A New Name, Unibrows and the Love Dare

   I am sad to say that the college gal wants a change in name.  I like princess, kaching, kaching, heart breaker or maybe even Lars McCoy. I am consulting with her as I write.  I am amazed at technology.  I remember the college days of using a rotary phone to call my mom when I got back to school.  We talked every day.  It was costly and I dreaded the bill especially when my man and I were dating long distance. Today we can text, e-mail or call anytime.  I really like it because I can be in control by knowing everything that's going on.  This is not too good especially for the no name girl.  We are both working on the calling thing and the controlling thing.  I just love talking to her and bossing her. She is so good-natured about it, but she could turn on a dime so I better straighten it up.   The name has been decided upon.  Little ladybug.  I love it!  I call many of my friends ladybug and little ladybug fits perfectly for my gal.  Little ladybug it is!  

  Little man amazes me.  A little brag time!  He placed 1st in humorous interpretation and 3rd in Prose this weekend at a debate tournament.  He is hilarious.  He shocked me this morning as he was ironing a shirt. Yes, ironing a shirt.   He said a few girl's really like what he wore to the speech tournament.  YES!  He took my clothing advise.  Progress does happen.  He is even concerned that he has a unibrow and is plucking.  Should I be concerned.  Please don't repeat this as I will be banned from posting.  I think he has really nice eyebrows.  I love what my mom said a few visits ago.  "I didn't think he washed his hair, but I do see the shine in it."  You see he isn't too good at combing, but he does shower daily with shampoo and body wash.  Our next goal is a good brushing.  I love these years.  Watch for my next blog following up on the "Do Hard Things" talk with Chandler.  There are a few things in the works.

  My man, little man and I watched "Fireproof."  What a great film on marriage and commitment.  Chandler thought it was poorly produced and cheesy.  I pray he got the message that marriage is hard and that it takes work.  I also pray that he sees the profound effect it had on his dad and me. (We kissed on and off throughout the movie, he thought it was gross!) You see we have a good marriage and yet it can get stale. This film challenges you to go through a book called the Love Dare.  It helps you to go deeper, put away selfishness, call in the middle of the day just because and give a little gift to let your loved one know you are thinking of them.  It takes 40 days and we are on day 7.  I asked the man is this for real.  He said, "I will start with day 1 again until I get it."  He loves me so much and I pretty much adore him to death.  Take the dare.  Go to amazon.com and order the movie and book.  You won't be sorry!

Do Hard Things; A Table Set for Four

The grounding of the boy is about to come to an end.  Do I think he learned his lesson?  The envelope is still out.  His spirit is sweet and compliant and that's good.  I asked, him along with the Man of the House, if he has learned anything during this time of great contemplation.  He said, "Don't  do stupid things!"  OK!  Throwing rocks at a fountain was pretty ridiculous, but what about being in a place he shouldn't have been and defying authority.  I didn't hear anything about that.  Everyone who has been around me lately knows my phrase, "He is in process."   I am reading a great book that relates to this current situation.  Do Hard Things is a new book I am encouraging all my besties to read who have teenagers.   The young men who wrote the book are nineteen years old.  This is the age of the college gal.  They write, "The teen years are not a vacation from responsibility.  They are a training ground of future leaders who dare to be responsible now."  The young men are fighting against low expectations that our culture expects from teens.  You see this struck a note with me.  I am right in the middle of it.   I realized that he is not a boy.  He is a man.  He exudes a love of life. (isn't that true college gal!)  God made him in His own image and I don't want to thwart that.  I am praying for God's wisdom in teaching him excitement with self-control.  Can't you see him on the Bartlesville roadways with that gleam in his amazing, dreamy, green eyes.  THE NEED FOR SPEED!    OK, back to the book.  I will be reading and praying hard that God will help me to back up on my little man training. (sorry D!  I think that's your little man's name, but it's a good one).  I have had low expectations.  I really didn't mean to!  I just haven't challenged or pushed him the way I should and the way that he can.  

  Next topic!  Each night I set a place for four at the table .  I chuckle and place the fourth napkin back in the drawer.  I am not too sad any more, because I hear great confidence and contentment in her voice, as she figures out life.  She is getting it.  Do I wish she would lock the door to her room when she' s by herself?  Do I get aggravated that she has to get a Dr. Pepper late and night and goes by herself?  YES, but she is wise and she is cautious.  She will say "Mom don't worry your heart.  I am good! "  The Man of the House, Little Man and I have learned to Skype.  We can video chat with the college gal and the Norwegian family that we absolutely adore.  College Gal even leaned up real close and gave me a kiss.  Life is good!  She did her Hard Things this summer and I am convinced that this is what not only the college gal and little man need, but what the Big Mama needs.  I play life way too safe.  

"We can protect ourselves right out of our calling.  We must be willing to move from self-preservation to brave determination."  Beth Moore

  You see Life is Changing!  Want to change with me?

Monday; I Even Longed for It

 ( D(my favorite lit teacher), did you notice my punctuation in the title.  I am working on my sentence structures.  I tend to have many run on sentences. ) 

  What a weekend!  You know it's tough when you long for Monday.  My college gal left and has not really communicated too much since she left.  You're with the college gal for 6 weeks and then they're gone and the silence begins.  I am really trying to be a big girl, but the college gal is so fun and engaging to talk to.  Besides it all, I love her madly!

  The high school pubescent boy  has lost his mind.  In a span of two days he has back talked his parents, got kicked out of a special event at school for throwing rocks at the water fountain and for having a macho attitude about work, "no one is going to make me lift a finger if I don't want to.  After painting the front door and cleaning all the brushes, deep cleaning his room, grounded from all technology and relationships and having to hang out with his parents at a 40th birthday party(tough for an almost 15 year old) his heart is once again soft and pliable.  I at one time during the weekend I broke down and proclaimed to Big Daddy that the boy would be a "bad boy."  I even called the college gal for reassurance and she said he's just stupid.  I guess that made me feel better.  I am not losing heart, though.  Last night he showed me magic card tricks; he was amazing.  He is reading a biography on one of his favorite baseball team and is talking my ear off about life and stuff.  Maybe pubescent boys losing their minds occasionally isn't so bad after all.  I love him like crazy.

  I am praying for friends who are experiencing the pressures of lay-offs, hormonal changes,health issues, crazy schedules, missing a loved one who is with the Lord, going by to their cold home in Norway and empty nests.  This life is tough, but I know God often follows life's greatest burdens with great blessing.  Maybe not immediately, but in his precious timing.  To heck with scary Monday's!  I will take this day and run with it.

Life Goes On...God is at Work

   Wow, what a whirlwind fall.  God has been so good to give rest and precious family time over the holidays.  We all laughed hard, played hard and even fought sometimes, but I wouldn't trade any of it.  I had a blast watching the college girl and high school boy interact.  They wrestled so hard and played like they did when they were little.  I was just waiting for them to pull out the Nutcracker cd and dance for us as they did in the earlier years.  They absolutely enjoyed one another.  I could tell they missed each and for the most part were really patient with one another.  Did my heart good.

   Changing the subject to God's sovereignty.  I still get so amazed at how God is working.  I was asked to fill in as facilitator, at the very last minute,  for a Bible study at church.  I had no idea of what the content was.  As I picked up the study and begin thumbing through it I couldn't believe that it was exactly was I was studying in my daily Bible reading.  I had already been preparing.  It is so true that God knows all things and it waiting for us to catch up to him.  I am running and it's amazing.  

  Life is changing with concerns of job layoffs, tough financials situations for schools and a new president, but still God is God and He will be glorified through it all.  I want to feel is peace through these days, therefore I am determined to run to him daily, love others hard and enjoy the journey.  As my extremely happy teenage boy says, "just think we may see God soon, that's no too bad."  He's right!  Come now!