Taking a Step Back

I'm Back! Part Deux

2012-02-06T13:01:00.016-06:00

I wanted to let everyone who read my post titled
I'm Back know that the kid who punched Cam did apologize to him as soon as they saw each other on Friday at school. He also called me after school to apologize to me as well! He wanted me to know that he & Cam are friends and he was sorry that he allowed things to get out of hand. I accepted his apology, thanked him for calling me and gave him some motherly words of wisdom regarding hitting games. He promised that he would have Cam's back... I think he's knows about Momma Bears... :)

Peace.

I'm Back

2012-02-02T20:31:00.001-06:00

Sometimes we just need to take a break. I took one from writing. I was feeling so pressured to write on my blog every month. I tried to write and when I would open my blog I just couldn't put what I was thinking, feeling, and really wanting to say into printed words. So, I just took a break.

I spent a few weeks reading new blogs from people that I don't know. Some were really clever. Some were really funny. Some were really educational. Then there were a lot that were like mine...just random thoughts. I really enjoyed reading all of them.

I also joined the "Pinning" community. (I'm hooked!) :)

I'm back now. I'm not pressuring myself into writing something every day or every week or every month. I hope you will check back often to read what I've written. If you do, I hope you will leave a comment and let me know your thoughts. (Bloggers really like readers to comment.)

Happy 2012 everyone! I don't really make resolutions but my goal for this year is to live more peaceably. I have felt so stressed and wound up the past couple of years and there were a few times that I really felt I could easily explode. I will take breaks when I feel too pressured. I will ~~kick everyone out of the house~~ escape to my bedroom or bathtub when I need quiet time....or take a walk in my neighborhood. I will realize that I'm really not in control anyway so I might as well let God handle everything on His own. I. Will. Breathe.

That was the blog that I wrote this morning... now to air my dirty laundry... I'm not breathing very easy right now nor do I feel very peaceably or peaceful or anything to do with peace!! Cam got hurt in the locker room after practice during a so called "friendly scuffle gone wrong" by a teammate (not a close friend or kid that I know very well).

It's one of those hitting games that the testosterone-dominant homo sapiens of the locker room world engage in, and this Momma Bear is ferociously upset! It just did something to me to see my cub trying to slide into the car, without it being obvious to the multitude of other homo sapiens standing around, that he just got punched in his manhood. After I found out what happened I really wanted to get out of the car and go up to the kid and ~~tell him how mean he is~~ ask him if I needed to call his mother! Did you know that "homo sapiens" is Latin for "wise man"? So, why do these "wise men" continue to hurt each other this way! And think it's funny! Sheesh!

I didn't get out of the car. I did give the kid a long, hard stare! (Being truthful here!) Cam also got a lecture on why this particular hitting game is stupid and the type and severity of damage that could be done. After we got home there was also some smack talk about the kid...by me! (Yep, still being truthful)... I did apologize to God and Cam for it.

Cam's mostly upset that he didn't block the punch...and sore in more ways than the obvious. I'm going to have a hard time even looking at this kid at the game tomorrow. How's that for living peaceably & breathing & letting God have control?! :/

Cam says that the kid will probably apologize tomorrow. I really hope he does...I also hope the coach has him do a lot of running. (Still being truthful)

I'm going to go practice that breathing now...and eat some chocolate.

Dirt, Pansies & Blessings

2011-10-24T22:00:00.002-05:00

The women's Bible study small groups at our church were encouraged to do a service project this semester. My group decided to re-do some of the landscaping at a local children's clinic. This clinic is a volunteer-run clinic for families without any form of medical insurance.

This is how it looked before we arrived.

The right side of the porch before we began.

Working in the dirt.

Planting the beautiful pansies.

After

My group.

After we finished digging, planting, pruning, mulching and watering we joined in a circle and prayed a blessing over this clinic, the volunteers and the families that would come here. We thanked God for the rain from the night before that made the dirt moist & easy to work with. We thanked God for creating plants and flowers and asked that He would grow what was planted here that day.

I'll drive by tomorrow (1 week later) and see how things are growing. :)

To volunteer, give monetary gifts or find out more about this clinic click here.

First Day of High School

2011-08-22T11:48:00.000-05:00

Today is my baby boy's first day of high school. He sprained his neck over the weekend so I hope that's the reason why he's not smiling. He was a little excited, a little nervous, and a little ticked off that his neck is hurt (basketball off-season begins today).

As we were driving to school I felt very happy for Cam and excited for this next step in his life journey. Then it hit, just as I was pulling away from the school. Tears! Yep, I admit it! I cried - the whole way home!

A Dog's Story

2011-07-13T11:10:00.011-05:00

Hi! My name is Ellee. I am a Corgi/Lab mix, otherwise known as a Corgador, and I have a story to tell.

Several weeks ago while I was taking a nap I had a dream. In my dream I met a beautiful golden retriever named Max. He told me that he needed me to find his people. He described The People in such detail that I would know them as soon as I saw them. He told me how much his people had loved him and how they made him a part of their family. He missed his people so much and he knew that they still missed him even though he had been gone for nearly two years.

I was, what you would call, a stray. I wasn't alone though. I had my sisters with me. We would walk and walk until we were so tired that we had to find a place to rest. We would take turns standing guard so that a predator wouldn't sneak up on us. We would find food in these black plastic bags all over the place. Why do people put perfectly good food in these black plastic bags and put them by the street? I have no idea but I'm so glad they did. We fed that way for weeks and weeks. Luckily, we were in an area where there are a lot of ponds and lakes to drink water from. We would lie in the water to stay cool in the Texas heat and then run through the fields. I have short hair so I didn't have any problem staying clean but my sister's hair is long and she got so muddy and her hair was matted so badly. She had sticker burrs all in her hair and they would pull her hair and prick her skin. She was a mess.

Anyway, I told them about my dream and how this Max Dawg wanted me to find his people. He told me what area to go to and he talked about his people moving to Texas after he went away. He told me how his boy had grown up and took a mate (I think you call it marriage). He told me that his other boy was so lonely for a dog of his own. He said that the mom and dad had gone through a lot of changes since he went away. The dad had a job change and was gone to a place called England for a long time before they moved to Texas. (Apparently my ancestors came from England. That explains the accent.)

Anyway, back to my story...The mom was so sad when Max left. He said that she has tried to adopt a few dogs since moving to Texas but she just couldn't choose one. He said that she was comparing all of them to him and since she couldn't choose one he would choose one for her. He chose me. He said that I would be perfect for them.

He said that I was the perfect color and size for them. I'm actually close to the same color as him so maybe that's why... but he is WAY bigger than me. He said that when I found them I would need to give them a certain look. He showed me "the look" and I just hoped that I would get it right. He gave me a kiss on the head and told me that I would know them when I found them. He told me not to be afraid of them but to act like I belonged with them.

So our search began. We walked and ran and rested and walked and ran and rested some more. I wanted to keep running but it was so hot. When we got to the area where we thought The People were we went from house to house and business to business. Some people were nice and would give us fresh water. Others would throw things at us and chase us away with brooms. Finally we found the buildings where The People were supposed to be and we went from door to door but The People weren't there. We looked one more time but we couldn't find them. I knew they were here though. I could feel it in my bones. We found a nice shady spot next to the building to rest and cool off. It was such a hot day and we were so hungry and tired. We hadn't eaten in over a day maybe even two.

Then I heard it. A big white box thing on wheels was coming up to the building. I ran around to the door of the building to wait. The doors to the building opened and I ran in. My sisters followed. The man was so nice and he gave us a lot of cool fresh water to drink. I told my sisters that this is the dad. I knew it was him. He talked to a square thing in his hand and in a few minutes the mom and the boy were there. I ran up to them and gave them "the look" and tried to kiss them. I kept trying to sit in the mom's lap and tell her that I don't have an owner and that Max sent me. I kept giving her "the look". I could see in her eyes that she was nice and her hand was so gentle and I knew that she would not hurt me or send me away. My sister wasn't so sure. She kept trying to run away. The boy worked so hard to keep my sisters and me in the building. He would freshen our water and play with us.

The mom said she was going to make some calls and report us. My sister was afraid that we would be sent away to the bad place so she took off. We followed her. The boy and the mom ran after us. My sister ran into the road and the mom yelled at her to come back. A lady stopped and got out of her little box on wheels and helped the mom and boy get us back to safety. The mom and the lady worked together to make calls. After a couple of hours of making calls and going to some houses the lady took my sisters home with her and the mom and boy took me home with them. They took me to the vet to see if I had a chip. I like potato chips and I was really hoping to have some! The vet was really nice and she said that I didn't have a chip. Oh man! I really wanted chips! She told the mom that if someone didn't claim me in three days then I could stay with the mom. They took the mom's information and took a picture of me. They made flyers and posted them. I went home with the mom and the boy.

They fed me the yummiest food I have ever eaten and it wasn't even potato chips! The mom cleaned me up, gave me a ball to play with and a comfy blanket to sleep on. She gave me clean water to drink. It tasted so good. She talked to me and brushed me and told me that I was safe. I kept giving her "the look". I didn't know if she saw it or not but I kept trying. The boy played with me and put me on this big round bouncy thing. It was so much fun and he jumped and I jumped and we jumped together! The mom was worried at first about me being on the big round bouncy thing that she called a trampoline but when she saw that I liked it she was happy. I showed her how I could jump. She laughed.

I was a little lonely the first night by myself. I missed my sisters but the mom came and sat with me. She said that the lady was taking really good care of them. She told me that the lady had bathed my sisters and had combed all of the sticker burrs from their hair. She said that they were safe and that they were not hungry anymore. The next day the mom talked to people about me. She took my picture and sent it to people. I heard her say that she hopes she gets to keep me. Yes! I say. Yes! I want you to keep me. I gave her "the look". I think she saw it this time. I saw it in her eyes. I can't describe it. It was like her eyes went from confused to happy. I kept giving "the look" to the boy too. He kept telling me how cute I am and how he wants me to be his dog. I want to be his dog too!

A little while later the mom and boy were sitting outside with me. They were talking and the boy asks his mom if she saw the look. My ears perked up...well, they're always perked up, I'm Corgi...but I mean I wanted to hear what the mom said. She said that she did see it the very first time that I looked at her. She thought that she was imagining it. Finally, they said what "the look"is. It was the exact look that Max would give them. Yes!!! I got it right!

Three days passed and no one tried to find me. I knew they wouldn't but the mom had to be sure. After that time we went back to the vet. The vet looked in my ears and eyes and mouth. She listened to my chest and tummy. She checked every square inch of me. She even checked my poop! Then, she stuck me with some needles but the mom said it was ok and it would keep me from getting sick. I don't want to be sick so I sat very still. They really didn't hurt that bad. The vet said that I was healthy and the mom was so happy. The vet told me that I was a very lucky dog to have been found by the mom. I just smiled and wagged my tail. We know who really found whom! <wink>

Thanks, Max! Your people still love you and miss you. You were right...they were ready to love me too!

Thanks for reading my story. There will be many more stories to tell. Just wait until you hear about the cat and me!

Ellee Faith

MAD!

2011-06-05T19:39:00.003-05:00

I'm MAD...I just didn't know it.

The MAD that I'm referring to stands for Moving Affective Disorder. I've been experiencing it. I just didn't have any idea what was wrong with me.

My dear friend received a tip from her sister that I should find a Moving On group in my area. It has saved me and probably my family too! I've been going almost every Wednesday for the past 4 months to a Moving On group at a church in another town. It takes me about 30 minutes to drive there but it is so worth it! I'm in a room with 6 or 7 other ladies who feel the same way I do. We're all MAD! These ladies have become dear friends to me. I'll write more about them later.

According to Susan Miller, founder of the ministry, Just Moved! and author of After the Boxes are Unpacked, women who move experience a type of stress that affects every area of their life causing them to feel devastated. No one has really been able to clearly "diagnose" it! (Just having a label for what we've been feeling really does help, doesn't it?)

Even though I thought that I had prepared myself emotionally for our move I really wasn't ready for how hard it hit me. I knew that I would probably struggle some at first. I was leaving a big part of my life behind...my son & new daughter-in-law, my circle of friends, my job at my church, my church family, and my neighbors. I was leaving people... my people...my village that I had spent 12 years building. Another way to put it is that I was losing my identity.

Our Home

We moved to a beautiful area. We bought our dream home. The schools here are excellent. We found a church that we love. Cameron made friends - good friends - the very first week of school. It was all going so well but I felt terrible! I felt so many emotions... anger, loneliness, depression, and exhaustion, to name a few. I missed my old life, the life that I was comfortable with.

It's hard starting over and being uprooted even though everything here is better for my family. One of the ladies in my group said that she felt like she had to be "on" all of the time. I know exactly what she means. It's like going to a conference for work where you're constantly meeting new people, putting on a friendly smile, looking them in the eye, shaking their hand and briefly introducing yourself. There's no time to know the real you. What a relief it was to find my Moving On group. It's been therapy for me. It's been a place where we can be real and share how we miss our friends or talk about how hard it is to shop in a new grocery store. One lady shared how she was hurt that some of her friends don't call her anymore since she moved. The dynamics of their life didn't change when she moved...just hers. We get that and it's ok.

I'm not known by a lot of people here yet. I'm not running into someone I know every time I go to Target. I still don't know the people who live around me. There are no invitations to get together with some other families on a Friday night or Super Bowl Sunday or Memorial Day. There's no sitting around the chiminea in the backyard on a Sunday evening with our neighbors. Maybe it will happen...eventually.

I just have to remember what I've learned in my Moving On group and that is to bloom where I've been planted. That's will require growing roots. That will require time.

Sometimes News Just Stinks!

2011-06-03T14:50:00.006-05:00

Our lives depend on news. There's all types of news. Business, Local, National, World, Sports, Weather, etc. Sometimes news just stinks!

Our pastor and friend (and my former boss) from Sonrise Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana, had a brain tumor removed nearly two weeks ago. The day after surgery he was talking, emailing, and communicating on Facebook. Everyone was amazed by how great he was feeling. Yesterday, they got the news...Malignant...Grade 4. Sometimes news just stinks!

I found out about it yesterday when I was picking Cam up from school. I barely remember Cam getting in the car or dropping Cam's friend, Daniel, at his house. I must have been in shock. I vaguely remember texting Tony the news. I don't know what I feel right now. I feel heartbroken and numb. I think that's how everyone is feeling. I'm trying to say the right words and be strong, but inside I just want to break.

We are grieving and just trying to wrap our heads around the news. We are standing together in prayer - across the nation and around the world. There are so many lives that have been effected by Pastor Stan Buck. His heart for Fort Wayne, Haiti, Africa, Burma, and for Impact 2818 Camps have caused a global church community to stand together and do some amazing things. The Sonrise Church community is again standing together as a mighty army of prayer warriors! Please stand with us!

My friends Janna & Sheri quoted a couple of lines of Chris Tomlin's "Our God is Greater" on Facebook after hearing the news. The song has been stuck in my head ever since and in my grief all I've been able to do is sing it. Here's two more lines...

And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us,

And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?

Here's the video of the whole song:

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T21:29:00.000-05:00

The day I became a mom was one of the best days of my life.

Here's a picture of me holding Colin:

Colin - May 9, 1989, 9lbs. 2oz., 22 inches long

Oh, the joy of holding my newborn in my arms. There's no better smell to me than the smell of my newborn baby. We would just stare at him for hours amazed that he was ours.

Another best day of my life is the day Cameron was born.

Cameron - June 7, 1996, 8 lbs. 5 oz., 21 3/4 inches long

I still feel the joy of cuddling that sweet baby boy in my arms. I can still see the way his big brother adored him. Again, the three of us would stare at him taking in every detail.

And on the day that our oldest son blessed us with a daughter by marrying his sweetheart, Katie Samuels.

Colin & Katie Cooper - July 17, 2010

When I was pregnant with Cameron we had picked out the name Caitlyn Elizabeth if he had been a girl. On the day that Colin and Katie married Tony told me that I got a daughter named Katelyn, after all. :)

The joy of being a mother isn't limited to biological births. It can even come through adoption or through marriage. I love being a mom.

Happy Mother's Day!

Drive Friendly

2011-04-25T21:12:00.003-05:00

This is a road sign that I've seen a few times. I saw it when we were driving through Oklahoma on our move to Texas and I saw it again this past weekend when we were coming home from visiting my mom in Arkansas.

It made me think. What does it mean to "Drive Friendly"? Do we smile and wave when we pass someone on the freeway? (I'm not referring to the middle finger wave that we see most of the time but to the true, old fashioned, Mayberry, USA, Hello wave.)

I think it's a good reminder to be a polite driver? I mean we teach our kids to be polite especially when in the presence of other adults. We teach them to share, to say "yes m'am and no sir" and "please and thank you". We teach them to say, "excuse me" when they burp. How are we doing about teaching them to drive friendly?

I wouldn't say that I'm an aggressive driver but I am someone who drives with a purpose. I want to get to where I'm going and I want to get there as quickly as possible. Isn't it Murphy's law or something that every time that you're running 5 minutes late there's always someone who is oblivious in front of you? That's when I have to remember to drive friendly.

Just this past weekend we were on the highway around 12 hours. We experienced a helmet-less 20 something on a "crotch rocket" darting around cars in heavy traffic at a very high rate of speed, a driver that just stopped in the middle of the highway because they were trying to find their turn, drivers tailgating and then passing and slowing down, and drivers veering into our lane while they were texting. It's hard to drive friendly during these times.

You hear about road rage every day. It's pathetic! Statistics show that men are more likely to show road rage than women (54% versus 46%). Also people between the age of 18 to 24 are 67% more likely to show road rage. Here's the kicker...People with children are more likely to respond aggressively than those without children (59% to 45%)!!!! Also cell phone users tend to drive more aggressively. Hmmm... so we can probably assume that just today, a majority of the aggressive drivers were mothers talking on their cell phone with their children in the backseat! I'm going to make it a point to drive friendly. How about you?

I'll leave you with this...

Today's Inspiration

2011-04-06T18:18:00.002-05:00

Apparently my shopping trips to Target inspire me.

Today as I was leaving Target there was a dad and son standing outside. Dad was on the phone. Apparently there was a mis-communication going on. Dad was asking a lot of questions and saying, "Oh! I didn't realize that." As I walked to my car they were walking to theirs (Dad is still on the phone). As luck would have it they were parked directly behind me. About the time that I'm getting into my car Dad's phone conversation ended. Son (who is around 10 years old) asks Dad, "What's Mom complaining about now?" I laughed...out loud! Dad kinda shrugged and laughed. I chuckled the rest of the way home.

Oh, Moms, the impressions that we make on our children! (I'll leave it at that for today!)

Time-Out! Please!

2011-03-17T20:17:00.001-05:00

Several weeks ago I was in the checkout lane at Target. In front of me was a mom and her three kids. I'll guess their ages were 6, 4, and 1. Boy, girl, girl, respectively. It was obvious by mom's tone that she was nearing the breaking point.

They really weren't doing anything bad. They weren't punching or kicking or pulling hair. Big brother was looking at younger sister which was making her whine at him which in turn made baby sister fuss. It wasn't bothering me or anyone else. It wasn't very loud. Honestly, it wasn't that bad. That's my perspective from the 5 minutes that I stood in line with them. I have no idea what mom's day was like or what her situation might be.

As I was getting to my car I could hear mom screaming at her kids to get in their seats and get buckled in right then or they would go to bed without any dinner. Yikes! The problem with that for me (besides the going to bed without dinner part - do parents still threaten that???) was that they weren't parked anywhere close to me. They were several rows over and up, closer to the store. I was parked quite a ways out. Everyone in the parking lot could hear her screaming at her babies. One guy getting out of his car close to mine commented about that mom needing a time out. He probably had no idea how true that was!

I was thinking about that incident a few days ago when I was once again in Target. I wish I could talk to that mom. I would tell her that we (moms) have all been in her shoes.
I would tell her that kids get tired, stressed and impatient. (So do moms).
I would tell her that sometimes kids yell because they think that is the only way they are heard. (So do moms.)
I would tell her that kids need time-outs. (So do moms.)

I would tell her that I have good news and bad news for her. I imagine her asking me what the good news is. I would simply say, "they grow up."

She would then ask me what the bad news is.
I would then reply, "they grow up...in a blink of an eye."

I pray that those kids have forgotten about their mom screaming at them, that they didn't go to bed hungry and that this mom was able to get a time-out. I pray that my boys have forgotten the times when I lost it and yelled and said things that were hurtful to them. If they haven't then I pray that God uses my mistakes to make them awesome fathers one day. I'm glad that I've learned when I need a time-out and that I don't feel guilty about taking it. I wish I had learned that one early on...it would have made me a better mom & wife.

24

2011-02-14T19:44:00.001-06:00

Not the tv show but years. 24 years. That's how long I've been married!!

Today, Tony & I are celebrating our 24th wedding anniversary. When I think about our life together I smile. I'm so thankful for that. There are some couples who don't smile when they think about their spouse. I know, sad, right?!

We watched a movie this past Saturday in which one of the characters claimed how easy his decision to marry his wife was because he knew he was marrying his best friend. That should be THE pre-marital counseling question..."Are you marrying your best friend?" If not, then you're probably marrying the wrong person. I'm so glad that I married my best friend.

I believe Dr. Dobson said, "Don't just marry the person you think you can live with - marry the person you think you cannot live without!"

A friend of mine told me that she wished her marriage could just be easy. I don't know if anything long lasting and worthwhile is just easy. Marriage takes work. Everyday. Just like parenting takes work everyday. If you don't work at it your marriage won't grow into a mature relationship. It doesn't just happen in 24 hours - it's a daily process year after year. "More marriages might survive if the partners realize that sometimes the better comes after the worst." ~Doug Larson

I hope that if you're a married person and you're going through a worst do whatever you can to make it become better. If you're an engaged person make sure that you are marrying your best friend. If you're a single person looking for your soul mate I pray that you will take the time to find the one person that you cannot live without. Don't just settle for someone you can live with.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

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Just Desserts

2011-02-08T21:50:00.003-06:00

Crème Brûlée

My all-time favorite dessert is crème brûlée. I seriously LOVE it! I don't allow myself to eat dessert too often but when I do I would prefer crème brûlée. I've had the opportunity to try it in a few different countries, several states and when our head waiter on our 20th Anniversary cruise found out that it was my favorite dessert he made sure that the pastry chef prepared one for me every night (7 nights!).

Recently, we were dining at a highly rated Texas bistro in San Antonio and sorry to say I was so disappointed after the first taste of their so-called crème brûlée. It wasn't sweet, the texture was awful and they had left out the vanilla bean. The waitress apologized, promptly took it away and deducted it from our bill.

Aldo

About four and a half years ago Tony & I were in London and dining with friends at Zilli Fish. It is founded by Aldo Zilli, a celebrated TV chef in the UK, and by chance, a friend of a friend. It was such a great night. Aldo came and sat with us for quite a while. He didn't sit with the young Hollywood celebrity seated at the table next to us. He sat with us! We visited and laughed and joked! It was great! Good food, good conversation, and awesome crème brûlée. I raved for a couple of years that it was my very favorite.

Last year, my wonderful hubby who is an excellent chef, made crème brûlée for us (me). Oh my goodness, it was SO GOOD! Much better than Aldo's!

We had friends over for dinner this past Friday night and Tony made it again for us (me). I'm totally serious when I say that it is the BEST EVER! (and I'm not saying it just because he's my husband! ) There has to be a way that we could make a small fortune from it (it's that good!) but I don't know how, and we most definitely will not be going into the restaurant business. :)

Ciao, Aldo. I respect you as a famous chef and I really enjoyed meeting you. Your crème brûlée is not the best to me anymore. If I ever have the pleasure of dining in your restaurant again I probably will choose to order the Tiramisù.

Don't Give Up

2011-01-27T12:57:00.005-06:00

1/12/11

Some days I really hate to exercise.
Today was one of those days. I was tired, mentally and physically and my attitude was horrendous. The workout rotation for today had me doing backward lunges with weights. Grrreat! I hate backward lunges. About halfway through my second circuit I was done, d-o-n-e, DONE!
I wanted to give up and never pick up a stinking dumbbell again! At that moment I imagined what my body would look and feel like if I gave up. Images of what I don't want to be popped in my head.
So, I gave myself a pep talk and said, "I've got this. I can do this."

What about in life? Aren't there days or circumstances where we just want to give up?

I recently read a blog written by a person in ministry. She was ready to give up on church due to a recent hurt. Even when she didn't necessarily listen to God in her time of grieving, He listened to her. He heard her weeping. He knew her hurt. He took the ugliness of her hurt and covered it in His beauty.
You can read her blog here to find out what happened.

How many times have I wanted to give up because of hurt or anger.
How many times have I said, "Really??!!" to God.
Oh, there have been a few!
There have been moments when I was so tired of carrying a hurt that I felt I didn't have the strength to get out of bed much less encourage someone else that was hurting. I felt that I had reached my breaking point. I was done, d-o-n-e, DONE! That's when God was near saying, "I've got this. I can do this."
He could've said it through a beautiful snowfall. He could've said it through a song on the radio.
He recently said it to me through an encouraging phone call from someone that I've never even met.

The first step in healing is to let go. Not to give up.
I'm learning to let go right now (I'll write more about that soon).

It's Christmas!!

2011-01-14T23:00:00.010-06:00

It's Christmas at the Cooper home this weekend... Yes, I know that it's the middle of January and yes my tree is still up... Colin and Katie arrived today and we are celebrating Christmas with them!

A friend of mine shared with me just before Christmas last year (2009) how she loves to go to her mother-in-law's house because she can just relax and be herself. You see, her mother-in-law has never demanded that they be there on Christmas Day. In fact she simply told her that it will be Christmas whenever they can get there (whether it's Christmas Day or January 14).

I'm sure my friend had no idea at the time that she was speaking words of wisdom to me. I knew that I wanted to be that type of mother-in-law. Of course I want to be with my kids at Christmas but I also know that it's just not always possible. As you know, Colin & Katie got married in July and had to use all of their vacation time for their honeymoon. They just couldn't come here for Christmas and we couldn't go there. The important thing is that we are all together now and it's Christmas in our home this weekend.

We ate dinner in the dining room which is still mostly decorated for Christmas, exchanged gifts in front of the Christmas tree, and now we are enjoying a fire in the fireplace above which hangs a beautiful picture of the Nativity. It's Christmas in our home this weekend.

Maybe I'll keep the meaning of Christmas in my heart a little longer this year. Isn't that the way it should be. Just because December is gone and a new year has begun doesn't mean that we are to stop remembering what Christmas is about. I'm sure Jesus would be pleased if we continued to celebrate Him by living a life full of Love, Joy, Peace and Hope throughout the year.

So, for now my tree is lit, the Nativity hangs above my mantle, and I have the blessing of spending a 4 day weekend with the 4 most important people in my life. It's Christmas in our home this weekend.

Newb

2011-01-04T10:14:00.001-06:00

Borrowing a term from my 14 year old son, I'm a Newb.

Urbandictionary.com defines a Newb as someone new or unfamiliar to an activity that they are partaking in but want to grow and become better. (Normally this is in reference to the gaming world.) But Newb should also not be confused with Noob which is defined as a person who knows little and has no desire to learn more. Since this is my first attempt at blogging, I guess I'm a blogging Newb.

Not only am I a blogging Newb, but I'm a Texas Newb. We relocated to Texas from Indiana this past August. New home, new city, new state, new neighbors, new church, new acquaintances, new grocery store, new post office, new mall, new Starbucks. (You get it, right?) Some people would be excited to move to a new location. I kinda hate it right now.

I hate being the new neighbor on the street. I hate not knowing anyone sitting around me at church. I hate not knowing the Baristas at my closest Starbucks. I hate not having my BFF's here to drop by for a cup of coffee. I hate not being able to get together on a Saturday night with friends to play Catch Phrase. I hate being a Newb!!

However, I've decided that I will not be a Noob while I'm a Newb. I will stop feeling sorry for myself. I will strengthen my faith and level up my attitude. I will trust God to grow and improve me so that I can be the kind of friend, wife and mother that I need to be here in Texas.

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. 2 Peter 3:18