I am Woman, hear me .....

I'd like to say ROAR but it was more like WHINE. I had a bad day at work. I think it has something to do with having been sick for the past two weeks, taking massive doses of steroids in the hopes that I get well and being under the gun for too many projects at work. But, whatever the reason, I just kind of lost it. I hate when I do that. Not only does it make me look weak in the workplace but it makes me look weak in my faith. I want to live like Jesus every day and I think I failed miserably today. Sheesh. I can only do what He gives me strength to do and today I don't think I even asked Him for strength. I stewed about having to work. I griped about all the deadlines facing me. I took it out on another co-worker. I even did the dreaded-I cried. You know that "you've made me so mad and so out of control that now I will cry like a girl"!

I will go back to work tomorrow to face the same situation. I want to go back, however, with determination and focus and perseverance. I want to do my job as "unto the Lord". I want to remember that I am fortunate to have such a wonderful job so close to my home. I am going to start the day by going to the throne to ask for strength to do my best.

It's okay to be an outspoken woman. Tomorrow I want my life to be outspoken about Him.

Sisters, Sisters, there were never such devoted sisters.......

One of my favorite movies is White Christmas. I love the Haynes Sisters and their stage act.


I love their song about being devoted sisters. Well, they don't have anything on these girls in the devotion area:

While at NG7 we talked about how many times people express shock that the four of us get along so well and don't fuss and argue. Folks, I don't understand why other people waste time on pettiness and bitterness. Life is a gift and sisters are a bonus on top of that. If you have siblings don't let "stuff" keep you apart.

This year we went to the Tulsa area for NG7. Rhonda's son, Josh, and his wife, April, graciously extended an invitation for us to stay in their home. They stayed someplace else and let us take over their home.















The first thing we did when we got together was, of course, EAT! We went to Scot's Burgers in downtown Bixby. Delicious. I love places that aren't part of a chain.














Then, it was back to Casa de Tomas and time to open the sister gifts. My gift to them was a custom necklace from Harley and Maudes. The large charm says "Here's to good women" on one side and on the other "May we know them, May we raise them, May we be them." The small charm says "Always" and "Remember" and is for our Mother and our youngest sister who have both passed away. There are four jewels representing our birthstones.













Nora gave each of us a beautiful wallet/clutch purse.













Debe gave us each a ring with our birthstone. The neat thing about these rings is that the stones were taken from our mother's "Mother Ring"! Isn't that cool?













Rhonda gave us a delicate necklace with an engraving that says "A sister is a forever friend."












We have such a good time together. And, so much of that time is just sitting around talking and laughing. I can't imagine a better way to spend three and a half days. We shopped, we ate, we napped, we ate, we talked, we cried, we laughed. It was great.

On Friday nights we share about what we did to honor Mother's memory on the anniversary of her death. The acts of kindness we shared ranged from giving money to a ministry to providing new games and toys for a children's home. All of the acts are done as Nettie's girls and represent our effort to honor Mother's generous spirit.

Saturday night is the time we set aside for spiritual reflection. This year was Nora's turn to bring a devotion and challenge to us. She talked to us about our roots-faith, family and fun. It was sweet, thought provoking (Nora's research on roots was so right one) and even funny. I loved the clothesline stories: "rotten to the core"! And the surprise ending was great! I would share but it just wouldn't mean anything to anyone but the four of us. And that is what is so special about NG-it is for US. We also choose a cause or project each year and give towards that as a group. This year we chose to help a lovely young lady in her fight against cancer with just a small financial token.

Sunday morning always finds us beginning to get a little sad. We know it is coming to an end for another year and we just hate to see it happen. We try to stay light and happy but goodbyes are just difficult. Sure, we will all be together at Thanksgiving with our families but it is different from NG. One other thing we do on Sunday mornings is decide where we are going next year. Here's to NG8 in San Antonio, Texas. We are even adding another day this time. And, we are already counting down the days: 357 to be exact!

A Bad Day at the Fresno Bible House

Our circumstances sure have a way of trying to dictate our outlook. That has been so evident to me in the last couple of days as we deal with a potentially serious financial setback. As I started out to work Saturday morning, I was dwelling on this situation. Yes, dwelling. I know that doesn't seem very spiritual of me but it is honest. And, I really do think being real is better than being spiritual.

Back to my trek to work-since Katie wasn't in the car with me, I thought I would take a break from listening to Justin Bieber. (Because trust me, once you hear Eeny Meeny Miny Mo Lover, you will NEVER get those lyrics out of your head!) I switched over to the only CD I have in the car-Mandissa. She started belting out these words:

"Been a hard one, Been a bad one
Been a tough one, Been a sad one
It's been just one of those days
That keeps chipping away at my heart
Nothin' new here,It's what I do here
It's a stereotypical day in the life
I'm surrounded by all of the pain and the strife
But I know it's alright

'Cause it's only the world I'm living in
It's only today I've been given
There ain't no way I'm giving in
'Cause it's only the world
I know the best is still yet to come
'Cause even when my days in the world are done
There's gonna be so much more than only the world for me"

That song started me re-focusing on how temporal our problems and circumstances are. And that led me back to a memory from the day I worked in the audio visual department (this was in the era of the giant 16mm films; hey, I'm old!) of the Fresno Bible House. My co-worker, Debbie, and I were having a rough day. Nothing had gone as planned, pastors hadn't shipped movies back so we could ship them someplace else, movies were returned damaged beyond repair, we were in the middle of a meltdown. You would think that working in a place surrounded by Christians and Christian books and gifts and music and all would make dealing with a bad day easier. Not that day.

A pastor called to check on the delivery of his film. We had never met him but knew him well as he was a regular customer. Evidently, through my co-workers' tone, he was able to surmise that we were having a bad day. He told her to put him on speaker phone so he could talk to both of us. And this is what we heard,

"We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

We were moved by those words and by his concern for us. This pastor who didn't even know what we looked like, had never met us took the time to minister to our weary hearts. It totally changed our day. Or, actually, it changed our OUTLOOK about our day! And that's what we can do every day. The day has been given to me. It is up to me to decide how I am going to receive it.

How's That Working For You?

Well, it's already spring. At least, that is what my calendar says. The snow last weekend makes it a little hard to grasp but I know there is life underneath all this wet ground.

So, I am evaluating how 2010 is going so far. I remember that I purposely did not make any grand statements about exercising more or eating less or spending less or blah, blah, blah. I just didn't want to set myself up for defeat and discouragement because my heart just wasn't in it.

However, I did make a sorta-kinda resolution as a comment on someone else's Facebook wall. I meant it. I had good intentions. It wasn't an empty statement.

I even ordered books to read to start me on my journey:

I sincerely want to make a difference. I want to live compassionately. I want to reach out. I want to lift people up.

But I find myself thinking, sometimes, that I can't do anything. I live in rural America. This is small town USA. Where am I going to meet the poor and destitute and desperate and needy?

I need to take a walk.

Influence

I have been thinking a lot the past few weeks about people, specifically women, who have influenced my life. Let me preface this by saying that the women who have had the greatest impact on my life are my mother, sisters and daughers. So, I am excluding them from this post altogether. It is just understood by all who know me that those women top my list.

Where do we go from there? Simple. I know exactly who to list as one of the first women, outside my family, who made a difference in my life. I met her in junior high in Fresno, CA. Her name is Judy.

I had attended church all of my life. I was a Christian. I knew what being a Christian was all about. Or, so I thought. Judy opened my eyes to what living as a Christian really meant. She was passionate about God and about learning about Him. She wanted to know His word. She wanted to show Him to other people. Being a Christian wasn't just something she did because she went to church and was raised by Christian parents. It was the way she lived her life. I was mesmerized by how simple it was for her to talk about God. I wanted that. We shared so many things, especially a love for writing. We encouraged one another, listened to one another and, most importantly, believed in one another. What a sweet, sweet friend. We have reconnected through Facebook and just looking at her smile warms my soul.

I married young-17 years old. I didn't have a clue what being a young married woman, a wife was all about. The Lord knew that I would need friends who could support me in this new role. One of those He blessed me with was Melba.

Her husband and her served in a ministry position in the church we attended. How wonderful it was to have a young couple who we could spend time with, talk to and laugh with. Melba has been that friend who kept me honest with myself. She never let me pretend. She had a way, and still does, of getting me to be real. We have laughed many times over our naive air of superiority regarding parenting, BEFORE we had children! We shared a love for music and singing and yes, church work.

I ventured into the realm of women's ministry and God knew I needed a compadre, a buddy. He sent Sheryl to me.

With Sheryl and I, it has always been easy. If one started the thought, the other one finished it. If one had the idea, the other one knew how to bring it to life. If one needed a kick in the seat, the other one was right there, foot lifted. We collaborated on more themes than a Walt Disney park designer, worked against more deadlines than a newspaper editor and stayed up late into the night working on more projects than Martha Stewarts' minions. If you needed a retreat, we were the pair to call.

Interestingly, the next person had a lot to do with the passion that Sheryl and I shared for all things organized, coordinated and themed. That would be June-

We have just recently said good bye to June. What a powerhouse of a woman! She had a gift for bringing out the very best in you. She saw what you couldn't see yourself. She nurtured whatever strength you had and helped it to blossom into full bloom. She taught. She modeled. She led. She loved. She protected. She was a spiritual mother to me. I loved her dearly. I rejoice that she is visiting with my mother in heaven.

There is another woman who has made an eternal, everlasting impression on me. The most significant impact she has made on my life is your intense and loyal friendship. Meet Terry-

She is quite possibly the most Godly, righteous, loving, kind person I know. Ask most any young girl in our church who they want to be like and they will say, "Terry Black". She has left an indelible imprint on so many young people, Heaven will be full of people she has taught and prayed for and nurtured and loved and encouraged and so generously helped along the way. She befriended me one summer as we sat on rickety bleachers watching our two beautifully unique sons play baseball. We had a kinship that is only shared by mothers of boys who see the world just a little differently than everyone else. She has held me up when I could not hold up my head. She has loved my children with a measure that amazes me. She has loved me and my family with an absolutely God-infused love. I feel blessed beyond measure to call her my friend.

There are so many others who have touched my life along the way. Women like Ma Richter, Cora Bruce, Grandma and Opal Wilson, Irene Carpenter, Altha Keifer, Mae Wood, Marguerite Kern, Terri Kern....and the list just goes on.

And, a whole new generation of young women is influencing my life and making me want to be a better person...Lindsay, Loretta, Diana, Monica, Whitney, Becky, Emily, Cari, Sara, Amber and many more.

Who has God placed in your life, past or present, that has influenced you. Who is He placing in front of YOU to influence. Leave a mark.

Nurse

Nurse Blair.........has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? That's my daughter. Nurse Blair. I am so proud of her. She worked hard and now she has accomplished Phase I of her dream to work in pediatric oncology. She has more work to do but I know she will do it. She battled some hard things to get where she is. She faced some things that I never had to face. But, she is an overcomer and was determined to succeed.

I just thought you should meet her.

25 Days

It is only 25 more days until NG7. (You know, my annual get together with my sisters-Nettie's Girls) As can be expected, I am always excited beyond words. And this year is no different.

That's a lie. Well, not a lie really. Maybe just a misstatement. (Is that a word?) This year IS different. I am looking forward to this NG in a way that I haven't before now. It seems that most years we have been coming together after facing some life-altering experience since the last one-the death of our mother, Nettie; the death of our father; the first flood at my house; the death of our baby sister. Add in births of grandbabies, ups and downs in jobs and any number of other things and you have four women who need some down time, some rest and relaxation.

But, this year I am anxious for NG because I feel like it is my life preserver, the knot at the end of the rope, my last hope, the light at the end of the tunnel. I need NG more right now than ever. It is a phenomenon unlike any other that, as soon as the four of us are together, life and all of it's insanity will fade into the background. The pure joy that we experience when we are together is indescribable. And, it makes me feel just a little sad for any of you out there that don't enjoy this with your family.

So, twenty five days from now, that sound you hear, that collective sigh of four fabulous women, will mark the beginning of NG7. And, four days later we will part, sadly, but stronger-recharged for one more year.

I cannot wait!