Merry Christmas and Happy 2011

I know, I've been off blogging for a while. But it's Christmas!! So like a good scout, I'm recycling my post from last year! There is a new Christmas song being played on the christian radio station right now, an adaptation of this oldie. It brings me to tears when I hear it. I'm sorry that I don't know the name of the artist but if you happen to hear it, I know you will LOVE it as much as I do. AND if you happen to know the name, please feel free to help a sister out!!

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My beloved childhood piano teacher sent us a Christmas card with the following poem. I have always loved this particular carol and I would like to share it with you sweet friends.

Christmas Bells

By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

1863

at the height of the Civil War

(five verses)

I heard the bells on Christmas day

Their old familiar carols play,

And wild and sweet

The words repeat

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,

The belfries of all Christendom

Had rolled along

The unbroken song

Of Peace on Earth Good-will to men!

It was as if an earthquake rent

The hearth-stones of a continent,

And made forlorn

The households born

Of peace on Earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;

"There is no peace on earth," I said;

"For hate is strong,

And mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good will to men!"

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;

The Wrong shall fail,

The Right prevail,

With peace on earth, good will to men."

Through all the noise and uncertainty of your life, May the bells of hope ring loudly through for you this year!

God Bless and Merry CHRISTmas to you all!!

Meredith

Thankful Thursday

Welcome to Thankful Thursday!!

Today I am thankful for this little guy. He reminds me that little eyes and ears are ALWAYS watching. His imagination and persistence remind me daily that I am to be an imitator. Scripture reminds us throughout that we are to be imitators of Christ during our daily walk.

"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." Eph.5:1-2

Found kiddo sitting on the porch alone and reading a book, just like his daddy.

Pretty heavy reading for a 2 year old!!

For more TTposts click the button above and visit spiritual unequal marriage

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for simple. It is just one of those days when I can slow down. I wished they happend more often. A day when I remember to enjoy the simplest pleasures of life. There is beauty and grace in even these. I wish to share a bit from an author that I enjoy reading from time to time.

Life Itself Is Grace

I discovered that if you really keep your eye peeled to it and your ears open, if you really pay attention to it, even such a limited and limiting life as the one I was living on Rupert Mountain opened up onto extraordinary vistas. Taking your children to school and kissing your wife goodbye. Eating lunch with a friend. Trying to do a decent day's work. Hearing the rain patter against the window. There is no event so commonplace but that God is present within it, always hiddenly, always leaving you room to recognize him or not to recognize him, but all the more fascinatingly because of that, all the more compellingly and hauntingly......If I were called upon to state in a few words the essence of everything I was trying to say both as a novelist and as a preacher, it would be something like this: Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery that it is. In the boredom and pain of it no less than in the excitement and gladness: touch, taste, smell your way to the holy and hidden heart of it because in the last analysis all moments are key moments, and life itself is grace.

From Frederick Buechner's 'Listening to Your Life' and 'Now and Then'

I couldn't have said it any better myself.

Friday Funnies

In honor of Friday funnies I am giving a shout out to a blog that I enjoy visiting whenever I get the chance. This weekend while baby and I were on our own (dada had drill), I had made my bed and was working on something in the kitchen. He decided to drag all his stuff into my room and pile it on the bed. He's been doing that a lot lately. ALL blankets and animals MUST leave the crib and wander around the house with kiddo!!:) He has learned how to climb up on our bed by himself, and although he has never slept in our bed, he enjoys "paying" there. Precious! I have learned that when things get quiet, I need to go and check on him pronto!! This is what I found this weekend when I rounded the corner. I grabbed my camera and tried my best to catch the hilarity of the moment, but I missed the really good shot!

Recognize that book?? That is Lynnette's book. He had it open and was pretending to read it like such a big boy!! I couldn't help but laugh, it was such a genuine moment. I encourage you to visit Lynnette Kraft at her blog. The desire to enjoy the richness and beauty of life in ALL ,and I do mean all:), matters is expressed daily here. Lynnette is no stranger to pain and loss. I am reading her book because not only has she been faithful to write it, but also because I am finding myself surrounded by people who have and still are experiencing loss. You can read about them here, and here and then there is my coworker who's husband committed suicide a year ago who I blogged about very briefly. I am good at praying for these people, but often find myself unable to find words when speaking to these folks. These friends understand this I know, and sometimes would just prefer my silent hugs, but sometimes I would much rather just cook an asparagus casserole. I'm sure you can relate.

When big boy and I are BOTH finished reading this book heehee, I plan on passing it along to our friend who lost their child from SMA (mentioned in the link above). I think about her on just about every page and I have cried on just about every page so far. I am just that way and No I don't think it's pms:). But first I have to figure out where the bookmark was before kiddo threw it across the room!!

ok, so laugh at the pics and the sheep feet!! Visit Lynnette and buy a book if you can!! Enoy your Friday and Have a great weekend! And if by chance I made you cry, I didn't mean to. Just scroll back up to the sheep feet and that infectious grin and that ought to cure you right up!! :)

Meredith

......Please Stand By........

My husband is taking the computer with him when he goes out of town. :( I will miss it. I will miss you. I have a post scheduled for Friday but I will be unable to visit around and comment so please excuse me while I am absent. So, enjoy Tuesday's post and stop back by on Funny Friday if you are so inclined!! Hope you are having a fabulous week and I'll be back after the 24th to try and catch up with you all!!

Meredith

Tuesdays Together

A few weeks ago, I experienced a week of work that really tested my limits. I wound up working 5 days in a row! Now before you say "huh??" keep in mind that nurses do not generally work 5 days in a row, unless you work the 7 on 7 off kind of schedule, but those are usually 8 hour shifts. I should clarify, nurses who work the floor or 12 hour shifts in recovery do not usually work 5 days in a row. Well, I did. I found myself signed up for 2 days on the floor and 3 days on the outpatient surgical unit. These are the two units I work, but I usually do not work more than 3 days a week, and occasionally four. Not including the driving in and out, I worked 4 ten hour, and 1 nine hour shift. The week was sandwiched between two weekends packed full of activities. I was tired, I was weary weary weary!! I felt discouraged about half way through, thinking that I had lost my edge, feeling very old and wondering "why did I sign up for this again?". My housework suffered, my connections with my husband and child suffered. But I knew it was temporary and did my best to plow on through.

Getting up pretty early is part of this working routine. In order to be clocked in by 6,7, or 7:30 I often leave the house before any one else is up. I must hit hwy 280 before a certain time in order to catch the best traffic window. This sometimes puts me at work early. I have started bringing my bible with me in my car, so that I can have my quiet time in the parking deck. I like to read at night, but sometimes when you are soooo tired, it just doesn't happen. Anyway, during my week of 5's I found the Lord especially sweet to me. It put a little pep back into my spirit and my step. I happened to be reading in Thessalonians 1 and 2. I won't rewrite the whole 2 books but if you go there and read, you will most likely see what I saw--or maybe something entirely different--that IS the beauty of the Living Word of God. It was certainly timely.

Lord's words to me:

Hard work pays off.

Be gentle.

Be a model so that others might believe.

Thank God continually.

Endure, inspire hope.

Encourage one another, build up.

Respect those over you.

Live in peace with each other.

Be patient, joyful and thankful.

Pray continually.

Hold onto the good, avoid evil.

Relief is coming.

Do not be deceived.

Do not be a busybody.

Never tire of doing what is right.

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. 2 Thess. 2:16

I am called to be a nurse, and also a wife and mother. My callings affects lives. I work hard at these callings. Balancing those takes diligence. My husband and I have also felt led to become debt free. We are working diligently to accomplish this goal and have been for some time. For a time, I could pick up zero shifts, this really slowed us down. Now that I am being offered more than I can handle, we are finding our way to progress. Our Lord has always been faithful to us in dry and plentiful times, this does not change. He is faithful. He is always on time. His Sweet words do not change. His strength does not change. My parking deck time with the Lord was precious............ and did I mention timely? :)

May YOU find encouragement from the Lord's words today. Blessings!!

Thankful Thursday

Kiddo is very excited about "Bifday cake"

Today was Thursday. It was also my Husband's birthday. I had the day off. I was very thankful to actually get up and NOT leave the house for work while everyone was still asleep. I was thankful for the opportunity to make pancakes for my child and my spouse. I was thankful for the opportunity to catch up on this very dirty house. I took our dog for a walk/run. Very simple pleasures, but ones that I really enjoy and have missed with all the working I've had to do lately.

I am especially thankful today for my husband. I know I've blogged about him before, but I can't say enough great things about him. He is a very busy man, but somehow manages to effectively work two jobs and make it look easy. It's really 3 jobs if you count the online course work he must complete for the Corps. He gets phone calls at all hours. Without knowing him personally, there is no real satisfactory way to convey to you what his job/life entails. My sister once laughed at him for reading the "7 habits" book by Covey. I'm sure you know the one. She thinks he should write it, not read it.

Besides being organized, he is kind, loves his family, and loves the Lord. He is funny. He loves Baseball and enjoys taking me to games when we get the chance. After he returned from his first deployment, I took him to Chicago to see the Cubs at Wrigley Field. That was before we had a child, we could do such things.:) It was one great vacation! I think I got the best present of the century award!! (family joke)

Anyway, Despite my ramblings I really do have a point. Birthdays are important. They are for celebrating. We are never promised another one. I am thankful for today, the man, and all his birthday represents. Happy Birthday my Love! I hope you had a very good day!

Oh and by the way, chocolate pound cake from the Piggly Wiggly totally rocks!!

Virginia, sweet Virginia!!

This is a post I started back before Christmas but never had the time to finish. I'll share it now and you can all have fond memories of your near distant fall holidays.

Okay, so did I tell you that Virginia is my new favorite state? Besides the one I live in and the one I hail from? For Thanksgiving we drove to Massachusetts . Yes, you read that correctly. WE DROVE!! We went to visit Paw, my husband's grandfather and also my husband's uncle. Hubby, kiddo, and I packed up our car and on a Monday afternoon we left our home in central AL. We enjoyed a stop at Starbucks where I tried out the peppermint holiday drink. I don't drink coffee, so when I do try it out, it has to be fancified. I tried it again on the way home and I tried the carmel one as well on day 2 of our trip. We had a lovely trip until we hit Penn. and then later the New Jersey turnpike. These made hwy 280 look like child's play!! But we did see the night-time New York City skyline, something I have never seen before!!

We spent the night in Virginia. Where our near perfect room left us rested and well for our 2nd day of travels. I am easily amused by small things. The free cookie from the front counter and the rubber ducky left in our bathroom made my day (and kiddo's also). The scenery was wonderful. I kept saying, "these hills remind me of parts of Germany". Which explains why you find so many German influences in these parts. Mix in some Scottish highlander ancestry and I'm sure there are some fiery characters in the parts we passed through. I didn't sleep much, I was too busy being plastered to the window. It was a perfect beautiful sunny fall day!

In Massachusetts we stayed at a nursing home. No really, it was an assisted living home. We actually stayed in the room reserved for guests so it was much like a hotel but we had a good time making a joke out of the situation. We had a wonderful time. Paw of course, had to take us around and introduce us to the staff and residents. Hubby is his only grandson and kiddo is of course his only great grandchild. Not sure who had more fun, Paw or us. We arrived on a Tuesday and left on a Friday night. We ate well, enjoyed our wonderful Thanksgiving week, and our special time with Paw. Needless to say we were very thankful!!

We left in the snow flurries and drove all night and by Saturday, we were passing through Virginia again. Once again Virginia was our place of refuge and the Cracker Barrel did not disappoint. We were weary, and probably stinky, but our bellies were full and a nap through Knoxville came very easily for both kiddo and me.

We were almost home when we had a flat tire. We found ourselves in a church parking lot just off the interstate. We had to laugh a little. It was cold, but not snowing nor was it raining. We finally pulled in our driveway exactly 24hours from the time we left the nursing home in Mass. I went to bed that night thankful for a safe, full, and rich journey to the North. I couldn't help but think about, if only for a second, those wonderful buttermilk biscuits with bacon at the Cracker Barrel, in Virginia .......Sweet Virginia.

The pictures include "a walk with Paw", "a walk through the apple orchard", and "hotel fun". Those are situps we are doing with daddy, by the way, in case you couldn't tell.:)

Friday Funnies

Shouldn't eating always be this much fun?

Ahemmm.......more on that topic some other day!:)

Today was Tuesday

I got up early this morning in preparation for a 10 hour shift. There was a special treat awaiting me in blogland. I do not usually have time to look at blogs before driving in to work, but for some reason this morning I did. If you have never hopped over to visit myADHD me at Monkeys Are Funny, you really should go. There is always some fun going on over there. She's witty and kind and writes funny anecdotes about life and her son who I'm sure REALLY appreciates it, which makes it even more amusing. On Tuesdays, she always features "a special guest" and the wait to see where her mind will take her is never disappointed. Today she featured a special guest just for me. Truly a trip down memory lane. I am honored!!

Now there is no accounting for the tastes of a second grader, but I never missed an episode of 'The Hardy Boys', and Shaun Cassidy had a special place on my wall. I even had one of those little radios with the microphones, and my little record player played the fool out of a 45 or two. I also read the Nancy Drew books.

So, I played the clip this morning and all through the day while recovering my patients I was struck by random bursts of giggling. My poor patients. Fortunately they were all sedated and never noticed my easily tickled funny bone. How goofy the 70's were! Silk pants?? Da Do Run Run?? Such a hoot!! Go visit! AND thank you my funny monkey friend for truly making my day!!

Good Ol' Jeep

In the previous post I blogged about perspective and some sadness. The day after posting, I attended the funeral for the sweet 8 month old mentioned, and my head just hasn't been right this week. Then yesterday, I learned about a tragic loss for our church family, a young wife and new mother. I just can't bear to write about it really. I am processing. I am praying.

I do not wish to seem insensitive. Trust me, I'm hurting. So, If you will bear with me, I will stop and post something funny. It's a little poem I just made up this week about my old jeep wrangler. Inspired by freezing cold temps here in ALABAMA!!

Good Ol' Jeepy,

She's quite a heapy.

It's cold outside.

She likes to freezey.

Had to climb right through the back,

And squeeze my rear between the crack.

Too old, too old

to be climbing seats.

My heapy jeep,

your frozen doors are

quite the treat.

Blessings!:)

Perspective

LAST weekend when I had the stomach virus I was miserable, but I remember thinking how thankful I was to have a roof over my head. I was wishing it would all be over soon, but I was thankful that I had gingerale to drink. The drink was cold. When I was hugging the toilet I wanted to cry, but I remember being thankful that I had one. My floors are carpet, Not dirt. The house was warm, not a drafty tent. When my body was chilled, my childhood quilt made by my great grandmother gave me comfort and my family was just a room away.

THIS weekend a friend of ours prepares to bury her sweet baby girl. She passed away on Friday. She would have been one in May. She died from SMA. It is genetic and there is no cure. Not yet anyway. She lived far longer than originally expected. As her little body progressively grew weaker and her muscles degenerated she still smiled and blessed the fool out of everyone she came in contact with. She kept a grip on a feather in her little hand. It delighted her so to see it move. It delighted others. Even towards the end, she still kept a defiantly, joyful, reflexive little grip on that feather. I will not forget her.

There was no randomness to her purpose for being. No meaningless existence, or death for that matter. Her purpose was selfless. Purity. Joy. Innocence. To Just BE. To be a little sister, to be a twin, to be a beloved daughter. To glorify God. To smile so sweetly, and coo, to wave a big purple feather. To beat the odds. To touch hearts, to bring forth witness and to encourage testimony. To inspire. To come and join us for a bit, and then return home to her Lord. I can really only make guesses. Who am I to know such heavenly secrets??

My heart aches for all the reasons it should. Unimaginable loss. Prayers lifted up for a weary friend and her husband who must travel this road.

Puts things in perspective, Don't you think? I'm asking the Lord for forgiveness today. I am small and fleeting here on this earth. May I spend my time here wisely. May I walk this week a little more mindful of his blessings. May I be more sensitive to HIS plan in the lives of those around me. I don't live in Haiti, I have never suffered through an earthquake, and God Have Mercy I have never lost a child.

God's speed sweet Hannah. I count myself fortunate to have met you, to have held you just a bit, and to have seen you smile and wave your royal feather.

Meredith

Thankful Thursday

I haven't had much time for blogging lately. Just thinking. Pondering. One day I will catch up with all the topics running around in my head. I WILL take a moment to comment on Today. It is Thankful Thursday after all, and I am certainly thankful for today. It was just a very good day. It went something like this....

My day began at 0430. There was scripture and song, and driving down 280(a crazy Highway that I spend way too much time on). Then I worked in recovery for 8 hours and a rep brought us chic-fil-a minis and fruit. Yummy!

I had the sweetest patients to minister to. No one threw up on me, no one had any crazy heart rhythms or uncontrollable pain. Everyone's blood sugar and blood pressure was stable. I clocked out on time. I hit the highway BEFORE the thickest part of rush hour. Very important!!

I managed to get home in time to get on that ellyptical and get a work out in before anyone else came home! I then cooked dinner!! I enjoyed a very pleasant meal at the table with my hubby and child who by the way said a very sweet blessing over his food. Didn't understand anything he said except for the AMEN at the end, but that's okay!! Does a mom's heart good!!

I then "shined my sink" and "blessed my home" just a bit. Kiddo read a book to me and talked nonstop from the time he came home till the time he went to bed. I love that Child! He'll be two in March.

So here I am, spending just a little time on the computer. Browsing blogs. Laughing. Crying. Enjoying the rich part of life that is there. I want to read a book, but my eyelids are heavy. I am VERY VERY thankful for today. Thankful for all the parts of my life that today represents.

Usually things DO NOT go this smoothly for me on a work day, so I am thankful for this as well. It was a VERY good day!!

I'm going to bed now. THANKFULLY, I get to do it all again tomorrow. Two shifts in a row. 0430 comes earlier on the second morning!! :)