The Beauty of White

It snowed AGAIN! Hearing that forecast made me shake my head and scream "No," inside, of course. Then afterschool on Thursday as I pushed the door open to head for home, my breath caught within me. Huge snowflakes danced in swirling frenzies before skimming the ground, already blanketed in white.

I giggled.

Exquisite, pure, tingly, radiant.

I am sick of winter. Yes! I am ready for spring. Yes! Yet, the beauty of white before me as I drove home made me shake my head and whisper, "You are something God!"

Presidents Day

Presidents Day - Family Day...pancakes at home, car trip to Springfield, "Mom, don't get grouchy. Do you want to start this day off bad?" "Wake up Dissie-Doo" in a tone I rarely hear the girls use with each other. "Michaela, that is a perfect fit. You have to get it!" "When are we stopping to eat?" "Madison, you got that Aeropostle sweatshirt for $10? Wow!" "Let's go.o.o.o. We've been in this store forever!" "Where's the bathroom?"

The sounds of a family day. I planned on blogging. I listened. I made mental notes. I listened some more. I noticed the little things. I talked less. I listened more.

It was good.

I enjoyed the moments of family day...all of them.

Thanks George and Abe...and Bobby. :)

Du-uh!

"We're not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us. We are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be." C.S. Lewis

In my own peon words last March when the school budget cuts were the talk of all non-tenured teachers, "I know God will do what's best for me. I'm just not sure if it's Pizza Hut's pan pizza best or spinach and collard greens best."

That's a big difference. Quite frankly, I don't normally like what's best for me. I love dessert. I often order soup at restaurants because I truly do love Covey's Habit of beginning with the end in mind. My exercise is hurrying to the van to take my children from one place to another. My sleep...as stable as my daughters- aged 12 and 14. So much for 'good for me things.'

I want what I call best. At least I think I do...unless it has devastating consequences, things I could never have foreseen, things that would splinter everything that means most to be.

That's scary ground. I think I'll just tiptoe back to the high road thank you.

Yet, the good for me God is sometimes scary, too. "...We are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be."

Maybe "good for me" anything leaves me wrinkling my nose like a whiff of eggs in the hard boiling process. Maybe I should drop the word 'good' and simply go with 'the for you God.' That sounds alot better. Anything 'for me' sounds pretty good.

And that is precisely my God. He is for me! He is for you! He sent His son to take your bullet. He sent His son to take mine. That's love. Radical, Ridiculous, Insane!

So what choice to do I have? Trust my finite, limited, view of my life or give it to the all-knowing, all-powerful, fully loving, fully for me God?

In the words of my daughters..."Du-uh."

The Sneak Peek of Heaven

"Stars are the sneak peek of heaven," Michaela said the other night while we were driving home.

"What?" I asked.

"Stars are the sneak peek of heaven," she said matter-of-factly.



As we pulled into our driveway and parked, I quickly got out my daytimer and jotted it down. It was brilliant!



Yes, I have quoted Michaela before. "Winning is fun." Yet this quote was different, somehow. :)



"Stars are the sneak peek of heaven."

Truth is I've felt restless these last few weeks...antsy, bored. I'm guessing it's a cabin fever thing, a tired of winter and longing for spring thing. It's embarrassing to admit. Yet it is my reality. I've been praying these last few weeks, "Lord show me you. Following you is the great adventure...seeing you work, seeing you love, seeing you impact."

So how can I feel bored, antsy and restless? I must be missing something.



"Stars are the sneak peek of heaven."



I smile. A sneak peek of heaven...I envision Christmas cards from when I was a kid. Christmas cards where children stare wide-eyed in disbelief at the array of presents under a glistening tree...the first sneak peek of Christmas.



"Stars are the sneak peek of heaven."



This is the ultimate sneak peek.

Maybe a sneak peek of heaven is just what I need right now!