even Hercule Poirot goes to the dentist

I have a dentist appointment this morning. I dislike mid morning appointments because I feel like I don't have time to do anything productive beforehand and then when I get home my day is half over.

Wow. How many 'I's can a person use in one sentence. A little self-centered, no?

So, here i am wasting time before my dental appointment. JJ is walking the dog, S is taking a bath singing Christmas carols at the top of her lungs. The tree is off because I don't care for the brightness of the LED lights. I'm still in my pj's, haven't run yet. I did sit at Jesus feet. Lots of my reading has been around the theme of criticizing others. Mainly instructions to not do it.

I have a very critical spirit. My 'gift' you might say. Probably got so good at it from years of practice. The Living Bible nailed me this morning. James 5:9

Don't grumble about each other, brothers. Are you yourselves above criticism? For see! The great Judge is coming. He is almost here. (Let him do whatever criticizing must be done.)

My prayer is that my eyes and ears will be open to the sin of criticism in my life. That i will stop and receive forgiveness and truly repent, turn from this sin.

We'll see.

Seize the day

Ok, it's 10:00. Kitchen is a wreck from not cleaning up yesterday's dishes, and making 3 things to take to last night's family dinner at the fire station. Living room a disaster from baskets of overdue library books, Christmas decoration boxes, fall decorations piled up, and bills that need to be paid and filed. I haven't stepped in the kids' rooms since Thanksgiving, never a good sign. Kids bathroom piled with dirty clothes, including my running clothes which do not make the bathroom smell nice. Our bedroom full of clean but piled up clothes from traveling over Thanksgiving. Cat litter needs changing badly.

I have to drive hubby to the orthopedist for follow up after motorcycle accident. I have to teach at church tonight.

So far this morning, I've been on one fire call (fire alarm), ran 8 miles, returned overdue library movies, stopped for a Route, and brought back donuts for the family. AND I TURNED THE HEAT ON because it is scary cold in my house.

JJ started on school, S is about to. Husband is working from home today due to Dr. appointment.

My plan, unfortunately not in this order -

1. sit at Jesus feet

2. attempt to make this mess some sort of haven

3. be nice to my family

4. return a phone call I don't want to

5. drive husband to doctor

6. teach class

7. iron shirts

8. supervise school

9. eat at Whataburger - husband is mourning the death of the A1 burger

10. crash in a big heap and sleep, sleep, sleep

Back from the dead

So, I took some time off to really live, not to just ramble about living. And in the last few years??? I feel like I've done that.

I'm back because I'm tired of reading about other people's lives on their blogs and thinking what wonderful lives they must have. I have a wonderful life, I do fun things with my family, I attempt a life. So this is to remind ME of the blessing of my life.

I have a wonderful life, too.

without love - this mom's paraphrase

If I can plan the most wonderful, meaningful, best organized Christmas Community outreach for our church, but just talk AT my preteen for a month

then I am like a vacuum cleaner that has no suction.

If I can knit and craft the most wonderful, creative, beautiful items for this weeks craft show, but yell at my daughter for interrupting me to show me her strong muscles

then I am a mother in name only.

If I keep my house in tip top eat off the floor shape, but don't let my family make a Christmas 'mess' to get the tree and decorations out

I am like a symphony to a deaf person.


One thing the Father is teaching me is that the only person I am deceiving with my 'righteousness' is my self.

Treasures -

Painting a little girl's fingernails Christmas pink, all of us really playing at the part (joel included), an elven year 362 day old son still wanting to hold his mom's hand as they walk to the park. The feeling of peace I get when an area of my home is cleaned out and dejunked, closets and cabinets and all.

Treasures

Thursday

Taking Joel to a different haircut place to get his hair ' fixed'. Taking Sam to the park and really playing with her, mom swinging, doing the monkey bars, sliding together and our hair all static-y. Baking holiday M and M cookies together.

Treasures for my Heart- New Haircuts

Thursday
11/15/07

Joel, Sam, and me getting haircuts to look sharp for Thanksgiving. I got a great cut, Sam got an OK cut, Joel got a horrible cut. But doesn't everyone have at least a few holiday pictures from childhood were your hair looks like your little sister cut it with gardening shears?

My good friend was recently in a car accident. No one was seriously injured, thank goodness, but as I was talking with her, she asked THE question. Why? What could God be trying to teach her through this.

Well, I'm no counselor, and I don't even play one on TV, so I gave her the standard, " I don't know". Which I think is valid. I don't think we usually know why trouble comes, and luckily for me I don't have the type personality that is bothered by the why questions, in the spiritual realm or otherwise. That's why I'd make a lousy scientist, but a good soldier. : )

But that is not what I want to write about anyway. As I was thinking about her situation and about trials in general, I was reminded of a truth I've been trying to live out in my own life. Living each day as a gift. This is one way firefighting has changed me. I have seen several lives abruptly end. I always wonder if they were ready, what regrets did they have, did they kiss their family that day. I want to be ready, I want to have come to terms with past regrets and live in a way that doesn't create new regrets, and I want to have kissed my family that day.

Life on this earth is short, and thankfully for us, not the end. In fact, it's not even the main event. There is a better reality, a more true reality. And we can be a part of that reality now, not just when we die. That is so exciting to me!!

There's a song by Point of Grace that says this better than I can. Although I have a slight problem with the chorus - it's not just about how you live, there is a truth to this song. I've edited the cheesy parts and left what I think is important.


Wake up to the sunlight
With your windows open
Don't hold in your anger or leave things unspoken
And don't spend your life lookin' back



And go see your folks more than just on the holidays
Kiss all your children
Dance with your wife
Tell your husband you love him every night

So give to the needy
And pray for the grieving
E'en when you don't think that you can
'Cause all that you do is bound to come back to you
So think of your fellow man
Make peace with God and make peace with yourself
'Cause in the end there's nobody else

Celebrate Life

This si a post I meant to do in August, but life got in the way. Yesterday I was reminded of my previous thoughts, and I'm trying to post more regualry, so here we are.

I attended a firefighter funeral yesterday. The young man did not die in a fire or anything like that, in fact it is unclear now what happened. He seems to have died in his sleep after spending the previous night in the hospital complaining of migraies and racing heart. I did not know him personally, but all firefighters were strongly encouraged to attend the service.

First of all, I had to get dressed up in my Class A dress uniform. About the only time we were that is for a funeral or a graduation. The act of putting on the uniform seemed to guide my thoughts to heavy matters. Once I arrived at the funeral home, I was given a black elastic band to put over my FD badge. Again, the very action carried alot of meaning. The service was psuedo Catholic (I have never been to a Catholic funeral, but was told by those in the know that this was like one on speed- they combined the rosary with the service and we were out in an hour, if that makes any sense)

I'm starting to ramble. My point is yesterday got me thinking about life, how short it truly is, and how everyday can be special. Everyday can have eternal meaning. It's all in our perspective. I am trying to pause sometime during each day to get my perspective right. The sad thig is I'm having to build in that pause in my daytimer. : ) I don't want to live an unexamined life anymore. I want to celebrate life, my current life, this season, this stage of my kids, this month's budget, today's job situation, today's health.

Today find a way to celebrate life. The life you have today. Thank the Creator of all life, and spend some time looking at your life through His eyes.