Tuesday, February 24, 2009

story after story after story after story

last night, carter and his dad needed to go to basketball practice, so colin and i got to have a little bit of time together before bed.  as we watched the big guys head out the door, there was a sweet voice by my side...
"mommy...can we just read a bunch of stories under the big green blanket?"

we read.
and read and read.

'i love you the purplest'
'junior's colors'
'the north star'
'i love you because you're you'
'my big brother'
'welcome to birdwell island'
'are you my mother?'
...

it was just a sweet time.  i pointed to the words he could read and he "read" with me too.  then it was off to brush teeth and to be tucked in.  prayers and kisses.  one last drink and more kisses.  lights off and i was out to the living room.  i heard a pitter-patter across his room and back to his bed.  knowing colin, i thought i better check in with him.

"whatcha doing, munchkin?"
(i saw him holding a journal and pen)
"i needed to write."
"really?"
"yeah...i needed to write the words we read together so i don't forget them."
*smiles*

i hope he writes as many stories as we read.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

kinda like a country song

have not blogged lately.  not because there are not things to share, but because things have just seemed a little overwhelming and i felt like it would be all 'woe is me' kind of posts.  (okay, i will say right here and now that i know that my little problems are exactly that--LITTLE.  there are far more difficult and terrible things going on in the world and my little list below is pretty trite.)

in the past few weeks--
--my dog was hit by a car
(thank goodness he walked away with only psychological side effects, not a physical injury in the least)
--car speeding by knicked mine and i was not fast enough to get a license plate number
--it was our week at the basketball game to bring drinks and i totally forgot
--library books are overdue
--my youngest was sick, complete with vomiting
--i have been sick (not as bad as my youngest)
--got one bill in the mail two days too late because i kept forgetting to get stamps
--some thing from the past came up and it brings up a whole host of emotions as i process it all again
--some things i would really rather not say on a blog where just anybody can read it all

but, to look on the bright side of things--
--my family has had time together at home, just enjoying each other
--we did not have a car accident, despite another car knicking us
--we have friends that love us and forgive silly moments
--our sicknesses have been short-lived and we are blessed with good health
--we have jobs that help pay the bills (and we have bills to pay because we have a nice home)
--our future is not determined by our past
--God knows each thing we go through and works all things together for His good

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

compassion's blog

please visit compassion international's blog.  
http://blog.compassion.com/
i stop here EVERY day.

to hear how God is working.  to see how little things are making a difference in a big way.  to hear stories of people climbing out of poverty with hope and dreams. to see pictures of children and their families and know that they have enough for today.  to see a silver lining in some very dark clouds.

it is too easy to forget all of the world that is struggling to make it through the day while we sit in our living rooms and minivans, picking up drive-thru because it was easier for us today...  this blog reminds me of how blessed we are and how God wants us to help others (and that is a small, easy thing to do!).

this blog is a starting point for me...first--to remember others, second--to move beyond remembering others to acting and doing something for others.  i love how God can use little things to motivate us and move us forward.  He is good.

Monday, February 2, 2009

figuring it out

i am sitting in my living room, dog at my side (don't tell my husband that he is on the couch with me...seriously) and just listening.  i have heard the same portion of a phrase of music over twenty times.  i absolutely love it.  i am hearing my son try to get the mind and fingers and instrument to align together on these few notes.  it is not perfect.  heck, it is not even pretty to listen to...but he is trying and learning and that is a beautiful sound.

it reminds me of my school years where i sounded TERRIBLE on the flute, but boy, did i want to figure that thing out.  i wanted to make my fingers work so i would not have to think about them while my body was trying to figure out what it needed to do to have a crystal-pure tone.  i would go in my room and close the door and stay there for hours, working on the same song over and over.  (sorry, mom...you must have been sick of 'windy' and me trying to play the melodies on the radio!)

the feeling of figuring something out...of getting past the technical to the musical...of conquering something you could not do before...that is a part of experiencing life...i love it.  (and he is playing better now that he was just a half-hour ago!)