An outdoor tea

Today, we put on a tea for 4 year old to 6th grade girls.  We wanted to show them love and that was the theme- loving one another.

Although a little hot, I took advantage of a nice weekend and set up outside.  Added some flowers from my yard and called it a day.  I have to do me- and that is minimal decorations.  Plus I knew Lori's china would make everything fancy.

I love my blue bottle

Those plates!

For food, we kept it simple too (gotta do me) - pastries, cookies, and triangle sandwiches. It was too hot for real tea so we just did cold drinks, lemonade and raspberry tea.

For the message, Lori talked about loving others even when it isn't easy-  I would do well to learn from that.

It's little girls so we did a craft, of course.  In keeping with the theme, everyone made sunshine jars filled with candy to give someone with a note to say why.  Several girls were so sweet with their notes and why they loved the person they were giving the jar too.  Susie made hers for me (that girl!)

Almost all our girls were 10-12.  But I love the little girls who came.  And a shout out to my favorite 4 year old who made her sunshine jar for her silly uncle.

I think Lori, Rachel and I were all tired after the tea. But it was worth it.  Time well spent.

Releasing Offenses

We all have had people who have offended us by word or by action.   Because I am so blunt and abrupt, I know I must give offense more than I realize.

Awhile back, someone had offended me.  Feeling rejected and hurt, I moved on and let it go deciding to just not reach out to that person again.  Reject me once, shame on you . Reject me twice, shame on me.  (To misquote a common saying.)  But that isn't biblical or gracious, is it?

I was talking to my brother in law and sister recently and this incident came up.  My brother in law, who does relationships better than anyone I know, encouraged me to renew the friendship and not cling to the hurt.  I took his advice and regained a friendship.

It is so easy for me to hold tight to bitterness or rejection and to not forgive insults real or perceived. And yet God tells me over and over to forgive.  Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Col 3:13 and Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, ......  Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you. Eph 4:31-32

Thinking on what my brother in law told me, I had to not only say I forgive the offense but forgive in practice too.  And that is where forgiveness is difficult, reaching out, risking hurt, humbling yourself. In this case, forgiveness in practice worked to yield a quick reward, renewed friendship.  But it could have gone the other way and I could have been hurt again, rejected again.   Yet even if this is the case, the better way, God's way, is to forgive no matter what.

And this is my prayer, to be a forgiving person who releases offenses and loves without question.

Celebrating the Resurrection

 I gave you the message that I received.  I told you the most important truths; that Christ died for our sins as the Scriptures say; that he was buried and was raised to life on the third day, as the Scriptures say.  I Cor 15:3-45

Today, Easter Sunday, we celebrate that Jesus died for our sins and rose to life the third day.  And because of his death, we have eternal life with Him. What a wonderful gift.

This year, some family was traveling for Easter, so we switched things up. My mom very graciously let me open her house up to a variety of people. I invited lots of people that I know and love spending time with and some I don't know as well.  All said and done, 19 people ended up coming.   We even had two John/Jons, two Eds, and two Lindas.

Some who came were friends of old, and some were new.  Some had known each other awhile. Some didn't know each other.  But regardless, I think a good time was had by all.

I didn't take any pictures.  Surprisingly I didn't have my phone most of the time- forced socialization?  So picture an open floor plan with lots of tables and people.  Picture veggie and meat lasagnas, spring salads, bread, and a variety of desserts.

We even did an Easter Egg hunt. Who says you have to have kids to do an Easter Egg hunt?  Katie was the winner followed shortly after Heidi.

Pre Easter Egg hunt- picture by Lynn

I am thankful for God's gift of salvation, but I am thankful too for family and friends. I am thankful for all who came and joined in our dinner and made this Easter special.

Friends

Exhaling and Inhaling

I started swimming last fall with mixed results.  Swimming has never been a skill I have.  And before this fall, I couldn't exhale under water.   I took a break for the winter and am back at it with the warmer weather.  

I am surprised and happy that all of my practice has paid off and that I can exhale under water now.  I am not great at it.  But I definitely can exhale.  Sometimes I panic and then inhale water, but I am getting better at it. 

When swimming freestyle, I still spend all my time concentrating on exhaling and inhaling but progress!!!! With the ability to exhale under water, I decided to practice the breaststroke.  The poor lifeguard probably thought I was drowning.  

I wanted to swim like this. 

But instead, I looked like this.

Hopefully with more practice, I will improve in my breathing and in my breaststroke. Right now, I am just happy to have found an exercise that works for me.  I am working on memory verses again- right now relearning Philippians.  When swimming backstroke, I work on my memorization.  I am loving this time of being unplugged from all that is going on and just being with me, my thoughts (scary), and my God (not so scary.)

I shall not want

Audrey Assad is my new favorite singer to listen to mostly because I love hymns.  But this song is a new favorite.  I love the words- they speak to where I am at.  When I taste Your goodness, I shall not want.

I shall not want

Audrey Assad

From the love of my own comfort

From the fear of having nothing

From a life of worldly passions

Deliver me, O God

From the need to be understood

and from the need to be accepted

From the fear of being lonely

Deliver me, O God

Deliver me, O God

And I shall not want

No, I shall not want

When I taste Your goodness, I shall not want

When I taste Your goodness, I shall not want

And from the fear of serving others

From the fear of death or trial

And from the fear of humility

Deliver me, O God

Yes, deliver me, O God

Yes, deliver me, O God

And I shall not want

No, I shall not want

When I taste Your goodness, I shall not want

And I shall not want

No, I shall not want

When I taste Your goodness, I shall not want

When I taste Your goodness, I shall not want

I shall not want, shall not want

"C" is for celebration

cheese curls and cheese and crackers- clear winners

Last night was our "C" letter party.  C is for celebration, so we celebrated my birthday.  And I invited some other friends to join us.  This time of year is lovely as everyone is itching to grill and kids can run around outside.

cool girl, costume, cat, camel, cowboy

Clothing was varied- college shirts, collared shirts, cow costumes, tinkerbell costumes, corduroy, camouflage, cowboys, camel shirts, cat shirts, crazy socks, cutoffs, capris, Christmas earrings, calculation bracelet.

cheese burgers (some with jalapenos!!!!)

chips, casear salad, casserole

So many C foods.  Cheeseburgers, cream cheese poppers, cheese casserole (Mac and cheese), coleslaw, chips, Caesar salad, cheese and crackers, chickpea humus.... So many foods.  Cider, Cheerwine, chocolate milk, cream coffee ale, lots of drinks too. And desserts- cherry chocolate cheesecake, chocolate covered cream puffs, and cowboy cookies. I am not sure what my favorite was jalapeno flavored cheeseburgers or poppers and cheesecake or cream puffs.  C food is amazing.

cherry chocolate cheesecake, cowboy cookies

chocolate covered cream puffs

Conversation, "fake" cousins, celebrations, children carrying on, creative play.

conversations and Captain America ready to save lives

Cheers to a chaming, cheery C celebration!

Once a friend, Always a friend

This weekend, I got to spend time with an old friend who I don't see often.  In college, she was my closest friend.  I have so many memories of walking and talking for hours.  Time and distance makes it hard to see her often.  This weekend, after a year of trying to meet up and illness striking, we caught up at her in-laws.  (By the way, I love her in-laws- they are super gracious and always welcoming.)

Driving home, I was reflecting that 16 years after graduating college, I have changed and so has she. Who hasn't?  But the things that made us friends years ago are still there.  16 years from now, I hope we still are friends and can catch up no matter where we are.

my new bff

I spent alot of my time trying to be best friends with this precious little one.  I think I succeeded.  Two weeks from now, I bet she will have forgotten about her new bff.  But when we see each other again, I am going to rekindle that relationship and be bffs again.

birthdays for two of us

games!!!!

On a side note, I stopped off at Bethany Beach Books; bookstores are my happy place. And I love a good independent bookstore promoting Indie books and not all the bestsellers.

Reflections at 38

Amelia, Maggie

In someways, this year is a year to remember. Twenty years ago, I graduated from high school.  I have been home ten years from living overseas.

I never thought at 18 that 20 years later I would be single.  Like most conservative Christian girls (and really most girls), I dreamed I would be married and have children.  Instead, I am single career woman.  

William, Juliet

Evan, Emory

Of course, there is sadness in not having children and a husband.  But life is more than hopes and dreams. It is about living every moment in the hand of God and obedience to Him.  He died for me, and my life is His to do with as He will.

Paul

And yet He is merciful and has richly blessed me.  At last count, I have 14 children in my life who are, or are like, nieces and nephews.  And there are many others who I love to spend time with beyond these 14.  Since I am childless, I have the time and ability to invest in kids in a way that I wouldn't otherwise.  On a given weekend, I rarely do not spend time with these children in some way.  It could be a "letter" party; it could be dinner with a family; it could be a road trip to Ikea (Rachel should just thank Holly and me for that experience); it could be watching a movie at my house; it could be playing games; it could be a birthday dinner.  

Susie, Kayla

10 years ago, when I moved back home, I purposely decided to invest in the lives of my friends' kids (4 at the time).  Over the years, the number of families and kids have expanded as friendships grew, people moved back home, and babies were born.  While my time may be more limited due to the number of children, I have never regretted this commitment.

Rachel, Juliet, Matthew

I have been thinking about Evan who is the 18 years old that I was 20 years ago. I have watched Evan grow into a young man.  And while I miss the days of driving Evan to soccer games and listening to him talk the entire ride (yes the entire ride), I love to see how he is growing into himself and love to spend time with him as a young adult.  Little Paul, William, and Emory aren't even to soccer age. But one day, hopefully, they, like Evan, can say that I was a consistent godly presence in their life pointing them to Jesus.

Peter, Nora, Eve

So today as I turn 38, I am thankful for the families and children that fill my lives. Life may not be what I envisioned it.  But it is the life God has given me. And it is good.

Emory's Entourage

Emory is currently everyone's favorite baby- he has quite the following.  Here are the three newest admirers.