Bicycling!

Today is the twenty-sixth of March and it is 80+ degrees outside. Rather warm for this time of year. My family decided to go on its first bike ride of the year. For those of you who may not know, it is rather hilly where we live. Very hilly! I love riding my bike downhill and on flat terrain, but not up hill. It's the closest thing to torture that I've ever known. The first bike ride of the year is always the worst, because I am in the worst shape of the season. I'm talking totally out of breath, red face, lightheaded, on the verge of vomiting, etc... (Well, maybe it wasn't that bad, but...) So about half way through, with what seemed like all uphill left, I began to think about all the good/positive things about riding my bike. It was a struggle at first, but I began to come up with quite a lengthy list. For starters, I have all my limbs, two legs and two arms. (It would be pretty difficult to ride without those.) I am relatively healthy, and able bodied. I am able to afford a bike. I had all paved roads to ride on. I had a family to ride with me, although I was a bit tired of their so called "encouragement." It was a beautiful, sunny day; the scenery was excellent. I had a backpack with nice cold water to drink.

Those happy thought were enough to carry me home, and somewhat ready to ride on another day! Happy trails to you!

Birthdays!

My youngest son turned 11 this weekend. I remember when birthdays were such a big deal. The kids would talk about it for weeks, if not months, ahead of time. They had loads of presents that they wished to receive in mind. We had big parties with all of the relatives and many friends. We made fancy birthday cakes, like a dinosaur, train or Richard Scary cat shaped cakes. We bought matching plates, cups, napkins, balloons and tablecloths. They were fabulous days!

This 11th birthday slipped by without much fanfare. We did go bowling with friends one night, ate out at Pizza Hut and bought him a new pair of hiking shoes for his birthday. For the actual birthday, we went camping at Turkey Run State Park. All in all, the day slipped by like any other.

I guess life has a way of doing that. The days run into weeks, and the weeks run into months, and the months run into years. When I was younger, I used to think time went by so slowly. As I get older, and the grey hairs start to multiply, my perspectives on many things in life are beginning to change. One is that time really does fly by!

Detention!

Well, I just had another first in the world of having a teenage son. My oldest son came home from school yesterday, and obviously had something important to tell me. The reason I know that is he was stuttering, getting a little flushed and not looking me in the eye. As I understand, he was sitting in study hall doing his math homework while all of the other kids were talking and being loud. While he was deep in concentration, the teacher apparently said that the next person that talks is going to get an after school detention. I guess he didn't hear that important bit of information, and happened to turn to one of his best buddies and whisper something. The next thing he knows, the teacher is yelling at him and says he has detention. The real problem lies in the fact that he will not be able to take the bus home the following day, because detention goes until 3:30 p.m. and someone will have to pick him up from school. (I'm still trying to figure out if he would have told me this information if it didn't involve me picking him up from school.)

For the sake of it, we had a little discussion about listening to the teacher, and obeying even if we may not agree with every decision teachers make.

If you know my oldest son, from the time he learned how to talk, we have never been able to get him to be quiet. It has been the running joke in our family about when he gets to school how much trouble he'll get in for talking. All through elementary school, the teachers comments are about what a nice, good student this boy is, but he talks too much! So, it comes at no surprise at all that if he were to get a detention for anything, it would be TALKING!

SIDE NOTE: I'm beginning to feel a little bad, because this is the second time in my blog that I've had something negative to say about this child. Really, he is a very good kid! That's probably why I can make light of it here.

Footstool

I don't know how many of you know about Google Earth. I am fascinated by it! I've attached a picture of my house taken from a satellite. I am amazed at the detail. You can see three vehicles in the driveway, the trampoline in the yard, the beach my kids play on, the dock they dive from in the summer, and my favorite bench overlooking the lake. That totally thrills me!

When I travel by airplane, I always get a window seat. I feel like a little kid who's flying for the first time. I never grow tired of looking out the window and the new perspective it offers me. I love to look at how small the cars and houses look from so far up in the air. I love to fly at night and look at all of the lights. It makes me feel so very small and insignificant. Yet, I know in God's eyes that is not the case. Matthew 5 says that the earth is God's footstool! I love it, His footstool! I can't imagine His view from the heavens. The Bible also says that I am so significant that God knows how many hairs are on my head. While all of that absolutely blows my mind, I am left very humbled.

Simple things...

It was a good night. last night. No, it was a great night. It was the first night we could sleep with the windows open and listen the spring peepers! Life doesn't get much better than that! I've come to understand that it is the simple things in life that give me much pleasure. I love sleeping with the windows open. The cool breeze and smell of fresh air. The spring peepers just lull me into a peaceful sleep. (Dan says they keep him awake, and he often closes the window.) The smell of apple pie baking in the oven makes me happy. Watching the sandhill cranes fly high over our house, making their unusual calls, makes me happy. A thoughtful word or action from a friend brings me joy. Curling up in bed with my warm blanket from Mexico and a good book is delightful. I could go on and on... finding toads in the pile of landscaping mulch, sleeping in on a Saturday morning, the taste of my favorite Chai tea, watching the moon rise over our lake, my fuzzy nightgown, watching bluebirds hatch from their eggs.

Sometimes I get bogged down in the day to day life I live. It's the same ol' thing day after day, week after week, year after year. Lately, I've come to find joy in the simple things of my day to day life, and it is good.

New ring tone

I got a new ring tone. My old ring tone was the Duke's of Hazard theme song. ("Just the good ol' boys, never meanin' no harm...") I loved it, but it was time to move on. My new ring tone is Lonestar's old song, "I'm Already There." Here's some of the lyrics to the song.

"I'm already there. Take a look around. I'm the sunshine in your hair. I'm the shadow on the ground. I'm the whisper in the wind. I'm your imaginary friend. And I know I'm in your prayers. Oh I'm already there... I'm already there. Don't make a sound. I'm the beat in your heart. I'm the moonlight shining down. I'm the whisper in the wind. And Ill be there until the end. Can you feel the love that we share. Oh I'm already there."

The song is written from the perspective of a young father away on a trip. He calls home to talk to his wife and children. They miss each other. The chorus (above) is what he says to his family that is far away. It struck me the other day, that the words of the chorus could be our Heavenly Father calling us. Read the words from the song again, but with this new perspective. God longs for us to see Him, to talk to Him. He is already here, every moment of every day, just look around!

Minor issue!

My oldest son turned 13 this past October. Up until recently, I feel like the dreaded teenage syndrome has gone fairly smoothly. My son has grown so much in the fast few months that none of his clothes fit, hence a shopping trip to Kohl's ensued. I am not kidding, when I say that not a single piece of clothing in the entire store suited him. Anything that had buttons was out. Collars are not cool. This was ugly, that was gay, and on and on and on... I came to the conclusion that he would only be satisfied wearing jeans, a t-shirt with some sort of animal on it, and a sweatshirt. Remembering one of my mom's favorite sayings, "Major on the major, minor on the minor." I guess in the big scheme of things this is a minor.

Blindsided!

Well, the other day I was completely blindsided. Our youth minister at church told me he was taking another job and leaving in a month! Surprised me! I was just grappling with the thought of holding onto things too tightly. Funny, I thought God and I were talking about my family. I just had to smile while I was receiving this news, thinking how God was preparing my heart for the news. You see, life at work was going so well. Our staff (senior minister, youth minister, worship minister and myself, children's minister) all got along great. We just fit together like pieces of a puzzle. I know God has it all worked out, I can't wait to see how this chapter of my life unfolds. I am beginning to learn how to hear God's still small voice, and it is good.

"My sheep listen to my voice, I know them, and they follow me..." John 10:27