Blessings and Pleasures

Friday became the ultimate day of the realization that I live in a house full of testosterone. Yes - dirty socks, smelly feet, and stinky arm pits. I spent an entire day watching college basketball and scratching through my brackets (well some of them).

After spending the day watching basketball with my husband (and secretly praying for my teams to win), I spent the rest of the evening watching a knock down, drag out, all out gun fight, and bad guy movie with my teen boys.

We all gathered in my bedroom finding the most comfortable spot with feet hanging off chairs, pillows on floors, and snacks in hand. Over time the room began to smell. I didn't care (well maybe at first).

The movie started and off we went with the usual comments of one son's "Yeah!" and the other's "This is stupid!" When you have one son who looks for the action and the other who looks for the moral or purpose of the movie then I guess that is expected. After the snacks and pillow throwing, the belching, farting, and laughter came only this time they couldn't blame the odor on the dog. (we had to put him to sleep a few months ago)

I grabbed my cheeks, rubbed my head, and said to myself, "My Word!"

After rubbing my head raw and the tension out, I actually became very interested in the movie with my own shouts of "Oh No!" and "That was nuts!" At one point heads popped up, turned my way, and my sons said, "Mom! Calm down!" I realized that I had become as involved in the movie as I had in the basketball - shouting insane things, praying desperate prayers for help, and feeling as if I had completely lost my mind! The tension was too much!

Never-the-less, I took in my two sons looking like rag dolls thrown throughout my room and thought, "What a beautiful fixture." I reflected back on my day and determined that I wouldn't have changed a thing. I actually began to thank God for stinky arm pits, smelly feet, and whoops and hollers. I thanked God for basketball brackets, surprising last minute wins, and the ability to compete with my husband. I thanked God for the most unusual things and the things that I probably would not have thanked him for in the past. I found that I could find blessings and pleasures in the strangest things.

However, when my husband returned home that night from his adventure, he asked, "How was your evening with the boys?" I shared that I had a great "manly day" but now - "I need a chic flick!"

He laughed and I nestled down in a quiet place to find the perfect movie that only a female would enjoy - where at first glance men scatter and women are left smiling. Yes - Thank you God for blessings and pleasures in what some men would call "the strangest things."

The Sting

Texas is a place that runs deep in my heart. I was born in Texas and have always loved the fact that I will always be a Texas gal.

Things I love about Texas:

• Beautiful sunsets - like painted backdrops


• Lightening storms - powerful beyond words
  
• Blue Bonnets and Indian Paints - they lace the canvas with color every season
  
• Tall pine trees stretching toward the heavens - the ones you can hardly get your arms around


• Road runners and covey of quail that run through your yard every fall
  
• The ocean and seagulls


• Wild cactus blooms
  
• The smell of mesquite wood burning


• That there is a church on almost every corner


• The men - no matter how old still say "yes ma'am."


• Cowboys wearing cowboy hats, ropers, and wranglers


• Wild raccoons and possums - I know they tear up stuff but I love seeing them


• Big pick up trucks and the best country music around


• The greatest thing is that my family lives there


• The list is endless . . . .
  

Yet - Along with beauty there is also the ugly. Most perfections have some kind of flaw. Along with the beautiful side of Texas there is a rough side, a strong strong, and a side that I do not miss at all.

• Fire ants - if you have ever gotten stung by a fire ant you understand that it is extremely painful - but to actually find yourself standing in a bed of fire ants- that is trouble - BIG TROUBLE.
  
• Along with fire ants are "sugar ants" - they are perfectly harmless but they come by the thousands and get into your food. They come through the cracks in your walls, outlets, and anywhere they can find a hole.


• Tornadoes - destructive and dangerous


• Snakes - I lived in the country and every kind of snake you can imagine ended up in our back yard. . . . one even in our house! Some are harmless but many are not and they will kill you.
  
• Summer Heat - the heat can become so violent in Texas that everything dies and you must stay in doors. It is absolutely too hot to be outside.


• Goat Heads - large thorns that stick deep hurt with a passion


• and the last . . . scorpions.
  

At our last house, I was stung by a scorpion when I went to move some furniture. I cannot describe the sting except to say that it was horrendous! The sting stayed with me for several days. I couldn't sleep out of fear of being stung again. It literally turned my life upside down. I was constantly looking for scorpions around the entire house. I was afraid to get in the bed at night without pulling the covers down and shaking them just to make sure a scorpion wasn't waiting to sting.
It is inevitable that while on this journey we will pass through those places of danger, places of hurt, and places that stir our fears - no matter how beautiful the scenery is.

The other day this story came to mind. After visiting with a friend of mine on the phone, she shared a tale about me that had been circulating among the members of the church I used to attend. It stung. It wasn't true and of course I understood it to be gossip but it didn't take away from the hurt. I felt attacked. In reality it was a sting very much like the scorpion. I was caught off guard and offended.

The truth is - God reminded me of the story about the scorpion because I needed to be reminded that it is very much like my love for Texas. There are many people in my old church whom I still love and love to visit with - and just like Texas there are still things there that will sting and hurt me. The result of that creates fear - I become cautious and always careful when turning a corner to make sure nothing was there that would sting me.

God doesn't want me or anyone else to live our lives in fear. The fear causes us to shy away from people who may very well need us and who may become a very wonderful friend one day. So I will take the advise of Ezekiel and move forward knowing that God is guiding me through those paths thickened with thorns, briers, . . . and yes . . . even scorpions.
"And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious house." (Ezekiel 2:6)

House Full of Noise

When our children are small they can make quite a bit of noise. I remember as a parent longing for those days of peace and quiet. As they grow the level of noise in the house changes. Having boys, one involved in sports and at practice all the time, and the other who had been gone for a while, left our house peaceful and quiet. I must admit that I enjoyed the serenity. However, as time passed I began to miss "the noise."

My oldest son recently returned home from a long trip. We were all so happy to have him home but suddenly the noise returned. I am sitting here at this very moment listening to both of the boys play their instruments. My oldest is playing electric guitar and the other is on the drums. They are both incredibly skilled on their instruments and have been playing for a long time. It sounds like a huge rock concert! The house is shaking, the neighbors are probably ready to call the police, and if we had a dog he would be heading for the door to get out as fast as he could.

Its pretty heavy stuff - but I LOVE IT! In a moment I will close my door and around 9:00pm we will have to say, "Okay guys - the neighborhood wants to sleep." Once again we will have peace and quiet. In the moment of the stillness I will smile - just at the thought of the noise returning tomorrow. I know - I'm a crazy mom. So - knowing that there will come a day when the nest will be empty and the noise will be gone, I will enjoy it while I can. . . .even if I do have to wear ear plugs.

Dipping Into the Refrigerator

My son recently returned home from spending quite a bit of time in Mexico City with my sister who is a missionary there. After throwing his bags down, he went over to the refrigerator and opened it, closed it, and then opened it again. He stood there, stared, and smiled.

I had to ask, "Surely there was food in the refrigerator where you were staying." He said, "Yes but everything was written in Spanish."

He then went over to the sink, turned the faucet on, and scooped the cool water into his mouth.

I had to ask, "What is going on with the water?" It was as if he had never tasted water before this moment.

He said, "We couldn't drink the water out of the faucet." I smiled and thanked God for his wonderful adventures and lessons. Later on, I started thinking about his great adventure and the things he had learned to appreciate when God brought something to mind.

Sometimes when we open our Bibles, it is as if we are opening a refrigerator in a foreign country. We read the word, receive the food, and partake of it, but it has no meaning. I imagine so many Christians have refrigerators from a foreign country. And even more than that when we go to read God's word we really do act like we are grabbing something from the fridge. We give a quick peek in, grab something, and then we're out.

But something happens when we suddenly return home - especially if we have been away for a while. Something happens when we return to Christ. Something happens. Amazingly, it is like opening a refrigerator and being able to read labels for the very first time. Suddenly everything appears so much clearer. Suddenly the food we partake of has meaning and purpose - we understand what we are reading! Suddenly everything comes alive.

Recently we have had a lot of people at our church standing in front of the refrigerator with the door open. Not to grab a quick bite - not because they can't understand the language - but because the food looks so much better. The food tastes so much better. The food is better.