He Knows My Name

At 10:16 on a rainy Sunday morning,
Many years ago TODAY,
I made a squalling entrance into this world

Mom reminded me this morning!!

There have been a few unexpected and
unwanted paths.

There have been many joyous and welcomed retreats.  

All I really needed to know was,
“He Knows my name” 

Remember that

Life is short !!

Hug your children

Tell your family and friends that you love them

Laugh

Love fully

Forgive quickly

Count your blessings. 

And  . . .  do not forget:

He Knows Your Name!
He knows YOU!

He will bring you out.

He will bring you through.

He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.  John 10:3

Fear not, for I have redeemed  you;  I have called you by name;  you are mine.  Isaiah 43:1

Memories . . .

I never cry, but here I am;

Sitting . . .
Surprised . . .
tears filling my eyes,
threatening to spill down my cheeks.

Why?

A small crop-duster plane just flew by outside my window. 

That's weird, you say!
Why would an airplane cause someone to cry?

In grief and loss, we never know when something -
     a sound
     a smell
     a picture
     or anything - will trigger a memory. 

It just suddenly overwhelms and engulfs us with deep sadness,

unannounced,

unpredictably,
rudely
with no warning. 

And  - I was immediately overwhelmed with a deep sadness,

. . . . then all these memories started to flow over me. 

LOTS of bittersweet memories.

Bitter, because he died.
Sweet, because he lived. 

Letter to my daughter

Today is my daughter's birthday.
Today is her first birthday since becoming a mother.
Today she understands, for the first time,  a mother's love for her child.

Below is a letter that I wrote to her on her 21st birthday.

I feel the same today as I did on the day I originally wrote it. 

Dearest Tammy Sue,

Once upon a time, exactly 21 years ago today, at 10:30am on a Sunday morning, a darling little dark-eyed girl was born. It was a day of great excitement at the hospital because never had so many little cherubs arrived in their midst at about the same time.  

Happy Birthday to My Sister - 2012

The first memory I have of you - the little burden bundle of joy - was hearing your little cry from somewhere . . . . far off in the distance.  I do not remember seeing you – just hearing your cry. 

Well . . . . . . . . .  I think it was you.  Mom and Dad told me it was you.  But, they could have told me anything.  I was only 4 years old, had the mumps, was feverish, and was still extremely gullible. 

The Day(s) that changed my life forever.

 Last week I read a blog from a lady who had just been diagnosed with diabetes. 
She titled her entry: "The Day My Life Changed".   She then went on to describe (complain) how much her life was going to change - the diet, the lifestle, the constant monitoring of her blood sugar, etc, etc. 

It made me STOP!  I mean . . . is diabetes the WORST that could happen? 
Really now! 
Wasn't  she being a little melodramatic here?

After thinking about it for awhile I decided
No . . . it isn't and she wasn't

She made me realize that all of us face joy, disappointments, sorrow, obstacles,

and victories that "change our lives forever". 

More importantly, I realized it happens often throughout our lives.

Maybe even daily!
Think about it. 

We all have traveled a road we did not ask for.
Our lives have zigged when we thought it should have zagged. 
Or maybe it even zigged when we wanted it to zig. 

WHICH BRINGS ME TO TODAY - SEPTEMBER 2, 2009.

40 years ago TODAY at about 4:30 pm my life was changed forever!!

I became a mother!! 

A precious beautiful son entered my life.
You've never seen such a cute baby - ever! 
Well . . . . except for my daughter.
And I'm not even the prejudicial kind.
Not one iota!