Laundry, Load 2

A week from tomorrow night, I get to meet with that group of fabulous young women that I told you about several days ago.  You remember - the ones I promised to share my life with...to disclose my 3 biggest failures and 3 biggest successes wrt marriage. 

This time, they want some parenting scoop. 

For marriage, I solicited input from my better half.  This time, I am pulling in the offspring.  I told 'em - Gloves are off.  Anything they want to share about what their Dad and I did wrong...and right :) 
I will compile their info - unabridged - and share it with these gals I do life with.  Feels a little like I am doing laundry in the buff. 

Before any input from my favorite tax deductions, I think the main thing I would tell them that makes for a successful parent is "Grandmothers who pray."  Seriously.  I am eternally in debt to the women in my lineage.  The ones I call Mama and Mimi. And the ones who have already graduated to their reward, some of whom I never even knew.  But they prayed for me, for all those who come after them. Only Heaven will reveal how their prayers have borne fruit, provided protection, supplied wisdom and grace and strength.  Truly, I think that's the main thing.  Pray.  And get as many other people as possible to do the same,

I amxiously await the responses of my kids.  I promise to share it.  As well as some thoughts of my own.  Dirty laundry.  Clean laundry.  Stuff that requires dry clean only treatment.  Stay tuned.

Oh, that reminds me.  When I did the first laundry post, I offered to share my marriage bests and worsts.  Anybody want to hear 'em?

Wednesday's Word - What to do about this election

Anyone who has a pulse knows that we are in Presidential election season.  In a few days, we will peaceably go to the polls and participate in the privilege of choosing a man to lead our country.  Sometimes we are so focused on the intensity of our opinion on who that should be that the value of that privilege is eclipsed.  As Americans, we can tend to forget that our right to select our leaders is a rare one.  And one that we shouldn't take for granted.  Nor should we neglect it by not voting. (And if you should happen NOT to vote, then don't breathe a word of complaint for the next four years!)

As Chrstians, however,  there is an even greater privilege and responsibility. The focus God expects of us is less on the front-end of the election....and more on the follow-up.  I Timothy 2:1-4 is not a suggestion.  We are exhorted by the Apostle Paul, not to be a card-carrying Republican or Democrat, but rather to pray for whomever is elected. 

Campaign all you want.  Put up yard signs. Attend the rallies. Be informed on the issues. And, certainly, cast your vote. It is your right and responsibility as an American.  But don't dare neglect to pray.  That is your duty as a Christian.

"First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in godliness and dignity.  This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."

(This is the first of Wednesday's Word.  If you'd like to receive these weekly words, sign up via the link on the right. Thanks!)

Introducing....Wednesday's Word

Letters make up words.  And the Bible is the Living Word.  So I am begining a new feature of  Living Letters --- Wednesday's Word. Not based on  my words but rather on God's.  Just a few thoughts mid-week to help us focus on His Words, His Way, His Will.  Starting tomorrow morning.  That's the plan.  If you want to join me, sign up via the link on the right. Towards the bottom -  Follow by email or subscribe to Living Letters.  (honestly, I don't know what the difference is). 

His Word is living and active and powerfully transforming.  I want it to permeate my life. I hope you do, too.   I hope you'll come alongside me for Wednesday's Word!

Laundry Letters

I have the  privilege for a few weeks to hang out with some really great gals once a week in my home.  To me, they are my close and precious friends, but, Biblically speaking, I suppose they are the "younger women" and I am, ummm, the "older woman."  Supposedly, I teach them how to love their husbands and children but, in reality, iron sharpens iron.  I am the one that gets the blessing.

We've been discussing some weighty topics.  Our purpose as women.  (It's not to have a great marriage, raise well-behaved kids, and vote conservative, by the way).  Then an entire evening on emotions.  That one was really good.....and heartily endorsed by our husbands, I think!  We're about to do an evening or so on marriage.  I am looking forward to that - I love being married!  After 26 years, I still love being married!

One of these precious women asked me to share our 3 greatest mistakes as well as 3 things we have done right.  Game on!  I am up for the challenge....and transparency... I think......Actually, it would be a lot easier....a lot safer....to share "3 steps to a great marriage".  But that's not how I teach.  I really love these gals, and I think the best way for them to learn...and me to grow...is to share my life.  The Apostle Paul put it this way "Having thus a fond affectoin for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the Gospel of God, but also our very own lives, because you had become very dear to us." (I Thessalonians 2:8)

  I asked my husband for his perspective and invited him to share MY greatest mistakes with me so that I can share them with these women.  Since I am not instructing husbands, I don't think it would be helpful to know where husbands have gone wrong :)  Just a wife.  Gulp.  I am grateful that he is kind.  And diplomatic.  But I want to share the truth.  Maybe someone else can avoid a field trip to learn a lesson.  Maybe a lecture will suffice.

So this Sunday night, I will air my dirty laundry, as my husband likes to say.  And some clean laundry as well.  Greatest failures.  Greatest successes. Laundry.  Living letters.

I'll keep you posted. 

Measure of a Champion

So let 'er rip, Cowboy!  And hang on tight,
Go for the prize with all your might!
But the measure of a champion ain't how long you hang on,
It's what you do.........when you get thrown.

Words from one of my favorite Mike Dekle songs.  Love the story in the song, the life lesson it proclaims.  The measure of a champion....what you do when you get thrown.

Great life lesson but it's hard to remember when you're in the midst of a freefall.  Or sitting in the dirt from being thrown off.  And especially hard to remember that lesson when you get up to walk and find you've broken a rib.  But the real problem with this life lesson is that you can only really learn it through experience.  I much prefer learning life's lessons from The Book.  Or at least from a lecture.  But really, a field trip is the only classroom that teaches this one.

I got to observe during one of those field trips recently.  And although I was only a secondary student, I will never forget what I observed that day.....nor what I learned.  From my kid.

My Betsy is a good swimmer.  Actually, she's really good.  She's got the long legs/long torso that swim coaches say make for a great swimmer.  (Note:  not only did I NOT contribute to her anatomical DNA, I also did NOT contribute a single athletic gene towards her success. oh well.  Hooray for Daddy!)  Not only is she well suited physically to be a swimmer, the kid is so teachable, works really hard, and loves to compete.  Hence, she had a great season this summer.  It was a lot of fun.  From watching Paul and me at the meets, you'd have thought we had something to do with her success!  We were enjoying it immensely!!

Then came the final competition.  The County Meet.  She was a sure thing.  She had beaten all the other 10 year old girls in the breast stroke all season.  Handily.  We were nervous but humbly confident.  (I THINK that's a possible attitude.......) The race came, and she did not disappoint.  She beat the other swimmers by nearly two body lengths (two LOOOOONG body lengths). It was so exciting!  She climbed out of that pool with a grin as wide as the lap she just swam.  We were all rejoicing, so thankful, so proud......except for one thing.  I had been too nervous to watch anything except Betsy in the race.  So I asked Mary to watch the stroke judge.  Just tell me if she raises her hand at the end, I instructed.  With one eye on Betsy, I turned the other one to Big Sister Mary.  She informed me that the woman had indeed raised her hand.  (I believe there was fire in Mary's eyes at that moment - note to self:  once Betsy has been consoled, be sure that Mary does not harm the stroke judge). 

Betsy's jubilation lasted less than 5 minutes.  She came to us in the stands and we promptly took her away from the crowds where her heart burst into a million pieces.  We let her sob and sob and sob.  She declared she was never going to swim again. Many kind friends (adults and children alike) whispered sweet words of solace to her.  (My favorite was the sage advice given to her by a friend of mine -" Never mind the judge, Betsy - we all saw you win that race!")  She continued to sob softly.  Not wailing loudly, mind you.  If she had done that, we would have taken her home!  But sobbing with no hope of cessation.  That happens when your heart breaks.  The damwater of emotion rushes out in a flood and atttempts to stop it are about as successful as using Lincoln logs to hold back Niagara Falls.

We held her.  Whispered assurances of love and affirmation.  Kissed the tears.  Then, I said, "That's enough.  You have another race to swim.  You are going to get up and wash your face and lift your head and go swim butterfly."  She protested , to which I replied, "Betsy, those 19 seconds do NOT define you.  But how you respond to this does.  And you are going to swim that race.  It matters not how well you swim but you are going to swim it." And we got up and did just that.

Betsy got thrown that day.  But she came out a champion because, when she got thrown, she got back up.  She dusted herself off and she went out again. And even managed to smile. 

And, for the record, she came in second in the butterly race.  A very close second.  And, when the results were tallied, her team won.....barely won.  The margin of victory was equal to the points Betsy earned in that final race - the one she almost didn't swim.  The measure of a champion, indeed.

Oh, and a postscript on Mary.  Well, let's just say that stroke judge narrowly escaped that day.  I still don't consider it safe for Mary to know her contact info......Just sayin......