Perfect Love

It doesn't exist. Right?  I mean really, those two words should never be placed together because it just isn't possible.  Think back to your high school years...oh, I know you don't want to, but humor me, okay?

I bet at some point you had a boyfriend and were totally in love...totally. Enamored with him, even.  

And it was perfect. For about 3 days. Or maybe even a week.  Even a lucky few of you who felt perfection for a month.

Then the drama of relationships hit full force. Ugh, the drama. (And to think, my high school days were during a time where facebook, email and cell phones were not even in use.)   

Needless to say, despite the nurmber of times I wrote his name in pretty script along with mine on the outside of my notebook, the perfect love I thought we had was never there. Sadly, even though every 15 year old girl would argue with me, the truth is there is no perfect boyfriend. Not even when you get to 12th grade.  

What about your husband, you say?   Oh, I didn't even know my guy in high school so he doesn't really count.

Sure I finally found him, with God's grace, after high school.  And it was an immediate love. I was enamored with him, certainly. He left me cute little messages on my scrabble board.  It was adorable. And a few short years later, we were married. And he's really close to being the perfect husband. Thanks to me. :)

So, marriage, that will bring about perfect love, right?  No.  Did you not read the first sentence???....it doesn't exist. There is no perfect husband.  There is no perfect marriage.  (He probably doesn't even know where to find our scrabble board now.)

There can be really great marriages, full of really great love, shared between two really great people.   

However, there is no perfect love. Not from us anyway.  But with God there is perfect love. It's just what He is, it's in His blood, that same blood that covers us.  His perfect love allowed his only Son to die.  His perfect love gave us salvation. 

Through Him we can know love, we can experience love, we can share love, we can give love. Because of the love He has shown us, we can love others, our non-perfect boyfriends, our non-perfect husbands, our non-perfect children, our non-perfect co-workers, our non-perfect friends, our non-perfect fill-in-the-blank.

Know God so you can know love, true love. It's the only way.

"Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."
~1 John 4:8

God is love. He is perfect love. 

A little message to start off this "month of love" with a little perspective.

"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves." ~~Romans 12:9-10

Something to ponder.....

Yes, yes, I know I'm behind.  I'm behind in getting this month's H3 verse up.  I'm behind in getting the photo for our Christmas cards.  I'm behind in addressing envelopes.  I'm behind in laundry....but that's certainly nothing new.  I'm behind, and at this time of year, that just seems to be the rule.  So I'll make this post short and sweet. 

Don't we all rush around this entire month?  We are trying hard to make attempts to relish in the quiet moments we have as a family throughout the next few weeks....and then make it a goal to carry that through into the next year.  Enjoy the days....they are few, my friend. However, for those who know the Lord, our days here on earth may end, but our days with the Lord are eternal.

Are you busy shopping for gifts? Wrapping gifts? Swapping gifts? Debating the best gift? 

Debate no more. There is no need to ponder any longer. 

I read these thoughts the other day and wanted to share......

• Getting into Heaven is not about what you've done.
• It's about what God's done.

And that is clearly stated here:

• "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God"~~Ephesians 2:8

Yes, the greatest gift of all...and you didn't have to get up at 3 AM for it, you didn't have to punch in your credit card # to buy it online, you don't need a special coupon to get it, or a cash only line to stand in for the express route. 

The best part, you don't even have to buy it.....HE paid for it all, a long long time ago. 

You didn't have to fight for a parking spot (there's plenty), or sweet talk the store employee to let you buy the display model because the last one was bought just before you walked in, or be the 25th caller on a radio station to win.

You don't have to do anything.....HE did it all, including suffering and dying just for you.



He is the one and only. He is all sizes and colors.  He is the BEST gift ever.  If you already have the greatest gift, share it with someone else. 

Unwrap it daily, soak it in, bask in the glory of the gift of our Saviour.

A little something to stuff in your mouth.....

Who can even believe that it's NOVEMBER already????  Me either.  Thanksgiving, my birthday, my sister's birthday, two nieces birthdays, the Iron Bowl, gymnastics competitions, etc. ....it all happens this month.  A calendar month, chock full of stuff as usual!!  So, as with last year during this H3 adventure, I want us to pause and really be thankful.  We should be doing that every day, not just in November, not just on that particular Thursday at the end of the month, but every. single. day. ....be thankful

Look, I know it's not always easy....I've had a few hard days lately myself....days where I thought it impossible to appreciate what the world was handing me.  But I've had to realize, the world isn't going to offer much in the way of good.....but every day I can find something to be thankful for in our Lord. Every. Single. Day.

I chose this month's H3 verse because hard times befall us all....but the Lord is there amidst it all, my friend, and don't ever let Satan convince you otherwise.  On Thanksgiving Day, we all stuff our mouths slap FULL with all manner of yummy food....you know you do.  Well, this verse plainly states what our mouths should truly be FULL of....and it ain't pumpkin pie.

"I will bless the Lord at all times;

His praise shall continually be in my mouth."

~Psalm 34:1

So replace that giblet gravy and dressing that falls out the sides of your mouth this Thanksgiving season. 

Let words of praise to the Father be overflowing instead. Every. Single. Day.



Boy, am I glad this life on earth is but a vapor.

"These things I have spoken to you,
in ME you may have peace. 
In the world you will have tribulation;
but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."  ~John 16:33

Sometimes you just have to laugh to keep from crying. Or at least I do.  And then sometimes I wind up crying anyway. But this verse always makes me smile.... when the stresses of life seem to be overtaking me, I just get a good giggle at the end when HE reminds us----"hey, don't sweat that stuff, I overcame the world and I'm still in control....so smile through it all, because you know the ending."

A Panting Soul.

I promise I'm going to get going again on the blog...hopefully one day soon.  Of course, you may not care at all of our absence....it may have been a nice little break. :)   But we've just been enjoying the summer....and while I have tons of pictures and stories I could tell, memories of our summer of twenty-ten,  I've just been soaking them up for myself lately.  I'll get around to sharing them, pinky promise. :)

However, for now, you'll just have to survive on another H3 post. A new verse to meditate on for this month. And with it comes my own little post with jumbled up thoughts that may or may not have anything at all to do with what the Lord had intended, but it often helps me remember what His word says anyway! :)   Bear with me, here we go.

"As the deer pants for streams of water,

so my soul pants for you, O God."

~Psalm 42:1

Where ever you are, tell me, have you been experiencing a hot summer?  We have.  Especially the last few days.  I hear snippets on the radio or tv stating weird things like "heat index of 108" and true temps in the triple digits.  Seriously, we've topped 100, on more than one occasion.  Now, I don't know about you, but that's hot to me. Even the sun lover that I am can only take so much, before I curl up in the air conditioner with a cool glass of lemonade and watch countless episodes of Deadliest Catch....I already miss Captain Phil.

Anyway, back to the hot summer.  I worry about our animals.  Our beloved labrador and even that pesky feline.  Fresh, cool water is a necessity for them during these harsh summer months. Ever hear of the "dog days" of summer? Well, we, my friend, are among them as we speak.  And what I've noticed is that once you've been outside for more than 1.8 seconds during the dog days of summer, you're gonna sweat. Regardless of how much Clinically Proven Degree you swipe across the pit.  Just sayin'.

Have you ever noticed though that a dog doesn't really "sweat"?  Not as we think of sweating....their sweat glands are located in the pads of their paws....not the best place for secreting sweat when you're burning slap up in the throes of summertime in the south.  

So, dogs pant.  They pant a lot.  If you have a dog, or have ever been around any dog, especially outside in the summer, you will have noticed this panting.  Sure they do it when they get anxious, scared or excited too. A few months ago, if you remember the story entitled Man's best friend and a leap of faith, then you will rememeber our dog Sadie was panting incessantly....from the trauma of being hit by a car.  But most often, Sadie's panting (and that of other dogs) is a way of cooling off.  Panting is like their own personal way to release body heat and lower their temperature. 

I was reading a story in a book the other day that was talking about this very thing....various animals, sweating and the heat.  I wanted to share a bit with you....it's important and ties in so cleverly to our verse:

"Basically, all warm-blooded animals need some way to regulate body heat in warm weather.  This can be done through sweating, panting, bathing, or all three.  Most animals follow their instincts and seek rest, shade, and a nice, long drink when the temperature soars.  Not a bad approach. Frankly, we humans should do the same."

I couldn't agree more.  During the remainder of this scorcher of a month called August.....remember to pant, remember to bathe yourself, in the Lord.

A new school year is fast, and I mean fast, approaching.  Fall will show itself soon with a calendar filled to the brim with activities for families all around.  Hardships will come.  Many have already arrived. Many in the friends and family we share with here on the blogosphere and in our personal lives as well.  Work duties are calling out, even louder, because the vacation is over.  It's time to buckle down, get to the nitty gritty, gear up for what is to follow the dog days of summer.

Friend, can I tell you that the easiest way through this heat,
through the busy life that never seems to slow,
through the endless problems that surface in your workplace, in your church, in your home,
through the pain and sorrow that comes to us all through trials, death, divorce, broken hearts, gossip, burdens, etc.

The easiest way through every moment this life offers is to seek rest in Him.  To take our bibles, study and contemplate these words written so many years ago.....to take a long drink of this life giving water only He can provide. 

That's the only way to truly mend our souls.  To have our soul pant for the Father, as the deer to a stream of water.

Don't let the devil scorch you with the evils of this world.  And certainly don't allow the devil to scorch you in the afterworld. 

When the fires are burning around you...remember this verse: 

"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God." ~Psalm 42:1


Drink Him  in....and soak up His mercy. 

Guess what we've been doing these past few days.....

First off....excuse all these pics.  They were taken with my phone and I realize they are not the best to put on the blog, but I've been too tired to pull my NIKON out for over a week....call me lazy if you must, but I have taken the easy road for a change and if all that suffers are a few posts on the blog with blurry photos then so be it!! :)

What's been going on at the House of Bowling has involved a whole lot of this: 

as well as this:

Okay, so really that picture of the ice cream is a lie, you can almost always find that much in our freezer if not more on any given week, but lately we've been stocked up because of this sweet Baby Girl:

Who you see in the photo above, all ready to be wheeled back for her surgery last week....with her pink polka dot blanket tagging along to the operating room.  This was very early in the morning....before roosters crow, even.   And doesn't she look like a beauty queen?....oh, to be youthful again, with unblemished skin and bright eyes. 

I did not take a photo of her after surgery....why? Well, frankly it was because she was crying and upset and a little scared. Not a pretty picture.  Her surgery was done as an outpatient at a surgical center instead of at a hospital.  It was a great experience.  Instead of having to wait until she had been in recovery for an hour after surgery, the doctor came out to speak to us as soon as he degloved from the operating room, and shortly thereafter a nurse wandered back to take us to Baby Girl.  So we were able to be the first people she really saw once she was waking up.  Actually, I was the first person she saw, or remembers seeing, and she scared me half to death.

She had huge tears in her eyes and was trying to talk to me.....very much animation. I, of course, couldn't understand her because she was only fresh off the the cutting block, and her throat was extremely swollen, she was still a bit out of it, and was in some pain.  In fact, she wasn't supposed to even be trying to talk to me....but please remember who we're dealing with....she's a talker, regardless. 

I kept leaning down getting right in her face trying to understand her.  I was worried she was trying to tell me she was in serious pain, or that she couldn't breathe or something like that.....so I kept asking her to repeat herself. 

She just kept saying...."wonk wonk wonk wonk, wa wonk wonk wa".....like the teacher in Charlie Brown.  :)

Finally, after about 10 tries, I figured out word by word.....and she said:

"You've got four eyes!!!"

Oh, anesthesia, how I love thee.

Really, Baby Girl did great before, during and after surgery.  And she's been a real trooper of a patient here at home.  She's resting a lot and trying to follow the doctors orders.....but being "as quiet as possible" is quite an undertaking for a girl like her.

We've played a few rounds of this:

As well as many lessons from her brand new dry erase board.... while we are having "homeschool"....the only catch, she's the teacher. :)

So far, I've had a refresher course in shapes, addition, subtraction with borrowing, line segments, homophones, vowels, etc.etc.....and to think she's only had the board for a few hours......

......oh, the fun this week holds. Imagine how smart I will be by Friday. Pray for me.

Actually, don't worry about me, I can handle it. Surely I can survive this. Right? 

Do pray for Baby Girl.  Specifically, for her to recover quickly.  She's already on the mend.  Her surgery was actually more than we knew it would be until that morning when they checked us in....she had her tonsils and adenoids removed, and she also had her uvula (the thing that hangs down in the back of your mouth where your throat is) cut down a little and then cauterized.  OUCH!

We have a post-op visit scheduled for today and hopefully the doctor will give Baby Girl a good report.  We'll let you know. 

However, I might not be able to have much computer time.....what with all my nursing skills to tend to, the tivo'ed episodes of toddlers and tiaras we have to watch, making big piles of macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, and rolling up bread into little toddler size bites, plus the various homeschool lessons....there's not much time left in the day for the blog.  Maybe the "teacher" will give me a break for free time soon and I'll talk to you all again ASAP!!

Hiding His words in your Heart......May's Verse

I ask my husband a TON of questions....a TON.  Sometimes I ask so many it becomes annoying....just ask him. :) Especially during a movie....that he is currently trying to watch.....that I don't understand!! :)

I ask my Mom and Dad a bunch too (there's wisdom in the ages, you know).  I ask quite a fair amount to my in-laws as well (they are really fantastic folks).   And of course I have many close, trusted friends and family who I seek counsel with at times. 

Sometimes I want answers, opinions or their thoughts on the matter and sometimes I just want a sounding board. 

Have you ever been confused?  Have you ever not known the answers?  Needed help finding the answers?  Without having someone use a condescending tone? What about just wanting to talk through some ideas, some questions, some concerns? 

Unsure about future decisions?  Making choices for jobs, church decisions, school issues, family moments, home relocation, friendship renewals, parenting dilemmas....anyone relate????

Have you ever needed some advice?

Some good advice?

Some real honest advice, that might hurt a little going down, but in the end you know it's right?

You know, some real solid guidance....

Solid.  Rock Solid.

Well, it just so happens there's a verse that tells us we can have just that.....Rock Solid Answers....if we only just ask.

"Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God,

who gives to all generously without criticizing,

and it will be given to him." 
~~James 1:5

So....all you need to do is ask. When a heavy burden is upon you, and you need help finding answers, yes, it's okay to ask your husband, your mama, your BFF....but in the end, make certain you are spending time having conversations with the Father, listening to His wisdom. 

The wisdom He so freely gives.  He loves helping....it's in His genes.

The Drama of Life....

Do you ever just get tired of it?  I sure do.  Sick and tired of it. But fortunately,  I have a Father to look to for renewal.....as He says in Isaiah 12:2....The Lord, is my strength and my song.

I'd much rather be depending on His strength and song than on what this world offers me in the way of that sick and tired feeling.   Because really, life here in this wordly place is but a vapor....and that is something I am daily becoming more and more thankful about.  :)

Have a great weekend and stay dry if you can!

Thought provoking....love is a beautiful feeling.

A quote from C. S. Lewis that pretty much sums love (any love, that of couples, parents, children, friends, family, and the list goes on and on) up in a nutshell:  

"To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket - safe, dark, motionless, airless - it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, and irredeemable. The only place outside of Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers of love is Hell."

So true.  It can be heartwrenching at moments, can take you places you never want to be again, and can also send you to the moon and back on a burst of happiness.   I want to live life full of love....regardless of the vulnerability involved. 

To love, to really love, to feel that strong passion, fierce piercing inside your heart....it's wonderful.  I can't think of a better adjective, maybe marvelous.  And to be loved in return....that's just the icing on the cake.  Make mine chocolate, please. 

 Love is what makes the world go around....well, that and the whole atmospheric axis tilt and sun phases, etc. etc.  

Just found this quote hanging around in my "scheduled posts"....thought you might like it, so I shared.

Love hurts.

Mother Teresa said,

 "Love, to be real must cost! It must hurt! It must empty us of self!"

How true.  Have you ever experienced hurt from love? I have. Have you ever had a friend, co-worker, husband, or child betray you? Have you ever experienced loss, in a loved one's death, in financial security, in trust of a spouse?  What about those who are child barren, who are divorced, who are alone, who have had to sit and see their child experience a hurt? 

It hurts. Assuming we really have love for them in our hearts or for the situation being experienced, it hurts a lot. 

God's love for us is certainly real and God's love for us "hurts" sometimes too.

However, God's love didn't "cost" us anything.....unless we choose not to accept it.

Then it will cost us our eternity.

I don't know about you, but that's a price I am not willing to pay....I choose love.  Despite it's hurts.  I choose HIS love.   

Thank you for your many prayers...just so you know, they were answered, perfectly.

Not that I doubted you, your prayers, or most importantly, the Lord's ability to answer them!  He certainly showed out this time and because of that, I must share with you this one awesome example of it from the day of Middle Child's surgery. 

As you know, Middle Child was very nervous.  I had emailed many, many friends and family asking for their prayers, with more detailed, specific requests than I shared here on the blog.  One of the more pertinent requests on that list was that they would lift up Middle Child's anxiety toward the IV needle and process.  This was by far the aspect of surgery that he worried about the most.  

He worried about it for 5 days at home, prior to the surgery. Only 5 days, because he didn't know the date of the surgery any sooner than that. 

He worried about it before he went to sleep at the hotel. (10:00 p.m.)

He worried about it when he woke up bright and early at the hotel.  (4:20 a.m.)

He worried about it while the nurses took his vitals. (5:45 a.m.)

He worried about it while he put on his hospital gown. (6:15 a.m.)

And then, around 6:45 a.m.....he quit worrying.  Because of your prayers and because of some news he received from the Head Anesthesiologist (which was also, I'm sure, because of your prayers that this topic was even brought up).

She walked in and introduced herself.  (Already several of the surgical team had stopped by to check on things and do whatever they had to do for their "part").  She chatted with him for a bit and found out about his dislike towards the IV process.....she talked him through some of it and then before leaving she turned to ask..."What scent did you choose to smell?"

"Ummm.... I haven't chosen a scent."

She turned and walked right back over to his bed, leaned in real close to his bedside to look him straight in the eyes and gave him the BEST NEWS EVER....."Well, what do you like, strawberry, watermelon, Dr. Pepper, orange, chocolate mint, cherry....we will put that scent in the mask for you to smell and then we will do the IV.....AFTER you go to sleep. You won't feel a thing."

You see, all Middle Child knew of IV's came from either his ambulance ride from the school playground that day last May when he broke his leg, or the second time in the ER at Children's after being transported yet again.   The IV's were put in place long before surgery that first time around.....and he was awake for each one.  And he watched each one.  And he remembered what each one felt like. So....like many adults I received emails from....he was anxious about any needles coming near him again.

Those fears were subsided in that instant when she asked him again...."So, which smell do you want?"

He chose Dr. Pepper.  And smiled the biggest smile we had seen all morning.  He knew it was going to be okay.  We all knew it was going to be okay.  It was an answer to prayer.  Who knew prayer requests could be answered through Dr. Pepper?   Our amazing God, that's who!

Middle child came back to the patient room after a few hours, (surgery and recovery time)....and of course he was a little groggy.  But not too bad, actually.  One of the first things his Daddy and I asked him was how he liked the Dr. Pepper scent.....this was his reply:

"The laughing gas smelled like Dr. Pepper....and it was fine.....but the sleeping gas smelled like jet fuel.....and it was bad. In fact, it made it hurt to raise my head."

Oh, Middle Child, you are so observant it scares me sometimes.  He was no fool.  They might have made him feel a litte relaxed with the cool 23 flavors of the soda of choice, but it didn't knock out his sense of smell for the hard stuff that followed it!!!

So thanks.....seriously, to each of you for your prayers, thoughts and concerns. I'll be happy to repay the favor anytime you need it!  Prayer is powerful....in the big and small things of life. And it does not go unnoticed by any of us.  In fact, I'll share one other story with you before I go....because I want it here so I can look back on it again someday. 

On the day before his surgery, I checked Middle Child out of school early.  One of  his best friends at school is a boy we'll call " T ".  As we were walking up the hallway to exit the school, he said, "Mama,  T told me he put me on the prayer list at his church."  

I said, through teary eyes,...."that's wonderful....and it was so sweet of T to do that....there are many folks praying for you, and God is listening to each one." 

He said, "yeah, when T told me that it made me feel really good inside."

I know son, I know. That feeling is precious. Hold onto it forever. 

The Barter System

According to Wikipedia:    

• Bartering is a medium in which goods or services are directly exchanged for other goods and/or services without a common unit of exchange (without the use of money). 

Today we made a really good trade.  But it won't be showing up on any stock market summary.

Yesterday we made these lovely chocolate covered pretzel rods to deliver to the fine folks at Children's Hospital that would be a part of Middle Child's surgery team.

In fact, we made many pretzel rods.

And earlier this morning, we used them in a barter system.  

 We traded our "bag of rods"....... pretzel rods

For this "bag of rods"..... titanium rods

Good trade, huh?  That's right folks, Middle Child did AWESOME during his rod removal surgery early this morning. 

These are the rods that were in Middle Child's leg since the end of May 2009.  If you saw the posts from back then (and you can still go back to the archives and see them now), you would have seen the x-rays that showed these rods in a criss coss pattern right through the point of the break in his femur bone. 

The orthopedic surgeon went in this morning through the same incision sites as before, on either side of Middle Child's leg right above the knee, and removed the titanium rods that were located INSIDE his bone marrow inside the femur bone.  There will be some bleeding, due to that fact of being inside the bone marrow, and thus there will be a little swelling around the incision area.  He will be sore from having to be cut again and from the surgery of removing them ....but all is well.

All is so very well.  I cannot thank you enough for your many prayers, calls, emails, comments and texts.  We have a few stories to tell of the last 24 hours, but we arose so very bright and early this morning.....and my brain is about to shut itself off, so I must run and get some rest. Thank you, once again.  The Lord heard each and every prayer from you....and in our hearts, we could feel them too.

The anesthesiologist group was delighted with the bags of goodies, the nursing staff couldn't wait to put them in the break room for all to share, trying each coconut, toffee, pecan or sprinkled flavored stick, and the surgeon, Dr. D, was very pleased in choosing one from his bag with as he said,  "just the right chocolate to bread ratio".....

Yes, today we used the barter sytem and traded edible, attractive, delicious rods for very strong, solid, bone-mending rods .....but that's not all we received in our trade.....we also have a beautiful, healthy young man who can hardly wait to try out his new and improved leg. In due time.  

Because your prayers would be deeply appreciated....

We are approaching a big day for Middle Child.  Yes, last summer  I referred to him as Broken Leg Boy, because, well, he had a broken leg.   If you remember,  he broke it on the playground, on the last day of school, during the last hour.....just in time to kick off summer break with a real bang.  3 ambulance rides and 2 hospitals later, he was taken in for surgery by a wonderful orthopedic surgeon at Children's Hospital.  We had a grand summer, even with the wheelchair and crutches.  Kind of like the snow (or lack thereof) a couple of days ago, we made the most with what we were given. 

Middle Child's broken leg drew us closer as a mother and child, sibling to sibling, and as a whole family.  Close friends and family rally around whenever there is a circumstance, whether it be one of joy or pain, and this time was no different. They are always there to share in the excitement or to help ease the sorrow.  During this time period we relished in our moments even more with family and friends, partially because, due to his injury, we were made to move at a slower pace.  We had no choice but to stop and smell the roses....and let me tell you, they were sweet. In fact, they still are.

The summer passed.  School began again in the fall.  November came.  And the date on the calendar that Middle Child had been anxiously awaiting arrived with it.  After many hours spent strengthening his leg again, several check ups to the ortho clinic, and months of recovering, Middle Child was released from the activity restriction his doctor had placed on him post surgery.  So, for all the almost 6, that's right SIX months of no activity, (no PE at school and careful moments trying to "play" even at home) he was rewarded with the GO AHEAD to begin running, jumping and being a rambunctious boy again.  Which were greeted with BIG smiles all around, as you can imagine.

He knew he would only have a few weeks to play again, before the next and final surgery would be scheduled.  Our goal was to let him have a fun Christmas, a special couple of months of this season to rip and roar like any young man his age. We met our goal.  And now, surgery has been scheduled.  Shortly after the New Year arrived, I knew I had to make the call to his ortho nurse to have her assign us a date in the surgical room....one last time.

However, what I'm struggling with right now, is the fact that I had to schedule that surgery.  You see, I'd be a bit anxious regardless, because it's my boy, and he's having surgery, and he's so sweet and precious, and he's my boy. Do you have kids?  Then you know exactly where a mother's heart lies....and she wants to protect her cubs just like any other Mama bear in the woods. 

Now, if you've read the blog this month, then you know that I lost a friend on New Year's Eve, just a few days ago.  A friend who had injured herself on Christmas night and had outpatient surgery to repair her injury on New Year's Eve. It was what I, and many, would have considered routine surgery.  Routine outpatient surgery that she endured in the morning, hours later was dismissed and came home to recover, and then early evening, at home, she passed away (probably due to a blood clot, heart attack).  

Now look, I know we don't question God.  As bad as I'd like to, as bad as I have often wanted to give Him a piece of my mind about His timing, and His will, and His choices of who gets to leave here Heavenbound and who gets stuck here on earth to grieve.  But as I posted on the blog concerning my friend's death, His ways are right....no matter what our thoughts are on the matter.  And kind of like here on earth with the mama of the family, He gets the last say, period.

And I am constantly learning to trust in what His last say is, on everything in this life.  But it doesn't mean your heart doesn't break with whatever the "last say" may be that has been laid down from the Big Man in charge.  I trust in the Lord to take care of my boy, all my children, our entire family.  Although, I'd be lying to you right here and now, if I didn't say how much more anxious I am for the upcoming routine outpatient surgery Middle Child is scheduled to have this week.

 I'll be clinging to our H3 verse this month.  I'll be talking overtime with the Big Man in charge this week. To say I would appreciate your prayers on behalf of this surgery, would be a huge understatement.

Blessings in the Snow.....

Do you have any of this in your life?  Sin, not snow.   Unless your initials are J.C. and your name is Jesus Christ, you have sin.  Only one has ever resided on this earth and lived a sinless life....and only one ever will.  It is a title that HE alone can hold, his record can never be broken, it will stand the test of time....far into eternity.  

I told you the other day we received a sprinkling of snowflakes here in Small Town, USA...which happens to be located in the deep south. You know, where it doesn't snow, even a smidge.  It was beautiful to look out our windows early that morning and see a blanket of white covering our lawn....no animals or any of our munchkins had yet to walk through it...thus it was pure, unscathed.  I decided to take off from an idea of a friend back during the summer (LL) and do a little blog about the snow in relation to our sin.  It goes perfectly with our verse we are learning for December.   

Blessed are they
whose transgressions are forgiven
whose sins are covered.

Blessed is the man
whose sin the Lord will never count against him.

Dear friend, HE covers our sin.  We ask with a repentent heart for forgiveness...and he offers it. Every time, without holding a grudge---without making us wait for it---without having to count to 10 to calm down---without holding it over our heads for weeks, months, years on end---without sitting on it for a while to stew about it---without doing it half-heartedly---

HE forgives. Bottom line.  And that, is the greatest gift any of us could ever hope to receive, any time of year. Not just this season....but every day HE gives us breath.

H3 readers....and anyone else who joined us for this month of THANKS.

Hi y'all.  Oh my, it's been a busy busy Thanksgiving/Fall break week.  We enjoyed every minute, but I'm almost, almost, thankful to be back on a schedule of some kind.....especially with eating.  I don't care to see another corn pudding, pecan pie or sweet potato casserole for at least 5 days. HA!

I certainly hope all of you had a great time with your family and friends this Thanksgiving season.  It has been a great month, aside from all the sickness in my Baby Girl.  She has been sickly, literally for an entire month, beginning with a positive strep test on November 3rd. And she is still not completely well....we have an appointment later today with the pediatrician.  Maybe I can give you an update soon.  Now we are dealing with a rash and fatigue.

But even in these times, I have given thanks. Because HE deserves it.  HE deserves far more praise than I have offered.  Even this month when I have been even more focused than ever to stop and thank Him......I still come up so short.  But I am thankful He doesn't measure me with the same stick the devil tries to impart. I am thankful HE always forgives, HE continues to bless, HE will forever love me.....not because of anything I do, but because of all HIS SON did so long ago.

We began our month of thanks....and it's hard to believe the month has already passed.  To any who have sent me an email stating they were participating in the H3 scripture memorization (and I encourage any who read this and are tempted to begin, please do, it's been a blessing for many of us---don't wait, email (bowlingfamilymoments@yahoo.com)  and let me know, please) --anyway, all of those already enlisted receive a little verse reminder by mail from me each month.  This month you received the bookmark like card in the photo atop this post.  On the back of it was a small space for listing something each day of November for which you were thankful. No matter how big or small. I tried to pick unique things each day, those things I don't normally stop and take the time to really thank Him.  Don't laugh at my thankful thoughts....I do love a good cheese ring, and SEC football, and local owned gas stations....to me, they are all part of HIS many blessings.  Everything we have, do or say can be a blessing from him if used in the proper way.

Obviously I took this picture before I have completed my thoughts.  That's me....I've yet to sit down to fill out those last 3 days.  But I know what they are and just in case you are wondering...28--Dad's chicken on the grill (so tasty), 29--toothpaste (this will be an H3 post and verse one month next year, but I can't give it away just yet), 30--I'm praying for answers to Baby Girl's sickness. I'm thankful God knows the answers whether he decides to show them to me or not. And today I am also thankful for a praise report for a dear friend's son (Hi Nola).

I am completely amazed as always by our wonderful Lord.  He makes me smile.  I am so thankful for all of you who are joining me in this journey.  Are you having as much fun as I am?  Are you feeling closer to the ONE who matters?  Are you learning from His word?  Is your heart feeling happy with these few words that mean so much to your soul?  Thank you again, for your friendship, your calls, your comments, your texts, your emails, your smiles, your hugs, your kind words in passing. 

So, one last time....say it with me...I know you have it hidden in your heart:

"Enter his gates with THANKSGIVING and his courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name"  ~Psalm 100:4

Life lessons are hard....at any age.

Get a Kleenex.  I'll wait.  Seriously, if you decide to venture out and actually read this long post, you'll probably need it, assuming you're human. 

First and foremost let me make this little disclaimer straight out of the gate:  This post has absolutely nothing to do with the coach.  I agree wholeheartedly with his decisions.  This post has entirely everything to do with a mother's heart.  That's all.  Which is an ocean with no bottom....and that fact becomes more apparent every single day.

I have always intended to be honest, transparent and just myself here on the blog. Which sometimes translates to y'all getting short chapters of novels as posts. Because in all honesty, I can be a bit word-y.  But that's me.  And usually, the me you know or read, for the most part is peppy, happy, fun-loving, crazy....and often, word-y.  Today, I'm broken....but still word-y.  Bear with me, here we go.


So, this high school thing is still a roller coaster ride.....it seems not a lot has changed in the last couple of decades.  For 12 solid weeks, we've been experiencing a football induced high. I assume it could be likened to sniffing crack, except it's the smell of the pigskin that brings on the euphoria.  We made it to the 2nd round of state playoffs and even though we lost this past Friday night, it was a good run.  Finishing the year with a 10-2 record overall, was just delightful.  I love football, I think I've mentioned that a time or eight here on the blog! :)   The end of one season here in Smalltown, USA means the IMMEDIATE beginning of another.  And the next sport on slate is basketball.


Basketball is not my favorite....not even close.  However, Elder Son wanted to try out for the junior high team, so we said, "go for it."  Actually, in years past, I've said my boys would try out for every sport, because in our rural small school, sometimes it takes every kid we have that's willing to try out just to compose a team.  I knew it was a long shot that as a 7th grader he would make it.  There were several really good 9th grade athletes who were also trying out, like a whole bunch, and they are primarily the team.  But I gave him my best cheerleader mom style pep speech upon departing the vehicle to enter the gym....."just do your best, that's what matters".  A couple of hours later I received the phone call. 


"Hello"
"Hey Mama, can you come pick me up?"
"Are you finished?"
"Yes, mam"
"Well, did you make the team?"
"No, mam"
"Aww, I'm sorry, but that's okay, I'm still proud of you for trying, maybe you'll get it next year.  And I'll call Granny to come pick you up"


Click.  I didn't have a lot of emotion to offer up right in that moment because I knew he was calling from the gym (thus still around his friends) and I was sitting in the pediatrician's office waiting room with his sick sister waiting to be called back.  A lot was on my mind.  And little did I know that one call would change the course of parenthood for us. 


To be quite honest, one of the first thoughts that went through my head after hanging up was....thank goodness, at lease now I have time to make Elder Son a dental visit and haircut appointment, all after school, because for the first time since August, he will have no practice or games. 


I did call my mom later on to check on him and make sure he was really okay.  She said he was, and that only one 7th grader had made the team, Elder Son's best friend actually, and that Elder Son had already made a call to his mother and him to say congratulations and good luck. 


I knew he would be upset, but I thought that sounded like he was really doing okay. Then I arrived home to talk to him face to face. We discussed try-outs a little, with me holding his face in my hands, looking him in the eye as his lips quivered and telling him it was all going to be fine.  I was proud of him and if he didn't like basketball he didn't have to try out again next year, but if he did, he could work harder and try again.  He agreed, shook his head and began his math homework. 


Then his father arrived home.  Elder Son barely let him get in the back door before he met him in the hallway.  He was coming in from a board meeting and had stopped earlier at lunch, prior to try-outs, to buy a new basketball net for our goal outside...just in case, but we really needed a new net anyway.  He knew Elder Son hadn't made the team, but he brought the net in to show him anyway.  Life lessons are hard.  Elder son stood there and they began talking.....and then I noticed in an instance, Elder Son wasn't talking, he was so sad and was releasing that sadness while his father was talking.  I walked over to be with him.  And I held him as close and as tight to my chest as I could get him, while we both cried.   That scene just about broke the Daddy's heart.  It's tough to see the mama and the firstborn cry at the same time.


I've cried before. Plenty of times.  I've seen my children cry before. Plenty of times.  Even for hurts.  Like in 3rd grade when other kids were saying mean things about Elder Son's features, or just last year when other kids were talking about Middle Boy's small size for his age, or when Baby Girl lets loose on a crying spell, for no reason at all, and she admits she doesn't know why.....just because she's female, I suppose.


But this was different.  This was a first at our House of Bowling. It was a hurt we've yet to experience.  He'll be fine.  He's twelve.  There is next year, or the next. As his father stated to me, it's good for him, not to take for granted that you can just be on a team, you have to work hard for it.   And that is all true.  But it doesn't make it any easier to take right here in the moment. Elder Son is resilient.  He may not even remember this time and the feeling after a few weeks, months or years.  Certainly when he's older and he reads this, he'll probably think this is one of those made up "mama stories". 


But the mama.....she will remember it well.  It will be hard to forget when a chunk of your heart was broken slap into pieces.  Because this little creature that you gave life to had a hurt to bear, and you were there to bear it alongside him.  I won't forget what it feels like.  I know I'll feel it again with all 3 of them in some way or another, many times, over the course of their lives.  Things like boyfriends, girlfriends, work situations, job offerings, family matters, home, goals, school, break-ups, betrayals, loss, devastation, fear, anxiety.....the list is endless and then some.  We've all experienced them.  Life lessons are hard.


This is just where our story begins on the parenthood journey of it all.  I used to wonder why parents, especially mothers, would get so emotional about this kind of stuff.  I wonder no more. I have felt it firsthand.  You just always want the best for your child, for them to be happy, for them to be great at everything, knowing that perfection is impossible.   But you all know if you're a parent, you would wish for your child to never experience hurt of any kind.  As parents you want to shield and protect them...that's our job.  However, it's impossible to do....hurts are a part of life.  Life lessons are hard. Still, it just breaks your heart in ways you can't imagine, or at least I couldn't. I was totally unprepared for this. I don't know that you can prepare for it.  And really in the grand scheme of things, this is a really minor issue, just right now, in this moment, it's as raw as it gets.


I can look back on my life now, and realize things I thought hurt back when I was a teen, things I thought I would never get over, never be able to go on.....I did and I have.  I came through them all.  Not without battle scars, but I did indeed survive them all.  I remember the summer before my senior year in high school, after experiencing a devastatingly tragic loss of a dear friend, thinking that was the most horrid hurting imaginable.  Now I look at it, not as his friend or girlfriend,  but as a parent.  As a mother....what a loss, what a hurt that must be.  I had no idea at the time.  I understand it more now.   But back to the story, that fall, I decided to try something new, something completely different than anything I had done before.  Kind of a new outlook to get my mind off the hurt. 


I tried out for the volleyball team.  Please note I had never played a sport in my life.  Sure I had been a cheerleader for 6 years, but competitive sports....nada.  I made the team.....but I sucked. I even played, started as a senior at the setter position.  I tried hard at what my coach and teammates told me to do.  And I learned a lot that year. Like, a whole lot.  And I had a ton of fun.  At the end of the season, I received a trophy for "Most Improved".  Which basically just meant that I still sucked.....just not as much.


I loved being on the team. Being a part of a team.  My Elder Son enjoys that same feeling, being a part of a  team.   He's going to miss it for this season.  But I'm sure I'll be seeing him out there at that new basketball net trying his hardest to prepare for next year's try-outs. Hoping he won't miss out on that feeling again.

As I said initially, this post is not about the coach, heck, it's really not even about basketball. 


This whole month I challenged all who read our blog, especially those in our H3 group who are memorizing scriptures, to be thankful each and every day this November.  For something new each day.  It's easy to praise God on the mountain; it's more of a challenge to find the praise while you are down in the valley. 


After Elder Son had gone to bed, I laid in the dark trying to find slumber, without much success due to so much running through my mind. And literally my chest was hurting.....I'm sure many of you mothers know what I'm talking about....actual physical pain you feel after going through experiences or trials with your children.  I realized right then and there it was time to find the praises to give to God instead of worrying otherwise.  I thought of these:  I AM THANKFUL FOR,

• to have a son
• to have a son physically able to attempt athletics
• to have a son who isn't afraid to show us his emotions -- Is he going to show you? Probably not. Please remember we are still "cool high school guy"....but this episode was behind the home doors, where he felt his safest, in the arms of his Mama and Daddy who love him so dearly. 
• to have a son who knows that fact. 
• selfishly, to have a son I get to have all these extra hours with each afternoon now.  
• to the Lord for those hours and pray I use them to HIS advantage, to show more of Jesus during this time

I'll leave you with what I told Elder Son this morning.  Knowing he would have a lot to face, head on, at school this morning.  All of this life is fleeting.  Elder Son is on God's team and that's the most important thing in the world.  Bar none.  He can't get cut, and neither can you.  You don't even have to worry about try-outs.....there is a space for everyone.  All you have to do is say yes to His sacrificial blessing....His gift to be a part of HIS team....for eternity.


Life lessons are hard.....at any age.


At 12, it's hard to understand that you can sometimes try "too hard" for something.  And it hurts like crazy when you don't get it.  But youth is on your side and you will bounce back.


At 36, knocking very closely on the door of 37 (next week), it's hard to grasp just how much your heart can love.....and therefore because of that insurmountable love, it was even harder to grasp just how much your heart can hurt.

H3---a month of thankful thoughts....the challenge is being met with a HUGE spirit of gratitude.

For our H3 scripture memorization group this month, the verse is on Thanksgiving.  Not turkey and dressing with pumpkin pie, but giving thanks!! The big challenge was to come up with something different every day this month to be thankful for....

I encouraged those participating to maybe post it on their own blogs if they have one, write it in the comments section, even mark it down on their verse card I mailed them earlier.  Day by day, something new to be thankful for.....

And boy are they knocking it out of the water.  I thought you all might be encouraged just by reading a few.....so go here,  here, here, here, here, here, here and here,.... and let your heart be filled.  Just a few who are posting it on their blogs, and sharing in this time of thankfulness.  Many folks without blogs or for personal reasons have sent me emails or left comments, and I even had a couple of people come up to me at the ballgame last Friday night stating they read the blog and were enjoying the H3 posts. 

• The Lord is at work, my dear internet friends, and don't ever let the devil tell you differently. 

I want to also direct you back to the original post for this month...November 3rd.  My dear friend, K.P. whom so graciously accepted her appointment as our Hebrew word search specialist, left us another nugget of gold to speak to our hearts concerning a deeper look at Psalm 100:4.  Please check back in on that post and read the comment section.

Again...let your heart be filled.  I know it's not even quite halfway through the month and mine is bursting already!!  Thank you all for participating whether with your blog, comments, emails, notes, calls, texts, etc.....the bottom line, however you are doing it....I appreciate you just for putting your hearts of thanks out there to encourage me and others. 

I cannot imagine a better way to spend this month of Thanksgiving than giving praise to the One who really deserves it....every single minute of our day.  And as much as I am enjoying this, laughing and crying at your words of thankful thoughts, reading your praises with my heart smiling inside, so happy....it is then that I realize this is what we will get to feel all the time in eternity with our Lord.  Now that is something to be THANKFUL for!

Calling all H3 folks...a little challenge for you.

So, October is coming to a close, and in just a few days we'll be getting a new verse to hide in our hearts. However, before then I figured an end of the month test might come in handy. Don't worry, it's just a fill in the blank....that's how my kids like to learn it, and our dear lovely Lana thought she might do better at Walt's way of repeating it as well. So here's for you (any who want to try it out):

"These __________ that I give you today are to be _____ _____ ______. _______ them on your _______. Talk about them when you ____ __ _____ and when you ____ ____ ___ ____, when you ___ ____ and when you ___ __. Tie them as _______ on your ____ and ____ them on your _________."

~Deuteronomy _: _-_

I am so enjoying H3. The Lord uses it to encourage me in so many ways. Just last night, after getting in very late from the Friday night football game, (we won--yahoo!), TB got her bible out and asked me to remind her what book in the bible "our verse" was again. I said Deuteronomy. She looked it up, read it out loud, and then sweetly asked if we minded if she used a pen to underline it in her bible.

Precious memories. Thanking the Lord for this month of October that has flown by, knowing His word stands just as true today as it has any day before.

I promise this next month's verse will be just that, singular. Have a great weekend!

Get ready for scripture memorization

I made us a little icon, hope you like! Each time you see it, I pray it reminds you to "Hide HIS words in your Heart".
And if you have NO idea what I'm talking about, please read this POST and come join us!!


So are you ready for our first scripture?? Gosh, this has taken me a sweet forever to pick out a verse....I have tons of favorites...like an entire Bible full!!! Every time I read a verse, something in it can speak to me. And of course, at times, I am so surprised. But then quickly realize, that's just how God works.


I know that some of you may not get the same from a scripture as I do, and vice-versa. Everyone may not be in the same place in life.... different seasons will always be around: in school or the workplace, married or divorced, childless or a house full, happy or depressed, sick or healthy, financially sound or in debt to your eyeballs, going into or coming out of a storn, full of joy or bitterness......the Lord addresses it all. Please know that we will be memorizing a lot of different verses that will touch on many topics: our prayer life, our actions, our words, our relationships, etc. and when allowed, these scriptures will give us great moments of peace, clarity, truth, hope, instruction, forgiveness, grace, and love. Abundant love.

• Guess what the great thing is about memorizing scriptures? You may not need that particular verse this month....but your best friend might. Or next summer, your husband may need to hear it. Or in 10 years when your child begins college. Or when a loved one passes away. That's the precious part, HIS words are timeless.

I intend to post the new scripture on the 3rd of each month. I'm sure you can guess why. Because I absolutely LOVE what happened on the 3rd day, way back when. HE AROSE! And he's been living in the hearts of any who will invite Him ever since! I thought maybe if we tied it to some event it may be even easier to remember. So, even if you don't read our blog regularly, be sure to come back on the 3rd of the month and see what good news the Lord has to offer!!

Speaking of helping to remember things, I have included a few ideas below.

Tips for memorizing:

• Say the verse out loud, to yourself in front of a mirror, to your husband/wife/boyfriend/girlfriend, to your children, a family member, a friend, a co-worker...whoever, just do it!


• Print the scripture on an index card. Use it as a book mark this month. Carry it in your wallet/purse/book bag to pull out during traffic. Tape it to the door you enter and leave most frequently in your home. Tape it to the inside of your bathroom cabinet/kitchen cabinet/wherever. Read the verse at least 4 times a day.


• Make a song out of the scripture....no matter how silly you sound, it can help you memorize.

So, I ask again, ARE YOU READY? Because in a couple of hours the first scripture post will arrive. If you are joining in, you don't have to sign in, comment or anything else, but I do have one little request, if you don't mind. Please email me your address. I have a little something to send you.