My Own Little World

It's been a while. But, I am back. It's a new year. Whether 2010 was good or bad for you, a new beginning is here. A clean slate. 

Many are promising themselves to lose weight, stop smoking, exercise more, etc. Me? I really have no profound resolutions, just really long to find peace.

 I recently sat down to write a letter (not on the computer, but with a real piece of paper and pen) and found that it was almost impossible to leave out the word "I" and all those other personal pronouns.

Funny, that makes me think of a country song my kids used to irritate me with. 

I wanna talk about meeeiiiieeee! 

They knew my least favorite music was country and my least favorite musician EVER was Toby Keith. Sorry if that insults anyone. But those kids of mine, especially the boys received so much joy from breaking out in that song or any of his other hits(?) Aaaaahhhhhhhhhh! Makes my skin crawl right now thinking about his voice!

Back to what I was saying ...

I long for peace. One way to begin this search is to first get out of my world, my life, my problems. Connect with others. To do that, I will have to take my eyes off myself and my little world. Become more self-less.

Mother Teresa once said, "If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other." 

Where this admission, this simple resolution will lead me I'm not sure, but I am willing to take this path.

Happy New Year.

Build Me A Son

Our son, Griff left for Air Force Basic training this afternoon. Yes, our hearts are swollen with pride and my eyes are swollen with tears as we witness this boy of ours once again, make us proud. He is such a fine man!


He came into the world determined and strong, literally fighting for every breath the first month of his life. He has always seemed to make the most of every situation, rising to the occasion. His sensitivity, compassion, wit, intelligence, creativity, and humor are just some of his great qualities. Love that boy!


Definitely not the scrap-booking type, I surprised myself and pulled off a collection of personal words/notes from friends and family along with quotes and scriptures and compiled them into a handmade patriotic-themed scrapbook. OK, I admit daughter helped a  little lot! Thanks, SJ!


For the first page of the scrapbook, I printed out this favorite poem of mine by  General Douglas A. MacArthur. I remember the first time I discovered these words. I was only twenty-one years old, not even a mother yet...the same age Griff is as he leaves for service to his country today. Somehow I tucked the poem away in my collection of quotes and poems and remembered it this week. As you read it, remember all the dedicated men and women who are serving our great country today. May God bless them and God bless the U. S. A.

Build me a son, O Lord,
who will be strong enough to know when he is weak,
and brave enough to face him self when he is afraid;
one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat,
and humble and gentle in victory.

Build me a son whose wishbone will not be
where his backbone should be;
a son who will know Thee- and that
to know himself is the foundation stone of knowledge.

Lead him, I pray, not in the path of ease and comfort,
but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenge.
Here, let him learn to stand up in the storm;
here, let him team compassion for those who fall.

Build me a son whose heart will be clear, whose goals will be high;
a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men;
one who will learn to laugh, yet never forget how to weep;
one who will reach into the future, yet never forget the past.

And after all these things are his,
add, I pray, enough of a sense of humor,
so that he may always be serious,
yet never take himself too seriously.

Give him humility, so that he may always remember
the simplicity of true greatness,
the open mind of true wisdom,
the meekness of true strength.

Then I, his father, will dare to whisper,
"I have not lived in vain."

The Mystery

Always beyond the gates.

Outside the city.

To the desert. The wilderness.

Beyond the limits of my control.

For that which I seek does not dwell

in temples of stone made with hands,

or sanctuaries of words made with pen or mouth.

Just because I write a fence for the Mystery

doesn’t mean I’ve captured it,

for my fences are always full of holes,

and the Mystery has already moved

while I turned to construct the compound.

The Mystery is wild and will not be owned,

but has condescended to freely dwell

in the smallest of vessels.

I dove into a cup and found

an ocean without shores.

-David Hayward

Fall

Atlanta Botanical Gardens tree photography - courtesy of Savannah-Jane

Awakening to sunlight

Streaming through the window

Leaves fluttering, falling from the birches.

Trees undressing, disrobing,

Becoming naked and bare.

This is Fall.

And I fall.
Into His arms.

Helpless.
Realizing His presence.
Warming my face.

And grace falls, cascading like the leaves.

Taking off, stripping me of my shame, my guilt.

gina 2010

"Don't resist helplessness—

it's the power of your prayer life."

-Bill Thrasher

Hmmm...

I can’t stand your religious meetings. I’m fed up with your conferences and conventions. I want nothing to do with your religion projects, your pretentious slogans and goals. I’m sick of your fund-raising schemes, your public relations and image making. I’ve had all I can take of your noisy ego-music. When was the last time you sang to me? Do you know what I want? I want justice—oceans of it. I want fairness—rivers of it. That’s what I want. That’s all I want.”
[Amos 5:21-24 - The Message]

Pumpkin Bread Recipe

This is the basic Pumpkin Bread recipe I used for the Pumpkin Muffins today. Note that I glazed the muffins with a delicious spur of the moment topping that made me fall to my knees and ask for forgiveness. Seriously.

1 cup sugar
1.2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup pumpkin
1.2 cup corn oil
2 eggs
2 cups sifted all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1.2 tsp salt
1/2 nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 cup pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine sugars, pumpkin, oil, and eggs in bowl; mix well. Add sifted ingredients; mix well. Stir in pecans. Pour into well-oiled 5x9 inch loaf pan. Bake until loaf tests done, Remove to wire rack and cool. 

"Fall to Your Knees and Ask for Forgiveness" Glaze topping:
Stir  ingredients together on low heat til butter melts. Pour mixture on top of muffins and then sprinkle with chopped pecans. YUM!

8 oz. evaporated milk
1 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. butter... the real stuff

Home....a dearer spot than all the rest

Last weekend daughter and oldest son came home.  A weekend spent at home. Ahhh...Family, food, laughter, friends, and dirty clothes filled the house. Really miss those kiddos! Yep, I know, I need to get a grip. They are grown now. And, good news...they know how to wash clothes.

But occasionally, you know, they need to think of home. Be reminded of their Mom, who birthed them without pain medication, lovingly nursed them, changed their diapers, stayed up all night when they were sick, drove them 10,000 miles weekly to and from school, dance, soccer, fed them at least one home-cooked meal a week,washed at least 5 loads of clothes daily, and, of course raised them to be the fine young adults they are today. With a little help from the Mister. Just Kidding. He helped a lot. He always did the dishes. Really.

Anyway, I decided to skip church today. I baked pumpkin muffins and glazed them with melted butter, milk and brown sugar. (Lord, forgive me)

Well after a little coaxing, the Mister and Max (the last four-legged child at home) volunteered to taste them and give their unbiased opinion. After sharing two muffins and chasing them with cold milk, they reached their decision.

On a scale of 1 to 10 they were ranked an 11. 

Because these muffins have been officially tasted-tested and approved by a panel of unbiased consumers, and the fact that I am the best mother my children will ever have, I decided to send a little bit of lovin from the oven to those who now do their own laundry.

Because home is where their heart is. And where they can get their favorite meals, ignore dishes in the sink, and be served in (clean) underwear.

“Home, the spot of earth supremely blest, A dearer, sweeter spot than all the rest.”

-Robert Montgomery