Category: Moments, Thoughts, Life

A few months ago I decided to let my hair go natural; natural being gray. I started by getting a short cut. Then each weekend for several months I set up my personal salon on the back deck, complete with scissors, comb and mirror. I would strategically snipped off the remaining brown ends until all that remained was my natural color.

Yesterday, on my 53^rd birthday two women came into my store. Both appeared to be in their late 70’s early 80’s, and both with very colored treated hair. I made my way over to greet them. “Good morning,” I said.

“I love your hair,” one said. I couldn’t help but smile as I was the one standing there with graying hair and she was bleach-blond.

“Thanks,” I said, “I decided to let it go before Christmas. I really like it.”

“I’m getting ready to do that,” she said. I laughed.

“Yes,” her friend chimed in, “But you have to have a face for that.” Again I laughed.

“I’m not sure about that,” I assured.

“No,” she continued, “You do. Not everyone can pull that off.”

“I’m going to do it,” the first said with great confidence.

The two friends made their way around the store and as they headed toward the door I heard a faint, “I’m going home to cut my hair.”

As they made their way through the front doors I couldn’t help but think, I wonder what I’ll be getting ready to do when I’m 80?

This morning I read a post my daughter wrote describing life at her house with two children who are very early risers. I had to chuckle as I recalled many early mornings when I would roll over in bed to find her laying between us. She would either be staring up or into my face.  I never figured out how she got there without waking either of us up.

On one of these early mornings I asked if she would like to get up and go to the grocery store. She looked at me with great question and asked, “They fleep there?” Austyn’s ‘sl’ were ‘fl’ for sometime. “No,” I explained, “they work all night.” With even bigger eyes she asked, “They don’t fleep!?”

Our son has been blessed with a night owl who rarely approaches bedtime gracefully. He has spent weeks of his life getting her to sleep. I said one day, “do you know how many hours I spent getting you to sleep?” To his response, “Do you know how many hours I waiting for you to fall asleep?” This was the kid we tied into bed – don’t ask.

There’s an old saying, what goes around comes around. In my old age I’ve come to believe our entire world is based on this. It’s the what you sow you shall reap law. We  experience life from both sides – the sower and the reaper.

It’s 5:25 am, I’ve been up since 4 but the grocery store doesn’t open till 6 – I too was blessed with the early morning gene.

What goes around, comes around….I believe I hear someone knocking at the door….

There are few questions I’ve pondered over the past few years as I’ve listened to all the debates on marriage.

Question #1:  If two Atheists get married at the court-house and never step foot in a church, are they considered married in the sight of God?

Question #2:  If two Christians get married in a church, but refuse to sign the marriage certificate, does God consider them married?

Question #3: When did Genesis 2:24 – the “leave it and cleave it” verse – become “And they shall obtain a marriage license to prove this holy union”?

If two people, any two people want to be in a contract with each other allowing them to the rights that the State provides – they should do so; it’s called equal rights. It’s what those renegade forefathers fought for. The ones who risked everything to build a country that allowed people freedom.

If two people want to be  married in the sight of God, that is between them and God. It has nothing to do with a church, a priest or the color of the dress. It has everything to do with the commitment each makes in their hearts to each other and to God – this can be done anywhere.

A marriage license is important.  The most common reason is that it provides tax benefits and legal rights. Two things God isn’t particularly interested in. However, it is important when the individuals who are under contract decide they don’t want to be in contract with each other anymore.

Jeff and I will celebrate our 33rd anniversary next month. We did the marriage license and the church thing; but the contract that had the most influence was the one we came up with early in our marriage. It simply stated that whoever broke up the marriage would get the house, the debt and the kids – with no argument from the other party.

Obviously neither of us wanted that!

Walking on Water

Day 31 of this 31 day fast. I was hoping for a big ending and I wasn’t disappointed. This morning as I sat at my computer it was as if a slide show began in my head with all the crazy and unfinished situations that have been part our life these past four years. For an instant, it felt as if it were all hanging on a thread.

THEN a thought came to me, It’s like walking on the water. I stopped to consider. I love the story of Peter trying to walk on the water.  I have stepped off the side of a pool many times with complete confidence that I could walk across the pool. Like Peter – I sank. BUT I have never looked at this story symbolically.

Walking on water means there is no back up plan. There are no ropes. No strings. This isn’t jumping from rock to rock. There is nothing holding you up but water. Imagine, standing in the middle of a lake, suspended. Does that not describe so many times in our lives.  Suspended, nothing to grab, nothing to catch us … walking on water.

So what does this story mean? That if we keep our eyes on Jesus, we can walk on water! We can walk through the times in our lives when there is no floor, nothing to hold on to, no plan B.  We not only can walk through them, we can get to the other side. We can walk on water!

…and if we you find ourselves sinking, He is always close by, reaching out His hand, helping us back in the boat.

The New 23 Psalm

On Day 4 I wrote my version of the 23rd Psalm. I am thrilled to say I now see it completely different!

A Psalm of David.

Me, me…what do you think about me?

I have become so very aware of how our culture has become self-centered, self-serving and self-indulgent. It’s easy to see it in the our culture, it’s a bit more difficult to find it in our churches, our religions, our beliefs. But if you stop and listen for a moment, you will see it, you will hear it.

What can God do for me? Who’s going to help me? Why has this happened to me? Our entire lives revolve around me. In the good times and bad, I and my needs consume the mind.

The purpose of these 31 days was to focus on God and how much He loves me. Not what he can do for me, but how much He loves and desires a holy relationship with me. There is a tipping point when one begins to realize just how much God does love us, we begin to see how much we do not deserve to be loved. That doesn’t stop God. It does create a choice; Will I focus again on how I don’t deserve such love, OR will I focus on how much God loves me?

Life is so much more fun when I replace God for me. Surprisingly, all those terrible things don’t seem so terrible. My needs no longer appear to be so great. Best of all, God’s love becomes deeper and deeper each day. Oh to be lost in His love rather than my pain.