Tuesday, March 25, 2014

6:15 a.m. Sammy Blue

One of the highlights of spring break is ... I do not have to be up at 6:00 a.m. to get Brooke up and moving for school; however, Sammy Blue has a set internal schedule where he climbs into my bed at 6:15 a.m. like clock work purrr-ing that it is indeed time to wake up.

It's hard to get annoyed with a sweet and handsome fur ball who will put his head on my pillow and put his paw softly on my cheek and purr until I wake up.

I swear he knows I should have been up 15 minutes earlier. Now he is laying outside of Brooke's closed bedroom door. He prefers all things routine, everyone to be awake and on schedule.

"It's spring break, Sammy Blue."

Saturday, March 22, 2014

An Ordinary Day Turned Extraordinary

"Once in a while, right in the middle of an ordinary life,
love gives us a fairy tail."
 
March 23, 2013 I woke up to an ordinary day completely unaware it was about to turn extraordinary. 
 
A Facebook friend request came through and when my eyes registered the name, that handsome, familiar face from so long ago, my heart leaped, and I felt a thrill run through my veins.
 
Yes, I will accepted your friend request.  It sounds very much like, "Yes, I will accept this rose." [The Bachelor]
 
Dialogue and memories quickly followed that day. It was not the first time we had seen each other after 20 years, it wasn't the first time we kissed, or we said our first, "I love you."  It wasn't the moment I knew I wanted forever with him. It was the day our paths crossed after 20+ years. It was the day that my heart awakened with excitement, yet I didn't know how significant he would become in my life.
 
It was an ordinary day, turned extraordinary.
 
Electricity was in the air that day, in case you felt it. Two paths that crossed on purpose that turned into rekindled friendship, a first kiss, a romantic summer, best friends, partners, and love.
 
Yes, I will also recognize that first day we saw each other again 20 years later and I will recognize our first date, our first kiss [the very moment I knew he was going to be significant in my life], and the first time he said, "I love you."
 
I celebrate life, I celebrate love, and I honor the special unexpected days that life gives us as a perfect gift.
 
Happy 1st Anniversary of our lives reconnecting, I love you.
 

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Barely Enough


I went in my office last night and closed the door to prepare for the devotion before the meal for well over 100 dinner guests, familiarizing myself and wrapping my mind around the scripture I was presenting.

Having one of those days where I wasn't sure I had anything left to tend to anyone, much less than being a vessel to feed their souls, when my own tank was running on empty. It's been a long year worrying about many different life issues.

I saw a devotion that came through my email late in the afternoon that I had not read. God, speak to me ...

If you’ve been under pressure for a long time and have difficulty making ends meet, it’s easy to develop a limited mindset. “I’ll never get out of this ... ” Or, “I’ll never have enough ... ” No, that may be where you are now, but that’s not where you have to stay. God is called El Shaddai, the God of More than Enough! Not the God of Barely Enough. Not the God of Just Help Me Make it Through. No, He’s the God of Overflow!
                 
Today, no matter what you may be experiencing, stir yourself up in faith and declare who God is in your life. Declare that He is well able; declare that He is more than enough! Declare that your cup runs over with the blessing and victory He has prepared for you.
I wanted to cry. I want to replace worry with abundance and bask in feeling prosperous, successful, and the peace of security in many areas of my life. 
I step up to the podium with a smile on my face, a warm greeting, and a funny joke. We are studying in the book of Jude and I am doing my best to explain this letter that Jude wrote to the people in life application. Prayer requests and praise are taken.
The sweetest, little red-haired, angelic yet ornery, 4 year old boy walks to the middle of the room so he can be seen and says that his mommy found them a new house and he has a new baby sister. I don't think I have ever witnessed a child stepping up so young for a prayer request/praise in a room full of adults.
A long list of prayer requests and praises were shared and I get the opportunity to present them to a holy God, who has heard these requests shared from their lips and hearts. 
Praying behind a microphone as a leader every day is something very new to me. My conversations with God have always been intimate and private. To go to a very holy place and share my personal relationship with God in front of so many is a most unique situation. I don't pray long-winded, wordy prayers; rather, I stay true to myself and keep it very intimate. God is present. We talk all day.
As I am praying, sending requests to God I hear soft comments, "Thank you, Lord. Yes, be with them, Lord ... " My shelter guys, prayer warriors, believers, those facing life challenges in agreement and thanking God privately, yet out loud. 
Sometimes I wonder if I am getting all this right. Doing my best does not mean I am being successful, but it is so important to me that I am successful in every single area. Words of affirmations flow after the devotion. Affirming I am doing a good job, thanking me, appreciating what I am doing. These men I encourage daily, encourage me.  
Their affirmations are a healing balm when I try my best yet question if I am doing it right. I have never claimed to be the most equipped or the best trained. I claim that God equips, I am simply a willing vessel and I give 100% to them as I do with everything.  
Sometimes we have to stir up our own faith. Thank you, God, for reminding me that you are El Shaddai, the God of More than Enough when I am feeling barely enough.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Never Enough

[A poem written by Brooke today.]

Sometimes I know the words to say,
Give thanks for all I've done,
But then they fly up and away,
As quickly as they come.

How could I possibly thank you enough,
The one who makes me whole.
The one whom I owe my life,
The forming of my soul.

The one who tucked me in a night,
The one who stopped my crying.
The one who was the expert,
The one who picked up when I was lying.

Look at me before you,
See what I've become.
Do you see yourself in me,
The job that you have done?

All of your hopes and all of your dreams,
The strength that no one sees.
A transfer over many years,
Your best was passed to me.

Thank you for the gifts you give,
For everything you do.
But thank you, mommy, most of all,
For making dreams come true.

With love,
Your daughter

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Called Out

I fall on the sword of being totally transparent. I claim, share, and project the comfort being so open that anyone can distinctly see through the substance of my thoughts and heart.

For 98% of the time, I truly am. Totally transparent means 100% though. The 2% isn't shadiness, it is simply the fine line between personal privacy and total honesty. It is the 2% that I hold close to my heart.

For the first time in my life, I give bows and congrats to David for being smarter than the one who used to call me out on my blinks and heart beats. Once upon a time, my total transparency gave comfort and peace of mind to another who I thought was one of the smartest men I've ever known. David is highly, sometimes scary intelligent, and he just stepped it up a notch.

I love the mental stimulation of a smart partner in life and I embrace the role of allowing him to be the man in the relationship. I step down to allow him to step up.

Last night we were enjoying a quiet Friday night at home with no kids and spending time on the couch just talking. Not a talking conversation on a cell phone or texting, but just talking with each other. I don't remember what the topic was, but I was being open and honest sharing something when I claimed my total transparency that should give him peace and comfort.

He called me out saying I am not as transparent as I like to claim.

I had a millisecond to choose my response: Smile sweetly, wide-eyed and act like I have no idea what he is talking about or look him straight in the eye and confirm his intelligence.

In honor of complete admiration and respect I confirmed his statement. He is absolutely and officially the smartest man I know. I love his mind and I love having a partner in life that knows me.

I am transparent in life with the topics that I want to be transparent with, which for the most part is pretty much everything. There are very few topics that are off the table with me. It's my 'claim' to total transparency that provides comfort and total openness; however, there is 2% that is my personal privacy.

Just when I thought I have David figured out, he raised the bar to a new level, and I am dazzled and impressed with his intelligence. I respected his calling me out so much that I had too much admiration for him to deny it. Touche'! 

Intelligence in a relationship is as important to me as sharing my faith, the must have of pure chemistry, and trust. It is the respect factor that I must have in a partner to survive in a relationship.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Tattered Flowers Tell the Best Stories

Flowers, textures, and all things floral, I love variety in shapes for home décor.

I long to leisurely walk in the sunshine strolling through gardens admiring their color and beauty. I enjoy planting flowers in the springtime fresh and new and admire their growth at the end of a hot summer appreciating the ambiance they provided at my home for a season.

I especially love to see a flower bloom when I thought all was lost and the plant was dead. I've been known to water and care for plants long after they look ready for the trash can to bask in pure joy when new life spouts and what looks dead comes back to life. They become my prize possession.

Of course, I enjoy flowers that are simple, easy, and take little work and attention, but it is my flowers I have to especially care for that I really care for.

Tattered flowers tell the best stories.

A Roar of Applause

Every evening I am responsible for giving the devotion and prayer prior to dinner for our staff, volunteers, shelter men, and dinner guests. In training, I am supposed to follow in the same devotional process of my predecessor while she is away on a 2-week vacation.

The process is to read a couple to several verses from the Bible straight through. Always choosing the next 5+ verses then reading the life application process. Reading the Bible is a hard read, especially a handful of verses at a time, more especially if you don't know God or He isn't a priority in life.

If this method is uninspiring to me as a Christian, my reading verbatim must be a painful process to sit through in order to eat dinner.

Lucky them that I am a boundary stomper!

I had to change it up a bit and flex my muscles to test the crowd. A couple of times I did an inspirational devotion that had touched my heart, it was well received. I've opened it up and let others say the evening prayer for variety sake and found a young guy from a Christian college, an excited, over-the-top Christian, and dynamic prayer warrior that reminded me so much of my brother starting off in his ministry. He was a breath of fresh air. On the days where I am reading straight through the Bible, I've searched and found funny Christian jokes to open up the evening with. Their laughter breaks what used to be former silence.

Last night was my crescendo.

I shared with them my experience when I heard Carrie Underwood and Vince Gill sing the duet How Great Thou Art in such a powerful way that I wondered who was the person and what was the inspiration behind the powerful words, "then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee, how great thou art ..."

Speaking for a moment on the gentleman who wrote the poem in 1885 that became the song and his inspiration walking home one day to have a thunderstorm appear and the sights, sounds, and colors of such a majestic display that followed. A moment of awe in nature that gave praise to God and birth to the words.

I asked the room to remember the moments in their lives that were so pure, peaceful, and fulfilling that they offered up a silent, "Thank you, Lord."  While nostalgia filled their minds, I played the beautiful hymn sung by Carrie Underwood and Vince Gill.

I confess I was nervous and wondered if this was pushing the boundary too far. The song began and I looked across the room where my new friend Clarence was standing, smiling, and shaking his head "Yes!"  He has no idea how comforting his confirmation and support was to me.

The song is filled the dining room and I began to hear a woman on my left softly sing along to the old familiar hymn. To my right, I heard a couple of my shelter guys join in singing softly. Across the room I heard others join in.

The song was powerful and inside I was jumping up and down, they were enjoying it!

Powerhouse, country singer, Carrie Underwood is bellowing out "... how great thou art, HOW GREAT THOU ART!" and a roar of applause broke across the room!

Not polite church clapping, but head-shaking, hard-hand clapping with admiration and thanks. Pure success!

Thank you, Lord.

I slipped into my office to put my things down and join my dinner guests for the evening meal, and made a call to David to quickly share with him my success, in the moment. I was *bursting* inside.







Monday, March 10, 2014

Your Battery Is Low ... 7%

It's been days since I have blogged. A thought and inspiration escapes me. I pour over my favorite websites for motivation and inspiration. Fuel for my day, a spark to ignite something, the energy I need to be 100% for everyone. Talk to me, Lord.

Looking ... looking ... nothing.

A blue box pops up on my screen "Your battery is low ... 7%."

Indeed it is.

It took this blue box to point out the obvious. It's time to recharge.











Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Welcome to Grand Central Station

As I unlock the door to my office, two follow me in waiting my arrival.

Welcome to Grand Central Station. My office.

Updates from the kitchen, confirmation that all is well as a smooth running machine. Translation: "I handled everything. Everything has been done and I've gone the extra mile as I do every single day. Lunch is ready and the meats are in the cooler thawing for the next couple of nights dinners." He shares all the details I should know and those he wants me to know. I warmly tell him I have no doubt when he runs the kitchen that every detail is tended to and I am so thankful for him. He runs the morning team, is well like and respected by everyone, and we have quickly formed an awesome working relationship.

Next ... [I'm thinking the deli does it best with its take-a-number system.]

Doctors appointments. Agency appointments. Health issues. They line up to talk, tell me, and share.

Many are from prison and they don't hesitate to share their stories of how they got there, lost their families, how they are doing the work to clean up their lives. The ones you wouldn't expect to share, get emotional. So many ashamed of the destruction they brought on their lives due to bad choices.

All day I hear about their appointments, said out loud so another person knows.

This community I have been welcomed into and quickly a part of where I don't have to have any magical words but to be someone to listen and encourage.

They share the damage they have done, I share I see what they are doing to make it right.

Several have jobs and they want to tell someone about their day. I remember being alone in the past and genuinely missing sharing daily details with another person.

I heard a loud commotion outside my office, bad language, and had my first drunken confrontation yesterday. He is a ring fighter, a thief, and sells drugs for an income [I'm still a bit shocked at how transparent and open they are]. He is in a bad place being kicked out of the shelter for being intoxicated and knows this violation will most likely have his probation officer shipping him back to prison violating his parole. He has no place to stay. He is frustrated and embarrassed that his new paper route pays nothing and he feels going back to selling is his only way to bring in money to support himself. He was drunk, crying at times, and scared to go back to prison. He was respectful and would apologize when he said a bad word in front of me.

I hear their stories of brokenness, I hear how they lost everything due to bad choices, I hear about prison. I also see so many who are utilizing the shelter and services to do the work to get back up on their feet. Grateful for clean facilities to sleep in, clean clothes, and good meals.

I greet all our dinner guests when they come in and I say kind words when they leave. Some of the roughest looking guys, I admit I wouldn't make eye contact with on the streets, when I acknowledge them will smile, warm up, thank me, and introduce themselves.

I have a job to accomplish and a meal ministry to enhance and grow, but I am learning every day the power of a smile, a kind word, and the gift of listening.






Sunday, March 2, 2014

Men vs. Women

Being a single mom of 17 years, raising daughters, and decades of close female friendships, it is no wonder why I am drawn to advocating for women.

I advocate because I am a strong female and it is my nature on top of decades of personal experience that stirs something in me to charge to the battle line when there is an injustice. 

Imagine my feeling that there must be a mistake in the universe when I accepted a job at a group home for girls (to have it turn out to be bogus), then the opportunity opened for me to be a volunteer at a crisis pregnancy ministry. It was me lining myself up to be willing to serve for significance sake in the areas I thought were my strengths, then to find myself working in a men's homeless shelter/meal ministry. 

Wrong gender, God. I was 100% in the direction of advocating for women when I land myself in a position surrounded by men. I actually wondered if I was being tested for obedience ... Let's throw her in a position out of her comfort zone and see how she responds.

What I am finding is that while I understand women so much more, I am actually really good with men. I am very well received, liked, praised, and protected in my new environment and I laugh to myself because while I am more quiet spoken, the staff and men feel they need to protect me more.

The staff has questioned my comfort level being surrounded by men and often being the only woman present in the facility. I am absolutely, completely comfortable.

When I go to the podium in the evening for devotion and prayer before dinner, the staff has commented they hear how quiet the guys get to listen. That is a trick. If you speak loud to shout over the chatter, people don't care what they miss. If you speak in a normal to softer tone, they shush up pretty quick.

Stan is our resident body guard during meal times. I believe he feels he has to protect me and I smile to myself. I want to say, "Please do not confuse professional, sweet, warm and friendly as weakness." I simply don't feel as if I have to flex my muscles to prove anything.

The gift of influence is the invisible power that women overlook.
 
Femininity is definitely strength under control.
Femininity is strength wrapped in a velvet glove.
It doesn't insist on its own way, but most of the time it gets it.
                                                                 - Michelle McKinney Hammond
 
I am certain I will be put to the test many times in my new position and in those moments I will not blink or hesitate to raise my voice and command attention and authority. My downfall is that I am very brave, overly confident, and not easily intimidated.
 
While I thought I was ideal to serve working with women, God just may see it differently.
 
I've been known to be wrong a few (bzillion) times before.
 
 

 
 

Saturday, March 1, 2014

March 1st

March 1st.

Every news station is warning another winter snow blast is about to hit hard again for the next couple of days and it will; however, March is here which means no matter how hard and how much it snows, spring is near!

Freshly mowed grass, new mulch, and bright flowers.

Windows open and fresh air.

Walks in the parks.

Patio days and evenings.

Magical days and nights on a Harley.

To feel the hot sand under my feet at Headlands Beach.

Having coffee outdoors at a patio café with my girlfriends.

Watermelon bowls at the dinner table everyday.

I want to sweat on tennis courts, listen to the sounds of nature riding bikes through the trails, and feel the burn on those magnificent Monument steps.

To be outside under the stars listening to live music with my lover.

It is all very near.

A snowstorm may slow everything down over the next couple of days and I will admire its breathtaking beauty, but seasons change and the light of spring at the end of this winter tunnel is getting brighter.