old ladies+lake+sunburn=dirty dishes OR how to sell your house without the empty next blues

Picture this: 8 women on a pontoon boat that is weaving across the lake. As it approaches, you make out 7 older woman, one younger and all of them talking at once. They pull up to a "beach" and pile out throwing all manner of floaties onto the water. The talk ranges from where are you going to go potty and counting to 50 really slowly then singing Happy Birthday, onto boobies and tatoos. You'd leave your fishing hole too! (poor old man) We are sure he was thinking we were a bunch of old drunk ladies. Oh, yeah, and we talked about skinny dippin' too. Of course Marsha was first to point out only two of us there could really skinny dip, the rest of us would have to chunky dunk. Insert uproarus laughter here.
Anyway about 6 hours later we took our sunburned selves back into dock and convinced the nice man there to carry our cooler back to the car. We are charming that way, a gaggle of old ladies.
All this to say, I come home tired sunburned and a permanent smile on my face and what do you think I saw when I came home? A cooked dinner? Hey, lets go out to eat, I'll pay mom! No, As I put my bag in the kitchen I noticed dirty dishes, there and in the living room. So what did I do, I washed them....However, I want you to know that I would not have if we weren't showing our house to the photographer tonight. Usually every night I wash dishes and clean the kitchen so the morning is new and clean. Generally I get up every day and find dirty dishes in the kitchen. Are you seeing a pattern? In fact, last night I typed out a list for both my boys on what needed to be done to their rooms and the bathroom to be photo ready today. Last check, all is done but one bed and beard hairs in one sink...one can only keep praying. The only light at the end of this tunnel, especially with the housing market the way it is...is to empty this nest. Sadly to say one leaves next week for Seminary and one for college next month. Heidi and I have discussed this more than once and we feel the reprecussions will be as follows:
1. we are stuck with those cats
2. we eat when we want to
3. we don't eat when we don't want to
4. less dishes to do
5. no one to wake you up at 3 am and say "I love you mom"
6. no one to argue with or ask deep questions to
7. we are stuck with those cats
8. if we buy icecream, it is ours
9. if we hear a noise at 3 am, panic cos it ain't a boy
10. we are stuck with those cats.

Did I mention I'd like them to take the cats.
Anyway, the next old lady trip will be one with floating and some action...say the float the buffalo. We're aiming for a small amount of action as relaxation is our major purpose.
PS would you like a cat?

God's Grin

Watching Sister Act, a good old movie and they are singing "Hail Holy Queen Enthroned Above" (Good Catholics know this song). I love that song anyway, but the way they they do it is awesome... "Salve, salve, salve Regina!" Much fun. Having been a member of Northbrook Church for over 12 years, I cannot even imagine returning to "Ye old Southern Baptist Way". Now that is good for some. But not me. I like to sit in the sound booth and rock on.
Worship, we were created for it. God delights in our worship. He delights in us. I like that word - delight. Its like he grins when he sees us 'cos he loves us so. When I worship he grins. It delights him when we use our talents too. So, when I draw, he delights, because he made me with that ability. If you are a runner, he delights when you when you run. And, I like to think when Heidi is "gamboling" and rolling in the long grass, God delights. She is fulfilling her purpose in creation, to give him delight. All the more when we direct these acts toward him intentionally. When I draw with God or His word in mind, that is true worship. I don't know if Heidi thinks of God when she rolls in the grass. But I do know that God delights in me when I fulfill my purpose - to glorify and worship him.
Here's another twist. I read in a book that we are always "looking forward" to Eternal Life. But Eternal Life began when we were saved. I'm in it NOW. What does His Word say, what will we be doing in eternity? -praising God. That starts now. I don't think we praise God enough, now. So I encourage you to praise God, now!
King David, when God told him he would not be building the temple (his son Solomon would), he still praised. He even employed groups of people to sing praises to the Lord 24/7 in the tabernacle! Question: What would happen in our city if the church employed people to sing praises 24/7?! So lets start now! Not just "in every circumstance", but ALL THE TIME!
"In all your ways aknowledge Him and He will direct your path." Proverbs 3:6

The Garden Exorcism

I pronounce the garden "Clean"! We have taken out an overloaded wheelbarrow of tubers! If you want one, call me!

Reflections on the Iris

Once upon a time I planted 9 Iris' in the front yard, along with 4 tiger lilies. A great thought, huh? Ah no, not if you don't know what your are doing. Now 7 years later I have a jungle of Iris', tiger lilies and weeds that look like tiger lilies, various kinds of kudzu and some kind of tree sapling? So the other day, I got energetic (VERY unusual for me) and thought "I'll dig it up, and start over!" This was encouraged by friends and wise counsel. So out I go with shovel in hand...An hour later I have 1/2 a Tiger lily and and about 4 halves of Irises. Those suckers are stubborn. I attacked the ones on the edges, Mark said they were the easiest...lol .You see from my 9 Iris' babies grew and with Iris' this means their bulbs grow. Needless to say, they are all joined all 30,000 of them. Ok not 30,000 but it might as well be.
That is how the Church is to be. We are the church- assuming you know that- and we are to be joined to one another like those stubborn Iris'. That way when Satan comes to get someone on the fringe, we won't give 'em up! their root is joined to ours and all joined to Christ. Cool eh? So hang on to those you love in Christ, don't let them slip away.
So I gave up and "round-up"ed the whole lot. Now I don't know what to do. I guess I'll pay someone to get 'em out!

Beyond 6th Grade

For those of you keeping up, I am not moving to Georgia at THIS time. As my sister said, there is always next year. 6th grade, Title 1 and NCLB make teaching a chore and I like my job teaching art and didn't see trading it for stress. Although, my own room and kids is appealing. So now we move on. The new need: Sell the house and downsize both physically and monetarily as Sam goes to college and Cody to seminary. It will be me and Heidi taking on the world alone, two gals in the city! OK well it is Three Way, TN. So sadness ensues, ( was looking forward to being with JJ and kids almost all the time), but gladness (on the part of Ann and others) replaces it for now.
Pray the house sells in record time, I need the financial break badly.
But I am learning that God already knows all that and he will act...Psalm 37:7 " Be still in the presence of the Lord and wait patiently for Him to act." According to Psalm 37 all I have to do is Trust, continue doing good, delight in the Lord, Commit all to the Lord, Be still and wait patiently. Then He will act. He already knows what is needed, and he already knows he will do it. So sit back Carol! Less worry, more delight. The more we praise, the less it all matters. Psalm 34:1 " I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth." Praise exchanges negative for positive, it is a front line attack on problems (and Satan flees too, a bonus!).Walking in joy and praise brings us peace. All problems are not solved, but God's word says we can prosper in our problems. Philippians 4:8,9 "Fix your hearts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure an lovely and admirable. Think about things a that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and saw me doing, and the God of PEACE will be with you." To praise is to fulfill our purpose in creation - we are to be the glory of God.
So, here I sit praising God or at least trying to replace the praise for worry. It seems to be working!~ dahhhh And looking beyond 6th grade to a new year with lots of changes. But I am not worrying!

What did you do this summer?

If asked in the fall what I did this summer, I confess, I would have to say, I napped. That is all I did!
Cole got a hair cut. He likes a new lid every now and then. At bath time he was VERY upset that he had to get it wet, he told his mom that it was going to be ruined! Tears and screaming continued. Finally he went to bed, when he got up from his nap, he ran to his mom and exclaimed, "The nap fixed my hair cut!"
So, I decied to write about naps and their healing qualities.

A Nap is the cure-
If you're tired
If you're cranky
If you have over thought
If you have a bad hair day
If you need to think
If you need solitude
If you just need
If everyone is bugging you
If no one is listening
If you feel put upon
If you miss someone
If you're mad at someone
If your head aches
If your body hurts
If you are too - anything
If your dog ran away
If your child is cranky
If your mom is cranky
If your clothes don't fit right
If you have nothing to wear
If there is no chocolate in the house
If they keep crying
If you keep crying
If you can't cry anymore
If you have no where to go

If a nap can fix a hair cut-there is no telling what else it could cure- think about it...What is wrong with your life? Will a nap hurt it? No. Never. And I guarentee you will feel better, regardless If you are 2 or 50 years old. Jesus related. He retreated to pray, think, regroup, pull it together. Retreating causes you to "lay back", lay low, retire, and that is good. It was true when you were 3. It is true now.