Mother's Day Momentos

Another Mother's Day has come and gone. Sometimes it feels a little like my wedding day...I anticipate it for months and it's over in the blink of an eye.

The best part about Mother's Day is the cards my kids still make me. Although not having to plan for or prepare a meal is a close second.

This year my kids did not disappoint...

Ryan made me a hot pink card with lots of hearts in art class at school. He's not much of a writer but he made up for it by reading Scripture in our church service Sunday morning. Watching him get up in front of everyone and read from 1 Kings 17 was a gift to me. He spoke clearly and loudly and most surprisingly, slowly from the passage about the widow and son that the prophet Elijah stays with when he first begins his ministry. The son has a severe illness and dies, but Elijah pleads with God to restore his life and God answers his prayer, raising the boy from the dead. I am so grateful for the life of my son and for the faith he shares in our Lord.

Maggie bypassed the card idea and made me a Mother's Day book, which she illustrated and stapled together herself. She listed many reasons why she loves me and included a Twix bar with a purple (my favorite color) bow on top that she paid for with her own money. She also spent most of the day with me, when the other two kids were tired and didn't want to do anything, Maggie happily joined me for some much needed shoe shopping (and shared my excitement in being able to use our big coupon on the day it expired). I also bought her a belt at the resale shop. She reacted as if I'd gotten her a Coach purse. I truly appreciate her grateful heart and thoroughly enjoy her company.

Caitlin made me a two-page spread full of her impeccable cartoon drawings comparing all the "best" relatives in the comic world with the best mom of the real world (in her opinion that was me). And she surrendered one of her own Barnes & Noble gift cards as a present for the Mom who rivals her love of books. She's been emptying the dishwasher without being asked all week and making a conscious effort to pitch in more around the house. Her unique outlook, sense of humor and enthusiasm bring joy to my life.

My amazing husband who has been picking up the slack for more than a week while I've been down for the count with a bad back, continued the laundry, mowed the lawn, brought me flowers and arranged for Chinese dinner from our favorite takeout place!

I know how blessed I am to have the husband and children God has mercifully given me. Sitting on the brink of having three teenagers in the house I am also struck by the fact that I have not once heard one of my kids tell me they hate me, that I don't know anything or that they wished they lived somewhere else! I'm not taking credit for that achievement, I think that's God's grace too, but I can tell you I am certainly thankful for it and for a day that "rewards" me for having a role I adore.

Avengers

This past weekend I took Ryan and one of his buddies to see The Avengers. Truth be told I think I was looking as forward to this film as they were, although I didn't count down the hours and minutes to movietime like Ry did.

I had joked with him about going to the midnight show when it was released because we were anticipating it so much. Well, half joked - I was the only middle aged woman without a tween in the theater at midnight when The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King came out. That was a 3+ hour movie and morning came quick the next day. But this release was a school night so they had to wait till Friday. I did buy the tickets online in advance and we showed up 45 minutes early which was a good thing because we were about 40th in line at that time (and that was the 2D screen)!

The Avengers did not disappoint. It was seriously spectacular and accomplished the rare feat of not just meeting, but exceeding my expectations, which were in fact, pretty high. It's not easy to develop a variety of characters in any story and the more characters you have the greater the challenge. I'm not sure how they managed to give equal time and attention to so many big personalities without sacrificing the dialogue or the plot, but I'm glad they figured it out.

I can't explain my appreciation for superheros or fantasy film, and it doesn't all appeal to me. I'm eager to see the next Batman film, but not Spiderman. I love X-Men. Fantastic Four wasn't even a blip on my radar. I'm not a comic-con purist who knows how far the movies stray from the original characters, I would never dress up for opening night as a character and I don't have a preference for Marvel over D.C. or vice-versa.

You could just chalk it up to entertaining action heroes with good acting, good directing and amazing special effects. But I guess what really appeals to me is a group of people (or I guess in some cases, otherworldly people) sacrificing for others. Yeah I'm sure there's a bit of an ego trip bonus for some heroes (yes, I mean you Iron Man) but ultimately they are people who use special gifts to benefit the underdogs. They defend the downtrodden, fight for the marginalized and often take the place of those who can't stand up for themselves.

There's something Christlike about that.

And when there's a whole team of them it's a little bit like displaying the body of Christ - many members of one family all with different functions and all serving a purpose.

Maybe that's why I like Superheroes.

Consultation

I've often wondered how many people make their living as consultants, and of those who do, how effective and/or successful they have been. Consulting implies expertise in a given field.

Today I drove up to a church in Racine, Wisconsin to meet with eight women who serve as administrative professionals at a large church there. The purpose of my going (in theory) was to advise them on how to best support their pastors while maintaining healthy boundaries. Effective time management was a universal concern. I have not been pursuing any type of consultant work and this invite came as a great surprise, but after much prayerful consideration I decided to give it a shot.

I'm glad I didn't rush into it. We've been corresponding back and forth for several months which has allowed me valuable time to both prepare and consider what I'd be bringing to the table. It's always good to know what someone's objectives are before you go trying to meet them.

Because our work is in essence ministry, I decided to start with a devotion that I "borrowed" from one of our pastors from Exodus Chapters 3 & 4 when God tells Moses he's the chosen leader who gets to deliver the Israelites out of Egypt. Those who know the story remember Moses was less than thrilled. In fact his first response was "Who am I that I should go?" I personally think that's a very healthy perspective. I thought about that myself when considering if I would use my only day off this week and have these nice folks pay my mileage to come and hold a workshop for them. I mean, "Who am I that I should go?"

I thought long and hard about what I had to offer and reminded myself I may end up learning as much as I "taught" before I got in the car. Turns out that several of them found at least part of what I shared very helpful. And it did end up being a good learning experience for me. I'm not sure that anyone was convinced I was an expert in my field, least of all me, but maybe that wasn't the point. Maybe it's enough to provide a little insight, simplify a thing or two and extend some relief.

I don't think I'll be rushing into the consulting business anytime soon, but I'm glad for the opportunity to wade in those waters.

Next up...I think I may have to consult someone about my back pain....

Company and Cleaning

This weekend I had company and then I cleaned.

I know that seems backwards to most people - normally I'm one of those people - but this weekend was a wonderful reminder that the eternal things like relationships are so much more important and satisfying than the temporary things, like a clean house.

Friday night I had two of my cousins kids over for a sleepover. Between, pizza, movies, popcorn, a huge blow up bed in the living room, pancakes in the morning and playing spoons in the afternoon, it was a wild and wonderful success.

Saturday my brother, nieces and nephew came over along with one of my closest and oldest friends(as in time, not age) just to hang out. Popeye's chicken with coupons, more movies, a little basketball/park action and lots of great conversation made me forget about the coffee table doubling as a T.V. tray and the crumbs accumulating on various floors throughout the house. Not to mention dirty bathrooms (I did clean one toilet before the adults arrived).

Sunday was church, more great conversation after another incredible worship service, then lunch at Panera with a gift card and free soup with my member card! A jaunt to the library, another movie, and several chapters of back and forth reading with Maggie, (who jumped up 15 points on her MAP test!) capped it all off.

Today is my day off and I spent the first hour or so reading the Bible, praying and realizing almost all of my laundry was already done. After awhile I cleaned the kitchen, then the living room, then my son's room and in the process filled an entire box with garage sale items. Then I started on the basement and filled four more boxes for a garage sale.

My allergies are going nuts from all the dust, and I'm only 1/16th done with the basement, but all in all I got a lot of cleaning done today.

And I'm so glad it was all done out of order!

Contrition

I've learned that when you pray for humility God is quick to answer.

Today was no exception.

Being divinely reminded that you have a tendency to think higher of yourself than you ought (see Romans 12:3) is a good thing. It doesn't always feel like a good thing, but it is. Here's why...it gives you (or in this case me) an opportunity to stop and take a good long look at your own behavior - consider your motivation for it, your tendency to rationalize it, and then own up to anything that you know to be an offense to God. Or to use the less popular terminology - own up to the sin.

If I don't call the spade a spade, I don't get to the next step which is what the Bible calls a godly sorrow. The sorrow is what leads to repentance. The repentance brings me back to the Good News I knew in the first place. Jesus redeemed me. He paid the penalty for my offense.

That doesn't just wipe my slate clean, that motivates me to lay down my pride and extend the grace I have received to others. It causes me to be contrite.

And that's the kind of sacrifice the God who came to serve desires.

Monday Musings

I was in a small group training at a church once that made the very helpful point that accountability has to be invited or it usually won't be received. Meaning you can't hold someone accountable who does not want to be held accountable...or who does not want to be held accountable by you.

Well, not many people read this blog, but I am inviting those who do to hold me accountable to begin posting at least weekly from now on. I am moving out of the romantic thought that writing is only for when I feel moved to put words on paper (or in this case, the screen) and moving into a more disciplined attitude that writing, like anything else in life, requires effort and improves with practice.

I have Mondays off so there's no reason why I can't carve out some time every Monday to post a little something on this blog.

So here's todays musing.

I met a friend for lunch today - a last minute invite which just happened to work out perfectly. I've realized the unplanned get-togethers often end up being the most pleasureable - like a happy surprise in an otherwise ordinary day.

This particular friend is moving out of state soon - in fact more than half-way across the country to that beautiful gem in California called San Francisco. I was glad for the opportunity to have some time with her knowing our days of spontaneous lunches are numbered. We had a wonderful lunch - good food, good service...but the best part was the good fellowship. She is a longtime friend whose company I enjoy, who always has kind words to say and who never makes me feel uneasy. Which isn't to say that she's never challenged me, she has, but always with grace.

I know I'm going to miss her, but here's what I realized...I have other friends here that I can meet for lunch, or dinner or some other kind of get together that maybe doesn't involve food. Whereas she is going somewhere new, far from here, where she knows no one.

I've only moved from the Chicago area once. It was twenty years ago, my husband went with me and I knew it was temporary. We lived on an army base (well just off an army base) in southern Alabama for six months. I tried to get a temporary job but it turns out the local paper's want ads were slightly less substantial than the Chicago Tribune. Three people were looking for nurses and four were looking for peanut crop farmers. My skills did not qualify for either.

One of the officers in my husband's training class encouraged me to volunteer on base. I did and it was the beginning of a long and rewarding experience of community service. It also introduced me to a diverse group of people I would have never met otherwise. I'm a pretty outgoing person, but I wasn't always that way and making new friends isn't always as easy as it sounds. While I certainly met a lot of people while volunteering, I didn't make any friends through my involvement with that group. It was the other army wives that were on common ground and that gave us a platform for becoming friends.

Having something in common can really get the ball rolling. So when my friend was wondering where she was going to meet people, I suggested the places she most often went would be a good place to look for new friends, starting with where she worked. She seemed skeptical and then talked about finding a church as soon as possible and trying to get connected there.

I'm embarrassed to admit that this wasn't my first thought. Especially since I work in a church and talk almost daily with colleagues about getting people connected with other members of the church. It occurred to me I may have been taking for granted the enormous support system my family has and the wealth of friends both current and potential that are in our lives because of our church. Because the church is more than a building, the church is the body of Christ, and just by sharing faith in the Son of God we are automatically made members of one body. That's a great place to make new friends.

And it makes it easier to watch my friend go trusting God has new friends waiting for her there.

Resurrection and Radiation

This is the week after Easter and the week after Easter is often a little bit of a let down.

At church we've been planning for months for this special time of year when people who don't normally attend church come to church.

After months of planning "outreach" events across three campuses, including the annual concerts with a full choir and orchestra and the popular "Eggtravaganza" events that bring loads of families out for Egg Hunts, Puppet Shows, Crafts and Refreshments...it's over.

The outreach events brought about 2000 people through the church doors.

Between Good Friday and Easter Sunday another 4000 people attended worship services where I work and serve.

It was a huge answer to prayer, a wonderful time of celebration and an encouragement to those who put so much time and effort into spreading the Good News.

This week has been a little quiet. Today I was working on some tasks that had been put on the back burner for awhile. I have to confess, I was working at a less-than-urgent pace.

It's a little disconcerting to me that after being so intentional about proclaiming the Gospel so boldly and broadly that I have quickly settled into a business-as-usual mentality.

I'm working on that. Praying about it, really. Because the message isn't any less impressive, important or impactful the other 51 weeks of the year.

My father-in-law reminded me of that. With two words...

Thank you.

In mid-October of last year he was admitted to the hospital after they discovered a non-cancerous brain tumor that had been 90% removed ten months earlier had inexplicably grown back to it's original size.

After another seven hour brain surgery successfully removed 90% of the "new" tumor (the other 10% was too dangerously close to the brain to remove without damage) he suffered a mild stroke, developed a blod clot, had a stent put in for bleeding on the brain, had a traecheotomy, and gotten pneumonia.

Twice.

I've heard him complain about two things in the past six months; his butt being sore (from lying in bed for five months), and being cold.

He's still on the traech, has had a feeding tube since the surgery and been through three different rehabs when not in the hospital. Last week, he began to make some real progress, standing for more than five minutes, pedaling a bicycle in the rehab "gym" and almost swallowing on his own.

Monday he started radiation therapy to prevent the non-cancerous tumor from growing a third time which it has already begun to do.

This week when I went to visit him and watched while the respiratory therapist gave him a nebulizer treatment and then suctioned out his traech so the fluid wouldn't build up in his lungs I was a bit in awe. Because when she finished, he intentionally and sincerely thanked her. Repeatedly.

Those of you who've cared for a loved one with a long-term health issue know how discouraging the process (and the places they are in) can feel.

This has been no exception.

And yet, for 25 weeks my father-in-law has plugged along after every set-back, thanking every person who has walked into his room, carted him off in an ambulance, slid him onto a radiation table, washed his limbs, sent him a card, called on the phone or otherwise let him know they care about his well being.

It reminded me of the Bible story where Jesus healed ten lepers but only one came back to thank Him (Luke 17:11-19). Jesus said “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” And He said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”

I'm thankful for the Cross and I'm thankful for the Resurrection.

I'm thankful I have a Savior who is faithful when I am not.

I'm thankful that my father-in-law is able to have radiation treatments and even more thankful that he's thankful about it.

And I'm truly grateful for the faith lesson the week after Easter.