2010!

Ok, so I dropped the blogging ball, and one person caught me. So, for Beth's sake, here I am! Inspired by my dear sister-preschool pastor friend, Big Nanny (you gotta see her blog entries on her recent trip to Africa. I would link you but am not sure how to make that work.), here I go.
Don't you love new years? I do! Out with the old and in with the new. Something about moving on that makes me happy! I make resolutions. I'm a believer in them--even if I don't keep them I enjoy making them. Gives me a sense of direction; some goals and ways to measure my minutes.
This year I have only a very few:
1. Don't cry every day over Mikel graduating on MAY 15! (And leaving for Union University in August).
2. Don't cry every other day over Kaleigh taking me on college visits this spring and summer (and she's not even looking 2 1/2 hours from home!).
3. Stay in the country. (I've broken that one already, as I'm going to Mazatlan in February with Tom and Kaleigh to check it out for her upcoming mission trip with students this summer AND I might be headed to Africa in March!! How CRAZY is that?!)
4. And all those other things like dieting, exercise, keeping up with dental appts, etc.

It's good--love the way we make plans and God supercedes them. Happy 2010, I'll resolute now to blog a bit more.

I'm going to Europe!

I can hardly believe I'm getting ready to go to Europe! I'll be spending my Labor Day weekend with Cheryl and Karen touring Switzerland, Italy and France to land in Kaiserslautern, Germany on Tuesday where Karen and I will lead a prayer conference (Tuesday, Thursday) for Kaiserslautern Assembly of God Church on the Vogelweh Air Force Base. Then join their prayer clinic ministry Friday night.

Only God would orchestrate such an adventure!

Cheryl teaches in the the elementary school for the military children (a fascinating job) but she spends her school holidays in Spring Hill, and has come to our church during her breaks. As she became familiar with our prayer ministry, she allowed God to use her to share the vision in Germany with her faith family there. So--at her church's invitation, Karen and I are going over the pond to spend a week with them encouraging them in their Prayer Clinic and their prayer lives.

I am humbled and honored for the opportunity. Please be praying for us--we need safe travel, good health, clear minds and open hearts. Pray that we will be bold in our witness and encouragement of the saints serving overseas. Pray also that God will use this as an opportunity to open even more doors to the Prayer Clinic ministry and to the prayer studies I've written. God is good!! And we are eager to follow Him wherever He leads.

Please pray also for Karen as she is in the midst of a move--selling her house and packing to be out just a few weeks after our return. Pray also for Karen's daughter Lauren, her granddaughter Della and her son-in-law, Joe as Joe leaves for another tour of duty with the army (while we are gone). Of course pray also for Tom and my 3 who will be fending for themselves in my absence. They'll be fine as long as I get to the grocery before I go!

Thank you for your prayers! Can't wait to tell you what God does when we return.

The Last Official Day of Summer

Wednesday was our last day of summer, and we went to the lake, Kaleigh and me and three friends. You might not find that very significant, but I personally feel like I conquered the world! Or at least, Normandy Lake!! Tuesday night we put the trailer on the suburban, then took it to the gas station and filled it with fuel. I won't mention that I neglected to notice the suburban was also in need of refueling. But we got that taken care of the next day on our way to the lake.
Then after not too many attempts, I got the boat backed down the launch ramp, and Kaleigh drove it off the trailer. I thought we made a great team! All was well until the boat sputtered and quit running about midway through the day. With 4 teens bobbing up and down in the water, I lifted the lid to the engine, carefully removed a black thing, then took off a round thing and put my finger on the flap thing. Last time the boat stopped running this is what Tom did. But, my little finger on the flap didn't work. So, I texted Tom, from Nassau, Bahamas (in customs) he suggested we pour gasoline over the carburator then try again. I just guessed that what I was fiddling with must have been the carburator, and so we poured the gasoline, and cranked the boat, VOILA! We were running smoothly for the rest of the day.

Everyone skied and tubed...and went home with only minor injuries. Any day at the lake with only minor injuries is a good day at the lake!

It was the perfect way to spend the last day of summer. Kaleigh and friends (all except boyfriend who is off to TN Tech this Fall) were in class on Thursday, miles away from Normandy and all our fun. But summer's not really over. There's still lots of sunshine, and surely another day or two at the lake. With a few more tries I might even be able to back that boat down the ramp like a professional!

August already?

Well, I didn't cry. I wanted to! But I maintained a bit of dignity and stifled the tears. Not sure that's the healthiest thing in the world. Why not just go ahead and BOO HOO everytime you feel like it!
I took TJ to Independence to get his paperwork turned in, purchase our athletic pass, take pictures and collect books. It was quite the afternoon! We normally miss all this excitement when we take our family vacation at the end of the summer. But this year, no family vacation at the end of the summer.
Kaleigh is in East Asia (or more specifically Hong Kong today). Tom's on his annual treck to the Bahamian waters for crawfishing (their crawfish are larger than our lobster!). And Mikel, TJ and I are keeping the home fires burning.
After spending the afternoon with TJ I took Mikel to walk through her schedule and fetch her supply lists at Zion Christian Academy. For her SENIOR YEAR!! Oh my--it's almost more than a Mom should be expected to handle!
But I didn't cry. Not yet anyway. Those tears are coming...in fact I am such a sap they'll probably flow all year! "the last 'first day of school', etc." I think I'll make her stand outside the front door with her backpack on and take a picture tomorrow before she leaves for her 27 mile commute.
Oh my....

How's your summer going?

So, how's your summer going? When people ask me that, my brain freezes. It's like my computer when its trying to download a picture file. The papers are shuffling, but hardly any progress is being made.

I'm not sure what keeps me so busy--it's so much I don't have time to think about it. I used to make a daily "to do" list (learned that in a YMCA sponsored employee training event years ago). I carried my list around on a yellow legal pad. If I diverted from what was written on my list, I'd write it down (after I diverted) and cross it off--just for the joy of scratching through the list! At the end of the day I took everything that wasn't "scratched" and relocate it to tomorrow's list.

But now? Every once in while I create a "to do" list for my week. I print it off and carry it around with me. But sometimes the little corners get torn off to wrap used gum--and the edges get filled with grocery lists. And somewhere in the middle of "meet so and so at such and such" I'm asked, "so, how's your summer going?" And for the life of me, I don't know!

Even chickens run around a bit after their heads are chopped off! So--a few things do come to my mind: I remember fireworks at the Braves game and 2 homeruns (July 2). I also remember fireworks in my driveway (up close and personal) when TJ and Drake lit the fuses. I remember TJ calling to say, "Mom, I was just now in a car accident!" And Mikel calling to say, "I jumped off a 25 foot cliff!" I also remember Kaleigh suffering every known side affect possible after I insisted she get the immunizations for her upcoming trip to East Asia.

I faintly remember agreeing to teach conferences at Ridgecrest (next week) and booking flights to Germany (departing September 4). I do remember serving over 1000 hotdogs on Sunday, and challenging couples to pray together. But other than that, I'm not sure how my summer's going. I think it's good. In fact, I'm sure it is.

How's yours?

Blogging, procrastinating and "bowels"

Ok, so blogging hasn't found its way into my summer schedule. With tanning, cleaning bird poo off the pool deck and getting kids to and from camps...I've hardly had time to write the checks that pay my bills, much less get on here and wax eloquent...

But, today, I'm back. The thunder is rumbling in the distance, muggy air surrounds me (that glorious weather we were enjoying up until two days ago is a distant memory), and I need to do some emails so I thought, "great time to procrastinate blog."

So...this is my procrastinate blogging. I went to the doctor a few weeks ago. First check up I'd had in 5 years. And it was COMPREHENSIVE!!! I saw a funny picture of what men ought to have to go through (a kind of male version of a mammogram....I'll leave the visuals to your imagination) and I wished it were so. But, I came out in "good" health. For so many this would be considered a "good" report. But for me, "not so good..." For ever I was in "excellent" health. And somehow my cholesterol and ldl have tipped over toward the border line between good and "could be better." How did that happen?! And I don't even want to think about my weight. Where I used to be at the low end of "healthy weight for my height and age" that also is "borderline" on the OTHER side!!

Funny how we choose to ignore what we don't want to see. And if that weren't enough--I also have a gall stone. Only OLD people have "gall stones." (Or maybe only old people talk about it!) My daughter went to visit our worship pastor's wife in the hospital yesterday and came home reporting on her "bowels." I'm having flashbacks of the Sunday afternoon organ recitals my mother and grandmother used to have!

But, here I am. I had a cheeseburger and fries (with a chocolate shake) for lunch. As if I were still 124 pounds with cholesteral free blood pumping through my 23 year old veins! And I smile.

Why? Because it's summer. I've had numerous teenagers at my pool, we've already taught a new one to water ski, I'm headed to the lake on Friday and life couldn't be better (perhaps my transport unit could use some work--but just am not sure I'm willing to work on it). TJ's playing some bball at the high school. Mikel's convinced she already knows the one and only school she wants to consider for college (sure takes a load off of our shoulders for her to make this decision so easily), both my girls have "boyfriends" (amazing how that brings peace to our home)and I have a new patio. Not only that, but our worship pastor's wife's bowels are getting much better.

School's over and I'm crazy!

I bet you've been wondering what I've been up to lately. Well, first to the mountains with Tom (and I'm not blogging about that!). Then to "share the message" on Mother's Day at TSC. If you want to listen to "Storming Hell's Gates" it's already been archived at www.thompsonstationchurch.org (look in archived messages, non series). And then...it's been nonstop awards banquets, projects due, packing for trips, and other end of the school year festivities.

I did take a road trip to Madisonville, KY last weekend. Thanks Faith Missionary BC for a GREAT WEEKEND!

And here I am. Looking forward to a great summer with my kids, and my pool, and my plans and my books. I wish I could bottle today's weather and release it in August! It's amazing!

I let TJ skip his promotion ceremony today. We let Mikel beg off when she was in the 8th grade, then scheduled a trip to the lake when Kaleigh was in the 8th grade. But TJ didn't really have a good excuse, only that he couldn't convince me to rent him a tux. So...I let him sleep. Tom had a doctor's appointment and we both have a hard time with all the "to do" over simply finishing 8th grade. Of course putting middle school behind us is worthy of a celebration! I have to admit that the only thing I might possibly miss is Mrs. Paula's phone messages.

"Hello! This is Paula Pulliam, principal of Heritage Middle School with some important information..."

TJ's up now (it's 11AM). He just got a phone call that he won the "school spirit award" and the Algebra Scholar award. I feel awful for not being there to claim those!!

Kaleigh's the only one who went to school today. She's got an art test (and chemistry tomorrow). But I'm letting her boy "interest" pick her up early! He's about to graduate this weekend and she's only 15. Am I crazy?!

And Mikel? Her school's officially over tomorrow, but she's missing today and tomorrow because I dropped her off at her boyfriend's house this morning at 7:30AM to go with his family to Louisiana.

I am insane. I have to be.

But, on my back porch right now the wind is blowing softly, the sun is shining and I'm listening to the birds sing. Surely the God who holds all that in place has made allowances already for the lack of judgement in me.

Surely...