Notes to Self...and whoever's listening

37...not a threatening number, right?   According to Wikipedia, the following things are related to such a harmless number: *The number of plays William Shakespeare i s thought to have written (counting Henry IV as three parts). * 37 is the only two digit number in base 10 whose product, when multiplied by two, subtracted by one, and then read backwards, equals the original two digit number: 37×2=74, 74-1=73, 73 backwards is 37. * The normal human body temperature in degrees Celsius. Harmless, right?  But, tonight, as I'm on the cusp of turning that number, it is causing me to reflect... This week I prayed with a dying woman...celebrated the joy of the birth of a family friend's baby...mourned the death of a dear friend's grandmother...and celebrated the birthdays of my sister, two of my nephews, my brother and soon my sister-in-law's birthday.  Kinda a lot to digest. The greatest conclusion I came to tonight:  It is unfair to measure a person...

Red Velvet Cake.....Never has been a favorite of mine......but it taught me a lesson this week. My sister LOVES Red Velvet.  She would give her right arm for it, I think. So, I told her I would attempt it for her birthday.  And, that I did.  I'm usually the type of person that follows recipes as "suggestions" and not "science", but this time I wanted everything to be perfect, so I followed everything exactly.  When it came out of the oven, I looked at it and wasn't sure.  It looked kind of sponge-y, but she said it is supposed to look like that.  I believed her.  Then she bit into it.  She smiled and said it was good.  Well, to a perfectionist like me, good wasn't the right answer.  I asked for clarification.  She looked at me, realizing her mistake.  What?, she asked.  I said it was good.  I asked if it was just good.  She wrinkled her forehead and slowly said it was good, but not the best she had ever had....

Christmas is here, although, I'm not sure the weather has noticed!  It's been a bit of a bummer without snow so far this Christmas season, but, all in all, it's been a wonderful season for me this year!  I was determined to not look back this year and wonder what happened to the time....The time has definitely gone quicker than I like, but it has been pretty close to perfect. One reason it's been so enjoyable is the two little boys in my home.  Logan (4 1/2) and Lucas (3) have been ecstatic this Christmas!  This is the first year that Lucas understands (in a general sense) what is going on.  His brother more so understands that this is Jesus birthday, but Lucas is mostly enthralled with the lights and presents!  He wants to constantly go driving to look at the "de-co-ra-shuns" as he calls them.  Or, often he can be found at the foot of the tree, touching presents and asking what is this? or is this for me? His joy has been infectious!  And ...

I sat with a 94 year old woman yesterday while she told me how the doctor's have informed her that she will never walk again, that she will be confined to a wheelchair the remainder of her days.  She was heartbroken.  Some may think that she's 94, she's had a good run!  Or, a wheelchair is the obvious choice for someone of that age.  But, not for Betty.  She is sharp, sweet, God-fearing, honest, courageous, beautiful....And, now she's so sad. :( In the midst of all that pain, though, she asks knowing I had been at her retirement home doing the Sunday service what today's service was about.  How's that for dedication?! I told her the story of a most recent experience that I had where the Lord had used an unusual moment to teach me a valuable lesson.  My littlest nephew, Lucas, who is three struggles going to sleep.  He always has.  In order to get him to sleep and keep him in bed, you have to actually lie next to him on his mattress and ba...

It's all how you look at things, huh?  Glass half empty or half full?  Partly sunny or partly cloudy?  Yankees or anyone else? ;) Well, I had an interesting learning moment in the most unusual of moments this weekend.  The movie "Cool Runnings" was playing on cable and my sister and I started giggling and then had to watch it!  It's been years since I've watched it, although I had forgotten how many one-liners we repeat from it!  "I am feeling very Olympic today!" :) If you've never seen it, it is about the Jamaican bobsled team and that struggles they went through to make a name for themselves.  They made it past the qualifying run and, during a run, their bobsled crashes.  If they are touched by any paramedics, etc., they are automatically disqualified.  Rather than being disqualified, they picked up the bobsled (amazing in itself!) and walked it across the finish line. There is where inspiration hit me.  Since the games were in ...

Dear Friends: It's been a tough few weeks. A few weeks ago my mother's routine exam showed cause for concern. A second test insisted upon a biopsy. That biopsy confirmed "The Evil C" --- Cancer again. We've prayed, asked for prayer, believed for healing, yet here she is, facing cancer, again. Deep breaths. Before you think I've lost my faith or I'm thinking that prayer doesn't work, please don't worry. I can't tell you that I understand. I can't tell that you I wasn't shocked when it was revealed, because I was truly believing that this time the biopsy wouldn't show anything wrong. I can't tell you that tears, sadness, frustration and helplessness haven't been my companions. On top of this disheartening diagnosis, my father is facing another knee replacement. Of course, he's willing to put it off for her sake, but actually, he put this surgery off 3 years ago when she faced the last course of surgery and chemo. He...

Dear Pastors and Church Leaders: I have been a PK (Preacher's kid) since I was born.  Spending all of Sunday's in a church when I was a kid was not uncommon.  I was unfairly judged many times because I was the Preacher's Kid (or grandkid).  I was a part of every aspect of ministry from watching my dad preparing sermons, to dad and grandpa getting late night calls that took them away from the house, to going to thousands (you think I'm exaggerating!) of potlucks with an array of "interesting" foods!  Often, the church foyer was my playground.  I was always called on to answer the questions in Sunday School, not necessarily because I knew the answer, but they thought I SHOULD know the answer. Although the microscope of being a PK was difficult at times, the experience is not one that I would want to exchange.  I learned to embrace it as I got older and finally learned that if I don't like something, do something; if no one else is doing it, you do it; ch...