Aha Moments with the Savior

My last post regarding sending off a child to school was in 2013. Our youngest child's first day of high school. As I reread that post I find myself at another new beginning:  that same child's first days in college as an entering freshman! As many often ask, "where has the time gone?"  I watch my married daughter who is raising our first grandson.  He is now 18 months old and a handful!  Talking to her when she is tired, worn out, or just looking for a few minutes peace reminds me that I too was once in her shoes.  Four times over!  I remember thinking then that I would NEVER get a chance to be alone. And now, here we are, newly empty nesters and we have all the alone time in the world!  As I said before, "where has the time gone?"  We worked hard all summer long to get him ready for this next stage in life.  But we feel we forgot something or more than one thing!  It was hard leaving him knowing we may not have covered all the...

Last night in Ladies Bible Study, the conversation came up about how as women, we compare ourselves to one another.  Yes, ladies, you too have been known to look across the room at someone who seems to have it so much more together than you do!  Her clothes are impeccable, her hair is stylish and yes, even her nails are done and match her outfit.  Oh, and if her kids look just as good as she does, well, that little voice that tells us we don't match up comes at us from out of the workings of our minds. There is so much vying for our attention these days.  Commercials filled with "must haves" to purchase for loved ones as gifts, great deals screaming at us from all forms of media, and then so many activities you must attend because well, it's Christmas! As I've been looking at my Facebook account the past several days I have been watching many people post pics of their "ELF on the SHELF."  Now, had this little guy been around when my four were young...

Someone is Always Watching You! I have noticed that there are more and more reality television shows these days. You know, the ones where the camera intrudes upon people's private lives and records their day to day living as if the rest of us really want to see what is going on in other people's worlds!  Oh wait, we DO like to do that don't we?  Did you know that the recent season of The Bachelor drew 4.2 million viewers in the age 18-49 bracket?  Or, that the popular Duck Dynasty opened up its new season with 11.8 million viewers? What is it about these shows that make us want to tune in each week?  Is it that their lives are more exciting than ours?  Do we love to see friction? romance? crazy drama? A recent article in Psychology Today proposed the following reason: "Reality TV allows Americans to fantasize about gaining status through automatic fame. Ordinary people can watch the shows, see people like themselves and imagine that they...

New Beginnings Today our youngest child headed off for his first day of High School!   He had such confidence and excitement in his voice that I was hard put to feel any sadness.   I asked him last night before bedtime if he was nervous and anxious about anything and he said only lunch time.   Meaning, where will he have to sit or what will he eat and so on!   That’s my boy, ever thinking about food in times of change, stress, or excitement! I am remembering a day so long ago but it seems like just yesterday.   This last child of mine was the only one of my brood of four that actually figured out how to climb out of his crib!   The first time he did so he not only climbed out of his crib but down the stairs and nearly frightened his older sister to death!   He was so proud of himself for mastering this feat that it was hard to punish him.   Further, this skill should have prepared me for the challenges we have faced since then. He is stron...