The Wood Journey

...and she pondered

2011-12-11T20:01:00.000-08:00

Luke 2:19 says, "but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought of them often." I remember reading or hearing of this verse last year, at this time of the year, and couldn't find a more fitting description for where I was. At 10:36pm on Saturday, December 11, 2010, our world was impacted for the better with the arrival of Owens Scott. Amid the camera flashes, the smiles, hugs and coos, I would often take myself to the place I picture Mary did, thousands of years ago, and did some pondering. To relate myself to the mother of the King of Kings seems arrogant, at best, ridiculous, at worse. Her pondering, as I would imagine, took on a whole new facet, as she was faced with the reality that her Son was unlike anyone that had walked the face of the earth, nor would ever. But, in my meagerness I'd like to give myself a venue in which to relay my pondered thoughts. Didn't think there was much better a time than pretty close to the exact time - one year ago - when my life took on the most beautiful and challenging role I have had the pleasure of taking.

I ponder the awe...

I'm grateful I journaled these words - good chance my lack of long-time memory would've stolen them from me. Within days of the first pregnancy test, I wrote of my extreme sense of awe in the reality that a person who would walk the face of this planet, was beginning to grow inside of me. Pregnancy was something I had only watched from the sidelines, and the face-to-face I was experiencing was literally taking my breath away. I had been chosen. There are women who don't get this opportunity. A sense of awe has had a watchful eye over me since then. There is nothing of this journey I deserve. I never want to move past that truth.

I ponder the gratefulness...

I pushed for two hours - received the words that it was time to get him out, so we were prepped for a c-section. I'll never forget the look in Randy's eyes, as the nurses began their preparation. He knew I desired to have our little man vaginally and simply looked at me and said, "I'm so sorry, baby." The next words out of my mouth were of gratitude - I got to experience everything I could and it was time - he was coming and there was nothing else I cared about. As I looked on his face, those first few days, amid the exhaustion and recovery, I could only say "thank you". And, there isn't a day that goes by that I live the life of mom to an up-and-coming participator of society, that I don't utter those words that keep all things in perspective.

I ponder the trust...

The results came back positive for a condition called craniosynostosis. He was 5 weeks old. He wasn't in pain. He was beginning to smile. And on his third month birthday, he was rolled away from us, into a surgery room, and I tasted, for the first time in my life, the bitterness of trust. The surgeon, we had only known a few weeks. The hospital, a nice place to visit, not one a parent plans on checking into. The reality, a condition that wasn't life-threatening, but was wise to approach with caution. The risks, developmental delays, among other things we wouldn't even know of till he was much older. Trust is sour and always forces you to look it directly in the eye. But, the reward is a life that is pleasing to God. There isn't a better motivating factor.

I ponder the release...

I had the privilege of experiencing one of those "proud moments", when someone brags on your child, today. After church, a mother and her teenage daughter stopped me, as I was carrying Owens. They both admitted that he is one of their top five favorite "little people", when they have their turn in the nursery. The daughter said he is always so kind and sweet. If that didn't push my proud button, the next comment sent me to the moon. While giving my weekly announcements on the stage, I held him and asked everyone to sing him Happy Birthday (yes, I took advantage of my role, don't judge me - wink). The mom delivering such kind words of my son told me, when I held him up there, her and her daughter looked at each other and said, "we know him!" They KNEW him. And they didn't just KNOW him, they found him important enough to WANT to know him. Randy & I are spoiled - we know it full well - but I never want to simply smile in humility when kind words are spoken about our son. Am I daily releasing him to be, not just a "good guy", but a lover of God, who follows Him, whatever that means? Is my pursuit of God one that will help give him wings to pursue God with a passion I can only dream of? Will I let go...and watch my little man fly?

So, I ponder.

And, as I prepare for bed, exhausted from a full and pleasing weekend, celebrating Owens' life, I will, once again, tell God I am one blessed girl, humbled by His goodness and favor.

And, little man, to be your mama will always be one of the most honoring pleasures of my life, next to being your daddy's wife. May your awe, gratitude, trust and release increase because I never cease to be vulnerable in front of you. God loves our hearts. And He did another good work with yours.

Happy 1st birthday, my little man.

more than just a holiday

2011-11-29T08:44:00.000-08:00

It's that time of the year when it's not weird to be grateful. For most of us, grateful and weird hardly ever make it in the same sentence, but for the society we live in, gratitude doesn't frequent the vocabulary, on a daily basis. I think that's why this time of the year is probably my favorite. Each season has its elements to look forward to, but none compare, at least for me, than the spirit of gratefulness that seems to permeate almost everyone.

I think that's why, when I hear an experience like the one a friend of mine had, just recently, I am overcome with heart ache for the missed opportunity of showing the lost who Jesus is. My friend's grandfather had endured several health issues that came close to taking his life. Recently, his time to enter into his eternal home, with Jesus, came and his family mourned the loss of a great man, with a peace that he was eternally healed and home free. I had been blessed with the opportunity to walk with my friend, in prayer, through this time, so when I received the following text, it broke my heart. Her grandfather had requested a certain woman to sing one of his favorite hymns, at his funeral. The pastor of the church he attended objected to a woman singing, claiming the congregation would be offended. That, in and of itself is hard to swallow, but what made it heart breaking was the fact that my friend's aunt - the grandfather's other daughter - doesn't know Jesus. Her only interaction with who Jesus is is the lives of His followers around her. The message that man spoke to my friend's aunt was clear - Jesus shows favoritism and so will we.

I honestly believe the world will never want a relationship with our Jesus if who we portray Him to be doesn't run consistent to who He is. And I'm realizing one of the purest ways to show the consistency of Christ is in gratefulness. Yes, this time of the year, it's popular to say "thank you" - to take the month of November and post something you are grateful for each day of the month (those of you who did that on facebook were inspiring to me). But, I want the world to see something deeper, in my gratitude, than simply the name of a holiday. God has used a couple things, in particular, to hammer that truth home for me.

I was given a book, by a friend, that has rearranged my mind, when it comes to gratitude. One Thousand Gifts, by Ann Voskamp is a must-read, regardless of where you fall in the gratitude scheme. She is challenged to list 1000 things she is grateful for, in the midst of a terribly low time of her life. By the end of the list, she can't stop. Everything from little feet on her hardwood floors to bread she is able to feed her family. It was revolutionary for me and has made me so much more aware of what and whom I am grateful for.

The Target in Weatherford has expanded to include groceries and makes for an even more enjoyable shopping experience, for sure. As they were opening the grocery side of the store, they mailed out coupons to use. One of those coupons was one for a free loaf of bread. It could not have come at a more opportune time, in the Wood household. This month was tighter than some of the previous ones and now that we have another mouth to feed, from the table, I've become very aware of how precious food is. The free bread wasn't a huge deal - I think the loaf cost $1.29, but God took me to a level of gratefulness that has penetrated my mind, since then. I never want to get over free bread. I never want to be at a place where the beauty of that loaf and being able to feed it to my son isn't something that humbles me to the God who provides. For a week or two, the line of the Lord's Prayer that says "give us today, our daily bread" took on a whole new meaning. I never want to get over that.

And the last way God has shown me a deeper side to gratitude is in the humility of my daddy. I've spoken several times, on here, about the impact he has made on my heart. In my opinion, he is the most humble man on the planet and his intense pursuit of the heart of God inspires me. He exudes gratefulness and my heart hasn't been the same.

As I reflect on where we were this time last year...1 day past my due date....and look at that beautiful face, snotty nose and all, I want to leave my little man with, not just the knowledge of all God has given, but a deep desire to change his part of the world, through gratitude.

That is a consistent picture of the Lover of our souls.

a retro-avocado stomach virus and a new bed

2011-08-25T19:55:00.000-07:00

First off, excuse the layout here...I'm still trying to figure out how to put pictures on here & thought I'd get real fancy and add 3 this time. Now that I know I can do THAT, next, I'll work with making it look presentable.

Hopefully my title got your attention. Believe me, I worked all day to make it sound appealing, but there ain't nothing appealing about the color of an avocado & a stomach virus. Then, when you throw in a new bed...it gets almost to visual to enjoy. Welcome to the week of August 22nd in the Wood household. As you have allowed me, I have used this venue as a means to hash out my mental frustrations, joys, tears and laughs of becoming Owens' mom. So, I found it only appropriate to blog about our first experience with an infant (fastly approaching toddler age, at least it feels that way) & the nasty subjects of diarrhea and vomit. But, before you click that little button in the corner of your screen, telling yourself there is nothing appealing about READING about those such things, I'll begin our journey where it began: the new color of our bed room: retro-avocado.

For those who have visited our humble abode, you know we donned the bold brick red for four years, but a year ago, my talented husband built us a king-size bed, made with the specific dimensions as the Pottery Barn one we wanted, but couldn't afford. With a king-size bed comes the need for king-size bedding, which we were given for Christmas last year. But, being the "need for change" people that we are, we didn't go with what would match our walls. We went completely different - several fun shades of green and grey, all with the intent of painting over the red to match. Isn't it like life that about the time you stow away enough money to get that "extra" (in our case, a gallon of good paint), something comes along that takes way more precedence. So, the beautiful new bedding had to live in a room in which it just didn't fit in....until this past Saturday. Bum, bum, ba, bum, bum, BUM!!! The exact money was there, the exact color was found, the boy spent the day with his Nana & we went to work. With every stroke, I felt liberated. NEW! With every dip of my paintbrush, I felt clean. NEW! And, when the last touches were made - the bed pushed back against the wall - the new lampshade bought & the bed made, I found my new favorite place in our home. It captures everything peaceful I can think of. It invites one to come rest, put away things that are loud and annoying. It encompasses all that Randy & I have wanted our home to bed: a true retreat. I am one happy girl.

But, with retreat comes the need to escape to it. Enter, stomach virus & an extremely lethargic little man. For those that know him, we definitely have an alert and responsive kid. He's active and enjoys movement, so for him to lay in my lap for almost two days straight, with very little movement, was hard to watch. Don't get me wrong, there wasn't a place on the planet you could've transported me to instead of my chair, with him on my chest, but I also knew his little body wasn't right and, like every parent, wanted to transport that pain onto myself. We quickly learned what it meant to put everything aside, as his relief and health was of the utmost importance. Our plans changed, our meals changed, our sleeping changed and we excused every bit of it, for the sake of the one who holds pieces of our hearts. With God's favor and healing, he is on the uphill climb now....not 100%, but it's not too far off.

So, that leaves us with the new bed. We are a blessed people because we have been given at least 90% of any and everything we use to benefit the little man's living situation. Since we brought him home from the hospital, he has slept in a good sized cradle, given to us by a generous couple in Durant, whom we have yet to meet. His new crib was given to us by one of my dearest friends, Angie...no strings attached, come get it and take it off her hands. Randy did his magic with some paint and sand paper & the little man is sleeping so ever soundly in it, at this very moment. It completes his room beautifully and I am overwhelmed with the way change brings such freshness and peace.

Now, you know I'm not going to just close the blog with something ordinary like..."and there you have it, folks, our week in a nut shell", because, let's be honest, you have much better things to do than read what happened on Spring Street this week. Instead, I leave you with why it was vital I combine all three things into the title. They have some pretty interesting relate-ability.....

1) Green represents life & our desire is for those coming into our home to experience that every life is valuable & you will be cherished.

2) Sickness allows attachment & our desire is our home is a place of safety and security for all who enter.

3) Generosity brings a new beginning & our desire is to give as we have been so graciously blessed.

Oh, and by the way...I would be amiss without giving these words to my two favorite boys on the planet. Owens Wood, you are an unmistakable image of your daddy in your laughter, your spirit and your joy...especially when your little body aches. You taught mom that circumstances shouldn't dictate the attitude. Randy Wood, your talent and your ability are objects to be marveled at, but your heart, on a daily basis, challenges me to be different. You love me and our son so well.

a full heart

2011-08-11T07:09:00.000-07:00

There are few things more therapeutic than my #1 comfort food, coffee, in hand and a content son, watching Praise Baby. BTW: I really feel like the creators of Praise Baby should make me their endorser or something, as many times as I have mentioned them in the past few blogs :) We miss little Lizie in our home, but are enjoying this morning.

Yes, the little girl went back home yesterday. We met her mom and Madie at the McDonald's in Gainsville to make the exchange. Had a good time over hamburger Happy Meals, letting the girls run around and play and watch the little man wish his little legs would take him where they were going. Joni and I don't get time to simply talk very often, so it was a sweet time with her, getting to share hearts and journeys. To say she inspires me to grow every day would be quite the understatement. I don't know that I've watched someone challenge and grow with such grace like I have my sister. She endures the pains of maturation with such beauty, I honestly envy the way she allows God to mold and shape her. I'm blessed among those to have another girl on this planet who shares my blood line, but I'm even more blessed to say our friendship truly makes me better, on a daily basis.

Time with Lizie ended Tuesday night with Taco Tuesday (like I mentioned) and we definitely found them to be one of her favorites - good to know for next time!! Then, after putting the baby cousin to sleep, we watched "MegaMind", while getting our finger nails and toes painted. She's a true princess, in every sense of the word. Didn't move a muscle while she was being pampered...I love that quality about her :) And even though it was WAY passed her bed time when she crawled into bed (another benefit about being with the aunt and uncle, hee, hee), she was completely fine with no book being read and went straight to sleep. She's a good kid, no doubt, but I also give props to her mom and daddy....they've done an incredible job with both my princess nieces.

Before we headed out of town, to make the exchange, we stopped by my friend's work to pick up a little prize for Lizie and her sister. The friend I mentioned in yesterday's blog (Marlin) is an accomplished seamstress and graciously made the girls each a dress, made from bandannas. They even have their initial embroidered on them. (pics will come on FB when my sister sends them to me, don't worry :)) It was so special to me that she took the time to make and give them away, to a little girl she just met and one she has never known. If you're reading this, Marlin, your gift was a blessing...not just for how cute they are, but the heart behind it.

So, I ditto my sister's comment last night, over text....she said she was going to bed, full of gratitude for what God had given. In a time when it is too easy too look at what we don't have - rain, cooler weather, more money, less stress, etc - I'm craving moments when God's trusting hand points my face toward thankfulness. That spirit will never disappoint and His heart will always satisfy.

a laid back girl & a donkey

2011-08-09T15:53:00.000-07:00

As those of you know, with more than one little chick in the house, going from one to two can be a little challenge. Randy & I desire for Owens to not be an only child, so I'm seeing this week with Lizie as good prep for when that day comes. To say I reached a level of exhaustion last night that supersedes what I experience on a daily basis with our little man, would be quite the understatement. So, that's my little excuse for not blogging last night - don't worry, I've already confessed and apologized to her mom :) Promise to do a good job of combining yesterday and today -- and I'm doing it before dinner, so as to not sleep through it again tonight.

Day 2 with Lizie-girl began with cinnamon rolls and strawberries. We had movie time, while Owens had his mid-morning nap and ate a lunch of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Afternoon nap time wasn't too far off and the boy and the girl got good ones, for sure. After nap, we donned the swim suits for the Love Street water park, here in Weatherford. Wasn't the big hit Aunt Shuddy had hoped it would be, but Lizie let Owens enjoy it :) Then, it was home for chicken strips, corn and "Despicable Me".

Day 3 began with a BANG, having to sprint to get ready and make it to the Weatherford Cinema in time for the FREE movie, "Monsters vs. Aliens". Every Tuesday in the summer, the theater shows a kid-friendly flick, for free, catch is, make it there in time to get a seat, a good one, if you're lucky!! Lizie is definitely different than her sister, the girl enjoys her sleep. But, her and I made in time to get a $3.50 popcorn and lemonade combo and the perfect seat (she sat on my lap, of course), right in the middle. The movie was good, morning pop corn, even better :) We got home in time for Owens to get up from his nap (thank you, uncle Randy, for staying home with him!!) and lunch of, yes, again, peanut butter sandwiches. Then, we donned the swim suits and all headed to the pool. Our friend Mar Mar (Marlin Whittington, for those who know her) graciously let us come swim at her parent's house, helped us find a missing flip flop and even let us feed carrots to their donkeys. The afternoon was topped off with a snow cone and a good nap. And, because Aunt Shuddy's kitchen got way too hot last night cooking - and because she's lazy and didn't mind the break - uncle Randy is treating us to Taco Tuesdays at Rosa's Mexican Cantina tonight!! I think Aunt Shuddy might be the most excited of all!! :)

But, instead of simply giving the play-by-play of our past two days, I couldn't end the update without being vulnerable about what God has been reminding me of, while she's been here. As all of us have been experiencing, this heat has really taken a toll on our little house. Like I mentioned in a previous blog, fans are a'blowin', but things aren't a'coolin'. But, also, like I posted a couple weeks ago, God doesn't always "send rain", like our request may be. But, He will provide. We have two new window units in our two hottest rooms and both were free. We can't believe the difference it has made. My dad bought us an antenna for our TV (we've recently cancelled our Dish), but was having trouble getting it to work, so we'd be able to have local channels (and I could satisfy my Kathie Lee and Hoda addiction every morning!!). Randy messed around with it and we now have local channels and more. I was relishing the ways God has provided and overwhelmed with how much I doubt. But, as is my nature, gratitude doesn't stay around long. Our refrigerator went out a couple days before Randy came back from Africa. They came yesterday to fix it: good news, it took 20 minutes, bad news, it cost $311. I was so disappointed. Because of the cost, Randy & I were going to be unable to go to a play (date night) on Friday night, like we had planned. I went from gratitude to discouragement in a matter of 20 minutes. But, isn't it refreshing that God doesn't let us stay there? We were given financial help with the fridge bill and free tickets to the play. And, this little girl was given a big dose of humility when it comes to how God works in our lives. These last couple days I've had the pleasure of watching our little man and Lizie and my heart is continually refreshed with the realization that the most simple things can satisfy them. Whether it's the 300th viewing of Praise Baby or being completely fine that schedules had to change several times over the past couple days....children are the most forgiving people on the planet and I want to imitate their grace and humility.

Once again, when we take Lizie home tomorrow, I will return a changed aunt.

Lizie comes to town

2011-08-07T20:14:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe that our baby girl, in the newest generation of the Robinson family, has made it to the age where she gets to spend a week with Aunt Shuddy & Uncle Randy. I started this three years ago when our oldest niece, Madie, turned three. We were blessed to be able to do it each summer & this summer, it is Lizie's turn. She turned three in March & I couldn't wait to give her the same fun week that we've been able to give her sister all these years. I had high hopes to have them both this summer, but wasn't sure I could juggle three of them (our little man included) till I had a little more experience under my belt. So, Madie is getting some much deserved alone time with her mom and dad, while we get to show Lizie all things Weatherford, TX. I promised her momma that I'd document her little adventure on here, so here's to day 1 & 1/2.....

After a complete melt down getting into Uncle Randy's vehicle - having to say good bye to her best friend and sister, her mom and dad, we rounded the corner of their house and that beautiful adage, "out of sight, out of mind" brought the stress level to a complete halt. She and little man took a good nap, watched Praise Baby and did a little coloring. Our first stop, back in town, was Uncle Randy's treat to the Golden Arches. A Happy Meal and a few runs up and down the indoor play park were the perfect welcoming to our little town. We stopped by Owens' nana and big pop's house to pick up the air mattress that was to be her bed this week and Lizie got to meet Bear, the family cat. Having two little kittens back at her house has made her quite the cat lover & Bear was definitely loving the attention he rarely gets, now that Owens has stolen the grandparent's love and affection. We got home in time for a little pre-bath Veggie Tale, Uncle Randy's handiwork with a new window A/C unit and some play time with Owens. Then, it was off to bath, in which Owens learned the concept of sharing a tub - he was a little confused of the cute blond using some of his water. A bed time feeding for the boy and a couple books read for the little girl and dream land was not too far away.

This morning (sunday), Aunt Shuddy was baptized into the ranks of those of you who seamlessly prepare breakfast, dress children (any number over one), dress yourselves and get out of the door, all with happy hearts, attitudes and faces, without being late to church. I have a new respect. And since I was so impressed with myself for actually doing it, I documented it with a picture on the front porch (see above) and a trip to Starbucks -- yes, I even allowed myself time for my most prized comfort food. Lizie sat like such a big girl, on the front row, while we led worship & waved at me, just to make sure I didn't forget she was there. We met Owen's nana & big pop at McAlister's for lunch and ate some pizza with turkey meat on it -- a little improvise on Shuddy's part. I forgot the girl is a meat-eater & looked at the cheese pizza with a little disappointment. I really didn't want that turkey on my sandwich, anyway :) All four of us enjoyed a ritualistic Sunday afternoon nap & had hot dogs & gold fish for dinner. A third viewing of Veggie Tales' "Sweet Pea Beauty" and the duo were back in bed for night #2.

Day 3 has the potential for water, swing sets and something yummy -- Aunt Shuddy just hasn't decided that part yet (wink). Till then.....

Send us rain....

2011-07-26T08:28:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure why I always seem to feel I need to begin my blogs with an excuse for 1) why it's been so long and/or 2) why I'm veering off the "favorite things" track. So, instead of making those excuses, I'm just going to say thank you for stopping back by and taking time to venture into my heart. I'm done with excuses in every part of my life - they are a waste of time and don't make anything better. Replacing excuses with gratitude. And that leads me right into where my thoughts lie today.....

God has, once again, had a theme running vigorously through my veins this summer. And, in the way only He can orchestrate, He is working on my words and my heart alinging instead of running counter to each other. I so often speak that God is everything I need. He is my source. He is my fulfillment. Weren't we taught that simple truth in Sunday School? Didn't we sing that song & memorize the tune so we could recite it without even thinking? But, the enemy of my soul has taken a truth, spoken by my lips, and twisted it within my heart. He has no reign in my life, but if he can pervert what I have always known & rearrange it, just a little, he has a foothold.

I say, with my lips, God is my Jehovah Jireh - my provider.
I say, with my heart, the money we have stashed in our savings can be used if we run out.

I say, with my lips, God will give what we need.
I say, with my heart, if I can get a plan formulated in my mind, it will all work out.

I say, with my lips, God is more concerned with the condition of my heart.
I say, with my heart, having it all together will keep me at peace.

I say, with my lips, God's approval is all that matters.
I say, with my heart, look right, speak right and act right. You are being watched.

I say, with my lips, God's voice is all I need to hear.
I say, with my heart, get as many opinions as possible, to make the best decision.

Do you see the pattern? Do you see the trap? And all too often I excuse (there's that word again) the voice of my heart for the condition of my circumstances or the people with whom I'm interacting. If things were different in the Wood household, my heart wouldn't say that. If there weren't people in my life who challenge my character, my heart wouldn't say that. When, all it is is the hater of our hearts cultivating a plan to destroy me.

So, God, in His faithfulness, almost seems to barricade around me the truth to combat the lies. And today, it hit a visual that this "visual learner" needed, to pound it in. I've never been a big "pray for rain" person. I'm ashamed of that, honestly. But, lately it's been included in almost every time I talk to the Father. As most of you know, we are in a major drought and desperately need some refreshment, in the way of rain and reprieve from the intense heat. Most of us have all given up on our lawns - what's the point? My poor flowers get a drink every couple days, but soak it up so fast, they're having a hard time catching up. Our sweet little house was built in the 1940s, so you can imagine the lack of insulation we got going on. We have two fans blowing in each room, all day, and still can't cool it off enough for our A/C to kick off. Our need, as a state and probably nation, is great. You hear people talk about how high their electricity bill will be. People are worried for the health of loved ones. Good grief, swimming pools aren't even enjoyable because it's like taking a warm bath. We are in need.

So, you can imagine the excitement, when I went outside today and we were covered in clouds. And these clouds weren't just pretty and white...they were dark. They were the kind you see right before the bottom drops out and we get soaked. I almost did a dance on the front porch.

But, several hours later, I'm still waiting for those drops to come down. I'm reading on facebook the friends I have in other states, even in other cities, here in Texas, who are seeing rain and thanking God. But, we have nothing. Yes, we are still covered in clouds, but there is no rain.

As I went to move the garden hose to the next plant, wishing that wasn't necessary, God threw a song lyric into my head that I hadn't thought of in quite a while. If you know me, you probably know I'm a big Nichole Nordeman fan. As a lover of language, I have a huge respect and admiration for the way she puts pen to paper with such eloquence and her voice matches the extreme perfection, at least in my book. I can honestly say, there hasn't been another song writer who has penned so perfectly what God has done and is doing in my life, like her. I had the privledge of meeting her on my birthday, one year, when I worked for Women of Faith. A dear friend of mine knew how much I admired Nichole and made it happen. Like a star-struck teenager, I'm not sure I spoke a word. I look forward to getting to stand next to her in heaven, not that it will have anything to do with who we're standing next to, but I hope that can happen. It would be a privledge to stand next to her, praising God for eternity.

Her song "Gratitude" was what God used today. It's always been a favorite and has spoken truth into my life a couple other times, specifically when I was asking for a "life-circumstances-change" and wasn't receiving it. But, this morning, the lyrics were coming out of my mouth in a literal sense.

Send some rain, would You send some rain?
'Cause the earth is dry and needs to drink again
And the sun is high and we are sinking in the shade
Would You send a cloud, thunder long and loud?
Let the sky grow black and send some mercy down
Surely You can see that we are thirsty and afraid
But maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case ...
We'll give thanks to You with gratitude
For lessons learned in how to thirst for You
How to bless the very sun that warms our face
If You never send us rain

There isn't many things more calming than the reality that when God has another plan, He will still provide. I honestly can't think of anything we need more - today - than rain. Sprinkler systems won't suffice. Swimming pools won't do the trick. Soaker hoses will fail. We need rain and we need a lot of it. But, when He doesn't send it, does that make Him any less of who He is? No. Instead, He prompts our hearts - because it's condition is of most value to Him - to gratitude.

So, instead of voicing with my lips one thing and my heart another, I'm taking this visual of our need for rain and speaking - from my heart - the truth that....

He is my provider.
He is all that I need.
My heart is His greatest concern.
His approval is my only concern.
To His voice, alone, will I listen.

And, if you get the chance, read the rest of the lyrics to Nichole's song. The very last line reminds me that even though He may have another plan - even though we may not get rain - He still takes delight in our request. His heart is for our good. We can never forget that.

We'll give thanks to You with gratitude
For lessons learned in how to trust in You
That we are blessed beyond what we could ever dream
In abundance or in need
And if You never grant us peace ...
But, Jesus, would You please ...

the landmarks of this season

2011-05-23T09:19:00.000-07:00

This little man rolled over, all by himself, today.

I honestly never thought something so simple would create such enthusiasm in me. I remember, even a year ago, when that little face was only being formed, the things that would be "blog-worthy" & can honestly say, I wouldn't have guessed something that is in the natural progression of life would make that list.

But, this mom is one proud girl.

We've known it's "just around the corner" for about a month. Against all pediatrician-orders, he's been a stomach sleeper since the day we got home from the hospital. Judge all you want - it worked for us!! :) And one of the benefits of being a stomach sleeper is the "tummy time" he's given, when he wakes up in the morning or from a nap. He'd hike that rear up in the air and twist, while we'd smile and encourage him to push himself right on over...all to no avail. And, wouldn't you know, the moment he does it, I'm in the other room. I had laid him down for his mid-morning nap, walking out of the room while he grunted and fussed, only to check on him a little while later and he's laying on his back, with a big-'ol smile on his face! I almost scared him to death with my excitement. I turned him back over, because even a momentous occasion like that doesn't warrant a "no-nap" day, but not before I did what every proud parent does when the child does something worthy of pride....I texted his dad. If I know Randy Wood, he smiled from ear to ear just hearing the news.

What makes this occasion even more special for me, specifically today, is what I began my morning routine thinking through. This being the entry-way to the summer season, facebook is full of excited people embarking on their summer vacations or asking for advice on where to go this year. I can't say I'm void of jealousy as I read the places they will be or are currently visiting. To get a break from the "every day" would be refreshing, I must say, even though my "every day" is pretty clear of big, nagging requests and duties. But, despite my wishful thinking, I'm reminded that there are some things even a beautiful white beach and crystal clear water can't soothe.

As I talked with a dear friend on the phone, earlier, I relayed the Wood family's exciting news of Owens' next stage of life -- and yes, we ARE fully aware this means a whole new set of precautions, don't worry! As I shared, I gave her a snapshot of "life with baby", as it pertains to the change it takes on "Mr. and Mrs". Yes, Nana & Grammy, as well as the rest of our families and friends will smile in excitement with what little man accomplished today, but no one will be as excited as I am than Randy Wood. By God's great design, we were allowed the beautiful adventure of being Owens' parents and only WE share that fact. I will forever know that there will be at least one other person on the planet with whom Owens' journeys will mean as much as they do for me. And on a rainy Monday, with no set agenda, nor make up on the face (sorry, mom), this beats a trip to Disneyworld.

Isn't it strange that life takes on such perspective when faced with simplicity? I'm in no way criticizing those of you who have incredible vacations planned nor those of you with whom complex days bring more satisfaction, but I've been taken to another place in my learning of God and His individual way with me. Whether it's a stocked refrigerator or a coupon for Wingstop - I find myself giving thanks for something very simple and ordinary. I wonder how many of the ones so greatly affected by the devastating tornado that hit Joplin, MO last night are thanking God for their life and the lives of those they love, even though their things are destroyed.

If God is taking me on a new journey of thankfulness, I can only say I'm humbled by the road He's driving me down.

And the face of my little man will be that beautiful reminder, once again, today.

Lessons mom taught me

2011-05-07T14:41:00.000-07:00

I really should've spent more time coming up with a more elaborate title to this blog, but decided the meat of the blog was what was more important, so I went simple today. This being the day before Mother's Day, thought it appropriate to write about the woman who was chosen, by a too gracious God, to give birth to me. Many of you who read this know her, some even quite personally, so you can confer when I say, to put her into words that give her the honor and credit she deserves, is difficult. So, to borrow something I've heard before - and it might even be one of those cheesy coffee table books - "The Things I Learned from My Mom", I'm going to honor her, by sharing with you the top ten things Judy Robinson has imprinted upon my life.

#10: Make the plate colorful

I will never, ever forget one of the first meals Randy & I made together, as a married couple. Those were the days when our agreement was "Randy cooks, Jayme cleans", but I must have felt full of adventure that day, because I remember, I helped cook. When we sat down to eat, I started crying. Being the newly married husband he was, Randy asked what had happened, started apologizing for things he hadn't done, etc.....I simply looked at him and said, "our plate is all the same color". With the confused look, only a newly married husband can have, he asked, "you're going to have to give me more than that." I went on to explain that mom always said our food needed to be different colors, but, like most kids, had no idea why she said that. Sure enough, mom happened to call that night - I told her the ordeal & like Judy Robinson does to make things better, she laughed with me & explained. "Color" usually means you have different kinds of veggies, meats, etc, but it also just makes the presentation pretty. It's definitely not anything worth tears.

Lesson learned: In anything you do, add color, and things are just a little more pretty.

#9: Desserts end every meal...period.

I'm sure this happened early in our marriage, as well. As soon as dinner was over, I'd either ask, "what's for dessert" or already have an idea in my head. And it honestly didn't matter what it was. Sometimes (and still to this day) it's a cookie or some coffee, sometimes it's a full-blown production. But, desserts end meals and you need only to visit the Robinson home one time to see that my mom is a composer of some of the best desserts of all time. And I think one of my favorite things about desserts ending a meal is the way mom always has us clear the table before we get it. Not like it's a chore that ends with the reward, but simply because who wants to look at a ketchup bottle while eating a piece of chocolate cake. We get new plates, new napkins and sometimes, even new utensils. There is a round of refills on the drinks and it's like we're sitting down to a whole other meal. It's fabulous. I still, to this day, can NOT eat dessert on the same plate I ate my meal. Now, if there's a shortage, I'll wipe it down real good, but most of the time, especially at my own house, it's worth that extra plate to wash.

Lesson learned: Look for the treat at the end of where you are. It's there.

#8: Makeup does a body good

Again, something that those of you who have spent any amount of time with my mom should know about her, the woman loves makeup. I've told her several times, she needs to go work at the Clinique counter at Dillards because only she would find applying someone's makeup that satisfying. But, not only does she love applying it, she loves buying it. I'm not exaggerating when I say, her makeup caddy (and think BIG when I say "caddy") is stacked with any and every kind of makeup accessory that one woman could ever want. I rarely use my own makeup with I go home to visit, it's just too fun to see all the new things she's got and try them out without having to buy them myself. I'm also, as well as my sister-in-law and sister, benefactors of that "well packaged mascara" that didn't hold up to it's advertisement, but works just fine in my makeup bag. I've probably taken more makeup from her house than I have bought on my own. But, the illustration that drives this home is what my daddy told Randy, before we got married or in the first few months of marriage: "Let her buy makeup. Believe me, son, it's worth it."

Lesson learned: Be the beauty on the inside that makeup sometimes helps us be on the outside.

#7: Robinsons don't quit

It was the spring of 1995 and I was pledging Theta Sigma Chi at OBU. We didn't have national sororities, so the members could basically do whatever they wanted. Pledging proved that. I think there are more restrictions on the pledging experience now, but back then, it was quite the test of your emotional well-being to not quit the 8-week process. I was having one of my many breakdowns in my dorm room, crying to one of my roommates, who, at that point, I thought was so much smarter than I for passing on this whole pledging thing. She picked up the phone and called my mom, telling her that I was losing it and needed her. The first words I heard, when my roommate handed me the phone was Robinsons don't quit. Did I mention my mom's gift is NOT mercy? :) But, it ended up being the exact thing I needed at that moment. She agreed that what I was going through was rough, but I had made the choice to start this & I would finish it. I talked with her, at a much later date, about that conversation, telling her how much impact those words had made on me. She told me that it was extremely hard to tell me that, knowing I was so miserable at the time, but she also knew it was the best thing for me.

Lesson learned: Once you start, finish, regardless of the journey.

#6: Birthdays matter

I referenced this one in my last post and I must reiterate what an impact it has had on me. The older you get, the more you hear how birthdays are just another day on the calendar. Some people don't even enjoy thinking about them because it means they are one year older and that simply means more bills, more worries and closer to that dreaded thing called "getting old". But, ever since I can remember, my mom has made me feel like the most important person on the planet on April 17th. There were the years where it was simple for her because we lived under the same roof. Then, came the years where some more extensive planning was involved and we'd meet in Oklahoma City because it was "somewhere in between", when I was in college. If she didn't get to see me ON my birthday, it was a couple days before or after, but talking on the phone just wouldn't cut it. The impact it has had on me is how I view other's birthdays. It really DOES make your birthday special when you hear from people - the simple gesture that you were thought of on THAT day. There really is nothing like it. And my mom taught me to make sure I gave those I love that pleasure.

Lesson learned: You're never too old to be celebrated.

#5: Be content with you

Those who know my mom know that she exudes confidence. The louder color is always better to wear. The funkiest jewelry is a must. Her license plate says "Judy Rob", for goodness sake. But, some of that is simply the way God wired her. The other part is her acceptance and contentment with who she is. Recently, who she is has fallen under some attack. Those who would be likely to be intimated by her confidence and contentment in herself have tried to persuade her to question her make up (and I'm not referring to #8 this time). But, even through that trial, she has come out shining as who God created her to be. She embodies the definition of being "comfortable in your own skin" and has taught me to do the same.

Lesson learned: God didn't make a mistake, so honor Him in the acceptance of yourself.

#4: God can handle our emotions

As confident as my mom is, she's definitely not too proud to cry. There have been many a day, and most of those very recently, where her & I have put warning labels on our emails - "you might not want to put that mascara on just yet". But, being okay with crying isn't necessarily the lesson, although a good one. She has been a beautiful example of vulnerability to our God for me that has led me to my own rawness with the Father. I remember her telling me, when I was in the "waiting room of singleness" that she had some very honest talks with God about that season of my life. The only other person who wanted me to be married about as much as I did was her. Time and time again she has reminded me that God can handle all that we are. He must be able to, He created us. And there isn't a safer place to be than full of genuine emotions in the arms of the One who paid the price for a relationship with us.

Lesson learned: Be real with God. He desires it and we desperately need it.

#3: Marriage is hard, but worth it

As much as mom wanted me to be married, daily praying for Randy, before she knew his name, she also would often joke by saying, "are you sure you want to get married?" This was usually on the heels of something her and dad had gone through & even though she kept the details between the two of them, I knew there had been what they affectionately called "closet conversations" (because they literally happened IN their walk-in closet) and she was reminding me that marriage isn't perfect because we, as husbands and wives, aren't perfect. But, there wasn't a day growing up in their home nor a day I live outside of it that I question for a minute that they both believe it's worth every minute of the work they put into it. One of the aspects of my relationship with my mom that has become one of my favorites is the relating that happens about marriage. I return the favor and keep the details just between Randy & I, but it's so good to share with her that I now understand what she used to tell me. Marriage is hard and it's not for those who think there's an easy way out. But, with the difficulty of it comes a passion for that person that supersedes any amount of difficulty that can be endured.

Lesson learned: Randy & I were made for each other, so work everything out.

#2: People are worth the investment

My mom's personality is sanguine, if you're familiar with the personality types. Simply put, she's outgoing, loud and is motivated by relationships with people. But, the worth she puts on people goes beyond her personality type. She was taught and has, in turn, invested in me the valuable lesson that people are worth the time. This idea doesn't always give great returns, though. Everyone believes it's super easy to invest in people's lives when they love and value you back. But, what if they don't? What if they have nothing to offer? What if they do, but are choosing to keep if for themselves? My mom has taught me PEOPLE are worth the investment, not just those who have pretty faces. One of her passions is sharing God's love to those in crisis pregnancy situations. You can't even attempt to journey alongside those women and have a prejudice towards who deserves being invested in. And, she does the investing wrapped beautifully in love, grace, truth and exhortation.

Lesson learned: Love God and love people. Truly the greatest commandments.

#1: All life is valuable

As I mentioned, one of her life passions has allowed her to work with the crisis pregnancy ministry for 25 years. She has been a volunteer, paid staff member and executive director for many different pregnancy centers and has had experience dealing with many women - young and old - who have found themselves facing one of the greatest questions: do I value life enough? I had always heard her stories, as she would share - keeping confidentiality, but helping me to see the decisions these women were facing, but it wasn't till I had the chance to volunteer myself at the pregnancy center here in Weatherford that my appreciation for her value of life reached its peak. Again, you can't look into the face of a desperate woman - looking for any answer you can give them that will make this fear go away - and not value ALL life. And this lesson hasn't just been effective within the realm of one of her life passions. If you go back and reread each one the lessons she has taught me, you will see...my mom values all life and she values it because it is God-given. She has no doubt in the Creator of the universe and believes He has meaning and purpose for every one of us. Whether she makes you feel like the most important person when you are having a conversation with her or you need someone to stand beside you in a cause for life, she is the biggest cheerleader and the most worthy friend you could ask for.

Lesson learned: God is the Giver of Life, so we will value it.

So, there we have it. And I find it pretty appropriate that the picture I attached was of her holding Mr. Owens Scott, within the hour of his birth. This picture is one of my all-time favorites because it truly captures my mom, in my mind. If you look, you can see several people taking pictures of her holding little man. My sister is the one who caught this photo and she couldn't have done it more perfectly.

My mom: the one who has made me feel worthy of someone's eye and yet there isn't a day that I take my eyes off of her. As most little girls say, when asked what they want to be when they grow up, I truly want to be my mom.

I love you, Judy Robinson. To say "thank you" would be almost insulting. I pray my life is one of gratitude to you and ultimately the good God you have taught me to adore.

happy mother's day.

1st birthday as a mom

2011-04-18T21:01:00.001-07:00

This post comes with a few disclaimers, for lack of a better term. #1: the picture on the left is not from MY birthday, instead Randy's from last year. Simply didn't have time to download one more applicable to my birthday & was tired of putting the writing of this post off. #2: for those of you who would be correct in your thinking that my title is somewhat incorrect, I do realize that I was a mom on my birthday last year. Owens Scott was the size of a peanut, but as alive as he is today. I will say, last year on my birthday, I was attending senior prom, being I was a senior sponsor that year, so it was definitely a surreal one, but being a mom was a very true reality for me.

But, this year's birthday was different. I don't know if you have the experience I have every year, on April 17th. When mom calls with the annual beautiful rendition of her & dad singing the "happy birthday" song, she commences with the play-by-play of the day I was born, including every detail of the actual birth. I will spare you the boredom of that "blessed event" (according to Judy Robinson), but could probably spell it out without even having to think twice. I always humor her by listening and nodding - mouthing each word, as she describes the event in all kinds of array of color.

But this year's birthday was different. Becoming a mom on December 11, 2010 has changed me. No longer do I look at my "birth story" as the annual "humor-mom" event. I have lived Owens' birth story. No longer do I see this year's age as just another number. I'm 35 and have a little life to invest in. No longer do I receive each birthday wish - whether card, call, facebook or person - with a smile & thought of kindness. Each one of those represents a life that has made mine better.

So, this year's birthday was different.

And I guarantee I will not look at birthdays - mine or those I love - the same.

As the woman who, still to this day, makes sure we are the most important person on the planet, on our birthdays - my beautiful mom - says, "Birthdays Matter"!!

Here's to making #35 count & to making sure you, as my friend, know the age you turn this year is important to me.

FT: an IKEA purchase

2011-04-15T13:33:00.000-07:00

When Randy Wood & I realized life would be much better spent together than apart, we had several "preference dilemmas" we had to work through. If you're unaware of our "love story", we met, fell in love & were married in a matter of 6 and 1/2 months and we were both 30 years old.

note to anyone younger than 30, that thinks that might be a really cool way to do the marriage thing: don't even attempt it till your 30th birthday. more "growing up" happens between 20 and 30 than I think any other decade of life and you might wake up next to someone whom you would rather kill than kiss. yes, my own opinion, take it for what it's worth!

The combination of being 30, both first-born, stubborn, independent individuals and not having known each other a year till we were 6 months into marriage made for some interesting "disagreements" those precious first months as Mr. & Mrs. Randy Wood. One of those "we need to talk about this" episodes surrounded the issue of T.V. watching while falling asleep. Maybe you've been there yourself. In my 20s, I either had a T.V. in my bedroom or was able to fall asleep watching T.V., sauntering to my bed hours later. Ten years of that routine will definitely set in a habit. Randy, on the other hand, can't fall asleep if the T.V. is on. He might nod off for a minute or two, but being the audible learner he is, his ears wake him up and he has to finish watching the show, only to result in sheer frustration because it's late and he should be in bed, asleep.

As you can probably guess, whether you're married or not, this contradiction of sorts caused a little bit of a problem, come bed-time. I was used to having the noise of the T.V. sweeping me peacefully into dream-land, while my husband needed to finish the show and go to bed with silence. So, I tried. I can honestly say I tried, for a few months, to simply go to bed with silence. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, but not quite as enjoyable, either.

Enter, the compromise.

Being the night-owl that he is, Randy would most likely unwind from the day by watching T.V. before heading to bed. Being the "comatose at 9pm" that I am, the compromise came pretty easily. I would fall asleep on the couch, while Randy watched T.V. It worked like a charm, and almost four years later, is still our almost-nightly routine.

So, you might ask, what makes falling asleep on our couch, purchased at IKEA (as you might have noticed in the title) one of my favorite things. Yes, obviously, the sound of "T.V. noise", for lack of a better word, helps my mind relax and escape some of the things that tend to settle in, when I should be resting. Our couch, itself, is also a reason. Purchased out of the necessity for extra sleeping space when our guest room became the little man's room, it has proven to be a very good IKEA purchase. It pulls out to a queen-size bed, plus is rather long for more seating space. I will say, though, when we purchased this one, we sold our last one to my brother & his wife. THAT is the best nap/fall-asleep-watching-T.V. couches EVER made. I probably wouldn't sleep as much with my husband if we still had that beautiful piece of furniture, so it's definitely best we moved on.

But, the best reason for falling asleep on the couch making my list of favorite things is the feeling I have when Randy wakes me up to go to our bed. Sometimes I've only been asleep 30 minutes, sometimes it's been 2 hours, the feeling is always the same -- and I love it. I've rested so well, right there on the couch, that the short disturbance of having to stand up and walk to our bedroom is greatly overcome with the realization that I get to crawl into my bed and fall right back asleep. My appreciation of every morsel of deep sleep went to another level when little man joined our family last December. I'm spoiled rotten and I know it -- he's been sleeping through the night since he was about a month old, but that doesn't necessarily mean I get the same amount of sleep he does. I'm asleep several hours after him and he's not always "other-minded" when it comes to what time he wakes up in the morning. He's four months old -- don't worry, I'm not enforcing other-minded-ness in him just yet. All that to say, how ever many hours a night I get to sleep, sleeping deeply is my goal. So, the fact that my mind has released all the stuff it gets occupied with, during the day, and I can simply lay my head on my favorite pillow, in my favorite bed, next to my favorite person in the world makes that little bit of sleep on the couch worth every minute.

When was the last time resting well was the desire of your heart? And I don't know that "resting well" has to always include closing your eyes in sleep. Over the past couple months, I've learned a lot about God being my rest and solitude. Not having to speak, simply to rest in His presence and know, the God of the universe takes delight in me finding no other place as satisfying & restful as being with Him.

my favorite things

2011-04-04T11:45:00.000-07:00

Let me just say thank you to you for reading this. It hit me, just now, as I was about to say "I know, it's been a long time since I've written", that just saying that sounds somewhat egotistical. Like you sit around WAITING for Jayme Wood to post a new blog. How arrogant of me, please forgive. So, instead, I want to simply thank you, again, for the outlet to organize my thoughts & exercise my love of writing. Don't want to ever take for granted that 7 of you checked my blog, just this week. (yes, AB, I've finally figured out how to check that!!!)

I've decided to start a new "series", if you will, called "my favorite things". (and yes, the child of a preacher can't avoid sounding like one, every once in a while - love you, daddy!) I started hearing myself say, on too many occasions, "THAT is one of my favorite things!" So, I decided, instead of just staring at the computer screen, when I'm in the mood to write, but can't think of anything worth writing about, that I'd start a list of those things that are my "favorite" and write about those things. Not sure how this will all pan out - please excuse if you're a very logical and organized person & I break the series every once in a while to write about something else. Thanks, again, for humoring me. Hopefully some of these will be your favorites as well & we'll have just another thing worth connecting about.

I thought I'd get REAL fancy and attach a photo that accompanies my favorite thing that post. Again, always a disclaimer with Jayme Wood: can't promise it will happen every time. Pretty darn proud I got one up for this one!! Also, these are in NO order - but, honestly, do you really care? Why did I even say that?? Ok, enough explanation -- here we go.....

My first favorite thing is a cleaned out closet. The photo attached is Randy's that I most recently cleaned out, sending this photo to him with "you're welcome" in the caption. Who says we can't ASK for gratitude every once in a while. I will say the work that results in this favorite thing has to accompany a mood, at least for me. I would make a lousy house cleaner, so please don't every think of hiring me. I respect, enjoy, even covet a well-kept home. I do what I can to keep mine in some sort of order. But, to simply clean because there's nothing else to do, I'm out. There has to be a mood involved. In fact, on the to-do list for today is sweeping this place. I'm chuckling at myself for the fact I'm taking more time than I should writing because I know that's next on the "list". That mood must reach extreme proportions to attack a closet. And, what I did last week, in cleaning Randy's, proves that point.

What's sad about Randy's closet is this: for the one with the longest shirts & pants, he has a dwarf of a closet. I'm really not exaggerating, either. If you've seen it, you know.....the door isn't a normal door size. Randy stands a good head taller than the frame, no doubt. The light has a pull-string that broke off, I believe, the first year of marriage & it has these shelves inside that really take up too much room to be worth the space they provide. It's a looser of a closet, most definitely. But, I decided to attack it & give it all I had.

While little man slept, in the same room, oddly enough, I pulled everything out & organized. I threw away broken hangers and random trash that had come out of pants pockets. I rehung pants and shirts that had sadly taken a beating because of the lack of space. I even found a hangable shoe rack that I neatly put shoes in. When I finished, it was like seeing a masterpiece, where once was rubbish. Ok, maybe that analogy is a little far-fetched, but it was good, no doubt. I got so energized by that completion, I immediately went to the little man's room and reorganized his dresser drawers. And, as if that organization wasn't enough -- I sat down at the computer and put my loaded in-box of emails into neat folders, so I have a clean in-box every time I open it. Isn't it somewhere they say to do things in 3s? Or is that just that things happen in 3s....I don't know, but either way, I lost the passion when I looked at my own closet. I smiled and thought, "there will be another day".

So, what is it about a cleaned out closet that put it on my favorite things list? There are several things I can think of: a sense of completion, a love for organization and neatness, doing something for Randy that he hasn't had the time to do himself. There's something about a cleaned out closet that causes me to breathe in a fresh breath of air. It just feels good after it's done.

How many times do I wonder why God has me dealing with issues in my life that I'd much rather leave closed behind the closet door of my heart. It's so much easier and a lot less work to keep that door closed and ignore those things. But, if you've experienced it, like I have, it's a breath of fresh air when He has pulled those things out and put that part of my heart back in order.

a surgery's two approaches

2011-03-15T17:03:00.000-07:00

Most of you have seen the wonderment of what God did last Friday on my facebook page & I want to reiterate mine & Randy's gratitude for the prayers, concerns, encouragements and love that we have been shown in the past week. To say we have been overwhelmed would be putting it mildly. God continually reminds us of the love He has for us through the body of Christ & we will never get over that. Thank you for your part.

As I recount and emotionally chew on what transpired last Friday, I want to first say our little man is doing extremely well. Every day he seems to get a little stronger and more himself. He's sleeping, eating & pooping well (all important in an infant's life, as you may well know - smile). It does seem we are enduring a little growth spurt because after sleeping through the night for the past two months, he has been waking up at about 3am the past two nights for a little meal. Mom is adjusting, as I know full-well this is NORMAL behavior in a 3 month old - what I was given in a full-night sleeper was ABNORMAL! But, we have been amazed at how quickly he has bounced back. We praise God for his health, his good spirit & personality that have made what could've been a very hard week, a restful one of gratitude. We will go Friday to pick up his helmet & oh, the stories we'll have to tell in that season of this journey :)

But, I do want to give myself the chance to dig into my thought process at two different times on Friday. Thank you for being the avenue in which I can do this. We left the house Friday morning at 6am, giving ourselves plenty of time to be in the surgery area of the hospital by our time of 7:30. And moments like these are when I am MOST grateful I married someone who is different than me. Randy HATES being late...not that I enjoy every minute of it, but it definitely doesn't bother me like it does him. But, in this case, leaving earlier than we needed to proved to be one of the best decisions we could have made that morning. Doesn't it seem that when you need to get somewhere smoothly and in plenty of time, they are working on THAT part of the road you are taking? At 6:20 in the morning - on a work day, I might add - they had I-20 shut down to one lane. For those of you who aren't familiar where Weatherford is, we are 30 miles west of Fort Worth. In other words, people who work in Fort Worth, but don't want to live in the city, drive in, on that road, at that time of the day. Is this painting the picture clearly for you? Even though we had plenty of time, my stress level was starting to rise. To distract myself from the slow moving traffic jam, I was thinking about where we were headed. Enter stress level elevation, #2. And this was where my thoughts were going....

I had this vision of Abraham and Isaac, in the Bible. You know the story -- Abraham had waited his whole LONG life for a son, promised to him by the Giver of Life. Then, he is told, by that same Giver of Life, to take that one promised son and sacrifice him to the Lord. I knew God had not called us to literally lay Owens upon an alter, but figuratively He had. And, just like Isaac had no knowledge of what was going on, as he and his father walked to the place of the alter, our little man slept contented all the way to the hospital that morning, ignorant of what the next several hours would have in store for his little body. Amid the God-given wisdom that we were doing the exact best for our son, I couldn't help but swallow big lumps in my throat with the realization that he had no idea what was going on. I watched his face, smile at mine, as Randy carried him in his carrier up the walk to the hospital doors and literally had to turn my head.

But, just as real as this feeling was, I had the almost complete opposite feeling once inside the waiting room, as we held our son, waiting for his surgery time to commence. Randy & I are convinced that Cook Children's Hospital is a fine-oiled machine. They do what they do, every day, with such excellence & it was a sheer pleasure to get to witness it. The waiting room that patients and their parents wait in, before whatever type of surgery they are getting ready to have, is full of every kind of toy, video game and T.V. show. Of course, our little man simply sat on his daddy's lap and looked around, but the other patients were taking every opportunity to enjoy this time, whether they knew what they were getting ready to endure or not. But, there was one little boy, sitting about 5 feet away from us, who obviously knew what was going on around him and why he was there. His mom sat right beside him, trying to comfort, as did a nurse, perched right in front of him, begging him to tell her what he was scared of. She offered everything she could think of, including getting to see the surgery room. He simply sat there and cried, wiping his little face with a kleenex and said nothing. As my heart went out to this little boy and whatever he was getting ready to face, I looked at my son, completely oblivious to the situation at hand and completely content in one of the pairs of arms he is the safest in, his daddy's. The next words out of my mouth were, "thank you, God, that he doesn't know".

Which would be more painful: his complete ignorance or his complete understanding?

I wonder how many times God weighs that question in His mind. I know, He is all knowledgeable and doesn't have to figure things out, but different situations call for different outcomes. Sometimes, it's our complete blindness to a situation, yet sheer trust in the arms in which we remain that carries us through. Other times, it's our complete understanding, yet ability to safely talk with our Great Physician that puts our hearts back at rest. God's beauty is vast and is never lacking in what we need, when we need it. Rest in that, dear friend. Regardless of what you're facing, if anything, at this moment. Just like our son's surgery was successful, as I'm sure was the little boy's surgery who was so afraid, God's outcome will always be for our good, whether we are aware of what's ahead or content in the unknown.

tribute to a friendship

2011-03-09T06:43:00.000-08:00

We've got a good little routine going at the Wood house lately. The little man has been sleeping from 9:30pm to 6:30am every night. We're spoiled -- we are well aware. There's a good chance the helmet will take some adjusting to, so our schedule may get altered a tad, but we're grateful that the routine has become just that - routine. After I feed him at 6:30 in the morn, I try to get him to fall back asleep. Two reasons: selfishly, I'd love some more rest and I also know he does better with the day if he starts it off with some more sleep.

This morning was different, though. I was extremely tired -- didn't get to sleep last night as early as I try to -- and little man was WIDE awake, after the early feeding. We rocked, we cuddled, we swaddled and we moved locations a couple times. Nothing worked. And, because my last post was an accountability for me, I was trying to take in every moment with him, still wishing his baby blues would simply close. Sometimes I'm more aware to be sensitive to why, when I'd rather be asleep, I'm awake. It didn't happen this morning till I got a text from my mom, in between juggling a sleep-fighting baby boy.

She told me that her best friend in high school had lost her husband to a battle with cancer, earlier this morning. I knew about this friend's "valley of the shadow of death", as my mom had filled me this past weekend. She had lost touch with her friend for several years, but tragedy will quickly reunite people. We had been praying that God would miraculously heal the man, as the family had tried every possible cure that man can provide. They had literally tried everything. God doing a miracle was all that was left. But, as only God knows best, He had the ultimate healing for Chuck, by taking him home to be with His Jesus. He leaves behind my mom's dear friend - wife of probably close to 40 years - and two daughters, two sons-in-law, two grand babies and one on the way.

When I got the text, I immediately knew why I was still awake -- especially, when, within minutes of the text, my little man was off to dream land. I prayed for this family with as much sensitivity to what they're going through as I could find. But, I also prayed for my mom. Even though life had brought distance between her and her high school best friend, her heart is breaking. It's the burden of "too close to home" that seems to get us when someone close to us endures a tragedy like this. Whether it's divorce, a wayward child, a natural disaster or death, we tend to put ourselves in their shoes, so to speak, and mourn the loss at some level.

But, as I prayed for my mom, I was reminded of what friendship is all about. As Randy & I have been on this journey with Owens' upcoming surgery, I've so enjoyed getting reconnected with friends from my past. Again, when one of us is dealing with something, distance has no boundary. And I think what has overwhelmed me the most is the amount of encouragement I have received from friends that I haven't talked to in years. What is it about a reconnection of a friendship that seems to bring the strongest amount of care? God has also surrounded us with new friendships that have grown in leaps and bounds because of what we're going through and the honesty that is able to be shown. We are blessed by both.

I regret to say that sometimes I find myself wishing something different in a friendship. I might have expectations that are not right to have or have been disappointed and hold a grudge. But, what I was reminded of today - in light of the home-going of a sweet man of God - is to BE the friend I desire to have. Distance has no bounds. Hurts can be healed and forgiven. Love truly is the greatest commandment.

And when my mom attends her friend's husband's funeral, a reconnection will be birthed and a new journey will begin. We haven't been left alone on this earth to brave what comes by ourselves. For that, I'm truly grateful today.

a lethal, yet rewarding combination

2011-03-07T17:42:00.000-08:00

Let me tell you one thing to NEVER do: hold your almost 3 month year old, while he sleeps, and watch last week's episode of "Parenthood". You have been warned - it's a lethal combination. I'm not sure if I have any "followers" who watch that show, but I believe it's one of the most well-written shows I've seen in a really long time. If you're a Lauren Graham fan (Gilmore Girls, anyone?!), she's at "Lorelia Gilmore" caliber & the entire cast matches her excellence. I know my hormones are still trying to get themselves back into shape, after having been on a roller coaster for 9 months, but I shed a tear or two (or too many to count) each episode. Becoming a parent has taken me to another level of emotions, and this show tears at each one. I don't just recommend it to those of us in the parent season of life, though. The authors do an incredible job of incorporating almost every season & I really think wherever you are, you can relate at some level.

So, anyway, last week's episode had one of the sets of parents explaining to their autistic son what autism is and working through the emotions of communicating it well. Again, highly recommend finding it online - my summary won't do it justice. The last scene has the couple and the son, laying on his bed, while the mom reads him a story. The boy fell asleep in the first few pages, but the parents aren't losing that moment. The mom continues to read, while the dad smiles in contentment.

The visual captures exactly what God has been revealing to me in the past couple of weeks, better than I could've ever described it myself. And, that was why I chose to hold my little man, while watching it, instead of putting him down on his pallet on the couch. Capture each moment, Jayme, capture each moment. Whether it's the quietness of the house at 6:30 in the morning, during his first feeding of the day & I get to watch his little mouth take in his nourishment or staring at those eyes, staring back to me, while he's fighting taking a much-needed nap. Capture the moment, Jayme, capture the moment. Letting go of the ever growing "to-do" list & realizing that, for this short moment, nothing else matters. Nothing else has to be done. I get to simply be Owens' mom.

As we begin the week that will end with a fused head bone being fixed, I'm grateful for the sensitivity to the Spirit to not let the ordinary become mundane. Those beautiful blue eyes, whether fixed on mine or closed in slumber will always be a reminder that God is into the moments counting and not being wasted.

a surgeon, a date, a procedure and a card

2011-03-02T20:17:00.000-08:00

I'll be honest, I'd rather be curled up in my nightly position on the couch, drifting beautifully into dream-land right now, but there are too many of you who prayed for our surgeon appointment yesterday that it was selfish of me to put off an update. I decided to break it down to the different ways God showed Himself faithful and good.

And to think, there are still times I'm surprised He displays those attributes of His character.

1) the surgeon: Dr. Honeycutt

After one of my first blogs about Owens' condition, I received two different facebook messages from friends from college who either knew of someone that had used him or had used him themselves. Ricki Lea & Carrie, thank you for using your knowledge and/or experience to prompt my desire for this man to take care of our son. I often find myself wondering if it's okay to ask God for something specific - as in, the man who we would entrust our 1st born to - even though I know He knows our hearts & wants our honesty. Sadly, I'll think and hope it into happening instead of simply talking with my Father about it & knowing His will is always best. In pure God-fashion, because He is good, He gave us the surgeon that our hearts desired, but, at least in my case, were afraid to ask for. Lesson learned.

This man is one of the leading surgeons in this type of surgery -- has done over 200 surgeries on the brain area alone, 70-80 on craniosynostosis. The two girls who recommended him to me told me, having not the knowledge of each other, that he prayed with them before their son's surgery. And after meeting him yesterday, Randy & I walked away understanding why he was so highly recommended. He answered questions, he talked straightforward with us & ended by shaking our hands and telling us he and his staff can be trusted. The man knew the way to these parent's hearts.

2) the surgery date: Friday, March 11

I did ask God for one thing, when it came to the unknowns before our consultation yesterday. I had asked Him that our little man's surgery could be in March. I wanted it done. I wanted it done soon & wanted us to be able to begin the journey of healing, both physically (for him) and emotionally (for us). By the surgeons recommendation it being done sooner rather than later, we were given the choice - in which we replied, "soon" - thus, given the date, Friday, March 11th at 9:30am. Interestingly enough, our little man has either been at the hospital for a reason or the doctor, each month on his "day of the month" birthday: December 11 - joined us in this world;

January 11 - CT scan; February 11 - 2 month shots; March 11 - surgery. So, the 11th of each month has taken on a whole new meaning for our little family. Definitely a date we won't forget.

3) the surgery procedure: endoscopic

For those NOT medically minded, like myself, this basically means it is less invasive. They will put two little holes in his head & pull the bone that has fused too quickly out of the slit they make from the holes. Total time, less than an hour and one night in the hospital. Believe me, there is a much more impressive way to explain it, but for this simple-minded sole, this was all I needed to know. He'll wear a helmet for 4-6 months, 23 hours a day, which will actually do the reshaping of his head. God's faithfulness was made evident in the fact that, had he been older when this was found, he would've had to have the bigger surgery, which lasts 3-4 hours and 3-4 days in the hospital. As our surgeon said, Owens is a perfect candidate for the endoscopic surgery. We are grateful.

4) the attack: a new debit card

Now, this part had only one thing to do with the above three and that is that it happened 10 minutes before we left for the appointment. Randy had received his new debit card in the mail a couple days before this morning. With a stack of mail that we had to go through, having been gone a few days last week, I accidentally tossed it in the trash with other junk mail. This particular morning, Randy was going to take it with him to activate and be able to use. Minutes from when we needed to be walking out the door to leave, we're both frantically going through papers to find the missing card. Our brains were torn between preparing for the appointment and trying not to panic that the trash trucks had just picked up our weekly trash -- our card could be on it's way to the dump, if it wasn't found by someone before then and used :( I had been promised Starbucks on our way out of town (appointment was in Ft Worth) and bawled the entire way there. We're not talking just a couple tears -- it was a release! In the gracious spirit my husband has, he was reassuring me it was going to be okay -- our minds needed to be focused on the appointment and nothing else, but I literally couldn't get control. It wasn't till I remembered that I hadn't taken out the trash before the previous trash had been taken (that card could still be in the can!!) and more importantly admitted that our enemy was in full force, doing all he could to tear me down before this important appointment. God was faithful, once again, by putting me at peace about the card - focused on the appointment - and believing He cared about every detail of that day. As soon as we got home, later that afternoon, Randy found the card - beautifully laying at the bottom of the trash can - and I was reminded that God's watchful and caring eye is on the sparrow, once again.

So, I hope this update has given you a little glimpse into what we're facing in the next week. I have thanked our faithful and good God for your prayers, but want to make sure you know, in the most personal way a blog can be, that Randy & I are overwhelmed by the amount of love, prayers and encouragement we have received. And if you are one of those who have friends you know praying - ones we have never met - please thank them for us. God's creation of His body is a concept I will never fully understand, but will continually appreciate. I await with a blessed heart the day I get to sit with Owens and tell him of the people who loved him when he was literally unaware of his very condition. You are apart of our journey & may you be blessed for it.

I'll field any questions you have, that I haven't answered here. But, again, know we are grateful for you & are being embraced by our God who embodies everything that is holy and good. Our prayer is He is applauded through every step of the journey.

climbing the mountain of cooking and fear

2011-02-17T12:06:00.000-08:00

I have recently become intrigued by an activity, or for some, a passion, that ever since I can remember has been loathed in my mind. Ok, loath is probably a little too extreme, but definitely not too fond a feeling. That activity is the art of cooking. Shock, to you that know me well, I know. I had a reputation in college that I honestly worked hard for & was pretty proud of - hated cooking & loved anything fried. That reputation followed me through my 20s & would've stayed on had the "anything fried" not started to kick my butt & put some weight in areas that I wasn't too fond of. I have a dear friend who told me - being several years older - that I should eat all the fried and "not so good for you" stuff all I could in my 20s, because once you get to 30, you can't lose it so easily. Not sure that I've received a truer word in my life.

So, I've tried to adapt my "love for the fried things of life" to a more healthy option & surprisingly, cooking began to captivate my heart. I realized BAKED sweet potato fries are just as good, if not better, than greasy fried french fries. There's a plethora of amazing things you can do to a chicken breast that doesn't include battering it with flour and dropping it in the deep fryer. Just last week, a good friend of mine shared her recipe for baked onion rings, if you can believe that!! I honestly felt GOOD after I ate them!

I think what has really surprised me is that cooking hasn't just become an essential part of my daily life - cutting down to one income will cause the "going out" bill to dwindle very quickly - but, I'm actually enjoying it. Last fall, I did what I used to honestly make fun of: I created a menu for each month & actually stood by it! And, what's even better, my sweet husband has told me over and over, he doesn't care what I fix, he's just so glad I'm doing it! (bless his heart for how deprived he was for the 1st 3 years of our marriage!) I find myself watching the Food Network, not just because I'm hungry all the time (which is the case with this nursing mom!!), but I watch to get some ideas on things to make. And, something happened last week that I would've only dreamed would've happened: my mom & my sister, both very good cooks, asked me for a recipe of something I had made & made it!!

Now, before you all post your favorite recipes on here, for me to try, I must say nothing I have made in the past 6 months of this growing LIKE of cooking has been difficult. I can probably say nothing has included more than 5 ingredients & would be what Sandra Lee (Food Network star) would call "semi-homemade", but for me, it's cooking & I can say I've tackled something I thought I'd just ignore for my whole life.

But, as quickly as I say I've conquered something, I face the reality that I still struggle with a bout of fear that has increased now that our little man has come into our world. I can't say it's a fear of anything specific, but just ugly fear. It manifests itself in very obscure ways, I might add. I stand at the door of our house, one that I just watched myself lock & have to check it 3 times, every time I leave. What am I fearing? That someone may break in? That I'll come home & the door will be wide open? When I put Owens down to sleep, after I've fed him in the wee hours of the morning, I stand over his bed & listen for his breathing - and not just once or twice, but I will lose 15-20 minutes of sleep just double-checking that I heard him breathing. What am I fearing? That he might stop?

Yes, I've recognized it -- I've even talked with the Lord about it, but as cooking used to be a mountain too big to climb, overcoming fear in whatever realm has become the same. I say with my mouth - "I trust Him" - and often, in the more complicated things in life, do - but, don't live it out in the every day things of life. If I trust my God to take care of the big issues in our life, I need to trust Him to protect our home and my son & anything else that comes along.

Fear is a thief. In these two cases, it steals time, sleep & sanity. God forbid that I let it steal more important things. I want to see fear the way I see cooking: this too can be climbed and conquered.

saying Enough

2011-01-30T08:53:00.000-08:00

I don't know that there is a truer statement that would define where my thoughts lie right now than the ever popular, "the grass is always greener on the other side". Whoever coined that phrase should be highly commended for coming up with something to define the color our society bleeds. Don't we want what someone else has? Don't we wish we looked like them, lived like them, spoke like them? If we can think it, see it, smell it, believe it, we want it & sadly enough, we find it in someone else, thus enters our desire to be on "their side of life". I'd like to say it only affects those who don't know Jesus personally, but I stand as someone who would make that statement false.

I know the words of Truth - "do not covet" - and pat myself on the back because I don't struggle with coveting their car, their house, their clothes. But, I cringe, in the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus puts several more rungs on the ladder by saying, "But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matthew 5:28) Yes, I'm not committing adultery on the outside, but desiring another's life causes me to look with lustful intent within my heart. Now, before any of you think I'm wanting a different husband, let me clarify -- this has nothing to do with that. I simply saw the ugly correlation between wanting someone else's husband/wife and where I find my thoughts venturing, all too often lately.

I've become a pretty faithful watcher of the Today Show on NBC, in the mornings. Gives me a reminder that there's life outside of our little abode and actually come away feeling a little more educated in the process. As you probably know, the northeast has been hit and hit with all kinds of snow this winter. I know it has caused a lot of problems - some even tragic, but every time they talk about how tired they are of it & ready for sunshine and 70 degrees, I almost throw my remote at the TV. I would take 1 inch of the snow they are getting -- ANYTHING, but the 70 degree weather in January! I found myself wondering why I am so not content with the weather - really, what's the big deal? Oh yes, it comes down to that "grass is always greener", mixed with an ugly case of selfishness. If I have to keep the little man inside (not around crowds) till he gets his 2 month shots, I want the weather terrible outside so we have a reason to be inside. It's okay, turn up your nose to that because there's not many more disgusting thoughts.

As superficial as that example is, it breaks my heart that the place I wanted to be for so long - here, at home, with my child - has turned into a prison, so to speak. I look for every opportunity to take Owens out, to those places we've coined as "safe" for him to go, just to simply have a change of scenery. Yeah, I know, being stir-crazy is a real thing and there's nothing wrong with being ready for the next season of his life, where I can go and do with him so much more. But, for the next two weeks, I have a choice: wallow in self-pity because my life consists of these four walls or cherish this time, for tomorrow will see change.

I remember the last days before we knew we were to be induced. One of those particular nights, I was in the shower and became overwhelmed with the thought that, as anxious as I was to see this little man's face, there would never be another time in our lives when we would be that physically close. Yes, he would depend upon me for nourishment, both physically and emotionally, but he would never live inside me again...actually apart of my body. Through tears, I thanked God for the opportunity to carry him - and yes, to FULL term, 42 weeks - because I would never have that chance with him again.

I'm humbled by the fact that, once again, I'm longing for the next season instead of relishing every morsel of this one. In two weeks, Owens can visit Walmart for the first time, see our favorite eating establishments and most importantly, go to church. He'll be loved and adored by so many more people than have been allowed to come visit us here at home. But, never again will I have these moments - quiet sequestering of us to our home. As many of you have told me, time goes by too fast & I honestly don't want to look back and regret that I wanted so badly to be out of this season that I missed out on the simple moments, just me, my husband and my little man.

Forbid it that I should be listed among those things, the wise Solomon wrote about in Proverbs 30:16-17....

The leech has two daughters: give and give.Three things are never satisfied; four never

say, "Enough": Sheol, the barren womb, the land never satisfied with water, and the fire

that never says, "Enough".

help and not harm

2011-01-23T17:36:00.000-08:00

I was reminded today of a too-true reality of life. Our tongues surely can be a source of so much hurt or so much help. No new revelation came of it, but just as important, a reminder that what I allow to come out of my mouth - being a sheer reflection of what is in my mind - needs to facilitate in betterment and not destruction.

The little man and I listened to a podcast as our "Sunday morning sermon" this morning. (okay, maybe he wasn't actually listening while he was eating, but I like to think I wasn't at "church" alone - smile) As I've referred to once before, Louie Giglio has a podcast from Passion City Church in Atlanta. He has such a way with words - well worth your time if you're in need of a good podcast to listen to. Today, I listened to one talking about a new direction for this new year. And instead of it being the usual "get pumped up and make a new year's resolution" sermon, he talked about the power of the tongue - for speaking and believing past the fear of where you want to be at the end of this year. Again, please take time & listen to it, I never give his stuff justice. He spoke on how much power our tongues have in getting our minds away from simply walking through each day, mundane and lifeless. Not only use your tongue for beneficial things in someone else's life, but in your own. Good word - so true.

I just got finished watching the movie "Mean Girls". Probably one of my seriously embarrassing guilty pleasures is teeny-bopper movies. Don't judge - you've got your own little dirty secret, huh? There's just nothing like letting your mind become mush while venturing back to those days where all that really mattered in life was if that boy was going to speak to you or if you'd make it through one more day concealing that gosh-awful zit that will not go away! And, if you haven't watched "Mean Girls", it's a teeny-bopper that tops them all, I think! The premise, for those with better things in life to do than waste time with this movie, is a girl (quality pick using Lindsay Lohan for this one, huh?!) moves to the states from Africa, having never been in a public school before. She, trying to find her place in the this weird time of life, befriends a guy and girl who make it their mission to destroy the most popular girl in school. Instead of making this post a movie review, I'll get to the point -- toward the end of the movie, they have this massive attitude adjustment scene for the entire junior class of this school. They start hashing out all the problems they have with each other and realize that there isn't a girl in their grade who hasn't been hurt or hurt someone, with their tongue. I found myself thinking - it's real easy for us "out of high school" people to shake our heads at this type of behavior and say, "praise God I'm out of THAT stage of life". But, as one of my dearest friends has said before, girls become women and unless we deal with our tongues and learn to use it to benefit another, we do the same thing we did in high school - it just happens to have a different face.

I had a moment to call a dear friend back tonight. She had left me a message right after we had found out about Owens' prognosis and then took time to send me a card with more encouragement than I deserve. As I thanked her for her sensitivity to the Spirit - saying just what I needed to hear in the card - she continued to affirm our belief in the God greater than our situation. She spoke of her own life experience and I was able to see there will be another side of this mountain. She challenged me to stay raw in my feelings, yet remain soft in my trust of our good God. She reminded me that God has equipped Randy with a strength that is and will continue to be a strong hold for me, in the days ahead. Like a beautiful picture of James 3:17 - "But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere." - my dear friend used her tongue to help and not harm.

As I face an ordinary week ahead, my prayer is my mind is so very conscious of what comes out of my mouth. Who cares what I look like, how clean my house is, or if dinner is edible if the only thing coming out of my mouth does harm. May I be different.

together and redeemed

2011-01-16T08:43:00.000-08:00

Sunday mornings have taken on a new look for me since our little man has come into the picture. Because of the "flu season", our doc thinks it best to wait till he gets his 2 month shots before taking him to church, or around other crowds. So, his daddy heads off a little before 9 and we go about our usual morning routine. But, this weekend, we had my best friend, Julie and her husband in town. Had a great time relaxing and hanging out with them. They just left, so while the little man takes his mid-morning nap, thought I'd get on here and give an update.

If you haven't heard though other venues, we found out last Wednesday that Owens does have the condition called craniosynostosis. If you didn't read my last blog, it basically means that his head bones are fusing together too quickly and the fix is surgical. We have an appointment to meet with surgeons at Cook Children's hospital in Ft Worth on March 1st. That was the earliest date they could get us in, but after we talked with our doctor we found out that this process can take a little time and March 1st isn't too late to get it checked out. Faced with this reality, I can honestly say that the "peace that passes all understanding" has TRULY "guarded our hearts and minds" this week. Randy & I have been inundated with friends and family encouraging us and reminding us of truth. A few things have stuck out in my head in which I can see the communication of the Father.

1) We are not alone.

I have been floored by the messages, mostly via facebook, from friends from my past, who have read my blog & wanted to let me know they are praying for us. Yes, the friends and family we have literally surrounded us right now have been more than encouraging, but I love that these kinds of things connect, or in some cases, reconnect people. I love that the Father has created a family -- we hear that all too often, but isn't it true? Whether we live down the street or haven't seen each other in years, when one of us is dealing with an issue, we're there to remind them they are not alone. I've known this truth for a while, but I love that God gave us this week to let us see it personally. So, to those of you that have been one of those reminding us we're all in this together, thank you. Whether we express is personally to you or not, we are positively affected by your love and care.

2) Sometimes God redeems instead of removes.

As most of you know, that have read my blog, my daddy has a unique way of communicating things to me. When I'm going through something - as the reality we were faced with this week - even though I know our little man is going to be fine & I'm grateful there is a fix and we're not facing something bigger - I was still a little emotional about it, specifically on Wednesday, when I got the news. My daddy can call and simply say "hi, Jayme" and if it hits me on the right day, I burst into tears. Do any of you daughters have that loving relationship with your daddy? There's just something about the way they love you - even as an adult - that makes everything better & the immense desire to crawl up into their lap & know they will take care of everything. So, when I saw his name on my caller ID Wednesday afternoon, I guarded myself for the tears to come. And, of course, they did. He spoke beautiful truth over me & we even had a few moments of laughing. But, the quote he gave me has stuck with me this entire week - hoping it sticks for life. He had just read it that morning and it says:

"A problem redeemed is better than a problem removed." - Phillip Yancey

He went on to say, God could've very easily made the scan of Owens' head clear -- no problem and we would've received a different verdict that morning. But, He didn't. Doesn't change who He is or His power. But, at least in our case, He is going to get more glory by redeeming the problem than removing. Might seem a little hard to understand, but isn't that what God's work is all about? He came to earth to redeem us. Bring us out of sin & into His new life. He didn't remove us from the world -- He redeemed us from it's grasp. In our case, with our little man, we are beginning to see the greater thing God is going to do, not just with us, but with our extended families, our friends, and our church. God is in the business of redemption and we are truly humbled under the fact that He would choose us as vessels to communicate that truth.

Yes, there are times when His healing hand reaches down and miraculously heals a problem. We are not negating that that can happen and could've with our little man. But, sometimes He chooses to use the circumstances to show His redemption - in our case, His healing will come through a surgeon's hands - and through it all, He will receive the greater glory.

I don't know what you're facing right now. I've talked with several of you that have read my blog & I know our situation is not one singular event. Please remember you are not alone. And whether he removes your "problem" or he redeems it, know His character is good & what He is going to do in the midst of your situation will be only something a good and big God could do. The Wood family is journeying with you -- to the alone glory of God.

for which we say thanks

2011-01-09T19:50:00.000-08:00

As I listen to my son, in the next room, fight it out with his daddy over whether sleep is really necessary or not - one stubborn man to another - I'm given a few precious moments to finally get on this thing & formally introduce the blog-world to our much anticipated 1st born, Owens Scott. One of these days I'm going to get real fancy & learn how to post pictures on here -- sorry, for right now, you'll have to visit my Facebook page, if you haven't seen him already. (BTW: you "fancy bloggers", please do instruct this amateur on how to get all fancy-fied!!) After 42 weeks of getting to know his movements inside of me, and his father getting to feel it every once in a while, we were given the beautiful experience of seeing him face-to-face at 10:36pm on Dec 11th. It was truly an all day process for the Wood family (and extensions of, as many of you were "waiting in the wings" to hear). I went into labor the night of the 10th, even though I was set to be induced the morning of the 11th. God was gracious with me, wanting to experience true labor (sick, right?!) & I can honestly say I have experienced it!! I was dilated to a 5 by 10am, so my doc broke my water and we waited. And, as many of you who have been through this process know, all too well, sometimes the waiting is more intense than the labor. Finally, at 8pm that night, I was at a 10 & we started to push. 2 hours later, doc shook her head & said, all good efforts aside, we were headed for a C-section. Again, God had given me the chance to experience genuine pushing, so my heart was not disappointed when that verdict came to be. Like clock-work, the nurses and doctor prepped me and Randy & our little man joined us on this side of the living just as healthy as we could ever pray for. Three days later, we were discharged from the hospital and our Wood Journey took on a whole new adventure.

I could very poetically end with saying, "and the rest is history", which would be true, but as you know, this blog has become so much more than letting you few know the ins and outs of our lives and my thoughts. It's truly become an outlet for me to do more than just collect my thoughts, rather invite vulnerability and accountability into my life, on a more constant basis. What I share on here is now in print -- literally and figuratively -- and for that comes a sense of responsibility to hold true to what I confess. This is good for me. So, if you'll let me, these "journal entries", so to speak, will probably have a scent of "welcome to motherhood", at least for the next year or so :) Please humor me, especially if you've been on this journey yourself for a while OR if you have NO intention of ever going on this journey. I have a feeling there will be much more vulnerability, accountability and hopefully some laughs along the way. God has a very interesting way of making Himself known to me.

My title to this particular blog comes from what we are facing, in just a couple days. As some of you may know, we found out last Monday that there is a chance our son's head bones are fusing together too quickly. Our pediatrician didn't seem too alarmed by it, but did say it's something we need to get checked out and called for a CT scan on Tuesday, January 11th (yes, the boy will be celebrating his one month birthday at Cook Children's hospital - smile). If they find, in the scan, that the bones truly are fusing together too quickly, we will meet with surgeons to discuss options. At this point, the only two options we know of are 1) doing nothing and his head would grow long instead of round, along with other possible implications and 2) have surgery and correct the fusing. Randy & I are taking one thing at a time, at this point, so we're just going to get through Tuesday right now. Thinking through and worrying about what COULD happen doesn't do us any good, so we're fighting the spirit of fear and trusting His strength for Tuesday and believing He'll provide wisdom for what comes after that.

But, that's not really the whole point to this post. On Monday, right after we found this out from our doctor, I was given a gift from my brother in law, Jared, that brought all of this into perspective for me. He recently purchased a new vehicle and instead of taking whatever cash they would give him for his trade in, he gave his old vehicle to us. At this point, let me make sure and add that this wasn't just some old clunker. This is the vehicle that, when Randy has asked me what I would LIKE to have, has been at the top of the list. No joke, you can ask him! We've been a one-car-family since last March -- really haven't had a need for another and I was honestly content where we were. But, I know of at least 3 people who were specifically praying for us another vehicle, even though, in true honesty, it hadn't made it onto my prayer list. When I called to thank Jared for such a gift, (how do you say "thank you" for a CAR?!) I told him (through emotional tears) that I was so grateful for his obedience to God. I don't know that he was on his knees every night, asking God whether he should give us the car or not, but I firmly believe God placed that thought in his head and instead of being selfish, he was gracious and obedient.

Later that day, while feeding the little man, I was praying for his head situation and God spoke very clearly -- "if I can give you a vehicle that you didn't pray for and that you would've chosen, don't you think I can take care of your son's head?" I was humbled by the fact that, once again, God had used a "sparrow" in my life to remind me of truth -- "I know He watches me", as the good old song goes. I feel like I beat this "horse", but God has done more in this area of my life than any other, in the past 6 months. When faced with reality and the all too easy option of being fearful, He provides a way out and that way is gratitude.

So, wherever you are, I pray you watch for the "sparrow" He has awaiting you and your situation. And when you see it, give thanks.

"I sing because I'm happy...
I sing because I'm free...
For His eye is on the sparrow,
and I know He watches me."

the experience of Advent

2010-12-07T10:08:00.000-08:00

Yes, we're still waiting on little man - 41 weeks and 2 days. But, unlike what several people have suspected, I'm feeling great & not so miserable about this "waiting room". But, that being said, it's still a waiting process that takes some endurance - be it physical or more emotional, at least for me. So, that ever so familiar concept of waiting has been very fresh on my mind these last days.

I was sent a very timely podcast by one of my dearest friends this morning. (Do you see a trend... I tend to be highly influenced by the godly people God has surrounded me with...) If you're interested in listening to the entire thing, it's very worth your time. It's Louie Giglio's Passion City Church Podcast entitled "Unwrapped"....highly recommend hearing from the one from whom I will semi-quote. He's introducing the sermon series he will be teaching during the Christmas season and his intro is firmly grounded in this concept of waiting. The following will be some snippets of what I found most profound for my journey - please do take time to take a listen to the podcast and see what the Holy Spirit will communicate to you.

We often hear of this joyous season being referred to as Advent or at least that word is thrown around during this time of year. Have you ever noticed it isn't used much in any other season? I really hadn't thought about that, till I looked up the exact definition and realized it could be used a lot more often than it is. The first and most prominent definition of Advent is "..a coming into place, view or being; arrival." Yes, we see it most used in the "advent of the Christmas season", but I've now been challenged to see it's usage in more than just this time of year. We experience "advent" in many different ways and places. Isn't that what a "waiting room" is about? Whatever it is you may be waiting for, you are experiencing advent.

This Christmas, the term advent has taken on a new meaning for us. For 8 or so months, we thought Owens would be a Thanksgiving baby. I've always loved the month of November. In fact, when Randy & I fell in love and knew we wanted to do the rest of our lives together, the first month I wanted for a wedding was November. The colors, the smells, the crispness....I have always loved that month. When I realized picking a wedding date in November had more to do with my sheer stubbornness and little to do with the fact that two 30-year-olds didn't need to wait that long to get married, when they knew it was inevitable, I quickly moved it to June. But, wasn't that going to be a neat culmination of my love for November by having our first child that month?! ....enter God's perfect reminder of His growth in my life through waiting. I'll never forget waking up on December 1 and realizing that dream of a "November baby" had come and gone.

But, along with the reminder that God does all things well, perfectly and never too late or early, I was reminded of two biblical characters who don't seem to ever have a figurine in the nativity setting that you might have sitting on your mantle. In his podcast, Giglio walks through the history and journey of Anna and Simeon in Luke 2. Again, listen to the podcast because he gives it MUCH better emphasis than I will, but basically I was brought to a couple key realities of their lives opposed to mine:

1) both had waited their entire lives for the coming of God's promise : I tend to get my "style cramped" if I've run out of things to keep me busy in the waiting process.

2) both made it their life purpose to watch for the coming of the Lord : I am easily distracted from a full focus of seeing what God wants to speak to me, often times actually invite that distraction.

Yes, this particular waiting process hasn't been as painful as others in my life - I did mention I was 30 when I met and fell in love with Randy Wood, right....and that's one on the list of many ventures through the season of "wait". But, irregardless, I'm face to face with the conviction that, not only is our Father faithful to His purpose for our lives (and we can never be too grateful and humbled under that fact), but He demands our spirits to wait on Him. Yes, we have a chooser and can make our own decisions, but if we're truly desiring to follow His heart, we are inviting seasons of waiting into our very existence. No doubt. His blessing over Anna and Simeon's lives were a direct result of His sheer goodness and their obedience.

What will I do with this waiting process? We know there is an end -- Owens WILL be born, AMEN!! :) But, will I venture out of this "room" with only sweet nostalgia of my pregnancy days or will I let it truly impact my life and make me different....

I pray the later is true.

the last days

2010-12-03T11:46:00.000-08:00

today, we stand at 40 weeks and 5 days. only 2 days from 41 weeks pregnant. this is the part of pregnancy they DON'T tell you about -- every one "knows" pregnancy only lasts 40 weeks, right? WRONG, just in case you're reading this & haven't gone down this journey -- let me be the 1st to tell you, there's another side that has you in what they call the "plus" weeks....hopefully no pun on the size you are (b'c I definitely feel "plus").

but, in pure God-fashion, I received an email, including a quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer, from my daddy today - he, intending to commend my "waiting" spirit, but I saw it as a deeper challenge to keep a steady, patient heart. I'll end the post with it, so be encouraged, dear one, if you are in your own "waiting room", as I have ever so often found myself. He does ALL things WELL.

"Celebrating Advent means learning how to wait. Waiting is an art which our impatient age has forgotten. We want to pluck the fruit before it has had time to ripen. Greedy eyes are soon disappointed when what they saw as luscious fruit is sour to the taste. In disappointment and disgust they throw it away. The fruit, full of promise, rots on the ground. It is rejected without thanks by disappointed hands...The greatest, the deepest, the most tender experiences in all the world demand patient waiting." D. Bonhoeffer, Christmas Sermons

Motivated toward the good....

2010-11-04T22:08:00.000-07:00

It's interesting to me how God gets a point across to me. I'd love to say it's always the same - pretty, tidy & free from my complaint, but that would be one big lie. I'm not pretty, tidy & complaint-free, so His points usually have to include several different venues & today was no different.

Venue 1: a dear friend posted today about what she had heard was the estimated cost of President Obama's most recent (or yet to be taken) trip to India, I believe. It ranged in the millions, even though it has been debated that info is false. Irregardless, God used that venue to build in me a desire to do something generous for someone, instead of simply finding his supposedly waste of money as disgusting. God asked me, "what will what you complain about prompt you to do?"

Venue 2: this week I've been discouraged by statements I've heard that seemed seemingly ungrateful or selfish. My first instinct & prideful attitude jumped on the train of judgement & ridicule. "I won't be like them...they suck life out of me...if they were any type of believer, they'd produce better fruit." Aren't we grateful God isn't about leaving us with our first instincts or fleshly attitudes? He once again asked me, "what will what you complain about prompt you to do?"

I want to be different, but not because "I'll never be like them".
I want to be different because He is different.
And because He is different, more lives will be changed....for the good.

2010-09-30T12:48:00.000-07:00

Who He is in light of who I am

2010-09-30T12:38:00.000-07:00

Long title, I know. Was stuck trying to figure out what to title this one, so bear with me as I attempt to make sense of what I read today. If you've read my stuff before, you know I'm a big fan of Dr. G. Campbell Morgan. The book of his that I am currently reading is called The Teaching of Christ. Unlike the healings of Jesus book I read, this one focuses on what Christ taught about personalities (ie, God, Himself, the Spirit, etc), sin and salvation and the kingdom of God. This book is a little harder to understand than the first one I read, more than likely because of the finite of my mind in matters he is discussing. But, a challenge never hurt anyone, huh?

Today's reading was focused on Christ's teaching on sanctification or what Dr. Morgan calls sanctity. I won't take your time and summarize the entire chapter, but, as always, hit on the highlights, in my opinion. The key verses are Matthew 5:20, 48-6:1 and John 17:1, 6-8 and 17. Here are some profound ways to look at Christ's desire of our lives toward sanctification & who He is to enable the process.

"Holiness is rectitude of character. Righteousness is rectitude of conduct. Both the ideas are related, and are expressed most perfectly in the word sanctity."

"Jesus said...

'I am the bread of life.' = God Himself as the very bread of life to man.

'I am the light of the world.' = God Himself as the illumination of man's life and pathway.

'I am the door.' = God Himself as the safety of His people.

'I am the good Shepherd.' = God Himself as the Love that cares for His people.

'I am the resurrection and the life.' = God Himself as the power by which men shall come to the consummation of purpose, and that in spite of the tragedy of death which results from their sin.

'I am the way, and the truth, and the life' = God Himself as the very pathway or course in which men shall proceed in order to the fulfillment of that purpose.

'I am the vine.' = God Himself in intimate association with men, making their ministry, perfecting them, and enabling them to fulfill high and holy service."

In light of those things, I ask myself....why do I tend to cheat myself of all that God wants to be in my life? The everyday tasks of life could take on a truer and deeper meaning if I would remember who He is and what that enables me to be.

is it a conviction?

2010-09-14T09:04:00.000-07:00

In the midst of an "alone" day yesterday, I ventured upon a thought that the Holy Spirit used to create something foundational in me. I'm sure there are those who have captured this thought a while back, but for me, it was good to be able to distinguish between two things that often run too close in our minds.

I'm not a theologian, nor would I venture to even try to act like it, but in my own elementary thoughts, I have found a difference between a conviction and something one would like to happen. Conviction can be defined as a fixed or firm belief. I've found in my experiences in life, I know it is a conviction for me if it becomes an obedience issue. Take for instance, mine & Randy's conviction for me to stay home with Owens, in his early years. God ordained it as a conviction in both our hearts, so our home wouldn't be divided in this area. We both know that if we didn't do it (me remain at my job), we would be in complete disobedience to God. I can remember telling someone, right after I resigned my teaching position, that I was almost afraid to not resign because I knew it was more than just a decision on our part - it had to do with obedience. Since then, I've had several people ask me how we do it -- or they'd like to do it, but aren't sure they would be able to (financially, etc). When it's a conviction, you just do it. There still might be the questions of how it's all going to play out, but until it's a conviction, you will find ways to get around it or make excuses for it not working out.

Now, I'm not, in any way, standing in judgment of those who have made those excuses or don't stay home with their small children. I think that's why this thought became foundational for me. Too many times we look at others lives and find an area that doesn't match our own & fight the urge (or sometimes, give in) to question why their convictions don't match ours. Where does it say that God will place the same convictions on each person? Yes, there are those laid out in scripture - what we like to call the "blacks and whites" of the Christian life. Those things we are not to compromise on, instead are called to live by because of our new nature in Christ. But, then there are those things that He doesn't lay out in scripture, but simply speaks directly to our hearts, through His Holy Spirit, and we know we have been convicted to act upon.

Such issues might include whether to home school your children, put them in a private school or put them in a public school....whether to pay for cable TV or not have it all in the home...even some eating habits can become convictions. It's interesting to go through your life's "rules", so to speak, and determine whether those things are convictions or not.

On the flip side -- something you would like to see happen. There isn't anything wrong with something NOT being a conviction, it just needs to be determined that that is the case. For instance, for your family, mom working outside the home when the children are young may be something she would prefer to happen, but because it's not necessarily a conviction, it hasn't. I have very godly girlfriends who take their young children to another care taker each morning, on their way to work. For them, staying home is not a conviction, so they are not walking in disobedience. Yes, one day, their circumstances might change and they will be able to stay home, but for now, it's simply something they might like to happen one day.

I think my passion with this rises when I see or hear of people striving to make something happen, that, for the time being, isn't. Sacrifices are on both sides, no doubt. When you want a new car (something you'd like to see happen), you make the sacrifice to get one, whatever it might be. By me staying home, we're going from two incomes to one - yes, the sacrifice is big, but because it's a conviction for us, we're making that sacrifice.

I don't know where these thoughts hit you today. Ironically I've been interrupted several times with other things, as I've tried to finish it. Sometimes I think that's how our enemy works. He jumbles up our mind's thoughts to the extreme, where we're unable to dis cipher whether we're hearing the Lord on something or it's simply something we see in another person and would like to imitate. Take heart - I'm on the journey, as well -- wanting to make sure I live a life that recognizes and is obedient to convictions instead of living in bondage to something that, for this season, is only a liking.

Invisible

2010-09-01T10:44:00.000-07:00

My daddy seems to me, at least, one of the most in tune people to the Holy Spirit. I'm really not just trying to toot his horn, he really has a gift for hearing a prompting and being obedient. In the mail today, I received a copy of an article called "On Being a Mom" from him. When I thanked him for it, he said it was long overdue, but the Lord knew when I needed to get it. Today couldn't have been a more perfect day. I'm not going to copy the entire thing into the blog, but hit on the highlights that seemed to penetrate my mind and heart today. (BTW: if the morsel you receive gives you a taste for more, send me your email & I'll get you a copy.)

A woman writes it, and what I find very ironic is the author is unknown....much like the very first three words of the article, "I am invisible". She sets it up by listing all the things she does, as a mother and how she honestly feels that no one really sees her, but expects things from her. Being later in life than most of my girlfriends to enter this thing we call motherhood, I've heard that complaint several times. Not that they are completely selfish, it just would be nice to get some sort of recognition every once in a while. From the things that go completely unseen, but are always done (ie, meals, laundry, cleaning, carpooling, etc) to the things that we do see, but never really think about the fact that someone had to make a sacrifice to make it happen (ie, getting ready before everyone else gets up, organization of all the events of the family, etc). I'm sure (because I haven't actually experienced it yet) it can seem like a completely thankless job, even though moms do those things out of love.

What I found to be profound was this author's connection of a mom's sacrifices of love to the building of the great cathedrals in Europe. She made these four observations and hopefully you'll see the connection:
1) No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.
2) These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished.
3) They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.
4) The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

She went on to say what she sensed God was speaking directly to her: "I see you. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become." She goes on to say "At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride."

I saw the movie "Eat Pray Love" the other day & thought this quote by a new mother in the film was well-put: "Having a baby is like getting a tattoo all over your face. You better be ready for the commitment." I know I'm not near along in the journey enough to have formed my own opinions or thoughts about what motherhood will entail. I also know each one of you reading this could give me pointers and advice that would probably help, but maybe scare me. But, I also know that each one of us has been called to this position, whether we stay home with them or work outside the home, and it is not a "position" we can take lightly. Regardless of how we feel, the judgments we endure from others or our own selfish pride telling us that there's more to life than being stuck in the mundane chores of a home, He who calls, equips and He who equips, sees. He sees who we are and what we have laid aside to become. We are not invisible to Him.

Sorry that this blog is much more focused on a certain crowd out there, but in light of my "purpose blues" blog a week back, I thought I'd share what He's been massaging in my mind since then. My prayer is that He continues to fill me with my purpose (who I am in Him) rather than the temptation to simply be busy, so I seem significant.

who God is

2010-08-25T09:54:00.001-07:00

Pretty broad and overwhelming title, coming from someone who has a hard time putting words to her emotions, most times. But, I started a new book today entitled The Teaching of Christ by my friend Dr. G. Campbell Morgan (author of the previous book I have written about). He bravely ventures through the different teachings of Christ, while He was here on earth & the first one is concerning God. This won't be a long one today, simply because I've yet to really soak his words in, concerning Christ's teaching on God, but wanted to put it out there and maybe you'll have the same desire to chew on it for a little while.

The verses he refers to are:
Matthew 6:8
Matthew 6:32
Matthew 11:27
Matthew 22:37-38
John 4:24
John 5:17
John 14:7
John 14:9

The way he ended the chapter is where I am left chewing.....

Our study of the teaching of Christ concerning God must be imperfect, because in His words His final teaching about God is not contained. Nevertheless, in the words we have found revealed the facts, of the sovereignty of God Who is Spirit; of the nearness of our relationship to God as Father; of the perfection of His method, in that He is the Lord, Author of a law of love, Himself becoming what His people need, in order to help them to become.

what I do see (and there's definitely more to chew on) is this:
God, as God = sovereign in all things
God, as Father = the relater of our souls
God, as Lord = His perfect method with us of love and sanctification

off to do more chewing......

"purpose-blues"

2010-08-23T11:39:00.000-07:00

So, like I thought might happen, it's been another 2 months since I posted. Not that there are any "way too faithful" readers out there who check this thing on a daily basis (and if you are one, PLEASE get a new hobby, my life is NOT that interesting), but I really did have good intentions of being more faithful with it this time around. Oh well...such is life.

I've found that in this "blogging-ness", I honestly can't sit down with my computer & make it happen unless I have something heavy on my mind. And, wouldn't you know, when I DO have something heavy on my mind, my computer isn't. Again, such is life, but in my defense (like I have to have one to you - honestly, I'm an idiot) I have a rather lengthy list going of "heavy mind things" that I plan to venture back to via this venue of discussion with myself (and you, if you'd like to comment :)).

Heavy on my mind today is the start back to school, as I'm sure it is the top thought consuming more people than I could count today. It was comical to me, as I scrolled through my news feed on facebook, how many "proud moms" I have as friends & their darling "1st day of school" pics. I even have a friend who takes her one child who is not in school out for Chic-Fil-A breakfast, after the drop-off of the others. Rituals, traditions, pictures....it's all apart of the the cycle of life coming back around to starting a new school year. From my oldest niece, Madie, starting kindergarten a couple weeks back (Oklahoma, AHEAD of Texas in school-date start - every chance I can take getting a little jab in on the state where I reside - smile) and being so ready & excited --- her mom, maybe not quite as much, although seeing Madie's excitement made it all worth it, to seeing postings of graduates of PHS, moved into their 1st dorm room - minutes and some hours away from home - with anticipation of that first 8am class! The beginning of school sends an exciting current through almost every avenue of life. Whether you're taking one to school, starting a new year yourself or getting the privilege of teaching one of these young minds, August brings a fresh start for everyone.

So, why is it heavy on my mind? Most of you know that I'm not returning to the classroom this year because I get to stay home and simply be Owens' mom, so instead of the anxious, crazy, excited, draining feelings my colleagues are feeling today, it's "just another manic Monday" in the Wood household. I had people ask me, all summer, how it felt to not be going back to teach in the fall & I honestly never really thought about it till yesterday. It was summer - no one was there, so nothing was different. But, today, something is different. I met the girl who took my place last Thursday - saw my old room - talked with my dear friend who taught across the hall from me about her class schedule, etc....all the while thinking, I'm really not coming back to this. Now, I know some people put their "outside the home" jobs on hold after having done what they did for MUCH longer than the 3 years I had in the classroom, but those 3 years were so wonderful & pivotal for who I have become, it's really strange to not be going back.

Now, before I'm seen as the ungrateful girl who was given what she wanted (staying home) and doesn't like it, I'm truly overwhelmed by the responsibility that lies ahead of me, come Owens' arrival and know God knew the exact moment we were to get pregnant and that there would be some waiting time inbetween leaving teaching & my little man coming into the world. He IS sovereign and above all things, so I trust that. I just have to say, the enemy has had a good time tempting me with lies about my purpose. For the past 3 years, my purpose seemed to be found in learning what it meant to be Mrs. Randy Wood, as well as the teaching field. I was blessed with beginning my teaching career at THE best high school/district, in my opinion, and gleaned so many wonderful things from that experience, the most important, realizing I will one day return to that career, as I've been given a strong passion for influencing lives in that way. The enemy has thrown some thought-provoking questions at me lately, including, what is your purpose....everyone else has a full-time paying job to go to today & you gave yours up.....what will you do to fill up your time....etc. I had a rather lengthy conversation with God about it last night, asking Him to remind me of truth - that my purpose is NOT in what I do, but in WHOSE I am and that is already settled and hasn't changed. And, as God is always faithful to do, He took me to a visual story in the Bible that brought it all home for me this morning.

Demas was a man who worked along side Paul, in his mission to make as many converts as possible. You'll find him in Colossians 4:12-14 and Philemon 23 and 24, being listed as a helper in Paul's mission and purpose. But, then, the only other place we find him is in 2 Timothy 4:9-11. 2 Timothy was Paul's last recorded letter, so we can be sure that what he recorded here happened after the Colossians & Philemon notes. The significance lies in the fact that, in the 2 Timothy letter, Demas is said to have forsaken Paul and gone the way of the ages (or world, as some translations interpret). As you would probably assume, my mind was exercised by Mr. Morgan's book, in reference to this man. Mr. Morgan made the profound assertion that Demas was no longer intrigued and captivated by this unseen Lord, who they were sharing with others, but in turn became impassioned by the SEEN world, and all the pleasures that come with.

In light of my circumstances, God faithfully told me to be captivated and passionate about this new venture I am going to begin soon, even though I can't see little Owens' face. Just because it's not a full-time paying job...doesn't include benefits and days off....and doesn't get me out of the house for hours on end, doesn't mean there is no purpose in it for me. I had a friend tell me, right after I became pregnant, that this is the highest calling on my life, aside from being a wife and a believer in Jesus. Yes, I will return to the teaching field and get the blessing of influencing lives for the better, one day, but for now, there is no greater thing I can do for the little boy I get the honor of calling "son" than to simply be his mom. I know staying at home is not for every one and every situation, but it is for me and because of that, I want to do it without regret or lack of purpose.

So, thank you for letting me spill my thoughts of what today represents for me. Another gentle reminder of who God is in my life and the way He holds all things together -- even, and especially the unseen things. Blessings to you as you pursue and live His purpose for you today.

bikini or bust?

2010-06-30T14:52:00.000-07:00

No pun intended on my title -- smile, but I write today, taking a little break from my Dr. Morgan book. I have a very dear friend, holding that title for 18 years, who did a very brave thing yesterday. Via Facebook, she expressed her gratitude to a certain group of mothers, which in turn, has caused quite a raucous in the realm of cyberspace. She simply stated that she appreciated those mothers who were instructing their young daughters in the way of modesty, specifically swimsuits, as her and her husband have begun the incredible journey of raising twin boys (currently 11 months old). I don't know that I have seen a post receive so many comments as I did last night. Pretty sure it was 43 and in my mind, that's a record. Now, of those 43 (and counting, I'm sure), WAY more than half were in agreement of her gratitude. Pretty typical -- most who aren't going to agree seem to just stay quiet & possibly rant about it to their husband, best friend, parent, dog, etc. I know that's what I do -- isn't it interesting that Facebook has gone from a social networking tool to our own individual reality TV show. All we need is a camera & a million viewers and we'd be making it famous!

But, before you write me off as "one of those in agreement", simply because this brave woman is one I would consider as close as a sister, please give me a minute to provide some backing to my "all those in favor" point of view. Being a female, obviously, I see things from a female's perspective. Didn't have to get my Master's degree to come to that assumption, I know, but take a minute to think inside of that fact. Since I see things from a female's perspective, when I'm in "auto-pilot" mode, working my way through this journey we call "life", I'm not normally going to think like a male. This is one of the main reasons I believe marriage is a miracle, whether you believe in God or not. Two individuals, different sexes, different backgrounds, maybe even different personalities, living under the same roof & not just co-existing, but actually loving life together, as they learn to love each other selflessly. Again, no brain surgeon has to tell you, that's a miracle. Those of you reading this who are married or have been married can attest to the fact that we don't think alike. Females are consumed with emotions and details. Males are consumed with facts and the big picture. Take the overly used example of wife and husband, at home, after work. Wife asks, "How was your day?" Husband answers, "Fine, as usual." Husband returns the favor and asks the same thing, but getting quite a different response than he probably ever wanted. Wife goes into every detail, insignificant as it may seem, and explores about every tangent she can, coming off of the original story she began. What began as a simple response, "Fine, as usual" turned into a plethora of details and emotions that caused the husband to wonder why he ever even asked the question in the first place.

So, what does this have to do with my friend's post? Men are visual creatures. They can't be anything other than that. Yes, even those of us who would profess to be Christians - our husbands included - married visual creatures. Whether they struggle with pornography or simply think the lady who took their order at Starbucks had beautiful eyes, they notice any and everything visually. To make them anything other than that would be, at least ludicrous, at most, claiming to be their Creator. So, because of this fact, like it or not, they are continually prompted, pleased and/or persuaded (like all the P words?!) by visual stimulus, the female body being at the very top of that list. My friend will not have to teach her 11 month old twin boys to think girl's bodies are attractive. That might freak us out, considering their age right now, but it's true. Yes, little boys & girls go through that stage of thinking the opposite sex has cooties, but there will come a day - no doubt - where those same boys & girls will find the opposite sex the most intriguing thing they could ever lay eyes upon. So, if these boys (age indifferent) will eventually get to that place of finding the female body so fascinating, why not teach our young girls to protect their bodies and earn the respect of those boys, in the way she carries her body. Why not set both sexes up for success by teaching the boys to find the girl's emotions and heart as intriguing as their bodies and the girls to wait for those boys who are not driven by their visual nature, but have learned to control it.

I'm a firm believer in the training of young girls toward modesty and self-respect, but I am also a firm believer in the training of young boys towards visual purity and the honoring of women. Our media does both sexes' parents a HUGE disfavor in this area. I am almost 19 weeks pregnant, with our first child and will find out in a week or 2 what we are having, so this subject is very sacred to my heart. Whether my husband and I raise a young woman or man (or more of each, if God allows), I want to make sure we are raising, by our example and words, counter-culture to what they will be hearing from our society. It will be hard, no doubt, as I've heard from the many friends we have who are several years ahead of us in the child-rearing stage of life, but I also believe it will be worth every investment and sacrifice.

There is a scripture in the Bible and whether you believe the Bible for everything it says or not, I think it still holds a very poignant truth. It says that everything is permissable, but not everything is beneficial. Think about that statement in light of my friend's post. Yes, as parents, we can and get to decide what our children wear, watch, are involved with, etc, (it is permissable), but as individuals raising up the next generation of society's leaders, we have to consider the last part of that statement: is everything we are allowing for our children beneficial for them and others around them? No, we're not responsible or accountable for how Joe & Jane Doe raise their children, but I would much rather be a fellow helper in the cause, for example, in what I allow my little girl to wear to the pool, than a hindrance. As I've learned, becoming a mother-to-be, we're all in this together, aren't we?

Lastly, I want to just touch on the affect we, as parents, have on our children's futures. That sounds like a really cheesy presidential ending for a speech, but in all honesty, the reality that this little life inside of me, at the moment, will one day grow up to make his or her own choices in life really freaks me out, at times. Mine and my husband's choice to be committed to each other and start a family has resulted in many things, definitely one of the biggest, a new life coming into the world. Again, it freaks me out to think of the responsibility and obligation to pave the way for this child's future. Yes, he or she will be born with a chooser and will more than likely make mistakes along the way, as I have, but I have a deep conviction to give my child the BEST tools for the journey and not simply let them experiment with everything that comes along and not know the good and bad of each possible experimentation. I know we won't be able to shield our child from all the world's temptations, if you want to call them that, but my prayer and hope is that when they face those things - be it beneficial for the moment or beneficial for a lifetime - they will have the training to make the right choice, whether they make that choice or not.

Most of you who are reading this - and thank you for sticking through it to its entirety - are way farther than I am on this "parent journey". Kudos to you for being brave in your every day lives, because, regardless, being a parent demands courage. I'm encouraging you to keep it up and follow your heart. It knows best -- and don't our children deserve that?

Healing at the Pool

2010-06-29T14:20:00.000-07:00

In John 5:1-18, a story is told of a man who was healed by a pool called Bethesda. I'd heard the story several times, but had never gone into this much detail or received this much insight. The healing portion of the story takes place in a few short verses (1-9), but I want to focus in on the last 8 verses of this story. Yes, the healing was miraculous -- the man had no one to help him into the water, to receive the healing that was their superstition. Jesus picks him out and doesn't simply throw him into the water for the healing -- He speaks it into his life & it's done. Can you imagine the looks on the faces around him? "(enter name) has been sitting in that SAME spot for 38 years. This guy talks to him for a moment & (enter name) simply picks up his mat and walks away." If those people were anything like me, they were probably skeptical that "enter name" was even an invalid in the first place.

But, where I received the deepest lesson was in verses 9-18. The Word says he was walking around, with his mat (if you hadn't walked in 38 years, I'm sure you'd be doing the same) and the "Jews", as my translation refers to them as, asked him a question that will forever live in my mind as a complete slap in the face, "It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed". Are you kidding me? The man has been an invalid - paralyzed - stricken and bound to the ground for longer than I've been alive & the very first question out of your mouth is "why are you carrying your bed on the day of rest"? We don't know that this man was known around town -- for all we know, the Jews had never seen him, but I'm really not ready to give the Jews the benefit of the doubt. My translation reads in verse 9 he was healed and in verse 10 he was asked the question by the Jews. My mind says, there's not a lot of time in there for them to have possibly never seen him before.

So, my personal application: how many times have I been more concerned with the letter of the law than that my friend has been healed? I heard something many years ago & have held onto it as such truth: God is more concerned about our hearts than our situations. That might sound pretty harsh to some people -- especially those whose situations are affecting their hearts, but I firmly believe it, even if it's hard to swallow at times. What's sad is I don't show this same kind of concern to the people in my life, as God shows to me. I want to find out the details -- psycho-analyze each factor, person, etc involved & even try to find someone to blame, when all I'm called to do is pray for healing for their heart & watch God work a miracle. I don't want to be like those Jews -- consumed with the law so much (that ironically God had given them) that I can't see when a man, who was once lame and is now walking.

God, help me to celebrate the healing, above all things.

The Nobleman's Son

2010-06-28T09:14:00.000-07:00

In February of this year, I started a journey through a remarkable book, by a remarkable author. I was teaching the Bible class at PHS & had got to the point in our curriculum where Christ's miracles were taught. I needed some supplement material to add to the Bible curriculum I had, so where does a PK go to get good notes/books...yes, my daddy, a true student of the Word. He loaned me a book that went much further than being used in my classroom -- it has really changed my perspective on how Christ, while on this earth, related to people. I would consider myself a pretty relational person -- those of you who know me well can attest to that -- and I'm probably being way too humble when I say "pretty relational". Ask my parents -- it almost caused me to fail out of college. I mean, really, who goes to college for the academia anyway?! Ironic that I'm a teacher now, huh? So, to read about how Christ related to people interested me very much. How He did it is how I want to do it. Enter one of the most influential books I've read in a long time...

The author was a man named G. Campbell Morgan. He was an evangelist known in both America and Great Britain as "the prince of expositors". He pastored the Westminister Chapel in London for a total of 18 years. He was considered a prolific author, writing over 50 classic books on biblical interpretation before he died in 1945. When I read his short bio in the back of the book, I about fell over. This man DIED 31 years before I was born. In a society where we seem to gravitate toward the "up and coming/popular" authors, speakers and artists, I was refreshed to realize this man could teach me after being in Christ's presence in Heaven for 65 years. If you're one of the ones I've spoken in person to about this book, you'll hear me say that, after millions and millions of years worshipping the Father, when we arrive at our eternal home, I hope to have coffee with this man. Just to watch his mouth move in clarification of the Word would be an honor.

So, thus begins what I intend on being a good sounding board for what I have journaled while reading this book. The title will reveal the person Christ had contact with & I'll attempt to summarize Mr. Morgan's clarification of Scripture, while including some personal things God was way too faithful to reveal to me, in the process. The first is the Nobleman's son, found in John 4:46-54.

Christ was in Capernaum, outside of Cana of Galilee. The "official", as they were called, found him & asked that he come down and heal his son, who was at the point of death. When Christ responded with "unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe", he asked again for Him to come down. Christ spoke the healing instead of touching the boy and it says in verse 50, the "man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way". Servants met him, professing to the father that the son was healed & even spoke of the exact time he had been healed. The nobleman realized that was the same time Christ had spoke the healing, resulting in his whole household believing in this man named Jesus.

What I found so intriguing, through Mr. Morgan's explanation and the Holy Spirit's prompting was that this man literally walked away, without Jesus coming with him. We don't know that this man had seen any other miracles Jesus had performed, so why did he have any reason to believe this man could actual do what He said He and others professed He could do? A very short/simple reminder to me -- I've seen God do miraculous things. I've witnessed His faithfulness and provision, so why do I wonder if He can handle the "next thing" that comes up in my life, especially when I read of a man whose own flesh and blood was at the point of death & he was willing to walk away, trusting this Jesus was holding to His word.

A very humbling thought in a time of uncertainity....do I take God at His word or do I speak faith with my mouth, yet live in unbelief with my mind and actions.....

pool and pizza

2010-06-23T19:47:00.000-07:00

Sorry that my titles are getting less creative each night :) Not only do I have a strong appreciation & respect for moms and dads out there - daily putting continuous amounts of energy into making life even more enjoyable for the little people in our world, but now, I have an appreciation for EXPECTANT mothers who have young ones, as well. My energy level isn't quite what it used to be - say 5 months ago - so, just know, momma Wood is sleeping every bit as good as Madie each night :)

So, Day 3 began with a healthy dose of Aunt Shuddy's favorite breakfast to make - chocolate chip waffles. After gorging ourselves on sheer solid carbs, we loaded up, told Uncle Randy "good-bye" & headed to Aunt Jaci's house, to swim and spend the afternoon with her. Bubs & Jaci live near uptown Dallas, in a nice apartment complex, with a really nice pool. No offense to the cleanliness of the Weatherford public pool, but there's something to be said about not having to fight every other child in Weatherford for some jumping-off-the-side space. We swam, we ate lunch and we swam again. Probably one of the funniest things she's said all week happened here, as well. There were 3 grown men enjoying their day off, I'm assuming, and getting some sun and swimming. One of the men looked like leather - one man sank his lounge chair into the pool because, I guess, he didn't know the concept of bringing a beach towel to lay on & the plastic was melting his skin off, I'm sure & the last man looked like a fair-toned skinned person who completely forgot sunscreen at the beach. The three of us (Madie, Jaci & I) had moved over to another part of the pool (per the 5 year old's request) and we happened to be closer to these three men. Madie asked if she could swim over to where "the red man was". As Jaci and I put our heads under water to keep from laughing out loud, I simply told her no & we headed to the other side of the pool. As we're going, she's singing, "Red Man, Red Man, Red Man....". It was one of those "out of the mouths of babes" moments if I've ever seen/heard one!

We headed back to Weatherford - attempted a nap (key word, attempt) & then, what turned out to be the highlight of the day (per the question asked, "what was your favorite") - Pizza Hut! Again, who knew that such simplicity could bring such joy!! We got a pepperoni pizza & cheese sticks & enjoyed every minute of it.

After some chalk drawing on the sidewalk, while Shuddy watered the flowers, we bathed, read two books, kissed Jaci goodnight (she gets to spend the night with us) and are hopefully asleep, as Shuddy types.

Again, what a fun week, not just for her, but for us! Hard to believe it's already come to a close, as we'll return the little munchkin to mom & Lizie tomorrow at lunch, but I'm grateful & can only hope that these become memories as precious to her, as they are to us!

If I don't write tomorrow night it's because I'm falling asleep, hugging the pillow she slept on all week. Probably won't wash the sheets for a couple weeks - :)

aliens, the rain forest, and smores

2010-06-22T20:15:00.000-07:00

Day 2 began with Aunt Shuddy waking up 30 minutes late. Our first activity of the day was the FREE movie @ the Weatherford Theater, but we had heard getting there early is a good idea. 30 minutes late didn't cause us too be late to the theater, just made for a panicked and thrown together morning...not my idea of a "good morning". But, thanks to some advice from a friend, we got there in plenty of time to get great seats & have some pop corn and lemonaid while we watched. "Aliens in the Attic" wasn't the cartoon I was hoping for Miss Madie, but for the most part, she enjoyed it & laughed at all the "right" places.

We enjoyed lunch & some down time before heading to the Weatherford Public Library for a reading activity they have every Tuesday afternoon. The librarian read a book to us about the rain forest & we made our own rain forest out of construction paper & markers. Hopefully it will make the refrigerator as pure art when she returns home. I did see a more shy side of my eldest niece, though. Maybe it was a little tired or being in a new place, but I was glad I could sit beside her and she didn't feel out of place. For someone who NEVER meets a stranger, it was definitely a different side than I had seen.

We ended the day with a hot dog picnic at Cherry Park -- what was quoted as "the favorite thing we did all day". The sanguine came back alive, yelling things like "I love this" as she climbed and "Shuddy, take a picture of me" as she posed at the top of the jungle gym. I smiled and thought, "there's my girl!!". After a good play at the park, we headed home for smores in the back yard, roasting the marshmallows over Uncle Randy's portable camping stove (oh, the joys of modern technology). We got a good soak in the bath & even watched a little of one of the Barbie movies before hitting the pillow, falling asleep about 2 seconds later.

Day 3 = Aunt Jaci, more pool time & Pizza Hut --- good way to spend the last full day!

Our love....

Really? 9 1/2 months later?!

2010-06-21T20:15:00.000-07:00

I am literally cracking myself up as I read the last post blogged before this one -- dated, Sept 4, 2009. I know that NONE that read this (my own mother included) would even come close to caring or remembering what I wrote, but to refresh your memory, I said I was so excited to be able to blog at my job last school year. LOL....you teachers out there know THAT is comical in and of itself. Who in the heck has time to blog while you're trying to influence the next generation?! Anyway, had to laugh at some really good intentions. Since then, the following things have happened in mine/our lives:

1) I got pregnant
2) I quit my teaching job to stay at home
3) We got internet at the house - :)
4) I have a belly the size of a cantalope, at the moment

Funny all the things that happen when you take a 9 month hiatus from the blog-world. But, like every summer, I've gotten the "writing bug" and hopefully will keep this one a little longer than Sept 4th. So, in appropriate timing, I'm starting off with journaling my niece, Madie's, 2010 visit to Aunt Shuddy & Uncle Randy's house in Texas - a "really long ways from home", as she calls it. So, if you're really bored or you're my sister Joni, here goes -- ;)

Day 1 began a little later than I had expected. Last year, the girl was up before 8am, so I had prepped myself to take her on a little walk before breakfast. When I woke up & rolled over towards the clock, it was 8:30. I checked in on her & she was still sleeping...waking up about 15 minutes later. Guess the "no-Sunday-afternoon-nap" had had the best of her. We had cinammon rolls and cereal, messed around the house, ate lunch & headed to Cherry Park Pool (here in Weatherford). For $2/person, one can get some good sun (sorry, mom....promise we used sunscreen!!!), wear yourself out jumping off the side & throwing a ball around the pool with a new friend, and turning the pool's "kiddie" sprinklers on & off. By 2:30, we were wiped out & headed back for a "rest time". Mom, you'd be proud, "stay in your room & rest" time turned into "out like a light" time, for a good hour and a half. Sun & water will do it to you every time!

After nap, we got the tacos ready, our friend Kelsey came over & we had a picnic on the front lawn. Yes, Grammy would've been "sweatin' like a dog", but it was a fun memory. We watered Uncle Randy's grass, while running through the sprinkler and made a hop-scotch with chalk, the length of the sidewalk. After bath, we watched "Princess and the Frog" - got to bed a little later than usual, but took no time to fall back asleep. Full day = good rest.

Preview of tomorrow's activities in three short words: theater, library, park. Here's to day #2!!

Love to all who are reading & even those who can't (Lizie-Lou).....R, J, & M :)

Back to school!!!

2009-09-04T10:05:00.000-07:00

oh, yes...we're back to the routine of getting up before the sun comes up, doing my "morning routine" in an OCD manner & falling into a coma around 10pm each night. School is back in session! Not sure that my other fellow teachers would agree with me, but this one is starting off quite pleasantly. I'm not sure if it's because it's my 3rd year teaching/being here at Peaster that means I'm finally learning the ropes faster or if this one will be different all together. Either way, I'm grateful. Summer went WAY too fast this year, so it's been nice to have a simple start to being back at work.

Another exciting thing about this year is the fact that I can blog here at school. For some reason, this is the first year it hasn't been blocked, so I'm super excited about the FUN things I will discover during the day & be able to vent about to those interested in my not-so-exciting life :) Hoping to make this blog thing a much more frequent occurence.

And lastly...at least for today: if you haven't heard my brother's new band, Air Review's new CD called Landmarks, you MUST pick it up soon!! It can be downloaded on itunes or bought on their myspace page (www.myspace.com/airreview ). They have received some RAVE reviews in the Dallas area &, call me prejudice, it's right up there with the quality of Mute Math and/or Coldplay. So, check it out -- hopefully it's right down your alley of enjoyment :)

Happy Labor Day to all -- get some rest & enjoy time with those you love. That's my plan!

Post Vacation

2009-08-10T18:25:00.000-07:00

For my Facebook friends, I decided it would take way too many words to “update my status” with all that has happened in the past week, so thank you for opting to read the blog.
As you might’ve read, we had an amazing time at Disney World. Even though Randy was fighting off a cold and exhaustion, he was such the trouper & we definitely enjoyed every minute! But, as most things go, “all good things must come to an end” & it was time to return to our daily lives at 312 W. Spring Street. We landed at DFW airport an hour later than we were supposed to on Saturday, Aug 1. My inlaws were so sweet to not complain about picking us up at the airport close to midnight - on a Saturday night, which those of you whom church is your job, you know late Saturday nights can make for long Sundays. After debriefing them of our trip, we arrived home to a house reading at 82 degrees. Now, I should’ve prefaced this with what had happened the week before. The day before we left for Orlando, we came home from church & our AC wasn’t turning cool. To make a really long story a little shorter, we paid a little too much for someone to come out & fix it, only to come home from vacation to it not working again. Randy fiddled with it till about 1:30 in the morning & we finally decided to simply go to his parent’s house & worry about it Monday.
Monday morning, I had a workshop for work & Randy got to working on finding out what was wrong with our AC. Mind you, Randy was gone every week in the month of July, so this boy was anxious to sleep in his own bed & watch his own TV. We were told the control board for our AC had gone out & they would have to order the part & get back to us. Good news: at least we knew the problem -- Bad news: who knew how long it would take for the part to come in. But, God knew our anxious hearts to be back in our home & by Wednesday night, we were enjoying a cool home, watching our own TV.
Now, I’m not sure how many of you knew about my eye problems the past month, but I was told, mid-July, that I had a cold sore in my left eye. Who knew the same herpy virus you can get in your nose & mouth, you can get in your eye ball?! So, I’ve been living in the glasses & doctoring the left eye every 4 hours. My final eye doctor appointment was scheduled for the Thursday after our vacation. The night before (the Wednesday we were sitting coolly in our home), my left eye started acting up again. I had gone the whole vacation with nothing & the day before, something was not right. Discouraged, yet grateful I already had an appointment set, I saw my doctor the next morning. I was told it looked like a viral conjunctivitis - or pink eye, but he wasn’t completely sure because of the cold sore I had had several weeks before. He hooked me up with some eye drops to doctor it with & set an appointment for the next Monday. I hadn’t had pink eye since I was a kid, but knew I could handle it, if I was careful not to share it with others -smile. Randy & I rocked out to my brother’s band, Air Review, on Friday night, in Deep Elum & I was feeling fine. Woke up Saturday morning, to an awful sore throat and running a fever. We thought maybe Randy had shared his “sickness” that he had had in Orlando with me -- isn’t that something you sign up for when you say “I do”? Randy was a good nurse-maid & I laid around as energy was being zapped from my body (or at least that’s what it felt like - smile). I guess because my body likes to do things at the last minute, Sunday night, the “virus” in my left eye started to move to my right eye. No joke!
At the doctor on Monday morning, he confirmed it was a viral infection & put me back on the cold sore medicine to hopefully kill it. Supposedly all the other sickness was related to my eyes & hopefully all will be well soon.
So, I write all that, not just to bore you with the tragedy that has been my physical life the past week (yes, I’m dramatic!!), but to let you in on the emotional damage I’ve done to myself, as well. Virus in the eyes means no contacts. Contacts means wearing glasses. Glasses are cute & fun for a week, but have become annoying a month later. Virus in the eyes also means no eye makeup. No eye makeup is easy-cheesy for the 1st week (who doesn’t love an extra 10 minutes in the morning), but has opened up a gross insecurity in me a month later. I seem to see every imperfection on my face because of the absence of what we use to cover those things up. With that comes the monster of comparison. Being cooped in my house the past several days has given me time to catch up on shows we have recorded. I notice every girl’s eye makeup, her beautifully fixed hair & lack of facial imperfections. I find myself wondering, “has she ever had pink eye in both eyes & felt like crap?”.
I think I hit an extreme as Randy & I were watching one of our favorite Food Network stars, Giada. If you haven’t watched her, make sure you feel REALLY confident about yourself before you do! She’s beautiful - without flaws & comes up with the most amazing meals one could ever imagine! I almost need therapy after watching a 30 minute show because of all the self infliction I’m doing while watching. It’s pretty pathetic.
So, there’s me -- in the raw & really anxious to be back to normal. Maybe I’ll have a new realization to what “normal” is for me now. I can only hope that my lack of security will be strengthened knowing I’m not only what people see on the outside.
Building character -- I think that’s what they call it.

Day 5 & 6: And that's a wrap!

2009-07-31T22:58:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd piggie-back the last 2 days of our vacation, b'c not sure how much time I'll get to blog tomorrow, since we're shopping & flying out. Today was Magic Kingdom & it was amazing! We hit the park when it opened @ 9am this morning & rode about 7 rides before 12:30. Then, we decided to come back to the hotel, eat lunch & take a nap -- isn't vacation GREAT?! After a 2 hour nap, we were refreshed & ready to head back. We had plenty of time to ride & see what we wanted to before the 9pm light parade & 10pm fireworks show! Boy, was it amazing!!! Randy was standing behind me during the fireworks show & afterwards, we both shared how we literally felt we were 5 years old, watching the fireworks. It's amazing what that place does to your spirit -- brings back amazing memories & now that we're on the verge of starting our own family, it's making us even more excited to share that place with our future children. God has been SO faithful to us, in providing this week of rest, relaxation & fun -- I know we will both leave tomorrow night with a new sense of our love for each other & Him.

I can't wait to share the pics with you, if you're interested. I'm planning on making one of those photo books, so keep asking me to hold me accountable :) Again, thank you for sharing in this time -- sorry this blog was shorter, but it's 2am & the eye lids are falling down.

Our love -- we'll be home soon!

addition to Day 4

2009-07-30T18:20:00.000-07:00

You'd think I'd think to put this into the next post, but forgot :( One thing that DID happen today was more emotional for us than anything. Our hotel is hosting a convention for families who have children who have what is called Angelman Syndrome. We had never heard of it, but seeing the t-shirts & children, we were curious. After googling it, we found it's a disorder of a missing 15th chromosome (from the mother). One of those things that God allows & obviously gives the grace to handle. We've had a lot of heart-checks, on a personal level, today -- only God knows what's in store for the future of our future children, but we were both inspired by the grace & love that these parents have.

Definitely a refreshing look at gratitude for us both.....

Day 4: Lazy Day

2009-07-30T18:12:00.000-07:00

Whoever allowed vacations to incorporate laziness, knew Randy & I needed it. We slept in, took naps at the pool, took another nap in the room & are currently still laying on the bed, watching TV. The rain kept us from walking to the shopping center, but we'll hit up tomorrow. Not much to report today, but in case there were those who wanted to know about today, thought I'd get on & say, vacations are for laziness, as well.

Keep praying for Randy -- tomorrow is Disney World & he'll need all the energy he can get! We're excited to end our vacation with Mickey & all the others. I'm sure they'll be more to report tomorrow.

Good night....

CORRECTION FROM DAY 2

2009-07-29T20:56:00.000-07:00

I owe the Robinson family the BIGGEST apology!!! In my post from Day 2, I mentioned having never been to Epcot. If my memory is this bad at 33, I'm real scared for Randy & our future children when I hit 63. My mom & sister very pleasantly reminded me that we, as Robinson children, DID visit Epcot & my mom reminded me of the neatest story from that place. Mom & I bought the same woven-type silver ring & we wore them as a promise that God would bring me my hero one day. On my wedding day, we, very gratefully, took them off. That was such a special thing for me -- completely remember buying the ring & wearing the ring, but obviously forgot where we bought them. Mom, I am so sorry & family, so sorry for forgetting!! Aren't we glad we have others documenting things like this for us - lol.

Okay, now you can read the post for Day 3. Just had to make sure & publicly correct myself :)

Day 3: Let's Go To The Movies

2009-07-29T19:54:00.000-07:00

If you can name the musical that comes from, you get a treat! :) The Wood vacation took us to Hollywood Studios today & it was quite the day! Like I said yesterday, we slept in this morning (much needed!) & were on our way to the park around noon. We experienced fun rides through movies, a real thriller of a ride called the Hollywood Hotel & a "rock and roll rollercoaster" where Randy almost lost his cell phone.

When dinner came around, we decided to try out the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater & it ended up being a BIG hit!! We didn't have to wait for seating (like everyone else) & when we came in the seating area, the entire area was 50's style cars, which were the tables & seats. Everyone was facing the same direction, facing a big movie screen playing old sci-fi movies. It was SO fun!!! The place even had really good vanilla cokes -- quite the treat for this girl!!

When we left dinner, the sky was very black. We had about 15 minutes before the down pour began. We got stuck under an awning with a really weird family -- the little boy wouldn't stop talking and the little girl was eating candy off the dirty ground. Running in the rain would've been less painful. It finally let up enough to head toward the next ride we wanted to try.

There's a new ride at H-Studios called The Toy Story Mania or something like that. We'd heard a lot about it, but most importantly, get ready to wait in line! We laughed it off & went anyway. When we got to the ride, the wait time was 120 minutes -- yes, folks, that's 2 hours. Our motto today was "we've got nothing but time", so we got in line. We were blessed with a really NEAT family this time, standing behind us in line. They are from Virginia & had a little 3 year old boy with them, who was pretty excited about seeing Buzz Lightyear. The ride was quite FUN & Randy kicked my butt on how well he could shoot the things we were aiming at (part of the ride). I can imagine our Smith girls would really get into it -- a lot of fun for the youngsters!

We were planning on staying for "late park hours" (11pm), but the rain never really let up & you can only walk around wet & in the rain for a little bit before it's just not that fun anymore. Randy & I were competing on who had it worse: him, with no hair to keep the rain from his eyes or me, wearing glasses with spots all over them. We were a pretty pathetic pair!

But, we made it back -- showered & dried off in time for some ice cream & TV. The boy is Tylenol PM'd out (kicking this sickness out of him), as I type & we're looking forward to sleeping in again tomorrow, chilling at the pool & doing some shopping. Our Smith girls should get pretty excited about what Uncle Raneee and Aunt Shuddy are bringing home for them!!

love to all that have read -- thanks for deeming our lives this interesting :)

Day 2: Hot & Steamy Epcot

2009-07-28T20:01:00.000-07:00

I was blessed as a child to visit both Disney Land & World, but one place we didn't visit was the extravagance called Epcot. So, when I learned that Randy got us a 3-day pass & that would include Epcot, I got pretty excited. I had always heard it was pretty cool & was definitely NOT disappointed today!

We hit the park as soon as the doors opened this morning & honestly didn't do much sitting till about 5pm. We rode all the favorites & Randy was a GREAT tour guide, having gone each year he visited, growing up. We also visited all the countries & took a different picture at each one.

But, after sweating a little more than comfortable & having seen all we wanted to see, we decided to head home & get some rest. One thing that HAS changed since we both came, as MUCH younger people -- our bodies take the toll of the walking & sweating. It's definitely worth it, but we just have to take some more time to rest.

If you don't mind, after you read this -- say a little prayer for Randy's body, in specific. The 2 back-to-back camps (and lack of sleep that accompanies) is starting to take it's toll on him physically. He is fighting it off because of how excited he is to be here, but we made the decision to lay low tonight & get some rest in the morning. Just pray he rests well & heals soon!

We're hitting Hollywood Studios tomorrow, but probably not till about noon. They have "late" hours tomorrow, so we decided to sleep in a little in the morn.

Great Day 2!!

Day 1: Happiest Place on Earth

2009-07-27T21:05:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Wood family vacation -- the Disney World experience! My amazing husband has worked SO hard to make this happen & we're both beautifully exhausted after Day 1 that proved to be worth every painstaking effort on his part.

After barely 3 hours of sleep due to "we're going to Disney World" excitement & the fact that our AC was tempting to go out all day Sunday, we left Weatherford at 4am with Momma Kaye, taking us to the airport. Because of my experience flying the friendly skies, I suggested we get to the airport at least 2 hours before, since we needed to check our bag (by the way, in case you haven't flown lately -- checking bags costs money now -- nice way to make passengers excited about flying). We got to the airport before 5am & was checked in & through security by 5:30. That has NEVER happened to me, in all my years of flying. I could really become a HUGE advocate for AirTran airways....they are doing something right!

If you're familiar with Bill Cosby's comic routine, you might remember his story about the "Jeffrey" that sat behind him on a plane one time. "Jeffrey" was behind me the entire 2 hours we were in flight - thumping & hitting my seat - but, nothing was going to take my excitement away!

After arriving at the Orlando airport, we got on the one tram, taking us to baggage claim, that had electronic problems & stalled in route. We waited about 20 minutes & had to be rescued -- thank goodness we can laugh at things like this.

But, literally, those 2 incidents were the ONLY hang-ups in this day! Randy & I were walking around Downtown Disney this evening, smiling & being reminded by God of how He so lovingly takes care of us & has allowed us to enjoy this life together. This week, "life together" is at the "happiest place on earth". I'll try to be consistent with daily blogs, so feel free to come back.

We're headed to Epcot tomorrow -- weeeeeee, can't wait!!!

3 miles in New Mexico

2009-07-07T14:36:00.000-07:00

Many would ask what I was thinking when I decided to run 3 miles in the 6,920 feet elevation of Ruidoso, New Mexico (and yes, I looked it up so my husband wouldn't say I was exaggerating, as I often do - smile). Well, to answer those people's questions, I'm getting prepared to prepare for a 10K I'm planning on running in October. Wait, I should change that from "planning on" to "being conned into". My good friend Amanda is one of those persuasive types (you who know her can vouch) & before I could take back the words escaping from my mouth, I was saying "sure, I'll run it with you!" Now, I have run two 5K runs, the last being this past February, but since that run in February, I haven't been quite as consistent as I should with this particular cardio exercise. So, thus the reason I say I'm preparing to prepare to run -- gotta get back into the 5K shape before I can prepare to do it 2 times in a row - wow, the thought is starting to freak me out.

Anyway, Randy & I are at, what has become our annual summer vacation spot, Ruidoso, New Mexico, with his parents and some of their friends. Beautiful atmosphere, 70 degree weather, nothing to do & all the time in the world to do it -- and VERY high elevation. Randy & his mom decided to go antique shopping (NOT my cup o' tea) & I was more than happy to allow them that quality time together. Good time for me to try the run, huh? Now, to get the vast expanse of this story, you sort of have to get some visuals in your head -- if you haven't the time, close this blog, it won't hurt my feelings.

The beautiful house we're staying in is at the top of a hill -- pretty steep one at that, so I decided to walk down to the main road, where I would be able to start on a running/walking track that circles a golf course. Having only walked this track 2 times before with my mother-in-law, I wasn't completely sure which way was best to go, but thought - heck, it makes a circle, so who cares. Side note: now, I care.

I had my running mix on my ipod, complete with Brittany's "Circus" & Rihanna's "Disturbia" & I was feeling good the first mile & 1/2. I even had the thought, "elevation, my butt -- this is nothing". Then, out of literally no where came the hills. There is one thing pretty consistent about hills, when you're running -- there will be "the other side" where you'll be going DOWN hill, right? I guess the person who put these hills in was into being inconsistent. They would go up, level off & then go up again, level off & freakin' go up AGAIN! When all but a small round circle in my eyes went black, I thought it best to start walking. (okay, the small round circle part was an exaggeration...thought I could make it without doing that, smile) I would walk a little bit, jog a little bit, walk a little more, jog a little less. Frustration setting in, but knowing I had to finish.

To complete the story, yes, I obviously made it back -- and fortunately in one piece. But, in true Jayme Wood style, I started reflecting, as I gulped down my bottled water. Here's some things I was reminded about:

1) My motivation to complete the 3 miles, without stopping, was to "please" Randy. Now, before you start calling him a jerk, who puts rideculous expectations on his wife, the fault is all mine. Ever since I can remember, I've been a "pleaser". Whether it was with my friends, making sure everyone was happy or whether it involved something I was doing & desiring for the significant people in my life to be "pleased" with me. Randy doesn't give a hill of beans whether I run 3 miles in this elevation or whether I sit on my butt all week long. His love doesn't have restrictions.

Lesson #1: lose the "please" & experience people's love.

2) The fact that the hills didn't seem to have a "down" side made me think about how many times in life we think, "if we can just get to the other side of this, it'll be better". The reality of life is that sometimes, it's not better. It may be a different place (path that leveled off), but you may not be experiencing the relief of a down-hill push. In those times, I want to chose to continue walking. Yes, I wanted to stop on the side of the track & just sit there, but I also knew, the longer I stalled, the longer it would be before I finished.

Lesson #2: keep walking, even if it turns into a crawl.

Yeah, I'll try it again tomorrow -- but, this time, I'll go right, instead of left. We'll see what kind of revelations come from a much smoother path.

Deaths of "Icons"

2009-06-25T15:42:00.000-07:00

As I watch the NBC Nightline special of the deaths of Michael Jackson & Farrah Fawcett, I'm overwhelmed with the thought of perspective. More TV "specials" will be dedicated to these American icons in the days to come, loaded to the brim with pictures, videos, & emotional moments that will remind the American people of their lives. But, more than likely, one thing will not be touched by these "specials" & that is their eternal destination.

I won't even pretend to jump on the train of several, I'm sure, who will try to assume whether Farrah & the King of Pop had personal relationships with Christ. Who are we to come to those assumptions, but it does cause my mind to wander to the thoughts of what really matters.

We hear it all the time -- are you living for what really matters? Are you in a continual state of keeping your mind on a true perspective of life? In the chaos of life, it's easy to forget that there's something so much more worthy of our attention and purpose.

Again, I won't begin to assume where these two American icons are spending their eternal life, but I'm once again reminded: who am I living for?

In the grand scheme of things, a legendary "pop" career (MJ) and a killer body (Fawcett) doesn't count for much now.

Hmm...have to chew on this for a while.

Uncle Robert's funeral

2009-06-17T21:41:00.000-07:00

We buried Randy’s Uncle Robert today.
The date is significant for more than one reason.
It’s our 2 year anniversary.

It’s an interesting thing, what happens when you join journeys with another person. The saying goes, “you not only marry the person, you marry their family”. True statement. In my case, it’s a blessing. I have friends who are not as fortunate. When you “marry a family”, you embrace the things they love, loathe, and have become indifferent to. I’m still learning the Wood family and today was one more step in appreciating who they are and what they have come from.

Uncle Robert was my mother-in-law’s only sibling. He was also the last remaining member of her immediate family, being her parents died when Randy was very young. Uncle Robert was 63 when he went to be with the Lord -- and with confidence we can say that his personal relationship with our Father created a passageway for eternal life with Him, in Glory. What joy to be able to say that with confidence, amen?! He left behind a beautiful and giving wife, Jody; 2 selfless children, Jennifer (33) and Jon (28); a strong and solid son-in-law & 4 adorable grandchildren. He died of the ugly disease of pancreatic cancer, that had been slowly eating away at his earthly body since last July. His family endured a very cruel and painful year of watching the man who had always been the foundation of their family literally be bed-ridden in his last days. If I heard it once, I heard it a million times over the course of our time with the family, these past couple days: a heart-felt gratitude that he was no longer suffering.

Like every person should want their funeral to be, we celebrated his life & rejoiced in the witness his life was to those who may not know the Lord, personally. I learned more about Uncle Robert in his death than I had had the opportunity of knowing in his life, being my time in the family hasn’t been very long. With every word spoken, I realized this man had become, in a short time, someone I should imitate. I was also reminded of the preciousness of life, as most “times of death” do for you. As the funeral guests respectfully made their way past the open casket, they were given the opportunity to speak words of encouragement to the immediate family or simply give the physical touch of a hug, that often speaks more than words can say. Robert’s daughter, Jennifer, who shares my age, was only a few people down from my seat. As she rose to receive hugs from people who were sojourners in her journey in life, I put myself in her position. They often say the gift of mercy can be a curse because of giving people the benefit of the doubt too often, but today, I was grateful for the gift God has given me. I was truly able to see each hug from her perspective. What if that was my daddy’s earthly body lying in that casket, a few feet away? What if I was sitting with my husband and children realizing I was going to have to keep living, even though the man who had named me, raised me, taught me what it meant to be loved by a man was no longer going to be apart of my journey on this earth? It put lumps in my throat and tears in my eyes. I immediately prayed for God’s mercy and strength to carry sweet Jennifer through these days ahead.

But, in light of the significance of this day in mine & Randy’s life, I watched Robert’s wife, Jody, with an awe. I don’t know the amount of years they celebrated marriage, but I do know, by looking at pictures and hearing stories, their journey together was one of relentless love, selflessness and beautiful sacrifice. Things I can only aspire to, in the few years I’ve spent becoming Mrs. Randy Wood.

So, our two-year anniversary will always be significant for more than just celebrating an anniversary, like we’ll have every year. I’ll look back on this day as one where I was reminded, once again, that life is precious. How am I spending it? Who am I spending it with? Will my life be remembered as Uncle Robert’s was…one of consistency?

I smile, as I think of our sweet Jesus welcoming his servant Robert into his heavenly home, saying, “well done!” Thank you, Uncle Robert, for the life to imitate.

can you cry over a 4 year old?

2009-06-04T18:36:00.000-07:00

So, Madie left today --- wow...really didn't think it would affect me this way, but I'm in a funk. did fine when we left McDonald's in Gainsville -- did fine all the way home (thanks to my husband talking) -- did fine while I watched a good episode of Gilmore Girls, but after the work out (LONG OVERDUE), I fell apart. Randy was so good....offering me everything from a starbucks coffee to a puppy, to take away the pain, but I told him I'd be fine...just let me "grieve" :) Again, grateful for the opportunity to love another person that much. Isn't it GREAT to miss someone?

So, this post won't be near as long....but, my family will appreciate this: I'm sitting at the same picnic table we had a hot-dog picnic at last night, looking at the empty swings, where she beat me in a swinging war last night --- and yes, I'm crying :(

Smiths, Robinsons and Woods: please don't EVER move to Alaska. this aunt couldn't handle it.

my love.....

ps. please continue to be faithful to my blog-ness -- it's summer & I have MUCH more time to think & write. hope you'll come back - smile.

Is it over already???

2009-06-04T18:17:00.001-07:00

Randy & I both said today, “we can’t believe we’re taking her back tomorrow!” It went WAY too fast this time around, but what FUN we had!!

Today started with Honey Nut Cheerios & warmed up donuts. Yes, I took 5 day old donuts & warmed them in the oven, just like Girnie (Jayme’s grandma) does! It’s a miracle how impressive an aunt can be when donuts show up on the table -- especially when there are options of “white” (glaze) or “chocolate”. Note: I should give credit where credit is due -- thanks to my mom for the left overs from Saturday’s work at the Center - smile. As soon as breakfast was over, we quickly got ready to head to the Zoo.

The Zoo was a hit, even more than last year! I think she appreciates & knows the animals better now & had so much fun looking at all of them. When asked her favorite, she said the kangaroos, which made Uncle Raneee so proud because that IS the Weatherford High School mascot, ladies and gents! After a lunch of a hamburger & part of Shuddy’s chicken strips, we got to ride the carousel. She picked out the white horse to ride & sure made Uncle Raneee feel that $2 for a 5 minute ride was worth every penny! She beamed with delight the entire time! Then, it was off to the train to end the Zoo trip. Even though we were squished on there like animals headed to the slaughter (bad joke, considering the location, sorry), she loved every minute!!

We still had a little time before “rest” time, so Madie & Shuddy went to a “new” park in Weatherford called Love Street Park (in case you hear it mentioned from her little lips). BIG HIT!!! Thanks to Uncle Raneee for remembering about it…it was a blast!! Had about every “park” thing you could imagine, as well as a splash area, where water shoots up from the ground! Talk about “way to go Weatherford Parks & Recreation department”!! All that & it’s FREE!

We had just enough time for a good nap before Aunt Jaci showed up -- our special guest for the evening! She drove over because Uncle Bubs had practice till late & we were SO glad she came! Uncle Raneee cooked hot dogs on the grill & we packed a fun picnic & took it to Cherry Park. Uncle Raneee’s mom, Mrs. Kaye met us there to say hi to Madie & it was good to see her! We ate good & played good & even pushed a girl older than us on the swing - smile. God gave us a BEAUTIFUL evening outside! While at the park, we heard about Sonic giving away free root beer floats from 8-10.…what a great way to end the night!

So, after writing every loved one’s name in chalk on the side walk & stomping some ants that were getting in the way, we bathed it up, kissed Aunt Jaci good-bye & will sleep good tonight, after so much fun today!

Favorite quotes of the day (had to put 2 today, sorry, they were just too good!): As we were leaving Love Street Park, Shuddy commented on how good Madie played. She said, “Yes! I made 10 friends!” But, before that was said, Madie said my favorite quote of ALL the favorite quotes. While screaming through the water coming out of the ground, I heard her yell (to whomever wanted to listen), “We’re having so much fun!” I thought these two quotes were such a perfect way to describe our Madison Abigail -- what a FUN FRIEND!!!! Life will never be boring or lonely with her around!! Again….Uncle Raneee & Aunt Shuddy are honored to be apart of her journey!!!

Here’s to MANY more weeks at our house, sweet girl!!! We love you more than you will EVER know!!!!

Today is brought to you by the letter “P”

2009-06-03T17:49:00.000-07:00

Day 2 started with a BIG thunderstorm, in which BRAVE Madie withstood the thunder & didn’t get scared. We had cinnamon rolls and fruit cocktail with chocolate chips (just like Robinsons like it) for breakfast. We cleaned the house & prayed the clouds would pass over, so the day at the POOL wouldn’t be altered. Uncle Raneee ran some errands, while we fixed peanut butter & strawberry jelly sandwiches. After a good lunch, ending with apple sauce for dessert, we thanked the good Lord for sunshine & headed to the pool.

1st “P“: POOL -- our little swimmer is getting better with each year. She splashed & jumped & swam even with all the big kids getting in her way. We ate goldfish for a snack & kept it all in this time - smile. We even met a new friend named Kaley & enjoyed being with someone our own size. After some good sun (yes, mom, I used sunscreen, but we still got a little rosey - sorry!!) & good swim, we headed home for a rest -- and that we took.

2nd “P”: PIZZA -- little later than we had intended (thanks to a good, hearty nap), we headed to Walmart for a Papa Murphy pizza. While Raneee played for a single’s bible study, we cooked the pizza & filled the coffee pod holder (fun activity -- just ask her! Smile). Raneee got home & we ate good pizza & apple juice & hurried to the park, before the sun went down.

3rd “P”: PARK -- Raneee & Madie played hard, while Shuddy went & got snow cones, for dessert. Special note for those looking for snow cone stands in Weatherford: the stand at the Super Save is WAY overpriced. Whatever happened to $1 snow cones? I’m getting old, I guess. Either way, it was worth it!! We enjoyed snow cones & the park till the sun came down & headed home for a good bath.

Quote for the day: after Shuddy had squished a family-size pizza from Papa Murphy’s onto her baking stone & Raneee asked Madie if Shuddy ran over it with a car, “Yeah, she squished it!” Thanks for throwing me under the bus, sister!!!

Big day -- great fun & we’re excited about the BIG ZOO day tomorrow!!

Waffles, Spaghetti, "BUSY" -- Oh my!!

2009-06-02T10:55:00.000-07:00

Today was Madie’s first full day at Uncle Raneee & Aunt Shuddy’s house in “Texas”, as she so lovingly calls it. It started with waffles, apples & bananas. Mom, you’d be proud -- she drank a full glass of milk today. Now, it took drinking ½ at breakfast & ½ at lunch, but don’t think you’re picky WHEN she drinks it J She watched both Strawberry Shortcake DVDs while Shuddy cleaned up the house & got ready for the day (thank goodness for entertaining & wholesome shows, huh?! Smile). While Uncle Raneee went to the store, to pick up some tomato paste for our “spaghetti in a box” we were going to have for lunch, we went for a walk down Spring Street. We saw weird spiders & pretty flowers & we were sure to not step on a crack to break our mom’s back J While Shuddy fixed lunch, Madie watched her 2nd showing of “Spirit” (the first being on the way to “Texas” Sunday night). We ate a GOOD lunch -- that sister can shovel down some spaghetti -- and got rewarded with a brownie from Grammy’s house. Then, it was off to Fort Worth, to a fun new park! Note: there was in the plan a train ride, but upon arriving at the park, where the train takes off, we found it only “rides” Tuesday through Saturday. Murphy’s Law if I’ve ever seen it!! Shuddy was super glad she hadn’t talked up the T-R-A-I-N, as Raneee & I referred to it. But, Madie LOVED the Trinity Park in Ft Worth. It is much bigger than Shuddy’s park/pool, so it was quite the treat. Shuddy & Madie had swinging wars & of course, Madie won!! Raneee pushed Madie & Shuddy around on that merry-go-round thing. Shuddy almost vomited & passed out -- why in the world did we used to think that thing was FUN, while Madie kept saying, “stop Raneee, I’m busy (dizzie)!“ Madie & Shuddy ATTEMPTED to potty in a port-a-potty (which Madie kept calling a house), but Madie ended up getting her thumb pinched in the door & just couldn’t get pass the smell. We opted to hold it till we got home, which was a successful endeavor! We made it home & all 3 passed out for about an hour. Then, it was off to McDonalds. Sadly, we had to drive 15 minutes away to get to one that had a play part because our Mickey D’s is closed for remolding. Ridiculous! Once we got to the McDonalds with a cool play part, it started raining. Wow….good idea!! But, like the saying goes, when the world throws you lemons, make lemonaid….we came home & played in the sprinkler (killing 2 birds with one stone -- uncle Raneee needed the grass watered) & had a grand ’ol time! After taking a warm bath -- and washing our hair, like you said to, mom -- we are snug like a bug in a rug in our BIG bed, watching “Spirit” for the 3rd time, until it’s time to turn it off & go to sleep.

What a day!!! Looking forward to tomorrow -- you’ll have to come back & read about TUESDAY, which I believe will be brought to you by the letter “P” J

Today’s favorite quote (which actually came yesterday, before we left Durant): after the Smiths left mom & dad’s, Madie said, “My mom is so sad….she likes me!” J

Love you all…..

what we're grateful for

2008-12-26T18:35:00.001-08:00

it's sad that we tend to only think about those things we're grateful for when we have time to stop & be reflective. I'd like to make this activity more of a habit, so I'll start here & see how often I can be consistent. I hope it's at least fairly...

- a husband who loves & enjoys my side of the family

- parents who have moved into the "friend" phase with us children

- nieces who remind me that life isn't only about the daily grind

- a brother, sister & brother & sister-in-law who make "coming home" even more enjoyable

- a grandma who is living life to the fullest, at 86

- a hearty break from the routine to enjoy each one of these

when/if you "comment", tell me one of yours.

Comments on Friends

2008-11-30T08:21:00.001-08:00

Note: make sure & check out my "comments on family" under this blog...I'm full of "comments" today & finally have time to post them - smile.

This one is going to hold hands with the post on family, in the realm of putting other's needs before my own. friends are an interesting thing, you know? it always amazes me how people become friends & in particular how I become friends with people. for instance, my best girlfriend, Julie. her & I became friends almost 8 years ago & we are about as different as night & day. (you that know her can definitely verify that.) our friendship is an example of that beautiful thing called "attracting opposites". what I'm weak in, she's strong & vice versa. it's a really good thing.

but, those aren't the type of friends I'm talking about here. I've realized that there are some people in life who, even wearing Jesus' name, put themselves before others. this argument could hinge on the coat tails of simple etiquette. now, that's a whole 'nother blog, for another day. but, I really don't understand how people can sleep at night, when all they have done is to make sure they have been taken care of. with friends, as with family, it's easy to think that since we're all supposed to think of each other first, the circle will turn to your own needs eventually. but, are there sacrifices being made? do I really have it as a mind-set to do things intentionally to make sure someone else, particularily a friend, is taken care of?

I also have to bow to the "god" of maturity in this area, which makes me cringe. yes, life gives us plenty of ways to "grow up", but I'm going to go out on a limb here & say "lack of maturity" is a crutch, not an ailment worthy of handicaping a person.

so, here I am, on another soap box of venting. I honestly hope it's more than just that. I hope that the realization of some of the people around me will spur in me a wave of "other-minded-ness". again, I want to be different.

Comments on Family

2008-11-30T06:53:00.000-08:00

I know, it's been several months -- can't help it, but I'm trying. We're getting ready to mail out our Christmas letter & I've included our blog on it, so I thought it might be a good idea to put something on here that people can read -- that is, if people haven't given up on me writing :)

Oh, the holiday season. doesn't it just bring out the BEST in everyone? yes, I say that with some sarcasm, but seriously, it should be a time when we are refreshed by each other's presence, but sometimes it turns into a time when I'm reminded from where I come.

this year, as last, we visited Randy's family in south east Texas, for Thanksgiving. I honestly never knew this dang state could be THIS big! no wonder Texans are so "proud" -- this state goes on forever & ever. the time it would take to drive across my home state of Oklahoma, we drove from Weatherford to Sillsbee, TX (6 LONG hours) & were still hours from the border of Mexico. unreal. anyway, Randy's only living grandparent (Grandma Wood) lives there & Randy's mom, Kaye, is from that area, as well, so we visit her brother & his family. but, the sad realization about family came when we were visiting Grandma Wood. the day before we drove down, I found out that she had been without hot water for over a week, because of a gas line leak. poor lady had been heating water on the stove & taking sponge baths. when we arrived, late Tuesday night, we realized that not only was her hot water on gas, but her heat in her house. so, she had been using space heaters & bundling up to keep warm..

I guess I need to be challenged to make sure I'm doing ALL I can to serve the ones closest to me. it's easy, especially during this season, to serve those we don't know. you can't walk into Walmart without seeing the Salvation Army bell ringer, reminding you to give your extra change to help a stranger, but when was the last time that I put every need of those in my family above my own needs?

I've heard that saying that goes something like, we usually treat the ones we love, the worst. I pray that's not the case anymore. I want to be different.

long time coming....

2008-09-12T20:21:00.001-07:00

I've been really bad lately....I'm sorry!! between starting back to school & the fact that I can't always get to internet use when I can sit & write, it's been a while. but, here's some updates in the "life 'o the Woods"...

newest addition: no, we're not pregnant, but we do have a new member to 312 W. Spring Street. we're the proud owners of a nice, silver, side-by-side refrigerator that has ice & water in the door. does this excitement put me in the "I'm officially old" group? I'm okay with it, if that's the case. and the fact that, after having plastic ice trays in our refrigerator for over a year, I can get CRUSHED ice out of my refrigerator door --- this girl is one happy kid!! now, if we can just fill it with FOOD instead of bottled water & random condiments, we'll be good to go :)

2nd year o' marriage: God has been so gracious to fill our second year of marriage with some really fun times with friends & family & each other. the growing pains still continue, as I know they will always, but we're learning each other to a greater extent every day. the next several blogs will prob be filled with more "in's & out's" of the growth process, so I'm grateful for the outlet to vent -- lol.

just wanted to say hi -- and I'm still on here, just need to get some time to sit & write. thank you for being ones to extend patience on my behalf.....blessings.

book review

2008-07-06T16:42:00.001-07:00

(Ang, can you believe it? 2 posts in one week!!!)
Now, don't read the title of today's post & think I've been missing my Peaster High School classroom too long. Quite the contrary, even though I love my job! I'm a BIG fan of vacation-like moments in life, when time really goes slower & silence is your only company. I've had one of those moments this week, as we've spent the week vacationing with Randy's parents in New Mexico. I really don't think there's much slower time than in the mountains!

So, during those times I enjoy doing one of my favorite hobbies: reading. (I hear the universal "duh!" coming from the crowd, being I'm an English teacher.) Yes, I do read during the school year, but I simply relish the times when I can pick up something I WANT to read (and haven't read for the millionth time, so I could refresh my memory to teach it), kick back & soak it all in.

Today I finished a book I picked up at the first of the summer. It's one of the newest books from my favorite fiction author, Jodi Picoult. If you haven't checked out any of her stuff, make it a priority. I was introduced to her writing by Marilyn Meburg, who is on the speaking team of Women of Faith. I figured anyone she recommended to me HAD to be good --- for goodness sakes, she is a well-known author & speaker, as well as a former English professor. The first book I read of Jodi's was "Sister's Keeper". Bawled my eyes out in an airplane, coming home from a WOF weekend. Jodi has an incredible way of taking issues that we don't usually like to swallow & digest, add adoring characters to the mix & you find yourself coming to a crisis of faith in what you believe to be right & wrong about whatever issue she has brought to the table. The book I just finished is the 5th of her's I have read: "19 Minutes". Again, pheneomenal outlook on a very uncomfortable issue: the issue of a unpopular 17-year-old, having enough of the bullying he's receiving at school, so he goes into his school one day & unloads a pistol he stole from a neighbor, killing 10 people & seriously injuring many others.

I was a year out of college when the tragedy at Columbine took place. I'll never forget watching the TV & seriously questioning how someone could be so inhumane. What goes on in a person's mind to bring them to that place? Then, almost 10 years later, I complete a book & am faced with the question: have I ever aided in someone else's extreme insecurity that I have come close to pushing them to that limit? Did the "hey there" I gave someone, completely in passing, give them one more day to live through?

I don't want to go into the entire book and yes, I'm being a teacher & saying you have to go read it for yourself :) But, I can say I have been seriously challenged to face my 11th graders this coming school year with a sense of urgency in my calling. I've mentioned the innocence of the school district I teach in, but I never want to believe that ANY of us are immune from something this horrific from happening. I intend on using pieces of this novel in my AP class (start with the more mature ones & we'll see how it goes), giving them a chance to work through it for practice for their AP exam, but taking one of those "teachable moments" to hopefully speak truth into their life about the reality of their words & actions towards their fellow students.

Maybe I can help protect that "Peter" that walks the halls of Peaster High School from feeling that extreme violence is the answer to his heartache.

is different good?

2008-07-02T16:09:00.000-07:00

being 31 when I got married allowed for plenty of opportunities to hear the old adage "men & women are different". when I was single, it was hard to hear how different we are because I wanted to believe that this desire to be married & live with a man for the rest of my life wouldn't mean conflict. yes, I lived in a "Pollyanna" world...don't laugh too hard.

but, now that I'm on the other side & see marriage from a different perspective, I realize, we're not just different in the ways that seem visible to other people, we're different in EVERY aspect of the word. fortunately, Randy & I grew up with very similar backgrounds: saved at a young age, dads were "baptist ministers", went to a christian university, etc, but no matter how you cut it, we still are different.

let's use this one example: (and believe me, there's enough in this one short year to fill a book) we'll call it "Do Boys Communicate With Each Other?". (I'll save the personal ones between he & I for the best-seller - smile.) there have been several incidents, in the past several weeks, where I've grown a deeper appreciation for the way us girls talk with each other. I know, boys, we can be frustrating when it comes to our need for the necessity of an enormous amount of details in EVERY story we tell, but just know, the other girl on the phone is enjoying EVERY minute of it. Randy has a wonderful support system of godly guys in Weatherford, where we live. these are guys that love him, challenge him & would lay down their life for him, if necessary. but, their way of communicating nearly throws me off a cliff in frustration sometimes. I know, you're thinking, "gosh, Jayme, why get so emotionally involved in their affairs. it doesn't involve you!" yes, that is a true statement, but, you girls know how we, again, feel the necessity to have our hands in everything...whether they like it or not :)

anyway, anyway, anyway....my point: whether it's a knock-down, drag-out fight Randy & I have gotten ourselves into or we're rolling our eyes at one another, saying "are you kidding me that you think that way?", truth be told, we're different. and for most things, there's really not a solution. most times we have to swallow our pride & enjoy the reality that God intended marriage for one man & one woman, for life.

God has such a unique way of setting this in stone in my mind. this week, Randy & I are vacationing with his parents in New Mexico (rough, let me tell you!). I woke up earlier than Randy & spent some moments reading God's Word before the noise of the day interrupted. if you wonder if God's Word is appropriate for every situation, check this out. (this was in today's reading of my daily bible thing)

Proverbs 30:18,19
"There are three things that amaze me --
no, four things that I don't understand:
how an eagle glides through the sky,
how a snake slithers on a rock,
how a ship navigates the ocean,
how a man loves a woman."

Even the writer of Proverbs couldn't figure out the means that a man can so love a woman (and vice versa) that he puts all differences aside & chooses to make life abound with her around. You think God intended for our dependency to be upon Him, especially on those days when understanding each other is too complex to embrace?

Proverbs 30:21-23
"There are three things that make the earth tremble--
no, four it cannot endure:
an overbearing fool who prospers,
a bitter woman who finally gets a husband,
a servant girl who supplants her mistress."

Key in on that "bitter woman" part. Am I letting the God-given differences of who Randy & I make me bitter & unchanging? Am I getting so focused on how our perspective clashes sometimes that I create a home where bitterness abounds instead of grace & mercy?

So, as I look at year #2 being Mrs. Randy Wood, I pray I am refreshed with the differences we have & laugh at the years to come, with the joy that comes from knowing God is the GOOD giver of all we have & from His hands come blessings beyond our mind's comprehension.

cheer coach

2008-06-19T19:45:00.000-07:00

So, I signed on as the high school cheer coach for this next year. I know, some of you probably think I might as well have signed my death wish, but I'm honestly looking forward to it. I cheered in high school & loved it. Now, being on this side of the fence is a little different. I have a LOT more to think about & organize, but I have a good group of girls & hope for a fun year.

Last week we had the infamous cheer camp at TCU in Ft Worth. The sponsor before me had signed us up for this camp, but we weren't spending the night. We drove back & forth each night. The first night, after I had dropped the girls off at the school & was on my way home, I hit a cow with my car. Pretty traumatic for this so-called "city girl", but I was okay & we're hoping for the car to get better soon. But, that's not the purpose of the blog. I learned greater lessons that week, that in turn gave me a realization I wasn't ready to swallow.

There's this new song out & I don't know who sings it, nor do I really care, but it's sung by a female & the chorus goes:

I kissed a girl and I liked it

taste of her cherry chapstick

I kissed a girl just to try it

I hope my boyfriend don't mind it

It felt so wrong

It felt so right

Don't mean I'm in love tonight

I kissed a girl and I liked it

The first time Randy & I heard it, we couldn't believe it. We immediately changed the radio station & just shook our heads in disapproval. But, last week, on one of the trips to or from Ft Worth, the song came on & almost every girl in the suburban started singing along. Now, for those of you that don't know, I teach in a small farming community called Peaster, Texas. The roughest thing I had to deal with this past school year was a kid being tardy to my class because he had to help his dad put the goats back in their pen. These are some of the most well-mannered kids I've ever been around & I'd say I've been around a good amount of students in my 10 years out of college. So, to hear my van-load of cheerleaders ("my girls") singing the lyrics to a song that repulses me was more than disturbing. I'm ashamed to say, I didn't take control & change the channel. Instead, I started thinking: what was it about the song that was so catchy? Why would very sheltered kids from Peaster, Texas even know what "playing for both teams" means? I soothed myself by remembering that, for the most part, kids don't pay any attention to lyrics of songs, instead they have an uncanny ability of memorization, without really knowing what they are singing. For about 30 minutes, I felt much better about the bubble that my sweet little girls live in.

But, then, the gossip sessions began. Most of it was who was dating whom & did you hear how she broke up with him, but then I heard a piece of information that made me revisit the pit I had had in my stomach from the lyrics to the song earlier. A girl at school had sent naked pictures of herself to 11 different boys, via her cell phone, who in turn sent them to almost every one else in school. I had heard this was the new wave of teen-pornography, but wasn't quite ready to swallow the fact that it had hit small Peaster, Texas. In fact, it has. And this young lady isn't the first to experiment with this type of self-exposure.

So, here's what I took from what I thought would be a simple drive one night last week: the enemy prowls, seeking whom he may devour, regardless of place. He doesn't see Peaster as a cute little farming community & decide to bypass it on his way to bigger & badder Ft Worth. But, I was also reminded that these kids need influence. Not the kind they are hearing about & seeing, but true, geniune influence that pushes & enables them to make decisions based on what they know to be right. One of the benefits of being involved in a community like Peaster is the fact that the majority of the kids are taught what is truly right & wrong from their parents & have a firm foundation of parental support as they grow up. I desire for my little circle of influence (the cheerleaders) to see the choices that others are making & choose the better one, simply because they have already been taught what is right.

The world isn't getting any more positive. Am I, in my outlook and realization of God's power, regardless of the enemy's tactics? Who has God put directly in my path that I am called to influence & what am I doing with that responsibility? I know, I can get going like a dreamer & wishing for a perfect world. That's not reality, but, at least for the next year, I get the opportunity to be one of those influences in these girl's lives. I pray it's one that makes them even better than when they started.

the "non-issues" of life

2008-05-09T15:34:00.000-07:00

Note: this post may step on some toes, so proceed with caution :)

I've come to realize, now being in my 30's, that life is full of what I like to call "non-issues, unless you're invited". These "issues" include money, weight, marriage, babies, career & I'm sure several others that I haven't come in close contact with just yet. The reason I term them "non-issues unless you're invited" (I should really work at shortening their title, don't you think??) is because they are those things in life in which people enjoy their privacy, as it pertains to the opinion of others. Like for instance, in the area in which this question is often asked of single adults: "So, when are you ever going to get married?". Now, most of you know that I got married at 31, so I heard that question at least once a month. It was as if I was doing everything in my power to eliminate the possibility of getting hitched & God's plan had nothing to do with it. Or the ever so popular conversation that people often find themselves in where someone's financial stability or instability is being discussed. It's those things in life where, regardless of your relationship with that person, things should be kept as "their business" and ultimately left alone.

Now, before you hate me & never want to revisit my blog, let me remind you of the "unless you're invited" part. There are people, whom I have chosen, whose opinions on the affairs of my life are taken into consideration. In other words, they have "been invited" into those issues where I don't let others in. What they say is valuable to me & I use their wisdom as stepping stones. They know me, they know where I'm headed & have taken the time to invest themselves into my life. They have an open invitation.

I guess my passion with this subject is personal, yet I see it happen to others so regularly that I feel, as adults, we have to put boundaries around ourselves. Randy & I will celebrate our 1 year wedding anniversary on June 16th. The "when are yall going to have babies?" questions began this past November. HUH? We'd be married 5 months. And on top of that, we'd known each other only 1 year. Even though, he & I are on the same page, as far as wanting children one day & excited that each other will be the one to share that joy with, we are also on the same page of knowing that if we don't develop he & I as husband & wife right now, we won't have "husband & wife" when the children leave the nest.

I think my problem with those who aren't invited, giving their "two-bits" is this: they don't know the story. And I don't just say this from personal experience. I have numerous friends and family whom I've seen have to endure the questions. Those married couple friends of mine who have had to come to grips with the reality that getting pregnant will not be an easy venture & have already had 2 miscarriages. The news that jobs aren't coming as quickly as we'd like, so you will have to go back to work & not stay at home with your 2 month old baby. The constant teasing of a single bachelor who believes in God's best for a wife, but people think 28 is just getting to old to still be single. The fact that God brought Randy into my life at 30, we were married 7 months later & would like some time together, just like everyone else got.

So, I hope, at this point in the post, you read my "Note", giving caution. I would say I apologize for stepping on anyone's toes, but that would be the politically correct way to handle it. With some issues, I don't think being politically correct is the best thing. I guess the answer is to figure out where I am in this ordeal. Am I the friend who has the open invitation, or am I the one who needs to hold what I want to say till my opinion is asked? Am I enjoying someone else's story, as it is being written by the Great Author of Life, or am I trying to impose what worked best for me on someone else?

Here's to enjoying the life that God has written for me, my husband & the people I love. May His standard be the one we pursue and no one else's.

instant connection

2008-05-03T13:33:00.000-07:00

Our connections to people have always been an interesting thing to me, especially when someone walks into your life for only a short period. Those connections are often the most meaningful & I usually walk away from them wishing that person would be a permanate fixture in my day.

Randy is in a wedding of a dear friend of his this weekend, in Austin. It was a weekend I was unsure of, simply because I am not familiar with the family of the bride and/or groom & knew Randy would need to be attending to his "groomsman" duties, as expected. But, as the "good-attitude-wife" I was trying to be, I came with a good attitude & was determined to make the best of a possibly awkward situation.

Our meals & "hang-out"time has been at the groom's brother's house. We had minimal idea of any details of this weekend when we came, so we have been rolling with whatever comes. I know you've been there :) But, as soon as we got to the brother's house, I realized things would be VERY different than I had prepared myself for. The brother's wife & I made an instant connection. It was one of those "divine moment" things that you only know when you have one. Periodically throughout this weekend we have had those conversations that are touched with a sense of connection that we both know exactly where the other is coming from & are blessed by the ability to talk & be understood. Again, one of those things that you know when you experience it.

Am I truly grateful for the connections in my life? Those moments where you're walking out of the tanning salon & run into a friend & end up talking for 30 minutes (not in the "Jayme schedule", by the way), but walk away & realize you both needed that encouragement & connection. Am I taking advantage of moments when what I am saying is being led by the Lord & should be very aware of His voice to know when to stop & start? Are the connections the Lord is allowing to come into my life being cultivated by honesty & genuineness by a heart that expects God to do good things, because that is the kind of God He is?

I want to be that person who doesn't just connect with everyone, even though that sounds like the insensitive thing to say. We're different, God made us that way & I will connect with different people than others will. I need to be okay with that. But, I DO want to recognize when someone's presence in my life has more than surface value. The older I get & the more perceptive I become, I pray to make the connections that give God even more freedom to work in me. That should be our ultimate goal anyway, right?

And, we're off.....

2008-04-27T17:23:00.000-07:00

So, I started this blog-thing to test out my writing skills. Being a 11th grade English teacher, you'd think I had it down, but it's much easier to test a 17-year-old's ability to compose than to do it yourself. So, I ask for your graciousness as you read & patience as I learn the in's & out's of this thing called "blogging".

God often does things outside of our realm of comfort, have you noticed? Some dear friends & I spent a wonderful weekend together these past several days, but I walked away from it with a gross bout of larengitis. I've always wondered how that comes to be --- should ask my "medically-inclined" husband. It feels as if sand paper has been permanently attached to my vocal cords. The only word that gives it any sort of justice is "raw". I hack (nice visual, huh?) things up about every 20 minutes & forget I can't utter much more than a whisper when someone asks me a question. I guess a better term would be "raw frustration".

But, as I think about it --- in the quietness I have no choice in --- I wonder if I have been using my voice too much. Not only in my relationships with people, but in my relationship with God. I've had people in my life ask me, "Do I talk too much?" That's always a tricky question to answer. Sort of like the "do these jeans make my butt look big?" one. Do you answer honestly or attempt to make them feel better about themselves and lie. But, am I talking too much in my relationship with God? Do I enjoy my time "talking" with Him, that I miss out on that other pivotal part of cultivating relationships, listening.

So, I guess I'll use this manditory time of silence to practice that listening part. I hope to listen to people & truly hear what they say, instead of thinking of my next statement. I hope to tell God I trust Him & crave His voice in my head, instead of my own.

Here's to a week of hot tea, cough drops & the beauty of not hearing my own mouth move.
Lord, I'm listening....