My husband and I have a running joke that we each get “hit on” about once every 5-10 years, and even then, “the hit” is by someone who is either inebriated or just REALLY scary! Well, today was my day…my official “come on” from the opposite sex happened, and I was driving down the road in a golf cart with my two boys! LOL. If that wasn’t funny enough, the guy was standing on the side of the road pointing at me, then giving the universal sign for “call me.” It was so comical, I almost busted out laughing as we drove by him. However, what happen next, brought pride to my heart and tears to my eyes. We drove on, and my 12 year old son said, “Mom, if I find that guy, I’m gonna kill him.” We pulled into the Dollar General, as I said, “No, son, there’s no need to kill him. If a man’s gonna hit on a woman over 40 with her two kids on board, he’s gotta be incredibly desperate! But I do thank you for the honor.” We parked, and I started toward the door; however, when I turned to make sure both boys were with me, I realized my oldest child had walked the other way, crossed the side street, and was looking down the highway, looking for that man. I proceeded to call for him to come back and join me, but his valiant gesture, at protecting my honor, still makes me teary-eyed as I write this tonight.
He may be young, and as he’s growing into a teenager, we may have days when we struggle in our child-to-adult relationship, one which is quickly evolving into the much needed adult-to-adult relationship, but he is still a mighty man of valor. He has a code of honor to which he believes every man should uphold, and if that man does not, he is appalled and demands to know why! He believes in God, family and country (in that order), and can’t imagine why someone wouldn’t. He aspires for great things in life, and believes he will achieve them, as well, he trusts anyone can reach their dreams if they will but try. He may be young, but his heart is valiant. I am so proud to call him my son, and I pray there will rise a generation just like him.
Month: July 2014
You See Me
I stumble through the daily routines
Striving to make ends meet
Struggling to make the difference
I feel as if no one sees
Yet You see me
I walk down the streets in silence
The cars race on frantically
The people hurry from here to there
I feel as if no one cares
Yet You care for me
I come into the sanctuary
The music is a peaceful melody
The light from stained glass glows
I feel as if no one hears
Yet You hear me
I step into Your Holy Place
The air is thick with Your presence
The floor is worn from the tears
I feel as if no one knows
Yet You know me
You know the very depths of me
You know my rising and my falling
You hear my cries and my shout
You hear y faith and my doubt
You care for my pain and my joy
You care for my past and my tomorrow
You see my tears and my smile
You see my awe and my wonder
It was never that You didn’t see me;
it was always that I couldn’t see You.
It was never that You didn’t care for me;
it was always that I was unaware of You.
It was never that You didn’t hear me;
it was always that I couldn’t hear You.
It was never that You didn’t know me;
it was always that I had no knowledge of You.
penned 8/7/04 – MG
We Do Loud…Really Well.
“Arggggg, Matey!”
Have you ever had that moment when you notice how really different your kids can be from another child? Last night, I was reminded…once again. We went to this cool dockside restaurant with some old friends. We don’t get to see each other often, but our kids love to play together. The restaurant had a really neat play area out front, complete with a pirate and pirate ship; so, as we were leaving, we decided to let our kids play. Our kids were “wide open,” having a blast. They were running, screaming, “walking the plank,” chasing one another, and being very loud “pirates.” In the midst of this chaos, there stood a very petite, shy little girl, maybe about five or six years old. She seemed very intrigued by all the festivities; however, by the facial expressions, her grandmother didn’t seem so amused. She looked as if she might just lose her mind; she appeared very amazed, and even alarmed, that children could actually get excited and speak above a whisper.
Now, please, don’t get the wrong impression, our kids were not being rude, nor were they invading this young girl’s space, and this was going on outside, not around a lot of people. In fact, there wasn’t anyone else around at the moment, or I would have definitely put a stop to their lively activities. Even so, the difference between this meek, timid little girl and our loud, rambunctious brood was like the plundering pirates and the delicate handmaiden. It was quite the contrast. This contrast continued as we went to our car, too, because this other family just happened to be parked right beside us…
Our boys were “sword fighting” all the way to our vehicle while this little trio of daughter, mother and grandmother walked quietly and peacefully to theirs…with the grandmother still looking shocked and appalled, and I’m assuming, by the expressions, the commentary she was giving her daughter was anything but pleasant. Once we were in our car, with the doors shut, I just had to laugh, and say, “Well, we DO have boys, and we do loud REALLY well!”
You see to me, it’s okay if your child is really quiet, really loud, really silly or really serious. They are all made different, and each home should run differently. What works for my home may not work for yours, and that’s ok! I don’t expect your kids to be like mine, and I don’t want mine to be like yours. I believe each child should be encouraged to be who God had created him or her to be. We don’t know what the future holds for each of them, but each one has a unique purpose in this life, and often, that little (or big!) personality he or she was designed specifically for that special purpose. There will be moments when they all will need to be quiet, listening and observing, and there will be other moments when they will need to take charge, speaking out and standing up for their given cause. So, “Play on,” I say! No matter if your play is rowdy and loud, or if it’s gentle and quiet. You have a place on this playground of life. Find it, and enjoy it, while also, appreciating the method in which others play. You never know when you’ll need to be those plundering pirates who raid the enemy’s ships or that gentle maidservant who wins the heart of a king! Play on!
In Perspective
My eight year old was looking for opportunities to make some money; so, I told him he could fold the two baskets of towels in the laundry room. He enthusiastically agreed. Before he left the room, I reminded him of how we fold them; so, they would fit nicely on the shelves… “Remember to fold them end to end, end to end again, then, fold over twice.” (similar to many hotel styles) He skipped out of the room, excited about the bit of cash that would soon be lining his pocket. I was in the middle of setting up my new blog, and I knew it would be good to go in and supervise, or at least “check his work;” however, I casually thought, “Well, he’s done it before. It’ll be fine; I’m sure.” A little while later, he moved onto something else, and I walked downstairs to fix dinner..the loads of laundry forgotten for the evening. The next morning, I entered the laundry room to finish the (thought to be) forgotten pile of towels. To my surprise, all the bath and beach towels were stacked and folded, just as I had instructed my son to do…well, each one was definitely folded and stacked; however, the stack wasn’t quite what I had expected (See pics!). You see, my sweet little boy had folded each towel “end to end (2x) and then tri-folded;” yet, depending on where you start the very first fold, this will determine how the towels will look when you are finished…
This caused me to start thinking about how we all have so many different perspectives and expectations. Together, we all travel this road called life. Some places are rocky; some are smooth. There are mountain top experiences, and there are valleys. We will all encounter days of sunshine, days of lightning and rain and even days of scorching heat or a refreshing mist. Yet, where we end up in this journey will ultimately depend upon our perspective of the events that occur. If we face the journey with hope of our eternal destination; the days don’t seem so long, and the seasons seem more like a passing summer shower rather than a hopeless natural disaster. Having a positive outlook on life doesn’t mean we have to be blind to reality, painting a mask of imagination and fantasy. It simply means we hold onto hope that life is more than what we encounter down here.
Life is more than compact calendars, exploited agendas, failed achievements and achieved failures. Life is more than petty arguments, offenses and conflicts. Life is all about the moments when we truly live, when we actually impact the lives around us. It is about the destination we have in Christ, and how many people reach that destination with us. It’s about reaching out to someone more in need than we are. It’s about providing the comfort or the encouraging word to help our fellow man just make it through another day. Life is about more than what we see, and, often, more than what we care to take notice. Life is all about perspective. If we have the right perspective of things, the world will take on a whole different view in our eyes. With this new “mini revelation,” I looked differently at that stack of bath and beach towels. They were no longer seen as a mismatched, disheveled stack of towels that I would desperately need to refold, but rather, a stack of creatively corrugated towels which were folded by my precious, entrepreneur son whom I will only have around for another few short years! … It’s always great to see things with a new perspective.
He Is All You Need
The day is dawning; your heart is breaking; the sun bursts through the clouds.
He is speaking your name; yet, you refuse to hear.
You begin your day with cute little answers, a quoted little word.
You try to pretend you are drawing near.
The morning is moving; your heart is aching; the children are skipping to school.
He is calling out to you; yet, you refuse to care.
You continue your way, filling every moment with worry and regret.
You try to pretend all this you can bear.
The sun is setting; your heart is longing; the families are gathering around.
He is shouting across the chasm; yet, you refuse to yield.
You allow the cares of life to consume you, supplying your fleshly desires.
You try to pretend all your dreams are fulfilled.
The night is falling; your heart is bleeding; the stars are shining through.
He whispers your name; yet, you refuse to heed.
You end your life with a flick of a shot, never seeing His outstretched hand.
You tried to pretend He’s not all that you need.
penned 9/11/04 – MG
As The Eagle Soars
As the eagle soars, Your love seeks Your “prey”
He swoops down for the “kill”
You reach out, their eternity to seal
As the eagle soars, Your love sets us free today.
As the lion stalks, Your mercy watches Your “victim”
He attacks at the unexpected moment
You envelope their shame to relent
As the lion stalks, Your mercy to us has come.
As the stallion gallops, Your joy races for Your goal
He strives for the long stretch
You plunge forward, their pain to fetch
As the stallion gallops, Your joy surrounds our souls.
As the hawk dives, Your compassion targets the weak
He closes in before one glance
Your poise ready, their hearts to receive
As the hawk dives, Your compassion to us has embraced.
As the tiger lunges, Your grace destroys the pride
He devours in a second’s breath
You consume all, their light to change from death
As the tiger lunges, Your grace to everyone belongs.
penned 1/26/04 – MG
Once Again
You say over and over that you love me
But all I see is you looking away
You said you’ll be there for tea
Once again you kept me at bay
You lavish affection when it suits you
But when I need you there’s always a void
You claimed someone else’s fault it was due
Once again I was left empty and annoyed
You play the part well under others eyes
But I see clearly the slack that is made
You declared but your laughter could not buy
Once again in my heart the scars were made
Your moments of pretending peace are shared
But my life stands forever unyielding and true
You wondered at the loss, said I just didn’t care
Once again your smile and desire I simply outgrew
Penned – 3/19/14 – MG
How Small We Are
One night, as I was riding in a big boat, on a great big lake, I glanced up, as I often do, and saw the sky full of stars. I realized, the arrangement of those stars don’t change much to the naked eye. Yes, it moves with time, alters with seasons, some stars get brighter as their light reaches earth, and some fade when the star dies; yet, with the right scopes, you’ll still be able to see most constellations that have been up there for centuries upon centuries. On the other hand, we, as humans, are constantly changing. We change our clothes; we change our hair; we change our body shapes; we change our friends, and we even change our skin color (by spending too much time in the sun! lol). We often feel these changes make us bigger, better than we once were. Yet, those stars are so much bigger than our beings (if we could stand beside one), so much brighter than we could ever imagine, and they are arranged by a God whose ways we can’t even begin to fathom!
In perspective, we are so very small. Our lives are so very minute. These lives in which we struggle so hard to achieve more, receive more and conquer more are really so very tiny. In perspective, of the history of this world, our lifespan is so miniscule. We are so very little. Yet, our Heavenly Father, has loved us since the beginning of time. He has provided for us, created life within us, designed perfect plans for us, and destined great things for us. In the great scheme of life, we may be small, but in God’s eyes, we are quite a “Big Thing.” You know how I know this? Well, one because the Bible explains it pretty clearly, but also, because He has given me a beautiful example through the lives of my children. I love those boys so much makes my heart ache. If I, who am just human, just a mom trying to make it through each day and do the very best that my small being can do, love my sons so much that it makes my heart ache, how much more does a Mighty God love me and you? How much more does a Righteous Savior love the very people He left His glory to save? Our Father God loves us, and when Daddy loves his little girl, or his little man, that child is bigger than even His whole world!
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
John 3:16
“If you, then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”
Matthew 7:11
You Are
You are an anchor in the sea of turmoil.
You are a lighthouse on the hill of darkness.
You are a staff on the path which is crooked.
You are a window in the house of confusion.
I can’t even see without You first being the conclusion.
You are the stabilizer amongst instability.
You are the courage throughout terror.
You are the discipline amongst rebellion.
You are the peace throughout all chaos.
I can’t even breathe without You first being Logos.
You are the sun shining through the rain.
You are the breeze blowing through the desert.
You are the fire blazing through the winter pass.
You are the flower blooming through the Spring.
I can’t even move without the strength You first bring.
You are the wisdom that directs my path.
You are the power which heals my heart.
You are the peace that settles my mind.
You are the love which consumes my soul.
I can’t even live without You living, breathing, first making me whole.
penned – 1/16/13 – MG
Strength Is In His Hands
I remember as a strong fisherman
pulling his nets, a far off seeing the catch
With the wooden rod, slaps on the water, fish to draw
His hands pulling, pushing, whittling, carving
His hands weaving, threading, poking, prodding
Strength was in his hands
I remember as a devoted father
smoothing the wrinkled pages to pray
With the brewed coffee, black as syrup to sip
His hands moving, stirring, guiding, soothing
His hands directing, correcting, holding, loving
Strength was in his hands
I remember as a diligent businessman
striving his way, dreams to become a reality
With the suit and tie, a strong woman by his side
His hands working, strengthening, molding, developing
His hands reaching, greeting, building, succeeding
Strength was in his hands
I remember as a committed grandfather
searching the moments to always remember
With the Ol’ Ranchero, a thrill of adventures to find
His hands steadying, nurturing, playing, resting
His hands embracing, shielding, releasing, surrendering
Strength was in his hands
I remember as a merciful Saviour
permitting the cruelty, my sins setting free
With the rugged cross, a message of amazing love
His hands bleeding, hanging, stretching, dying
His hands redeeming, restoring, delivering, healing
Strength is in His Hands
I remember as a faithful King
surrounding His creation, His children to welcome home
With a crown of glory, a revelation of eternal hope
His hands opening, receiving, enfolding, revealing
His hands exposing, erasing, consuming, immersing
Strength is always in His hands…
penned 10/25/12 – MG
the grizzle grist mill 