Small Kodak Moments

My friend over at Whistlestop Cafe Cooking blog is having a Friday Favorites link up...so I thought I would share mine. I am one of those weird people who love to take pictures of things that just happen along. Several years ago I was driving to Knoxville from Alexander City and Kat and I decided to swing through and look at Sewanee: the University of the South. It is a small, older college,(one of the classrooms we looked in...looked very much like the classroom in Dead Poet's Society - remember that movie?) a School of Letters and a Seminary for the Episcopal Church. Yep, this is where I wanted my daughter to go...education and God all tied up under one roof. Ahhh the best laid plans of mice and men...little did I know then that my sweet daughter was truly going to follow in my own footsteps...major in Education...and be a graduate from Auburn....and never experience living life on campus....sigh! As we were driving away from the college I noticed a cross on a hillside. It was spectacular. We began to wind our way to where the cross was located. It took several mistries to finally get the road right...and there it was. The most magnificent cross we had ever seen. The sun was shining and hitting the whiteness of the cross and making it an almost blinding experience. We both stood in awe at the power and magnitism of that huge structure. I snapped the picture...and off we went...searching for something new to photograph. This....this was truly a Kodak moment. Happy Friday!

Jo James - Definition of a Good Friend

Most people are lucky enough in their lifetimes to have a few good friends and I certainly am no exception. I have several really great friends. Yesterday, when I was heading home from yet another family funeral I called my friend Jo to see if she could cut my hair today. I was really feeling blue as I was driving down the road and thought the conversation would perk me up...it did. I said, "Hey, Jo...this is Karen."...she replied..."What's wrong." I thought I was hiding the sadness, but obviously not well enough. This morning I got up and went to get my hair cut...my appointment was at 9:15. I left her house at 2:30. We ate jellybeans, laughed, joked, shared stories, and yes...when her husband Mickey was dying...I found myself singing to him at his bedside and for him later at his funeral. I remember her sadness when her parents died. Our times have not always been sad, Lord Almighty she is one of the funniest people I know. We have cruised together, we have done the Keys together, shopped, sang, eaten (she is an awesome cook), I took my first tequila shot with her, but I have to tell a quick one on her...one night we were going to the Loft in columbus, GA for me to sing with Still Magnolias...a song came on the radio...Jo said, "I love Jim Crotch!"...The song was "Time in a Bottle" by Jim Croce...I nearly choked...we both laughed..and that is the way our friendship goes...we are not always with each other...but we know the other is there...on standby. She is a keeper for sure. I may not tell her how much I love her often enough...but she knows my heart well. Thanks for the free deep breathing session today...and the haircut...it looks good. I am dedicating this poem to you.

A FRIEND LIKE YOU
© Natasha
Everyone should have
a friend like you
You are so much fun to be with
And you are such a good person
You crack me up with laughter
And touch my heart with your kindness
You have a wonderful ability
To know when to offer advice
And when to sit in quiet support
Time after time
You've come to my rescue
And brightend so many
Of my routine days
And time after time
I've realized how fortunate
I am that my life includes you
I really do believe that
Everybody should have a friend like you
But so far it looks like
You are one of a kind!

Even though St. Paddy's day was yesterday...I have an Irish wish for you all. I wish you all this kind of friend in your lives. They truly are the rainbows that brighten up a stormy sky. Happy Thursday!

St. Patrick's Day Blunder

How could I forget?

I had just made a Facebook update about it, for God’s sake.

But it was true.

I had forgotten to put my son in green for St. Patrick’s Day.

And he had just left for the bus stop clad in jeans and a blue shirt.

That just would NOT do.

Kids are horrible, horrible creatures these days. And my son bruises easily. Yeah, teachers would probably make an announcement saying that pinching was not allowed. But kids are sneaky and pinches would most definitely sneak in.

I couldn’t let that happen to Tommy.

So I ran at top speed to his room and yanked a green shirt down from the closet. I was panting heavily as I did this which proves how out of shape I am. I ran outside, thinking that Tommy would already be at the bus stop. But no. He was still in our driveway, observing something in the grass. Thank God for his ADHD. It’s why I send him out to the bus stop early because I know he’ll totally take his time since he gets distracted so easily.

He’s sort of like those shirts that say “They say I have ADHD but I don’t think so—hey, a chicken!”

“Tommy!” I shouted, gripping the shirt triumphantly over my head. “Tommy, I found you a green shirt. I FOUND YOU A GREEN SHIRT!”

Woah. Calm down, Amber. I was all pumped up from the rush.

Tommy stared at me with wide eyes.

“What are you DOING?” He did not look happy to see me which I found to be a little rude. Did he not SEE that I had a green shirt with me? And that with the green shirt I was saving him from potential pinches? Okay, I’d have been mortified if my Mom had done this. But my mind wasn’t thinking clearly since it was the morning and all. Have I mentioned that I am NOT a morning person? I’m either half asleep or I’m....spazzing out.

“I found you a green shirt, Tommy. You’re not wearing green. So…” I started lifting off his old shirt because he only had a few minutes left until the bus came.

Tommy held his old shirt down. “MOM. I can’t change here. There are PEOPLE…” And he nodded towards the group of kids waiting at the bus stop across the street. Most were talking and didn’t even know what was going on with us. But a couple were gazing over with interest. One girl shouted, “You okay, Tommy?” What, if he had said no would she have run over and taken me down? (She probably could. I’m also weak first thing in the morning.)

“Fine. Behind your Dad’s truck,” I said, pulling him over.

“But I don’t want—”

“Green shirt, no pinches, green shirt, no pinches,” I chanted. Why wasn’t he freaked out over the prospect of pinches? Did he forget that he bruises easily? Maybe I was traumatized because one time I didn’t wear green on St. Patrick’s Day and this awful kid named Gert pinched me so hard that I had a gross welt on my arm for over a week.

Tommy reluctantly took his old shirt off and put the green one on.

“There,” he said, hoisting his backpack onto his shoulders. “I’m going now.”

“You’re welcome!” I said pointedly.

Tommy blinked at me.

“Say cheese!” I said and brought out the camera.

“MO-OM!”

“Say cheese!”



Doesn’t Tommy just look thrilled?

Oh well.

At least he didn’t get pinched.

Where Were Her Pants?

“I think it’s funny that you can’t swim,” my son Tommy told me from the backseat as I drove him to his swim lessons.

Okay, look, I CAN swim.

Just not well.

I mean, dog paddling is swimming, right? I can dog paddle across the pool without going under. That’s something.

“I can swim,” I argued.

“But not underwater,” Tommy said cheerfully.

This is true. I can’t swim underwater. My parents put me in swim lessons and when it came to the part where I had to stick my head in the water, I freaked out.

“I’m a better swimmer than you,” Tommy informed me as I parked in front of the YMCA.

“You are,” I confirmed. Is it sad that my eight-year-old swims better than me? Probably.

I’m glad he’s not afraid to go under the water. In fact, as soon as he got into the pool he dunked his head in.

“BROTHER!” Natalie bellowed beside me on the bleachers. I hate when I have to take Natalie to the swim lessons. She never wants to sit. She’ll give me a defiant look and inch closer and closer to the pool. Then I’ll have to drag her back and she’ll screech at the top of her lungs. One time a kid announced, “That baby has a loud mouth.”

If Natalie isn’t acting as though she’s about to leap into the pool, she lays down on the floor. Do you know how many germs are probably on that floor? And is it wrong that I usually just let her do it because it means I have a few minutes of silence?

Sometimes she’ll tell me quite seriously, “I don’t YIKE this,” and cross her arms over her chest. I’ll say, “Sometimes in life we do things we don’t like. Such as listen to the Crazy Twilight Lady go on and on about how New Moon is coming out this week.”

After the swim lessons we headed into the locker room so Tommy could change. I bring him in the women’s one because he’s worried he’ll get lost if he goes in the men one alone. I always drag him into a corner and instruct him to face the wall in case a woman strolls by nude.

“Beautiful kids,” a voice called out as I handed Tommy his pants.

I turned around. “Thank—OH! I mean thank you,” I answered. I was shocked because a woman was standing about five feet from me. Butt naked.

Tommy tried to turn too but I griped his shoulder and made him stay against the wall.

“Vagina,” Natalie said, pointing.

I tossed her a Look.

The woman didn’t even seem bothered. A part of me wanted to say, “Can I get you a pair of pants?”

“How old is your little girl?” the woman wondered. STILL STANDING THERE WITH NO PANTS ON.

“Um. She’s nearly three,” I stuttered. It’s really hard to converse with someone who doesn’t have clothes on. Where do you look? I tried to pretend that a crotch wasn’t staring at me. It was really disturbing that I didn’t even know this woman but that I was privy to the fact that the carpet didn’t match the drapes.

The woman seemed to be in her forties. And I’m all for being proud of your body and all of that but sheesh. If you want to talk to someone, PUT SOME PANTS ON. Or wrap a towel around you. Please.

“Vagina,” Natalie said again.

“Where?” Tommy said and tried to turn around again. I wouldn’t let him.

“So is your boy in swim lessons?” the woman said kindly.

Seriously, where were her clothes? I didn’t see any around.

“Yes…swim lessons,” I said stupidly. I still couldn’t believe that this woman had dropped trou and was speaking as though it were perfectly normal to carry on a conversation without clothes.

“What’s happening?” Tommy whined.

“Vagina, brother,” Natalie explained.

I could feel my face warm. Surprisingly the naked woman did not seem embarrassed at all. She continued beaming at us.

“I just wanted to say that you have beautiful children,” she said.

“Thank you!” I replied quickly.

The woman turned. Hello butt of a perfect stranger! “Nancy!” she called out, strolling over to a woman who was (thankfully) clothed. Nancy apparently seemed used to Naked Woman being, well, naked and didn’t even seem taken aback.

As we were walking out of the locker room, Naked Woman (yup, still no pants) shouted, “Goodbye!”

Tommy’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head. “That woman is naked,” he whispered.

I covered his eyes. “Goodbye!” I yelled.

“Goodbye, vagina!” Natalie chimed in.

“Where were her pants?” Tommy asked incredulously as we walked across the parking lot to our car.

Good question, son.

Good question.

Erin go Braugh - Ireland Forever

Last year I was fortunate enough to be in Dublin on St. Paddy’s day at the biggest St.Patrick Day celebration ever. It was awesome and it was frightening. I have never seen so many people in one place at one time trying to watch a parade. I learned a lot about the day while I was in Ireland and thought I would share it with you today. BTW you better wear something green today or you could get pinched! Why is it so important to wear green? Well, while in Ireland last year I researched this and found a great historical poem about it called, “The Wearing of the Green.” by Dion Boucicault (1820-1890) It goes like this:

O Paddy dear, and did you hear the news that going round?
The shamrock is forbid by law to grow on Irish ground;
St. Patrick's Day no more we'll keep, his colours can't be seen,
For there's a bloody law against the wearing of the green.
I met with Napper Tandy and he took me by the hand,
And he said, "How's poor old Ireland, and how does she stand?"
She's the most distressful counterie that ever yet was seen,
And they're hanging men and women for the wearing of the green.
Then since the colour we must wear is England's cruel red,
Sure Ireland's sons will ne'er forget the blood that they have shed.
You may take a shamrock from your hat and cast it on the sod,
It will take root and flourish there though underfoot it's trod.
When law can stop the blades of grass from growing as they grow,
And when the leaves in summer-time their verdure dare not show,
Then will I change the colour that I wear in my caubeen
But 'till that day, please God, I'll stick to wearing of the green.
But if at last our colour should be torn from Ireland's heart,
Our sons with shame and sorrow from this dear old isle will part;
I've heard a whisper of a land that lies beyond the sea
Where rich and poor stand equal in the light of freedom's day.
O Erin, must we leave you driven by a tyrant's hand?
Must we ask a mother's blessing from a strange and distant land?
Where the cruel cross of England shall nevermore be seen,
And where, please God, we'll live and die still wearing of the green!

The great thing about this holiday is that you do not even have to be Irish to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Personally....I am of Irish heritage and have always been very proud of that fact. But...St. Patrick himself wasn’t even Irish. It turns out he was actually a Welsh slave brought to the Emerald Isle by a British lord in the fifth century. Because of his tireless efforts to convert people to Christianity, Ireland named him their patron saint. According to legend, Saint Patrick used the shamrock, a three-leaved plant, to explain the Holy Trinity to the pre-Christian Irish people. So in honor of St. Patrick’s special day I want to leave you this blessing:
“May you always have these blessings A soft breeze when summer comes- A warm fireside in winter- And always- the warm, soft smile of a friend.”
Go mbeannai Dia duit
(May God Bless You)

Extravagent Love

I am preaching on Sunday because Frank has to work again. I love it when I get the chance to preach. There is nothing I like better than to hear a song, or find a passage, or quote and make a sermon come together. This week I knew early on that I was going to have to speak so since I was still feeling a bit tired from yesterdays excursion I thought I would work on the sermon. I put on my IPod...and waited for some divine guidance...and it came to me in the form of a song. One of the songs of my list of favorites would have to be James Taylor’s "Shower The People". One of the reasons that I love that song apart from its pretty melody is its message. It talks about showering the people that we love with flowers. Later, in the song, toward the end it says make it rain. The song is about telling those that you love how you feel when they can hear it. It is sad to see friends and family gathered at a funeral home to pay their respects to the deceased person. There are times when some of those flowers should have been given while the person was still living. We sometimes take people for granted. I cannot help but to wonder how many of those flowers the deceased might have enjoyed while they were living. The flowers do not always have to be actual flowers. The flowers might be an “I love you.” It might be a card, a letter or even a compliment. The point that I am trying to get at is that we should tell our loved ones what they mean to us while they are with us. Years ago, when I was a sophomore in college, I was really caught me off guard by an elderly neighbor, Mrs. Dobson. One night when I returned home from work, I saw Mrs. Dobson struggling at her door. I left my stuff in my car and hurried down to help her. I knew she was a widow on a limited income and I certainly was not expecting her to pay me for helping her. The truth was it was my pleasure. I loved this sweet, kind, gentle lady. When I had gotten her settled on her couch, made her a spot of tea, and brought her packages in…she said, “I want to give you some flowers”. I was puzzled because I did not see any flowers. Of course, she was not talking about real flowers. She was talking about telling me how she felt about me. She wanted me to know how much I had meant to her because it was not long before our lives would drift apart and she would be placed in a local nursing home. At that moment though it was all I could do to choke back the tears. Why? Because her flowers---her expression of love was genuine and from the heart. I have never forgotten the flowers that Mrs. Dobson gave me. I still treasure the flowers of her compliment even to this day…even though she has been gone from this earth a long time. She was an inspiration to me and for me…she taught me many great lessons of love. When Mary used that pint of expensive perfume on Jesus, she was not worried about how much it cost. What Mary was doing was giving Jesus His flowers while He was still here. One of the things that Mary was doing was expressing her gratitude. Her brother Lazarus who was dead (John 11) was brought back to life by Jesus who was and is the resurrection and the life. There can be doubt that Mary was grateful for what Jesus had done for her and Martha in bringing back Lazarus from the dead. Mary’s gratitude was priceless. Mary was not concerned about how much the perfume cost. She wanted to express her gratitude and devotion to Jesus. Her gratitude was priceless because what Mary did had come from the heart. What Mary was doing was a blessing that was priceless. She knew that Jesus would not always be there. I read an email about a missionary surgeon who once stopped to see one of the ladies in the village that he had once operated on. The lady and her husband were dirt poor. Their source of income was their livestock. They had an angora rabbit and two chickens. The woman would often comb the rabbit, take its hair and spin it into yarn which she would sell to make a little money. The chickens provided the eggs that they would eat for food. Anyway, this woman insisted that the missionary stay for lunch. He accepted the invitation. He was not gone for more than an hour and a half, while he went to check on another one of his post operative patients. When he returned he peeped into the pot to see what was for lunch. In the pot he saw a rabbit and two chickens. This woman had given up both her income and her only source for food. She had given up everything for him. He was so touched that he wept. I wept at my computer. What an unselfish expression of love. This was a true Master Card moment. In contrast to Mary and her sentiments, there was Judas, the disciple that would later betray Jesus. Judas was focusing on the cost of the perfume and not the meaning of the act of humility. Where Mary was expressing her devotion to Jesus, Judas was revealing who he was. Judas was hung up on cost. Sometimes we are like that. Sometimes we get hung up on cost. Sometimes we misplace and displace the value of things. In Max Lucado’s book, No Wonder They Call Him Savior he tells a story about some clever pranksters. They entered a department after hours and escaped unnoticed. I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking “So what did the steal?” Well, the truth be known they did not steal anything. Puzzling isn’t it? Listen to what they did next. They re-arranged some prices. “These clever pranksters took the tag off a $395.00 camera and stuck it on a $5.00 box of stationary. The $5.95 sticker on a paperback book was removed and placed on an outboard motor. They re-priced everything in the store. … The craziest part of the story took place the next morning. … The store opened as usual. Employees went to work. Customers began to shop. The place functioned for four hours before anyone noticed what happened. Four hours! Some got some great bargains. Others got fleeced”. In all the time that Judas had been with Jesus as a disciple, he still did not know Jesus. Yes, he knew Jesus as a person, but he never really believed in Jesus. That is like the difference between knowing about a life preserver and wearing one. Knowing about it will not save you. Wearing it will. In a similar way, knowing about Jesus will not help you unless you have a relationship with Him. At least the people in the department store only went four hours before they discovered the mistake. Judas was with Jesus for three years, but he never really had a relationship with Jesus. He never discovered his mistake until it was too late. Judas never had a relationship with Jesus because of his displaced and misplaced values. It seems that Judas was greedy. Unlike Mary’s humility, Judas’ focus was on money. Perhaps, he was thinking about what share of the money he could make his own. John 12:6 calls Judas a thief. Again, John 12:6 tells us that Judas was more concerned about the amount of money that the perfume cost, instead of the gracious act. Judas was greedy. We call someone greedy when they focus on having more than they need or more than they are entitled to. John 12:6 seems to point out the potential for greed in Judas. Mary’s extravagance stands in contrast to Judas’s greed. Mary’s act was based on her devotion whereas Judas’ protest was based upon extortion---the abuse of his position. The grace of God is a gift. It is freely given for all who will receive it. You cannot do anything to make yourself right with God on your own terms. The Pharisees had their rules and regulations, but they were relying on salvation to come through the law. The apostle Paul put it this way: “… know that a man is not justified by the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified. (Galatians 2:16 NIV). … if righteousness could be gained through the law then Christ died for nothing” (Galatians 2:21 NIV). The grace of God comes through what Jesus did for us on the cross for our salvation. Jesus paid the price for our sins. Sin is what sets us apart from God. Grace is what sets us apart from sin and reconciles us to God. The Bible tells us that all have sinned and fallen short of God (Romans 3:23). The Bible also tells us that the wages of sin are death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). God’s grace cancels the debt of sin. Colossians 2:14 tells us that Christ cleaned the record of our sins. I read a story in Max Lucado’s He Chose the Nails about a man who had a house built. After the house was completed, the builder told the owner to make a list of any flaws that he discovered. Yes, he kept a record as he began to ponder about all of the records that God keeps of the flaws of sinners. He even mentioned a few spiritual flaws. "The door hinges to the prayer room have grown rusty from under use. The stove called jealousy is overheating. The attic floor is weighed down with too many regrets. The cellar is cluttered with too many secrets". The story does not stop there. Jesus took our sins to the cross with Him. He had the list of all the sins that we ever committed in His hands as they nailed Him to the cross. He could have chosen to abandon ship, but He did not. Jesus went the distance to save us. He knew that we are sinful. But, "He couldn’t bear the thought of eternity without us, so He chose the nails". Mary’s perfume symbolizes God’s grace through Jesus because like the perfume that was poured out of the bottle, His blood was poured out for you and me for the forgiveness of our sins. Most of you know I sing...so I of course have to sing on Sunday too...my song originally was going to be Shower the People, by J.T. But after writing for 3 hours I decided to use a Casting Crowns song, Your Love is Extravagent...which of course I am going to share with you. You may not all know Casting Crowns. My friend Justin Belyeu has actually been on tour with them...how cool is that? Anyways, what I want to leave you with is this...be extravagent with your love. Show people you love them...now...while they are with you. I have learned this lesson the hard way this year...once they are gone...there is nothing you can do...and believe me...I don't ever want to have any regrets. I play hard, live life to the fullest...and love like there is no tomorrow, because tomorrow may never come. Happy Tuesday!

Hey, It's Okay Tuesday!

I got this idea from Glamour magazine. They have a section called Hey, It’s Okay and will list a bunch of things to be okay about. I think I’m going to do this every Tuesday now. You're welcome to join in! When I figure out the McLinky thingy I'll add that to my entry.

Hey, It's Okay....


To not want to be called “ma’am.” Ever.


To not allow your children to use Facebook until they are 13 like it states in the Facebook rules.


To think coffee flavored chocolates should ALWAYS BE LABELED so people who don’t like coffee don’t accidentally bite into one.


To not be able to take Bret Michaels from The Celebrity Apprentice seriously because you picture a tattooed chick wrapping her thighs around his waist from his Rock of Love show.


To laugh hysterically when your eight-year-old asks for a cell phone.


To think that Rielle Hunter was in poor taste doing the GQ interview. And what was UP with her sitting with those stuffed animals without any pants on?


To pretend you don’t speak English when a telemarketer calls.


To cheer at the end of Independence Day.