Ode To Joy!

Every now and again I am prone to bouts of "Joylessness." However, most people would never know it because... I am a true southerner flashing a big 'ol smile and throwing out a "how are y'all," "Oh I'm great." God in His infinite wisdom knows this about me. He knows the condition of my heart. He knew along time ago I would need a song, a tune to remind me to be joyful! To be rather than to seem. In 1824 when Beethoven composed "Ode to Joy" he didn't know it would become our family's anthem. Reminding us that no matter where we are or what we are going through that GOD loves us and that makes everything okay. When Brady and I were walking out of the chapel after saying our vows we exited to "Ode to Joy." Riley and Hallie played it for their first piano recitals, four years apart and with different teachers. Thankfully, Hallie continues to play it daily. I've been needing a daily, sometimes hourly, reminder to be joyful. And most recently I smiled, as I heard it as the credits rolled on one of the Wall-E cartoons. In "The Great Songs of the Church" Hymn book it is good ol' number 55. And I am thankful for the sweet words penned by Henry Van Dyke in 1907.


Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee

Joyful Joyful we adore the, God of Glory, Lord of Love;
Hearts unfold like flowers before thee opening to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; Drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day!

The other verses are just as beautiful and serve as a prayer for when I am feeling JOYLESS.

HAVE A JOYFUL THANKSGIVING!

Have A Crepey Day!

Do you like our decorative "Dixie" plates?

We had a sleep over last night with three extra girls (Jay was in heaven)! Brady and I took them all to see Bolt. Then, this morning Riley and her sweet friend Olivia made us crepes. Whenever you want a Jr. Higher to do something just tell them it is too hard! Brady and I told Riley that making crepes was difficult and that we didn't know if she would be able to do it by herself. She looked up the recipe on the Internet and sweetly proved us wrong! She has done this two weeks in a row! I'm ready to adopt it as a new Saturday morning tradition! Maybe one day she can open her own restaurant and call it "Have a Crepey Day"!

Happy Birthday Dear Brady

Brady's Birthday happens to fall on October 31st. Instead of trick-or-treating, we invited our friends over to help us celebrate. I dressed as Sacajawea and Brady dressed as Lewis or Clark, complete with coon-skin hat. Riley did a little Internet research to find out who had a "thing" for Sacajawea. Evidently, it was "Clark." He offered to help raise Sacajawea's baby Pomp. There's a little something you may not have learned in American History. Since Brady has learned to play the guitar this year, his mom got him a guitar cake! We had a wonderful time with our friends and about a million kids.

Grass is Grass

Since my friend Mary was here recently, I was reminded of a nugget of marital advice she once gave me. I'm sure you are familiar with the saying "the grass is always greener on the other side." Let's see how can I put this delicately? When considering having an affair or even getting a divorce you are still going to end up with grass! We are all imperfect creatures. So, we may as well stay married to our babies daddies and our babies mommies and make the most of our promises to each other. I just wonder how many people have remarried and woke up to the disappointing, "same song second verse" realization.

I know this notion must not sound very romantic. I am a rather practical person. However, I do think being married to the same person till death do us part is very romantic (This crush ain't going away, honey) Bottom line... Stay Faithful, Stay Married!!! To put it in a way my teenager would understand... "Keep your Love Locked Down."

(I had even thought about making bumper stickers that say "grass is grass" but changed my mind once it was pointed out that there is room for misinterpretation.)

Will You be having Soup or Salvation?

One of my favorite Bible Stories is found in Genesis 25, the story of Jacob and Esau, they were twins. Competitive from the time they exited the womb. One was hairy and one was smooth; one was a skillful hunter and the other a mama's boy. Esau was the first born and was given the birthright, the inheritance (ya know when daddy dies he gets everything and doesn't have to split a pea soup.)

Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. He said to Jacob quick let me have that stew! I'm famished! Jacob replied (as any man would with his eye on the prize) "First sell me your birthright." "Look I am about to die," Esau said "what good is my birthright to me?".... He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So, for a bowl of soup Esau forfeited his inheritance!

That story always infuriated me. I mean who would give up their future security for a bowl of soup! Then it hit me, I was doing the very same thing. I realized this life is but a vapor, likened to a bowl of soup. Am I going to forfeit my eternal inheritance for this bowl of soup we call life. I want to live here on earth satisfied with the delayed gratification of heaven, an eternal satiation.

What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?
Matt 16:26

"Meet Me in Montana"

Jason and Mary and their sweet dog Charlotte.
This past weekend some of our dear friends came all the way from TEXAS to see us. We go way back, all the way back to when I had just one little girl. We were neighbors in the student housing provided for medical school students. We carried our laundry to the washers and dryers together. (Brady would say if we had a really big house we'd have to carry our laundry that far anyway!) We would take turns cooking for each other's families. And of course babysit for each other as the subsequent babies came along. Then, after medical school they moved to North Carolina for residency and so did we (for a couple of years.) We celebrated many holidays together as friends become family when you are far from "home." Needless to say, they are very precious to us.

We had a wonderful time. The husbands and Charlotte hit some hard hunting three days in a row. They came home exhausted and content. Mary and I just hung around the house and caught up on the last six years we haven't been "neighbors." She is just as humble and sweet as she was the first day I met her. She is still encouraging me to be a better mother and wife. She and Jason loved on our kids and our kids loved on them. They even cooked for us, TWICE! If this sounded like a fun trip, Brady and I would like to extend the invitation to any of you dear sweet friends who would like to "Meet me in Montana." Don't worry we won't make you cook.

Is Blogging a thing of the past????

Okay, I've been debating for at least a few months (which in computer time is at least a decade) on whether or not I would join facebook. Why the big debate, you say? Well, I only have a little bit of computer time I knew my blog would suffer if I started spending time on facebook. Also, I am a little confused on the purpose of facebook. Is it just so you can see that all your old friends have become "old" friends? Or is it to see their adorable kids?

So, I did a little research on blogging vs. facebook. Blogging started in 1999 however, you could only add pictures in 2004. Alas...facebook began in 2004. It does seem to reason that facebook has replaced blogging. Brady thinks it is the lazy person's blog. If anyone is still out there in blog-land please feel free to leave your opinion.

If you are not out there then I shall find you on facebook, because I joined today!!!