Dancing on The Head of A Heavenly Pin

Unless they are spectacular-we can be inured to people's testimonies. But that belies how little we understand that all sin no matter how great or small is the same. More than that, how amazing the love of God truly is! But one need only look to the angels to understand just what happens when both mass murderer and kindly grandmother repent "In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." Luke 15:10 for it is not just that a sinner turned from their wicked ways to serve a loving Savior-- its that a loving Savior opens His arms wide to receive a wicked sinner. God did not have to forgive any of us-- and yet, every time He does, the angels rejoice because He demonstrates His tremendous mercy! Salvation in a sense is not about us-- oh we get the benefits-- but really, its all about God

Ode to Winter Snow-- Like a Drunken Unwanted Guest That hangs Around till Spring

I stepped outside and tested the air. it was  a little nippy so I went back in to throw on a sweatshirt.  I was wearing shorts and I knew I would warm up soon enough after I started jogging, but I didn't want to suffer the brisk air for the first couple of blocks.  I don't know why I bother for two blocks out of three miles, its the same every time.  the first block Im comfortable and the second block I consider with each step should  I pull off the sweatshirt, but where will I put it? do I wrap it around my waist? do I tie it around my shoulders? what usually happens is I pull it over my head and still wear it on my arms so its kind of like those stocks they used to put criminals in during the Pilgrim days-- only its cloth, and by the end of my jog, my neck is all toasty and sweaty.But at least I was comfortable for two blocks.

I saw this on my friend's wall. it seemed already like a poem. But I wrote my own as I thought of her. I was trying to draw her in the snow. She's blonde and beautiful. but really how easy is to to look beautiful when you're trying to keep warm?  

about as easy as it is to not look dorky when you're tangled in a sweatshirt stockade...

Dear snow, Go away. I always hate you. I hate you in winter when you are supposed to be here, but I especially hate you in spring and when my birthday is on Friday and you insist on hanging around! Unsincerely, Tessa

Bumpin With the Wall

I was nine years old and she was thirty one, much younger than I am now, and yet-- egad, she was my mom for goodness sakes!  She wanted something so outlandish, so awkward- she wanted to dance with me, and not just dance-- 

she wanted to do the bump

Shudder.  ugh. there's no way no how, not now not ever!  but my mom was fun and she was also young-- so she simply said, 

"fine, if you won't bump with me, I'll bump with the wall!" and she did .

I miss my mom.  Why is it after they go away, that's when you realize how amazing they were. Yes, she had flaws, but she always knew how to have a good time. As kids we miss out on the fact that parents are people too.  With dreams and likes, and even though they were busy fighting dragons in the world so we never had to,  they still sometimes imagine themselves in a Buzzby Birkly Musical when they are alone in the grocery store as they hop on the cart for a moment and push themselves off singing "The Sun'll Come Out Tomorrow"

or- they'll bump with the wall.

take courage my parental friends-- your children may grumble at times and miss out on the best parts of you at others-- but the gift you leave behind as long as you love them will be worth far more than any property.  For you will leave them a bit of yourself,  and that twinkle in their eye-- will be the memory of you.

My friend Sarah wrote "showed Pippa, The Wizard of Oz, for the first time yesterday. I pretty much cried through the whole movie.

Children: Why does it make you cry? Does it scare you?
Me: I cry because I LOVE IT SO MUCH!

no joke people."

Have You No Impulse Control?

Of course not, Im a baby, idiot.

I stayed with a family member over the weekend and their children are gorgeous sweet and lovable moppets... mostly.  but there are times--

like when the fire hose won't wind properly on the firetruck all the four year old could do was stand in the front yard and shriek at the top of his lungs as if someone had cut of his arm and stir fried it and then fed it to him.

the mom who had been in another room came in and asked the father what was the story and he explained it in that tired voice that fathers get who have actually forgotten "oh yeah, one of my progeny's standing outside screaming at the top of his lungs--"

"In the front yard?" she replied.  "That's embarrassing..."

I was talking to another friend about her three year old and she said that most times he's such a love, and then there are times-- well she just had to remind herself that his frontal lobe was not developed yet so he lacked the ability to control those emotions.

Really? I said.  wow... so my pleas to children to act reasonable were not ignored, they actually had no capability of complying... hmmm...

My friend went on to say, yes, its in those times I remind myself of that fact, remember his adorable times and just figure I have to ride it out.

again

Hmm...

So my cousin was right.

Babies ARE tiny sociopaths.

for my friend who wrote

"So it's Bite, Scratch, and Scream Day? OK, then. If you need me, I'll be hiding under the desk."

Tu Tu Funny

There is a saying that punctuation is everything.  It makes the difference between calling someone to dinner or FOR dinner

Let's eat Grandma
or
Lets eat, Grandma

So when I saw this on FB, I was confused-- why wasn't the father in the picture?

Someone posted a picture of their daughter in a tutu but sent it to her father. The way it appeared on FB was this: "The only attire to wear while playing outside — with Jeff L." I only saw a picture of their daughter in a tutu and pink boots... but this is what image sprang to mind

silly FB,  for all those billions of dollars one things that Mr Z would take an English class...

The Maine Ingredient

From a friend..I could comment on this, but why guild the lilly, the report is delightful enough on its own. To it I simply add my drawing... 

"Heart attack for the day: had a box marked "perishable" on my desk, addressed to one of the guys at work. Nothing out of the ordinary. A few minutes later, the box made a slight creaking noise and then shifted and MOVED. 
I swear, I jumped so far out of my seat I could've touched the ceiling.

Lesson of the day: Perishable means many things. Don't assume because it's mail that it means "food will go bad." Can also mean "animal inside will DIE." Apparently shipping live lobsters to a corporate office is something people can do. Thanks internet."

Up in Flames

I heard something today that went something like, don't expect to feel happiness if you don't want to feel pain and it struck me, because so many times I find that I find ways to run from painful situations by trying to recapture happiness and end up double miserable in the process.
  
I have a friend Sarah, who for the most part is one of the more happy people I know. Sure she has her dark times, a time no darker than when she discovered that her eldest son had a tumor near his spine.  And what was Sarah's response to this news and the months after this through the surgery, chemo and various other trials.  She named the tumor Tribble and kept all her friends updated on the trials and Tribulations of Tribble's ongoing eviction.

How was she able to do this and whom she did she credit as the source of her strength? God her savior.  the one who promised "God causes all things to work together for good for those who love Him and who are called according to His purposes"  so no matter how dark Sarah chose to put her trust in this promise- I mean after all, God knew where she was coming from-- He too saw His Son go through tremendous pain.Today I saw a hospital mascot from Brazil who walked the halls of the burn unit. His name is Flamy

which caused me to write on Sarah's wall "imagine the endless possibilities for tasteless mascots and children's ailments" to which she responded Tribble the Tumor!!!I felt horrible drawing this. but I had to-- because even though a child with cancer it a heart wrenching thing-- the testimony such great faith in the face of such a tremendous trial is an encouraging one to me-- and maybe to someone else.


I wish there were no cancer, no pain or heartbreak-- but I am thankful for the example of my friend Sarah who reminds me that there will not always be pain,to look towards the hope that there will be eternal happiness in Him who is the Lover our our soul, and as dark as the trial is here in this plain, in eternity it will be dwarfed by the happiness to be found living with Him

"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom for the captives
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,
² to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
    and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
³     and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
    instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
    instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
    instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
    a planting of the Lord
    for the display of his splendor."

ISA 61