What's in a Name? - A Way to Be Jesus

As I plopped myself down in one of those big comfy armchairs at Starbucks during my trip home, I sat back into the chair briefly before I realized someone was speaking to me. I turned to see this gentleman surveying the store, he too lounging in a plush leather chair. He asked me what brought me to Starbucks this morning. I told him I was there to hang out with my daddy. He paused for a second and told me that I should enjoy my time with him. This man was adopted and never knew his father.

My dad walks over and introduces himself to my new friend, they had a brief conversation before dad sat down with me. 

After our hour long chat together, daddy stood up to leave, walked over to the man, called him by his first name and said it was nice to meet him. The man responsed inkind by recalling both of our names and proceeding to give us the genealogical history of each of them. (If only they could have gotten a glimpse of the stranger's face behind them as she overheard the history lesson given between these obvious strangers.)

But honestly by this point I was feeling a bit embarrassed. I had made no effort to remember this gentleman's name. I was there to hang out with my dad, but maybe God had us there for another reason. I had my eyes set only on my plans for the day, not His. And there is something about a name. When someone calls you by name, when they choose to remember who you are, they place value and importance on you as a unique individual. I think that's what God would want us to do.

Now of course remembering someone's name is not that only way we can do that, but it is an awfully good way to start.

What's in a name?

A connection. An open door. A way to be Jesus.

Thanks Daddy for continuing to teach me the important things in life, even as an adult and even when you don't mean to.

A Mini Makeover - My Garage Sale Giveaway

If you know me, you know how much I ADORE garage sales.

I'm pretty sure I have a problem because I go to bed on Friday nights like the next morning is Christmas. I wake up BEFORE the crack of dawn, so that I can get myself dressed and ready before R gets up. When she starts crying from her room, I throw on her clothes and she and I head out for our Saturday morning "adventures." 

My mother-in-law and sister-in-law come get me at 8am every Saturday morning we can make it out, but R and I head out the door by 7am. Our mini-adventures take us to Starbucks, the doughnut store, the gas station, McDonald's. Who knows where we'll end up each week, but that hour is our getaway time, just the two of us.

I'm NOT a morning person, so don't let this fool you. I just remember that some of my fondest memories as a kid were getting up on Saturday mornings and going to the doughnut shop and then the baseball card store and when I was a little older it was garage saling with my daddy and then Strawn's for breakfast. So while I would still sleep till 10am if I could (Ha! As if.), I don't (always) want to. I see the value in the time I choose to spend with my babies, making memories. Even if she won't remember our 7am Starbucks trips when she was two, I will. And we'll keep making new memories.

As for the sales themselves R doesn't go with us...yet. She doesn't quite have the patience for that. But I wake up every Saturday morning with the anticipation and excitement of what that day might bring and I have to say that the past few weeks I've gone out have been great!

We can go weeks without finding much of anything, but then there are those times when people are just giving things away.....which is where this story begins!

For years I have been searching for a big arching floor lamp for my living room. The kind you see on Pinterest in those very eclectic and vintage rooms, but even the used ones were too pricey for my shoestring budget. But a few weeks ago at a sale, I came across a diamond in the rough. I found  IT...THE LAMP. I asked the lady how much she wanted for it. She gave me a quick glance, laughed under her breath and said, "If you can haul this thing out of here, it's yours!"

Challenge Accepted!

But it was not easy. We were only parked a few houses down, but that short distance seemed like a mile. I came to understand why later....

Don't let this picture fool you. It may look gold but it was a very tarnished silver color and the base was peeling. I knew from the second I got it that it needed a makeover! There's nothing a good can (or 6) of gold spray paint can't fix. (If you're wondering, I used Krylon Short Cuts- gold leaf.)

And THIS is the reason the lamp was so heavy. The base is made of solid marble. I just thought carrying both of my children at one time was a lot. Nope! This was a beast, but I got it home and let Jeff do most of the carrying from there. The nice thing about the marble is that it's sturdy enough to withhold my 35 pound two year-old who likes to try and hang from it when she thinks no one is watching.

I don't have very much time these days for being crafty, but I got so excited about this project that it was completed within a couple of days.

Sorry these probably aren't the best pictures of it, but it's awesome and I love it! I knew exactly where I wanted to put it and it fits perfectly. It's might seem like a small thing to some people, but to me that lamp is a constant reminder that God cares about the seemingly small things in my life. Thanks God!

Will You Be My Friend?

A coincidental run-in, a brief conversation is all it takes and she knows that given the opportunity she could be good friends with this girl. She goes to shake her hand and asks if they could be friends. The response she receives while her hand is still outstretched- "One dollar thirty-seven cents is your change (as the money drops into her extended palm). Have a nice day."

Burn.

"We Need Friends"

If you look closely, you can see a white piece of paper taped to my back. And I bet you've already guessed what it says. Yep, that's right! "We Need Friends." While joining thousands of other youth for a national competition in Austin, TX, for some reason this seemed like the best way to make new friends. Instead of making friends like normal people, we decided that it was only fitting to walk up and down the streets of Austin wearing these signs. Austin likes to keep it weird, so perhaps we were just trying to fit it : ) Oh the things you do in the fearlessness of youth!

A little random? I know. But lately I've been having more "crazy" ideas. Crazy ideas like asking complete strangers to be my friend. Now in full disclosure, the above story is not real. It is just the plot line that runs through my mind every time I think about making such a request.

But seriously, have you ever met someone and almost immediately wanted to ask them,

"Will you please be my friend??"

Yes, I understand that could really be a little creepy to some people- especially to my more introverted friends. So don't worry, I have yet to act on that unction, but it is definitely there. When you meet these people, there is just something about them. In only a few minutes or seconds of meeting them, you step back and know that you would- 1.) Click with their personality and be great friends 2.) Grow and learn immensely from their perspective and life experiences 3.) You honestly just want to learn how to be as cool as they are.

I mean that would be flattering for someone to ask YOU, right???

No?? Still creepy huh? 

Oh, you think desperate?? Really? ...... Oh well.

Sometimes I think I'm crazy, but as I've thought through this a little more, I've come to understand why I would want to do this- because I am seeing these people as... people. The young woman who was my cashier at Walmart is a single mom, this is not her dream job but she does it with a smile and provides for her family. The barista at Starbucks is a college student working her way through school with dreams of being an actress. And the sweet ladies who work at my favorite neighborhood antique store are mothers, entrepreneurs and artists with talent and ingenuity to spare! There are so many amazing people I come in contact with every day and they all have a unique perspective and story to tell. I wish I could hear them all! I wish I could more fully understand the heart of every person I come in contact with on a daily basis. But how many times do we rush through our day unaware that the "everyday" people in our lives have more to them then just scanning purchases, fixing coffee or answering phone calls?

These people aren't just place holders set in motion to fulfill our every need, they are people - with stories, dreams, goals, pain, struggles and with a heart and a life that is valuable.

Too often my days get busy and I find myself "using people." I use them for their service and then discard them from my memory. The sad truth is that an hour later sometimes I wonder if I could even pick them out of a line-up. That realization hurts my heart. I understand that I will never be able to fully know everyone I come in contact with. But if I had to ask myself in one word to say why Jesus came to this earth to die, it would be - people. And if they are worthy of His blood, then they are worthy of my love and respect. 

So while some may be taken off gaurd by my forward request, it is because my heart desires to more thoroughly understand who they are and who God has made them to be. It's not to fill some desperate hole in my life. It's in hopes of enriching it. 

Most days I fail at consistently seeing people as God sees them, but it is the goal that is always before me. And hopefully I'll make a few new friends in the process! 

Three Traveling Girls

Home Sweet Home.

These words tug at my heart strings nowadays because for 18 years Louisiana was home. Now when I head to my parents house I don't even know what to say. I've lived in Oklahoma for going on a decade (which doesn't even seem possible!). I now have a home of my own, along with a husband and two little girls who call it home as well.  But I still love watching my girls run around the house where I grew up, feeding the horses off the back deck and making new memories in a place that already holds so many wonderful memories for me.

We spent as much time as we possibly could hanging out with my mom and dad or Dovie and DC, as the girls call them. We did lots of shopping and eating and made plenty of trips to the park. I also got to connect with some old friends, see my beautiful cousin off to her junior Homecoming and hang out with my best friend, Roxie. We had such a great visit and as much as we hated leaving, these three girls were awfully happy to get home to see daddy.

The ride home wasn't as bad as the last time. There was no blood involved this time. And while there was lots of screaming and plenty of tears (mine included....figuratively speaking), we made it back without major incident and in good time. 

Now to get everything put away and get back on a schedule.

Blame It On the Teeth

My usually low key and docile child has turned a corner. Not only does she stand up for herself more often these days, but she chatters nonstop and is ALWAYS on the go. And even though she's been cruising on furniture since she was 10 months old, she has no immediate desire to walk at almost 14 months.

This is her current mode of transportation- bear crawling- second only to being carried.

She has mastered the art of climbing. A talent she no doubtably learned from her older sister.

Look at those little toes! Her feet are still so tiny and I love it! She may be almost 14 months, but she's still in a 3-6 month shoe. 

The girls got a picnic table for their birthday and they just love it, but not for the reasons that I would hope. It has become a jungle gym. It has gotten more use as a toy than a table so far, but I guess at least it is getting put to good use!

This little girl is rarely so serious. But I love the color and vibrancy of this picture.

Yep! That's more like it- a little bit a sass and a lot of spunk.

My calm and relaxed child can now we can go from happy to snappy in no time flat.

And after almost 14 months of waiting, she is getting her first tooth! We were starting to wonder, especially because her big sister got her first tooth at 4 months. So the moodiness makes more sense. SO many things can be a result of teething. I remember it did a number on R (and it still is!). 

Poor Baby Girl. 

All of this makes me wonder though.....R was a fairly (how do I say this nicely) tempered baby?? Maybe she too could have been docile if her teeth had waited a little longer to come in?

Who am I kidding?

So we are reading lots of books and spending tons of time cuddling. She may now have more of a fire to her, but she's still my snuggly baby. Some things will never change. I'm just going to soak up the cuddles and say lots of prayers.

I will leave you with this awesome photo. I can only think of one thing every time I see it. But feel free to caption it, if you wish!

She must be saying-

"WHY GOD!? WHY!"