'WORKING' OR RETIREMENT

i tell you what....the conversations that we have sometimes at the dinner table would just make you laugh. the other night was one of those occasions. i don't know how we got on the subject but caleb was giving us his idea of how he thought the rest of greg & my life would play out. he was in 'trouble' from the get go!!!

"in a few years dad will still be working, mom's already retired now, and then dad will join mom in retirement." he went on and on about something else and by the end we were living in cardboard boxes and then we lost our 'house-box' and we had to move in with him and his family.

i have some issues with his perceptions on our lives. 1) RETIREMENT???????? did he REALLY say RETIREMENT!?!?!?! and that i was ALREADY IN RETIREMENT???!?!?!?!?!?!! ooooohhhhh buddy......them's FIGHTEN' WORDS!!! retirement....tell ME i'm in RETIREMENT!!! tell me....i'll TELL you!!! :):):) 2.) that we are living in cardboard boxes. it doesn't give me much faith in him or his ability to aid in his aging parent's lives that we went so far as to be living in a cardboard box! and 3.) that it was ONLY when we lost our 1st home, then our 2nd 'home-box' that he was FINALLY willing to let us come and live with him.

so.....caleb received a life lesson from his mom. in my mind....i AM in retirement where HE'S concerned.....no meals, no laundry, no rides ANYWHERE, nothing.....nada.....zilch......zip. i'm interested in what he's going to say when his clothes hamper (which is overflowing mind you) is STILL in the laundry room - NOT DONE!!! boy, i'm going to milk this lesson for all its worth!!! hopefully by the end of this.....he'll KNOW what 'RETIREMENT' for a mom looks like!!! :):):)

MONKEY SEE MONKEY DO!

i love, love, love tuesdays. these are the days that our niece emily gets to come and spend the day with us. emily is 1 week older than lydia and also from guatemala. it has been so fun watching these two beauties together!

they love running after each other around the circle of our house. i love hearing them giggle with each other and even watch them "fight" over a toy or two.

emily has started on the new venture of potty training. she is doing so well with it. at her house when she's finished she yells out to monica "mom, did it!" so emmie comes to auntie's house ......auntie puts her on the potty every hour or so. meanwhile lydia is standing by watching every minute of it. at one point i had taken emily off the toilet and turned my back for a few minutes getting her redressed. when i turn around what do i see but this.................

boy did i ever fall to pieces laughing!!! so...our little lydie thinks that going potty and taking a "bath" mean the same thing. at least she's coming along.....before this all she ever did was put her head in the toilet and come to us with dripping wet hair! she's now figured out which end of her body belongs where now - she's coming....slow but sure!!! :):)

JUST A SPARK

so many hurting families are heavy on my heart these past few weeks. so many families experiencing their first holiday season/beginning of a new year without a loved one. they keep coming to my mind so often - especially during the night. i lay in bed unable to fall asleep and these families are brought to mind. so much sorrow, sadness, loneliness, aching hearts.....and hopefully for them just a little spark of hope. that's all that it takes....just a little spark.



sometimes grief is so encompasing that just a spark is all there is - and yet God says that's ok. our faith doesn't always have to be this full roaring fire (at least i pray it doesn't - since mine has been far from that)....it just needs a spark. you know it's like when you're building a bonfire and you just need a little flame to get a nice fire going? i think it's like that when you're going through a valley of grief. hang onto a spark of hope/faith and God will do the rest.


i think at times we feel like we need to do it all ourselves. we forget to tap into the power that's inside of us - the Holy Spirit. it's like he's in us begging us to just lean on him....we don't have to do all the work, in fact we CAN'T. we just need to 'bring to the table' a little spark of faith and the Spirit will ignite that spark and lead us out of this dark tunnel of grief.

so many people are on my heart....kristin s., kerry h., mary beth c., karen s., byker family, gortsema family, john & deb t., now most recently the travolta family. i hope that they all feel prayed over, loved upon, cared for.....i hope they have just a little spark that will again one day turn into a roaring fire for all to see - not for their own glory, but for the honor and glory of the One who provided it.