Reason #1,945 Why I LOVE the Internet

I the World Wide Web.

It's the bestest invention ever.

Thank you, Al Gore.

(That last part was sarcasm. You know that, right? Al didn't really invent the internet. If he had, I'm sure it would be in a lockbox somewhere.)

I belong to this awesome "family" of people called ScrapShare. So many good things have come from my affililation with that group. So many things. Those ladies (and sprinkling of gentlemen) are so generous and friendly. I've only met about 40 of the 10,000+ members, but the ones I have met I'd do just about anything for. Really.

Case in point: One of the ladies recently went to Disney World. As I shared in a previous blog, the Mister and I are taking our brood down to see Mickey in December. When I found out that Catherine was going, I e-mailed her and asked her if she'd have a spare minute to send my kids a postcard from Disney. I told her I'd reimburse her for all costs incurred.

Cat replied that not only would she not accept my money, but that she would send each child his or her own card. How great is that?!? I was only expecting one postcard addressed to the whole family, but Catherine, being a wise woman and a fellow mother, knew that it would mean a great deal to my kids to receive their own personal cards. She even asked for each child's favorite character. And she wouldn't take a dime. Nay, not even a penny!

Here we all are right after retrieving Monday's mail from the box.

Notice that Mommy got her own personalized card, too!

All five of us were jumping around as if Ed McMahon himself had given us a check for a bajillion dollars. We were giddy with Disney magic, sprinkled with Pixie Dust.

Catherine had indeed personalized each precious card, signing something different on each one and even mimicking the characters' signatures. My kids thought that "Disney World" had sent the cards. They were truly enthralled.

I collected each of our five new treasures before they could be lost or hidden in bedrooms, and I put them in a place of honor: the front of our refrigerator.

When I see them, they make me smile for two reasons: (1) I recall Catherine's kindness and (2) I can't wait to go to Disney and return the favor!

Catherine rocks!

The internet rocks!

Thank you, Cat!

Saying Goodbye

My precious 8 year-old daughter is going through a rough time right now.

When school started back on January 2, my daughter's best friend Emily was not in class. Her mom had pulled her and her brother back out of school to resume homeschooling. Camryn was devastated.

Camryn's class is a combined group of 3rd and 4th graders. She and Emily were the only 3rd grade girls. Emily's brother, Caleb, was also in the class since he is a 4th grader. Their departure left a big hole in the already small class, but it also made a dent in my daughter's heart.

The 4th grade girls are a little catty and cliquish. I'm sure it's hormonal, but still... Camryn says she doesn't get along well with them. I think it's because Camryn is used to being the boss (being the oldest child at home) and doesn't know how to interact with older girls. Either way, Emily's absence left Camryn without a close female friend.

So, Camryn strengthened her friendship with a 3rd grade boy named Jacob. The friendship quickly became a crush, and Jacob and Camryn soon started their own club with just themselves as members. It was a true budding romance. Any mention of Jacob's name brought a quick "HUSH UP!" from Camryn.

Ah, young love.

Now Jacob is moving. He and his family are heading back to Fort Worth, Texas. That's where they came from; Jacob's dad, Dustin, accepted a position as the Furman University chaplain, and that brought them here to Greenville.

Dustin is now also the reason that Jacob is leaving. He had a bicycle accident in October. He fell off of his bike while riding around the neighborhood with his kids, and he hit his head on a manhole cover. The damage was severe since Dustin wasn't wearing a helmet. He was in a coma for awhile, but now his condition is being called a "vegetative state". Not a "permanent vegetative state", but still... it's not good.

So, Jacob's mom has made the heart wrenching decision to move herself, her husband and their three children back to Texas. I can understand her desire to be near family, but they will be sorely missed.

It's a hard thing. Camryn is as in "love" as her little 8 year-old heart can be. I feel very sad for her. First her best friend left, and now her little crush. She's not having a very good 2007 so far.

Camryn and I got busy and made up a little scrapbook for Jacob. I went to school today and took pictures of her classmates and let them sign the book for Jacob. When the pictures are developed, we'll add those to the book and present the surprise to Jacob at his going away party on Thursday.

Friday is Jacob's official last day at school. I expect there to be tears when Camryn gets home. The Rx for that will be lots of popcorn and snuggling in my bed, but I know it won't take the sting of loss out of Camryn's heart.

What's worse is that I know this won't be the first time my baby's heart will be broken by a boy. I just didn't think this would start so soon.

I'm not ready.

Tears

“There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of
weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are messengers of overwhelming grief...and unspeakable love.” Washington Irving

This week, paint us a picture of a time when you cried. Maybe it was recent, maybe it was ages ago. Maybe it was tears of grief over a break-up, or tears of joy over an engagement. Maybe you cry when you get mad, or perhaps you cry when you're laughing hysterically. Perhaps you have a hard time crying at all. Pick one time, and color the story for us.

I cry at the drop of a hat, basically. I am a very emotional person, but I don't mind crying. In fact, I feel so much better after a good cry. It's healing!

I cried tears of joy last week after opening an email from a friend. She told me she was expecting a baby. I was overjoyed for her, because I know how badly she wants a sibling for her son. I immediately committed to pray for her and her unborn child. I asked God to protect her and the baby and help her give birth to a healthy son or daughter. I cried for her, knowing how happy she must be.

I cried tears of sadness the next day when I opened another email from the same friend, telling me that she had miscarried.

I cried tears of anger and frustration for my friend. I don't know why God chooses to do that, to take life like that, to break hearts like that. I just have to live in the faith that God almighty, all powerful and sovereign, knows why it happened. I pray my friend has the same faith, that she trusts that God has a reason. I have prayed that God comforts her and holds her in the palm of His hand while she goes through this trial.

Hopefully one day soon I can again cry tears of happiness for my friend. I will pray for her every time God brings her to my mind. I'll pray for peace for her, for strength, for health, for understanding, for faith, for perseverance, for wisdom.

And I'll pray that one day, in the not so distant future, she has another baby to hold in her arms, to laugh with and love and yes, cry over.

Blog Challenge: Treasures

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. ~Thornton Wilder

This week, think in terms of Thanksgiving. Even if you aren't in the USA, really think about the things you're blessed with. But don't blog about the general stuff. Don't make a quick list of what you're thankful for. Don't do a half-hearted attempt at the generic "I'm Thankful for" blog. Instead, meditate on the above quote, and then write.

There is so much I can give thanks for this year.

I have a beautiful new house that I enjoy every day. It thrills my heart to hear my kids playing together in the back yard. I get happy when I can spend some time in the scrapbook room my ever thoughtful hubby asked the builder to include for me in the plans. Its pink color warms my heart!

My husband has a job that he enjoys, and it allows me to be able to stay home with my kids. I am constantly thankful that it is ME who picks up the kids from school every day. I'm blessed to have the freedom to be so involved in my kids' lives.

My children are healthy. They're happy. They love each other. They do fight, but they do have their moments of expressing genuine adoration for one another. Those moments make me so very proud.

My parents are still alive. And more than that, they're still married after 37 years. And yet still more than THAT... they still LOVE each other after all that time. They still smooch on each other and travel together and enjoy being in each other's company. THAT'S amazing. Their marriage was a good model for me.

I have a great sister. She and I have a great relationship. That's something to be grateful for, because in this era of dysfunctional families, not many people can truly say they get along well with their siblings.

But this year, at the top of the list of things I'm praising God for, is FRIENDSHIPS.

As I blogged about a few days ago, it's been a difficult year. The depression I wrote about afflicted me for months before I did anything about it. I let a lot of my friendships dwindle to the point where I was left with just one really good friend. I regret that.

So this year I'm grateful for that one friend that's left. She and I have grown closer this year. I love her and am very happy to have her in my life.

I'm also exceedingly thankful for new friends I made when I went to the ScrapShare Texas retreat. I may not be able to talk to them much, but I know they're there for me when and if I need them. They rekindled a fire in my soul that has been dormant for a long time. They made me feel alive again, reminded me that I need female friendships.

This group of women, each one of them unique and gifted and talented and strong, loved on me and joked with me and insulted me (in a good way!) and laughed with me and encouraged me and stayed up all night with me. I came home from that retreat exhausted and renewed all at the same time.

I cannot wait to see them again. Thanks, girls.

As Iron Sharpens Iron

I have this book that I keep in my toilet area (how's that for an introductory sentence?) It's called Keeping God in the Small Stuff and it was written by Bruce and Stan (Bickel & Jantz, but they write as Bruce and Stan). I gave this book to my Stan for Christmas in 2001. It sat on his bedside table until we moved to our new house. That's when I put it in the bathroom, 'cause that's just about the only quiet place I have to read and contemplate spiritual matters.

So, when I forget to read a day's entry, I go back and catch up. I've been sick and haven't kept up with the entries, so I caught up today. October 18's entry was about friends.

"Finding a True Friend" is the title of the entry. The quote at the top says, "Select friends based on their character, not their compliments." Bruce and Stan exhort: "You are now at a stage when you get to select your own friends. Don't let it happen by default. be very intentional about it. Look for friends that will raise you up to a higher level; avoid the people who will pull you down to theirs." And then they close with one of my favorite Bible verses; it's one I used to contemplate and pray over when I was searching for a mate. Proverbs 27:17 says, "As iron sharpens iron, a friend sharpens a friend." I looked for a mate who would sharpen me, so I should be looking for the same in friends.

To be honest, I don't have many friends. I have a lot of friendly acquaintances, but I can count on one hand the number of true friends I have. I'm related to two of them (my husband and my sister.) The other two are my friend Malinda and my college roommate Christi.

I miss Christi. There are days when I crave spending just 10 minutes in her presence. I have not laid eyes on her since her wedding day, which was July 18, 1998. I don't know her two precious girls, but I know they look just like their beautiful mom from the pictures Christi sends with her Christmas cards. I wish she lived closer. She lived in Texas for years, and she just recently moved to Tennessee. That's a little bit closer, but still not close enough. Maybe one day God will allow us to live close enough to be able to share our lives with one another. Until then I will have to be content with cards and letters and emails and phonecalls. Nothing makes my day like a good laugh shared with Elmer (she calls me Bubba... it's a long story that involves putting together a computer work desk...)

Malinda is the kind of person that sharpens me. She calls and emails me when she thinks about me. My oldest 2 children are the same age as her 2 kids, and they're good friends, too. She offers to let my kids spend the day with hers and vice versa, because we realize that sometimes moms just need a break.

Malinda is the person who encouraged me to go back to scrapbooking after I'd quit because *I* thought it was too hard and intimidating. She showed me the simple way to create memory books. She patiently waited for me to find the inspiration I needed to start, and she's encouraged me in it ever since. We just get each other.

Malinda might have to move. Her husband's company was bought by a larger company and his job will most likely be eliminated. She is almost certain that they will not be able to stay in this area. They will probably move to Birmingham, because they have family there. I will miss her terribly, and it's just dawning on me how much I will miss her. She is one of the few people I can really be myself with. She doesn't care if a curse word slips, and I feel totally comfortable with her. I know she won't divulge my secrets.

Friends like those are hard to find, and I might lose one. I'm a little down.