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Easter in the 60’s

  • Posted on April 4, 2015 at 11:01 am

IMG_1161 Back in the 60’s we celebrated Easter Sunday. During the year we didn’t often get new clothes or fancy things but Easter was different. Different because for goodness sakes we were celebrating the most important thing in human history and we were going to dress up in honor. For our family we knew that Jesus Christ died but that his coming back to life made him THE Messiah, the long awaited Savior, the only one that could give eternal life to those of us who accepted his payment on that cross for our sins. He made it possible to be born into God’s family, not just born into the human race. SOOOO… we dressed up, new matching dresses, little parasol purses, black or white patent shoes and even lacy gloves, and Mama wore a hat.

We wanted to look our best, to take time to honor Him.

My Mama knew how to make new dresses and new dresses we would have, beautiful, girly, with full fluffy petticoats’ (those we wore to pretend we were ballerinas as we danced around the living room, that room you used only for special occasions)IMG_1162 Anyway…one year my mom was working diligently at her friends house (who we always referred to as an Aunt, but she wasn’t) on those matching Easter Sunday dresses for her 3 little girls, me being the oldest, (a brother and another sister not yet born). SO while she was sewing away inside we were playing in the front yard and I remember hopping from one concrete cinder block to another. It was fun, a little game. What’s that saying, “it’s always fun ‘til someone gets hurt”? If you had seen me at prom, in the flag corps or maybe gym class you would know that I was never all that “coordinated”. I’ve heard it’s because I never really crawled just walked at 8 months old, who knows, maybe I should start crawling around my house, but nevertheless, I was always rather klutzy.

Yes, as I happily awaited my matching spring attire, I hopped joyfully up and down the driveway, from one block onto another until I slipped. Then the corner of my eye caught that next block ahead of me and I was wounded. But not as wounded as I was the next morning all decked out in my new Easter dress, matching my younger sisters, with my lovely black eye.

When I look back at it now, I realize we usually look at how things “look” on the outside, but God looks at the heart. I have all sorts of stuff in my life that may shine like a black eye, but God knows my heart, he knows if I am honoring Him for dying for me and if I have accepted what He did – not all the good things I do.

IMG_1163The way I see it … for some people Easter IMG_1159is only “happy spring”, bunnies, flowers, baskets, chicks, and eggs, but for others of us, it is a time to celebrate the new life, that eternal gift, we have because of God’s only Son,

the risen,

Jesus! 

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Celebrate

  • Posted on March 15, 2015 at 9:17 am

Celebrate you, hang a banner, buy balloons, stream the streamers, eat cake too.

I passed frequently thru the room, listening from the kitchen while my high schooler was watching science DVD’s on anatomy. The instructor time and time again pointing out the meticulous details that makes up the human body. All sorts of details that we may never know and certainly take for granted.

We are designed. It is crazy if you let yourself think about it. You may have designed a quilt or a house, maybe you came up with a great design for your craft room or your garden, you might have designed clothes, shoes, cars or a website but can you imagine designing a human body? Inside and out?

So celebrate I do say, it’s your birthday! Pause, reflect and let others join in! Don’t shy away from attention drawn to you. Celebrate!

I always liked to “get gifts” and have a homemade cake when I was a kid. I couldn’t have been too old maybe 7 or 8 when I asked an aunt over the phone what she was getting me for my birthday. My mother later explaining we don’t ask that, you know…obligate people. But I was excited, and do you know to this day I still remember what she brought me, an after bath powder mitt. I doubt they still make them but it was wonderful and while I’m sure I’ve forgotten most gifts received over the many years, I’ve never forgotten that one. (And by the way I truly never mean to obligate, I just get caught up in excitement about lots of things)

Not this year, but not long ago, on her own birthday a sweet woman decorated her place with inexpensive birthday selections found at the dollar store. She set up pretty empty gift bags, wore a party hat, waited for her husband (who loves her well) to come home, and when he did she blew one of those silly little paper party horns. What a surprise for him when she greeted him at the door. Happy Birthday to her, they laughed loud, took photos and celebrated.

I was amazed when I heard about this and was privileged to see a photo or two.
I thought about the confidence involved. The confidence that her birthday mattered and that she were worthy of a party. The confidence that her husband would share in her excitement and that gift bags would be filled. She recognized her value and saw her birthday as a treasure and knew he saw her as one worth celebrating too.

Maybe you, like me, at first hearing, think it bold to celebrate yourself like that and over confident. You might wait around and hope someone remembers or hope everyone forgets because the attention is too much to bear. Or maybe you take a cupcake to the office or bagels on “your day”.

Do you celebrate? Do you celebrate being a unique, one of kind, custom design?

Do you stop to think about your value to the designer, the big deal you really are?

You know you are “fearfully and wonderfully made” you were made with a purpose and a plan in mind. No accident, no random act of particles, no mistake, a design by the master designer of all times.

Do you have the confidence that He loves you and wants to fill your “empty” with good gifts? Do you recognize, with confidence, that He is overjoyed, about you, dancing and singing over you?

Pause a moment, start to think about this; maybe you’ll need to change the way you think….

Whether alone at your place or in a crowd, this year it’s time to start celebrating the design and the designer! Happy Day – of you designed!

The way I see it… you need to hang a banner and Celebrate YOU.

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Love Language

  • Posted on February 13, 2015 at 11:01 am

“Quit waiting to be loved in your stupid love language.”

Sometimes I write to myself as if I was being counseled. (You know, like you see in the movies)
I tell my current saga, the complaints, the whining and then I think back through what I know to be true and tell myself what to do.
Don’t roll your eyes and laugh at me, you do this every day in your own mind, you just might not write it down.
It goes something like this, “ Maybe I should do this but if I do that… then I can’t do this and I’ll have to do it alone because no one will be available and blah blah blah it goes around in your head.”

Sometimes for me it is easier to write it out. And so one time in the middle of my rambling, writing, complaint sessions with myself I said, “Quit waiting to be loved in your stupid love language”.

In thinking about Valentine’s Day and how some people “expect to get” chocolate candy in a heart shaped box (didn’t you always hope some kid in a grade higher would bring you a box, with the fancy lid, at school, in front of everyone). Some expect flowers from a florist with baby’ s breath and a fancy ribbon. Maybe a dinner out or a super romantic card. Some sort of something that makes them feel special, valued and worthy of love.

There are great books about “The Five Love Languages” by Gary Chapman. These are very insightful and definitely worth a read. As you read along you’ll begin to know yourself in a new light and hopefully those around you. You’ll see that you really feel most loved when someone spends time with you, touches you, gives you gifts, uses affirming words or does wonderful things for you. One of these five languages, the author unpacks for you, is your primary love language. The way one would express or receive love. So if you really like receiving gifts, you will feel especially loved or not by getting a gift on Valentine’s Day. Since you are so used to expressing love in your language you will just expect to get your love language returned . But reread that book or stop and think about it a minute, it is highly unlikely that you married or are dating someone with your love language. Even your siblings, children or best friend likely don’t have your love language. So what does this mean? You aren’t loved?

Maybe it means that love is a choice and in the same way we make a conscious decision to love well we can make a conscious decision to feel loved even when our expectations are not met.

Maybe you can tell yourself to let go of your unmet expectations and love yourself by loving others.(heard that somewhere before…)
Is it, in fact, love when you obligate someone to bring you candy, take you to dinner, etc. etc.
Yes, most certainly you should be able to communicate what you enjoy, if given the opportunity, but to “expect it”?
Have you been telling yourself the truth and making a big deal out of how you are and have been loved?!
Tell yourself the truth and then think about the other person’s love language. It could be they are loving you big time in their language.
Could you have been receiving love through touch, acts, time or words and didn’t even notice it as love?

Choose to truly love those around you by releasing them of your unmet Valentine needs, or “whatever time” needs (birthday,Christmas, anniversary, Mother’s day).

Choose yourself to love well in a language others can receive.

Perhaps it would be advisable to tell yourself to slow down and think about all the ways you have been loved, in the language in which that person you expect from, has loved you. You could write it down and you can even celebrate it.
HAPPY VALENTINE’S TO YOU!

Love is a choice, a choice God lets us make. A choice He made towards us.

If you are wondering about me, well I’m loved in many languages, and often even with flowers!

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