour the stores to find that perfect item that was meant just for me! I can buy a phone case or a wallet or earrings...really anything and instantly I feel better. I get home and pull my purchase out of the sack only to feel empty again. If you have ever tried to fill a void with any earthly thing then you know what I am talking about.

   I have friends that have tried to fill this void with relationships. I have had friends that felt like if they met Mr. Right the void would then be full. They have spent countless time and heartache on relationships only to find that the guy is a loser or maybe he is fabulous but the void is still there. 

   I have had friends that have tried to fill the void with hobbies. Hunting, Running, or the beach these things all are great in the moment but at the end of the day when the hunt is complete, the runners high has deflated or the sun sets on the ocean the void begins to pour in.

   Over the past few weeks I have been praying a prayer and I want to share it...

Lord,  at the start of this day please fill me up to the brim with YOU. Fill me with YOUR ever satisfying love. Fill me with YOUR ever satisfying peace. Fill me with YOUR ever satisfying comfort. Lord, I want to be full of YOU so that I don't spend today chasing after everything else that will momentarily make me feel complete. I want to be complete in YOU because I know that YOU are the only thing that can make me whole. In Jesus name, amen.


It is so easy to crave the things of this earth. They all look so inticing. But if you spend a day full of the Lord you will find true comfort.

Girl Talk

  Eph 4:29. Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

I cannot believe she wore that outfit last night! She has gained so much weight! Can you believe how she handles her kids?...All of these things and many more have came out of my mouth about people that I call sisters in Christ. I am ashamed, embarassed and sorry. I also will admit that it will probably happen a million more times during my life.


   It has always been a question of mine but why is gossip and slander so popular amongst females? I am not saying that guys don't do it but it is much less frequent than girls. A group of girls get in a room and they immediately start in on another girl. Words cut deep, they stay in your heart and in your mind long after the I'm sorry's are exchanged.

   Sunday morning our sermon focused on Ephesians 4:28-32. One verse imparticular jumped out at me. I made a pact with Brian on Sunday that this would be my focus for the week. I have only failed 10,000 times already this week but I have caught myself most of those times and gone back to the verse to reflect and refresh myself.

   Eph 4:29. Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

  Wow I have been stunned this week at how big of a struggle this is for me. I have been made aware that so many of us call each other friends and sisters in Christ and worship in the same room only to turn around and say a nasty remark about each other. I am thankful for this verse jumping out at me.

   I am taking on a challenge and I encourage any of you reading this to take it with me...I am committing to build up people instead of tear them down. I am asking those that I know when they hear me say something that tears down to bring it to my attention so that I may go back to the verse and reflect.

   Eph 4:29. Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.