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Part Two: The Speaker’s Reply

by Lisa on May 29, 2013

There has been much discussion here and on Facebook (and in my house) about the recent graduation speech that we walked out of.  I sent an email to the young man that made the speech, asking him to read my post.  He did and he replied. I thought you all would be interested in what he said to me.

I want to warn you, this is long and some of it is specific.  I tried to be discreet, but please read it before you let your children read. 

I am not going to share his entire email here because it is long and somewhat repetitive.  It is written in the same, dramatic verbiage he used in his speech.  So I will just share parts, but I assure you I am not leaving out anything that changes the message of his reply.  It is important to me that I not misrepresent him.

He begins by telling me again about his beliefs about the horrors of the sins of the world, which I already heard in his talk and did not take issue with his position on those facts.  But he repeated it in the same style, as if I needed convincing that sin is sin.

Next he addresses the issue of one of the images he showed on the big screen at the graduation, “The picture was of two men kissing and two women kissing; both were fully clothed and there was no suggestion other than that their lips touched. Now, it’s possible that you don’t go to Wal-Mart, or grocery stores or book stores or get online and perhaps your children will never go to a mall or other public places and maybe they don’t plan on attending college or surfing the web, where they might see this; but that doesn’t change the fact that this sin is thriving in our culture…”

In fact I DO keep my children away from those places and I don’t let them “surf the web.”  I believe it is my calling as a mother to preserve their naivety for the very reason that this speaker wants to expose them.  So that sin will be seen as sin and not something that was normal to them their whole lives.  When my children are old enough to learn of the evils that are happening in our world it will be so foreign to them that they will be anxious to do anything they can to help those that are wrapped up in these ungodly lifestyles.  I have 2 adult children not much younger than the speaker and I can testify that this is exactly what has happened.  My grown children are appalled and ready to stand up for righteousness without apology.

He goes on, “As Christians, we can try to remove ourselves from culture, bury our heads in the sand and remain ignorant to the sin that is claiming the lives and souls of those around us OR we can accept God’s calling of stewardship that He placed on mankind at the beginning of creation”

Romans 12:2 tells us not to be conformed to this world.  James 1:27 says we are to keep ourselves unstained from the world. 2 Corinthians 6:18 tells us to go out from their midst and be separate from them.

I am not burying my head in the sand.  I am living the will of God.  I can fight for righteousness and also keep myself separate.  God’s “calling of stewardship” doesn’t include looking at pictures of men kissing.

Further down in his email, “I’m not sorry that you were bothered by what the images represent because it bothers me too! That’s why we have to get involved and fight for God’s design and intention for marriage and the family! Much like Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil; God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” For this reason, I hope you will take the same energy and emotion that drove you to write us and write our legislators and national leaders;...”

What I actually said wasn’t about what the images represent, but that I didn’t want my young children to see them.  Their hearts and minds are not ready to wrestle with such things (and there was more than one inappropriate image even though he only he mentions one in his email).  Also, I think we can all agree that I am not silent.  Nor do I think we should be silent.  He seems to assume I have not already taken action, which is not true.  We are extremely active.  Just because I don’t think this needs to be discussed in the way he did it doesn’t mean I don’t want to discuss it at all.

In his last paragraph he says, “As I identified in the presentation, we are seeing attacks against the unborn, marriage, family, education, liberty, religious freedom, etc. Who is going to fight these battles? Who is responsible for the preservation of culture? Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth”. We are the preserving and culture changing agent that God put on this earth. We are responsible! For the sake of our children and grandchildren and the hope of our nation, Christians have to get involved.”

He and I simply have a different idea of how this is to be lived out.  What we must do is be the example of Christ, fight for justice through hard work, political avenues and loving people with the love of Christ.  One way I am fighting for the preservation of God’s work is by raising children that will be the future of our country.  If they are so exposed to sin at an early age that they become immune to the grief of its effects on our world then we will have lost the battle. The sad irony is that in his efforts “for the sake of our children and grandchildren” he actually exposed them to the very sin that he is fighting against.

Surely it is obvious by the very fact that I removed my children from his speech that I am deeply concerned about the future of our country and the path we are on.  I am far more involved than his email gives me credit for.

In our family we are not silent.  We are not denying sin.  I am clear about what I believe.  I have never given anyone license to sin and in fact have lost friends because of my firm beliefs.  I am ready to stand and face my duties as a Christian.  I have no fear of fighting for God and I believe there are clear boundaries when it comes to sin.

I am also a sinner.  Saved by grace.  No better than the next person, even if they are walking in godlessness.  It is through His grace that they will, hopefully, prayerfully, also be saved.

I hope this young man will someday realize that he doesn’t need to be explicit about sin for God to change hearts and turn people toward Him.  God is right there, waiting, nudging, holding his arms wide open.  God can turn people away from sin with a whisper.  He doesn’t need us to do His work, we need Him.  We stand for Christ because it draws us nearer to Him and to glorify Him, not because His message can’t get through without us.  There are times when we are called to be gentle and one of those times would be when young children are present.

The speaker closes his email to me by saying, “God bless you to stand for truth and fight for righteousness!”

I can only say in reply that I stand for truth and righteousness everyday and will continue to do so.  I will also stand for my children and their future by protecting them from hearing any more of these types of speeches.  It is up to each parent to decide when to expose their children to the evils of the world.

Thank you for reading this long post.  And thank you for standing with me!

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A Difficult Weekend

by Lisa on February 26, 2013

My 4 day weekend away by myself was a mix of highs and lows, mostly lows.  I really, really missed my family.  By the last day I was about ready to run home without my car….but it was 250 miles, so I didn’t think that would be such a good idea.

The first 2 days were spent attending a conference.  I want to tell you about it, but I am not going to say what conference I went to because I don’t want to show anything but respect for the work and effort that went into it.  This was just my experience and it could have happened in any number of places.  So I’m not blaming the conference organizers.

This was a Christian conference.  It was billed as being uplifting and encouraging.  I went alone, but wasn’t worried about that.  I have been to plenty of conferences over the past few years and have gotten good at meeting new people and have met some incredible women that way. Some of my best friends now are those that I met at conferences in the past.

For two whole days I walked up to people to talk to them, I introduced myself, made eye contact, asked about people’s interests and lives, Tweeted invitations to meet, etc.  I talked to ladies in the elevator, at the bathroom sink, at the vendor tables.  I asked the ladies in the information booth about meetups.  I did it all.

And no one would talk to me or showed any interest in getting to know me.  No one.

On Friday I asked four different people if we could have dinner together and none accepted.  They all said they were going with their friends and none invited me to join them. By the end of day one I was sitting in my car in the mall parking lot across the street from the hotel eating alone and crying.

Now please understand….I am fine.  I don’t want anyone to feel sorry for me or try to fix it.  I am confident in who I am and I didn’t take any of it personally.  How could it be personal?  They didn’t even know my name.  It was painful….not being able to make a connection.  But I came home unaffected…..just sad that it happened.

The lesson I took away from this lonely, difficult experience is that I never want anyone else to feel like that.  The next conference (or group event) I attend I will be friendly, more interested in others, greeting people, asking strangers how they are doing and anything else God leads me to.  I will set aside my introverted nature and be bold for Christ in case there is anyone there feeling left out.

After every rejection all weekend I would think, “If I was a more delicate person this would have damaged me and been very hard to get over.”

I am sure most of you have had similar times when you felt left out and not valued.  I hope you know that here….on this blog….you are LOVED!  And even better than that, GOD LOVES YOU!!!!

He met me where I was at the conference.  He comforted me and shined His light on me and the nights alone in my room when I prayed and asked Him to draw me nearer to Him were invaluable.  I don’t get alone time very often, so I sure did appreciate that.

Now that I’m home I will put some distance between me and this experience and let God use it for His glory somehow.  Only He knows what beauty He can make from my unhappy weekend.

There were some good things from my weekend: I got to see my favorite sister-in-law and her family for a few minutes; on Sunday I spent time with some women that I am getting to know and growing to love; dinner at In & Out was a new, yummy experience; driving….I like driving so that was awesome; texting with my boys which was so cute!; coming home to a loving family.

Here are some questions I am wondering about you:

1. Would you go to a conference alone?
Honestly, I don’t think I would ever do it again even though I really like alone time.
2. Have you ever had an experience similar to mine last weekend?
I’d love to hear your story if you want to share.
3. What do you do when you are feeling like crying from rejection?
I called a friend.  She cried with me and prayed with me and helped me remember that I am worth knowing.

I also want to say thank you so much for being the kind of people that encourage one another.  I adore you all!

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6 Insights on Being an Older Woman

by Lisa on February 18, 2013

Over the weekend there was some talk on Facebook about the verses in Titus on older women teaching the younger women.  I think of these verses so often when I need advice or when I meet a young mom who is struggling.

It’s interesting to find myself on the older side now.  I don’t feel older.  Unless I’m trying to get out of the car after riding for a couple of hours.  Then I feel really old.

Titus 2:3-5 “Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children,to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.”

I thought I’d share a bit of my perspective from the past few years of being an older woman.

1. It’s not as easy as it looks.

I always assumed that when I was this age (48) I would feel wise and secure and not have immature problems.  Guess what…..NOT TRUE!  I have found that while I am definitely not as insecure as I was in my 20′s, I do still have threads of insecurity hit me occasionally.  I don’t have all the answers, in fact I have less than I thought I had 25 years ago.  Half the time I’m a hot mess just like you.

 

2. I’m still a kid at heart.

Being older hasn’t stopped me from bursting into song at the grocery store or trying to sneak past an “Employees Only” sign to see what’s behind the door.  I still want to push all of the buttons in the elevator and eat the biggest piece of cake.  The urges haven’t changed.  In fact, I am slightly more daring because life has taught me that nothing bad is really going to happen if you try.

But it’s been years since I actually pushed an elevator button.  I let my kids do it.  Because I love them.

3. You have to develop a thick skin.

Guess what.  When you have wisdom not everyone wants to hear it.  Yes, it’s true.  That mother in Walmart that is screaming at her kid isn’t interested in my godly advice.  She seems to think I’m meddling and maybe even gives me an earful of words I have never heard before but I’m fairly sure they’re bad.

Be prepared to be insulted, accused of being a know-it-all, even attacked.  It has happened to me more times than I like to think about (in real life and on the blog).  But then I realize that having wisdom means I need to use all that wise advice for myself and know when to be quiet and just love someone anyway.  If we can’t respond in a godly way then how can we teach younger women how to do it?

4. The baby years are gone….like….in my soul.

I never, ever, ever thought this would happen.  I was constantly pregnant, nursing, diapering for 20 years of my life.  During that time it seemed so never ending.  I’d talk on the phone with friends about babies, I could have pregnancy discussions all day long, I always knew the hottest new thing in cloth diapering.  Then all of a sudden, with no warning or effort, I stopped having babies.  It was just over.  And now that my youngest is 5, it feels completely behind me.  And you know what, I don’t feel sad about it.  I thought I would, I really did.  But I feel contentment and peace.  The awesome thing about allowing God to control our family size is that I know it’s His will for me.  And I trust Him.

I do look forward to grandchildren.  I know it will be wonderful.  But it will be different.  My own baby days are gone and I feel a deep peace about it.

5. Wrinkles don’t matter.

Yes, I said it.  Gray hair, wrinkles and saggy body parts don’t matter one bit when it comes to wisdom.  The fact that our society undervalues age is so backwards from what God’s Word says….it’s the lines of time that prove our beauty, not detract from it!  It is a mistake to ignore an older woman’s wisdom based on her looks.  Perhaps she has learned something you haven’t.  She may have discovered that the fountain of youth is in embracing your body’s imperfections.

6. The wisdom comes from God.

You can have wisdom at any age because true wisdom only comes from God.  No matter how old you are, if you’re out there spreading wisdom that isn’t from Him, you’re leaving a mess behind you.  The thing that qualifies older women to teach younger women is our experience.  Knowing what it is actually like to love the same man for 25+ years, raise a child to adulthood, live through financial crisis and come through to the other side….these things give older women a level of maturity that you simply can’t have when you’re young.  There’s nothing wrong with you; you’re smart; you’re amazing; you will likely be more wise than me when you’re my age…in fact I’m sure of it.

My advice to those of you that are still young, let the Word of God be honored by listening to what the older women around you have to say.  Don’t be defensive.  You don’t have to follow the advice, of course!  We’re not always right.  But be polite, listen, smile, tell your children you are grateful for the older women that share their wisdom with you.  Be respectful.

Never forget that someday you will be the older woman.  Seek experiences that will help you give good council.  Work on yourself and build a core of strength in Christ.  It is very, very difficult.  But you will be all the wiser for it.

(If you’re one of my many readers that are over 50 and laughing at me thinking I’m an older woman, I’m laughing right along with you!  Girl, I KNOW I have a long way to go!  Just keep bringing me the wisdom….I need it!)

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Some Cool Weather and a Spanx Incident…Just a Normal Weekend

by Lisa on October 29, 2012

It was a wonderful weekend.  We were all together, the weather was crisp and cool, everyone was healthy….as close to perfection as I can think of.

Friday night James and I went out to our favorite local seafood restaurant.  We eat there about once a month and enjoy some awesome fried shrimp.  It’s a family owned place….very friendly.  We had a great time, well except for the bus boy spilling an entire glass of ice water on me.  As we were leaving we both went to the restroom then were going to meet at the car.  I came out first and walked through the restaurant, out the door and down the loooong handicap ramp and toward the car.  James came out and as he came up behind me he was kind of shouting, “Lisa!  your…your….it’s…your…” in a kind of a panic sounding voice.

“It’s…..stuck…..I don’t know….your….”

I realized he was trying to tell me something…..stuck?  What is it honey?  Can’t get it out?  Want to play charades and see if I can guess?

He kept rushing toward me trying to get the words out when I noticed he said the word “stuck” a lot.  Then it occurred to me, maybe I had something stuck somewhere.  I’m smart like that.

I felt around and discovered that my skirt was stuck all the way up in my Spanx.  My right back side had been exposed to the world and he froze in an effort to warn me.  We’re the perfect pair.

I pulled my skirt out and spread it down, laughing so hard I could hardly breathe.  Oh the happy patrons in the local, family owned seafood restaurant.  They got to see a side of me that I usually only show to the customers in the parking lot at Bed, Bath & Beyond.

Saturday morning the girls and I started cleaning out the shop.  We needed better organization and a spot for Christmas products.  So we unloaded the whole place and only put back what we use regularly.   At one point in the process I reached the moment where I wondered if we could finish.  The mess overwhelms me and I want to just throw it all out on the curb.

It took 2 days, but we are down to a small pile of fabrics to go through and a couple of laundry baskets full of junk in my bedroom for me to decide what to do with.

We hung shelves all along the walls, finally giving over to the reality that it isn’t a guest house anymore.  I really wanted to keep it for company, but it wasn’t working.  Now it looks like a real workshop….just in time for the holiday rush.

Sunday morning I met my aunt and uncle for breakfast.  As I drove through the Texas countryside with my windows rolled down, I was so grateful to live in such a beautiful, friendly place.  I took a few pictures to show the peacefulness of the morning.  All of this was within a few miles of my home.

Looking ahead to the week it will be more of the same, Lord willing.  Nice weather, friendly people and maybe, if we’re lucky, a few skirt-in-the-spanx kind of moments.

Have a great week!

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If You’re Looking for a Good Campfire Story….This Isn’t It

by Lisa on October 22, 2012

My weekend went exactly as I planned.  I moved smoothly from bed, to sofa, to recliner, back to bed.  No sudden movements, no swift turns.  I think the lack of activity helped me recover from the last week of travel and my mysterious ankle injury.  Both are better…I’m up and running this morning.

On Saturday I did have to roll out of my recliner to fill a few Shop 24 orders and hang with the kids.  But don’t worry, I didn’t exert too much energy.

Also, I needed the rest during the day because I wasn’t sleeping well at night.  James was out of town and I never sleep well when he’s gone.  I fall asleep after midnight and every teensy noise wakes me up and I can’t go back to sleep.  I’m on edge…feeling the pressure of making sure everyone stays safe in the night.

One night I had just drifted off, around 12:30AM, when I heard a thump.  I bolted up in bed and sat there as quietly as I could, not daring to breathe.  Five minutes….nothing, five more…..silence.  I laid back down and tried to will myself back to sleep, but it was hopeless.  I got up, tiptoed around the house checking the doors for the 8th time, looked in on all of the kids sleeping so soundly in their beds, crept back under the covers wishing James were home.

I realize that wasn’t much of a story.  But if given the opportunity to tell it around a campfire I could make it creepy, drawing out every bump and thump until children were on the edge of their log with anticipation of the dramatic climax.  Then…..bam!  Nothing.  I fell asleep at 3AM and slept the rest of the night.  The end.

This week we’re glad to be all together again….one BIG happy family.  If I have anything to say about it no one will leave the house again for 27 days and we’ll all snuggle on the couch every night watching old movies and giggling.  I want all my peeps around me.

It won’t work, will it?  I’ll have to get groceries and let the kids have their own lives.  I hate that.

What are you doing this week?

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Getting to Know You

by Lisa on October 5, 2012

I’ll be leaving for Influence in 5 days and I’m starting to panic.  I woke up in a sweat last night after dreaming that I forgot to take my products for the market.  GULP!

In order to get to know one another, the influence girls are having a “Getting to Know You” party.  I thought it would be fun to do and even more fun if you all will answer the questions too.  So here are the five questions.  I’d LOVE to know your answers in the comments!

1. What’s the most played song on your ipod?

For me that would be Blessings by Laura Story.  But a close second is Mayberry by Rascall Flatts.  I’m a complicated person.

2. If you could work on only one project for the next year what would it be?

OK, this would be REALLY hard for me.  I’m a project-lovin’-girl.  If I could only have one for a year it would have to be something BIG….like adding on a laundry room.  And if I had a whole year that thing would have all kinds of extras like crown molding and chandeliers made of burlap.

3. What story does your family always tell about you?

Again, this would be a toss up.  I think they would just tell general stories about the situations I get myself into….like the time my skirt fell off in the Bed. Bath & Beyond parking lot or my foot got stuck in a boot at Target.

4. The best part of waking up is __________.

♫ Folger’s in your cup ♪

Sorry, I couldn’t resist.  OK, I actually don’t drink coffee.  Nope, it’s true.  I’ve never even tasted it.  For me the best part of waking up is knowing I have a whole, new day from God and I get to fill it for His glory.  That’s my very first thought every day.

5. What is your favorite time of day, week, month, year?

I like all times of day.  I like all days of the week.  But I definitely LOVE the fall best….probably November is my favorite month.  I love the crisp weather and the holiday mood that is starting.

OK, it’s YOUR turn!  Answer one, some or all in the comments!  I want to know more about you!

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Six Degrees of Thursday

by Lisa on September 27, 2012

It’s Thursday.  That’s all I can think to say.  My brain has gone to mush from writing all day yesterday and I feel like a 48 year old jelly fish.  Which is odd because I think I’m only 47.  For some reason I can never remember anymore.  Maybe I’m actually 57, who really knows?!

As I’ve aged its gotten harder and harder to spend an entire day working hard.  I get distracted.  And tired.  Yesterday I worked on my “31 Everyday Ways to Connect with Your Child” series.  I think you’re going to really enjoy it.  And it starts on Monday!  Can you believe Monday is October?  Really, how did that happen?  I still think it’s 2009.  I’m stuck there in a time warp.

It’s like those old Star Trek shows where they go round and round in a space time continuum.  That’s right.  I said it.  My knowledge of the word continuum and that I knew how to spell it is a gift….or a curse.  Depending on who you ask.  I also know the word gammaquadrant.  And warp speed.

Which is the opposite of the speed I’ve been going all week.  I’ll poke and work, then procrastinate and then work some more.  I had some Sonic ice yesterday which helped a little.  But I just couldn’t seem to get my gears turning until around 4:00 in the afternoon.  So I worked for the rest of the evening then got wrapped up in a late night conversation on Facebook.

Which reminds me to remind you to come back on Saturday to link up your Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+ accounts!  You can link one, some or all…it’s up to you!  We’ll be having a little social gathering of the funnest kind and you don’t want to miss it!  All the best people will be there.

That’s Saturday.  Today is Thursday.  And we’ve come full circle.

Don’t tell me I can’t stick to one train of thought.

 

Being Alone Can Make You a Little Nuts

by Lisa on September 2, 2012

After my weekend in a hotel all by myself…just me, my computer and my brain trying to push out too much information…I feel a little ragged today.  Why is it so exhausting to literally do nothing but roll from the bed to the chair and sit there all day in front of the computer?  I only moved to refill my water glass and go to the bathroom…yet I feel so worn out that I need a vacation.

I’m happy to report that I got a LOT of work done.  It was a wonderful way to knock out a bunch of my book in one, long sitting.

I did have one little adventure while I was away.  It was small, but I feel the need to tell you about it since the lady I had the incident with didn’t seem the least bit affected by my rant.

I was running a few errands before I headed home when it happened.  It’s one of my pet peeves…people that aren’t handicapped parking in the handicap spaces.

A woman, probably in her 30′s, got out of her car from where she had parked in a handicap space, all peppy and bouncing across the parking lot.  Now, I know that sometimes you can’t tell when a person has a disability, so I called out to her, “Excuse me, but I’m wondering why you are parked in the handicap space when you are clearly well and able.”

She told me that she can park there because she has a handicap permit hanging on her rearview mirror.

“Is it for you?” I asked.

“No, this is my grandmother’s car, but I’m running errands for her,” and she walked past me into the store.  So, of course, I followed her.  I know I shouldn’t.  I know.  You don’t have to tell me.

“Is your grandmother even with you?” I said as I walked behind her.

She kept walking while she told me that it is none of my business.

I followed her around for a while saying things like, “I don’t think you understand the point of the handicap parking spaces.  They are for people that can’t easily walk from their car to the store, NOT for people that are picking up things for their disabled grandmother.”

“Leave me alone, lady” was basically her reply (I can’t repeat what she actually said).

I may have lost contact with reality while I was locked away in the hotel room because I actually believed that she might go move her car.  As I was leaving I spotted a security guy so I went and told him, but he didn’t seem to care.  Where is Sheriff Taylor when you need him?

She came out of the store right then and I pointed her out to the disinterested security officer.  When she saw me she shouted, “You’re crazy lady!”

“Yes!” I shouted back, “Crazy about showing concern for people that have real needs!”

(Good one, Lisa.  You should write snappy comebacks for a living.)

I knew it was time to go home.  My rant about the parking space was a clear sign that I shouldn’t be out in public for the rest of the day.

Thankfully, the family seemed to have an uneventful weekend here at home.  I didn’t detect that there had been any big emergencies or mishaps.  Everything was clean and the kids were just humming along when I walked in the door.  They were kind of scattered about…some in the kitchen making dinner, Jacob and Levi hanging out in the living room, 3 boys in the backyard having water gun wars and one kid was in the pool.  Just a simple day here at the Point.

It’s good to be back with my people and headed into a busy week. And I promise not to follow any more strangers around ranting about their poor parking choices.

Y’all have a good one!

 

25 Random Things

by Lisa on August 10, 2012

I love it when my friend Shaunna posts her 25 things lists.  It is so fun to hear random things about my friends that I would never know otherwise.  So now it’s my turn.

25 things:

1. I wear old t-shirts and pajama pants (usually from Target) to bed every night.

2. I make no effort to match any of it. I just grab a T from the t-shirt shelf and pants from the pajama pants shelf.

3. Yes, I have a pajama pants shelf in my closet.  Is that weird?

4. I also have a painting clothes shelf.

5. When I was at Becky’s I was worried about what to wear for painting because my paint clothes are awful and horribly unflattering and I would normally NEVER wear them in front of ANYONE!

6. But then I decided to trust Becky and just look awful and believe that she wouldn’t judge me harshly.

7. And she didn’t….she was AWESOME.  She didn’t even notice, or she pretended not to notice.  Either way it was no big deal.

8. It took me years to finally find friends that would accept me the way I am and not try to change me.

9.  I am grateful every day for those women in my life.

10. But don’t get me wrong, they still make fun of me and tell me when my hair looks terrible…..which I appreciate.

11. My hair is a whole other subject.  It’s developed this weird, wiry curly wavy look that I find difficult to manage.

12. So when I go out in public I straighten it, but it’s a pain.

13. While I was at Becky’s I did straighten my hair.  I couldn’t expect her to ignore my horrible paint clothes AND my crazy hair.

14. My new obsession is Instagram.  It’s like Twitter but with pictures.

15. I never imagined I would take so many pictures of what I’m eating, pieces of paper and Sonic cups.

16. Sonic.  Ahhh….my summer refuge.

17. Since I’m off sodas, I’m drinking their unsweet tea and I add a little bit of stevia.

18. I always order an extra cup of ice.  It’s really the ice I’m after.

19. James will be gone next week so I am wondering who is going to deliver my Sonic ice to me when I’m working outside.

20. You say spoiled, I say loved.  Potato-potahto.

21. I spoil him too….like he never cooks or cleans.  It works just fine for us.

22. I’ll miss him when he’s gone.  And not just for the Sonic ice.  He also takes my packages to the post office.

23.  OK, I’ll miss him lots just because he’s wonderful.

24. And understanding.

25. And thank God for that because I require a LOT of understanding.

If you have a list of 25 things, leave a link in the comments.  It’s such a joy to get to know you better!

Have a wonderful weekend!

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Movies, Money and Marriage.

by Lisa on August 8, 2012

I’ve spent the past 2 days trying to get things done, but I keep drifting to my recliner.  Yesterday after filling a few orders and doing some school with the kids I found myself accidentally watching the entire movie “Titanic.”  I’m not sure how it happened.  I don’t usually watch a movie in the middle of the day.  At one point James walked into the room with a paper in his hand and I shouted, “Don’t talk to me!  This is the best part!”

He backed away slowly.  It’s nice to have a husband who understands my deep need to be in the moment when Rose pulls Jack Dawson’s frozen hand from hers and goes for the whistle.

You just can’t stop right there and have a conversation about money.  It’s practically cruel.

We have a lot of talks about money.  What was the $17.51 for that I spent at Target?  What did I buy on Amazon for $10.95?  Where’s the rest of the $100 he gave me yesterday?  Stuff like that.

It’s always him wanting to know what I spent and what column he should put it in.  Sometime being married to an accountant that balances our finances every.single.day can get tiring.  But then I remember that if it were left to me we wouldn’t know where any of our money was or where it went.  When it came time to pay a bill I’d just be like, “Oh, I don’t know where the money is, sorry.”

Then I realize how blessed I am and I just answer his questions.  Hopefully in my efforts to remember where/why I spent the money he will also realize how blessed he is to have a wife that, despite her natural tendency to be carefree, tries to make a small effort to keep the receipts.

Emphasis on the word small.

On our drive to Houston last weekend he pulled a Sonic receipt out of the trash in the van and said, “Why did you throw this receipt away?  I told you we need to keep all of the receipts from the trip.”  I looked puzzled, “That’s not a receipt,” I said, “That’s just the thing they stick to the side of the cup.”  He rolled his eyes as if to communicate that his life is sooo difficult and how does he manage with such an airhead wife.  Then I rolled my eyes to reply, if your life is so hard then how is it that you haven’t done laundry since 1987?

After 26 years this is how we show our love….by not actually saying what we are thinking and just moving on.  It’s all good.

Today I am heading to the big city to run a few errands, like I do almost every Wednesday.  I’ll be buying groceries, burlap and other basic things we need around here.  And yes, I will keep the receipts.  I can’t promise they will ever get into James’ hands, but I will keep them somewhere.

Have a great day!

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