It's been fun for me to watch Barrett develop a sense of humor. He, at almost 2 1/2, "gets" it...he understands when you're kidding around or making jokes. For example: we spend lots of time looking for various favorite vehicles when we're out in the car...like fire trucks, garbage trucks, school buses, motorcycles, boats, etc. Whoever spots one MUST yell, "Fire truck!" or "Mailman!" or "a big bus!"
Recently, I asked him, "Are you a garbage boy?" And he immediately responded, "NOOOO! are you a garbage girl?" Then, turning to his grandfather, he said, "E-daddy a garbage man!" I said, "Well, then, what is grandmommy?" "A garbage girl," he replied, laughing.
Another day I asked him if he were ready to take his nap (now that was a silly question, right?) He replied, "No, I want to play!" I said, "Well, how about 5 more minutes of playing, then your nap?" He said, "Well, how about playing!" In other words, he made a joke when I was being serious! His daddy said, "Was that smart-alecky?" I don't think it was; I just think he's picking up on phrases like "How about..." and wanted to use it himself.
A sense of humor comes in pretty handy in many instances, whether you are 2 1/2 or 63. I could use a healthy sense of humor many times myself. It diffuses tension...keeps things light...elevates the mood. I've noticed that persons with good senses of humor seem to enjoy life a lot...and don't get too caught up in stress, when they can laugh at situations and at themselves.
It's something I'm working on, as I don't tend to have much of a sense of humor naturally. Barrett is helping me here. It's just refreshing to carry on conversation with an innocent little guy who is bright and happy and interested in learning and conversing on many levels. Most often, our conversations make me smile. Now that's healthy for sure!
So...next time you find yourself in a depressing...or upsetting...or fretful mood or situation, find yourself a little tot and make some jokes...or ask some silly questions...or use funny words or games to lighten your mood. If no tots are available, just be silly with whoever's around...or just with yourself.
Life can be tough...there are enough bad things and bad news out there to get any of us down. Developing and using a good, healthy sense of humor may be just what the doctor ordered. Children can be natural clowns, and just hanging out with them can be better than a dose of medicine or vitamins!
Thank you, sweet Barrett, for keeping Grandmommy young and laughing...just one more reason I love you so!
CONCORD CHRONICLE - Dedicated to God, the author of peace and lover of concord
Monday, July 30, 2012
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
It's the Little Things
It's the little things that make life good!
For a two-year-old, it is:
- wearing a birthday hat just because you want to...and singing Happy Birthday, as well! Even when it's noone's birthday
- wading out into the bay, with all your clothes on
- putting your hand over your heart (the correct hand!) and saying the first line to The Pledge of Allegiance, all by yourself!
- discovering the goodness of Chicken Parmesan and saying, "I wike it!"
- the awe of seeing baby birds in their nest, mouths wide open
- a soft and familiar blankie to snuggle with, while you suck your thumb
- a favorite rhyming Bible Storybook (never underestimate the spiritual nature of a very young child)
- sweet kisses to give and receive
- someone to "hold you."
- Mommy's sweet voice, singing lullabies at bedtime
- Daddy's silly games and faces and times of roughhousing together
- "I wuv you" - saying it and hearing it...the best three words ever
- choo choos and cars and trucks and planes to play with
- learning to blow bubbles and kick your feet in the water: "I swimming!"
- playing outside: riding, throwing, pushing, pulling toys of all sorts
For Grandmommy (aka E-Mommy!)
- the sweet smell of a baby fresh out of the tub
- little boy hugs and kisses
- that cute little voice saying, "Wook!" as he discovers some new and wondrous thing
- seeing that little personality emerging, as he develops confidence and social skills and self-control
- being amazed at memory and ability and recollection
- making believe...almost becoming a child again!
- belly-laughing
- riding horsey-back
- sharing your yogurt with a little one; actually having your yogurt hijacked by a little one!
- getting kissed right in the mouth for no apparent reason except LOVE
- being taken back in time by familiar songs and stories and fairy tales
- wondering how in the world a child can have toes identical to his father's!
- looking at those crazy little Heatherly eyebrows and seeing four generations of genes right before my eyes!
- Being told, "Tank you, E-Mommy," when I give him something or pick up something he's dropped
- Hearing a soft and sweet,"I wuv you." The sound you're hearing is my heart melting into a puddle.
- Watching a real-life porcelain baby doll sleeping peacefully on his back
- Little blonde curls, big blue eyes, jet black lashes, familiar dimples
- Love personified in a 28 month old child
- Coloring and scribbling and having simple fun with crayons and paper
- Happily watching our favorite shows, with characters like George and Dora and Buddy the T-Rex
It's the little things, just the little things. Thank you, God, for the little things...
For a two-year-old, it is:
- wearing a birthday hat just because you want to...and singing Happy Birthday, as well! Even when it's noone's birthday
- wading out into the bay, with all your clothes on
- putting your hand over your heart (the correct hand!) and saying the first line to The Pledge of Allegiance, all by yourself!
- discovering the goodness of Chicken Parmesan and saying, "I wike it!"
- the awe of seeing baby birds in their nest, mouths wide open
- a soft and familiar blankie to snuggle with, while you suck your thumb
- a favorite rhyming Bible Storybook (never underestimate the spiritual nature of a very young child)
- sweet kisses to give and receive
- someone to "hold you."
- Mommy's sweet voice, singing lullabies at bedtime
- Daddy's silly games and faces and times of roughhousing together
- "I wuv you" - saying it and hearing it...the best three words ever
- choo choos and cars and trucks and planes to play with
- learning to blow bubbles and kick your feet in the water: "I swimming!"
- playing outside: riding, throwing, pushing, pulling toys of all sorts
For Grandmommy (aka E-Mommy!)
- the sweet smell of a baby fresh out of the tub
- little boy hugs and kisses
- that cute little voice saying, "Wook!" as he discovers some new and wondrous thing
- seeing that little personality emerging, as he develops confidence and social skills and self-control
- being amazed at memory and ability and recollection
- making believe...almost becoming a child again!
- belly-laughing
- riding horsey-back
- sharing your yogurt with a little one; actually having your yogurt hijacked by a little one!
- getting kissed right in the mouth for no apparent reason except LOVE
- being taken back in time by familiar songs and stories and fairy tales
- wondering how in the world a child can have toes identical to his father's!
- looking at those crazy little Heatherly eyebrows and seeing four generations of genes right before my eyes!
- Being told, "Tank you, E-Mommy," when I give him something or pick up something he's dropped
- Hearing a soft and sweet,"I wuv you." The sound you're hearing is my heart melting into a puddle.
- Watching a real-life porcelain baby doll sleeping peacefully on his back
- Little blonde curls, big blue eyes, jet black lashes, familiar dimples
- Love personified in a 28 month old child
- Coloring and scribbling and having simple fun with crayons and paper
- Happily watching our favorite shows, with characters like George and Dora and Buddy the T-Rex
It's the little things, just the little things. Thank you, God, for the little things...
Traveling Light
How do you travel? Do you take everything but the kitchen sink? Or do you throw a few duds in your bag and set out on your journey? Whichever, it is challenging. I know with my intelligence that traveling light is the way to go. But my girlie side makes me want to have the right shoes and accessories to go with my outfits. You guys probably can't identify. But it's real to us girls.
Since we are spending lots of time traveling to Florida to babysit, we also spend lots of time packing our bags for the trip. So...I spend lots of energy trying to decide what to take so as to travel light but not leave out a necessity or something that I really would miss having.
Florida has been easier than Oklahoma, where our children lived previously, because of the more consistent and temperate climate. Shorts and skirts and sundresses ... plus a swimsuit, and flip-flops! of course! ... is just about it. A sweater for cool nights in springtime or extra-cool airconditioning is plenty for outerwear, unless it's mid-winter. Oklahoma, on the other hand, is very hot and windy or very cold and windy...one May it never did warm up. I lived in borrowed sweatsuits the entire month, except for church and special evenings out, as I just had not brought the proper clothes. My shorts, etc, were just not warm enough!
All this to say: traveling light is definitely preferable but not always easy to do. There's another side to this "traveling light" scenario as well...and it does not involve physical packing and physical baggage at all. It's emotional baggage...or spiritual baggage...perhaps baggage of a social nature...that I'm talking about.
Sunday's sermon, at St Simon on the Sound Episcopal Church, Fort Walton Beach, hit on this very subject. The gospel topic was Jesus' instructions to his disciples about wearing just one cloak, taking no money or extra clothes...no food, not even a bag! as they traveled around about spreading the gospel. Not only was "traveling light" important physically for folks who walked wherever they went, it was important as a matter of priority. Kind of like Jesus' words about the birds of the air having all they need...and the lilies in the field...the disciples were to prioritize: take just what they needed and not one item more, for God would provide for them, even more than He does for the wildlife and flora of the earth which he created and maintains. It would enable the disciples to focus on their mission without being burdened physically and mentally.
We can take a great lesson from this admonition, for "traveling light" can help us in so many ways. When we pack lightly, it is very freeing, for it simplifies our lives. Packing less means taking up less room in the car, in the hotel, in the guest closet. It means we spend less time primping and deciding what to wear. It also is freeing, mentally, when we keep our hearts and minds and souls and spirits free of worry and fretting and assuming and thoughts that are negative or critical. When we empty ourselves of all these things, we are free to fill ourselves up with pure and lovely and positive thoughts...which lead to positive actions...and positive feelings and positive lives.
A heart and mind free of bitterness and fear and anxiety and stress...or at least keeping these things to a minimum if not eliminating them altogether...is so superior to the alternative. We can live abundant lives, fulfilling our purpose, blooming where we are planted. We can serve God and our fellowman with abandon and joy. We can love others and ourselves as we put God first and let His light shine through us.
So, let's pack those light bags and get going on this wonderful trip called life! It's well worth the effort of getting rid of the clutter and keeping just those things in our lives which are healthy and peace-producing. May God bless our efforts and keep us on this road of life.
Since we are spending lots of time traveling to Florida to babysit, we also spend lots of time packing our bags for the trip. So...I spend lots of energy trying to decide what to take so as to travel light but not leave out a necessity or something that I really would miss having.
Florida has been easier than Oklahoma, where our children lived previously, because of the more consistent and temperate climate. Shorts and skirts and sundresses ... plus a swimsuit, and flip-flops! of course! ... is just about it. A sweater for cool nights in springtime or extra-cool airconditioning is plenty for outerwear, unless it's mid-winter. Oklahoma, on the other hand, is very hot and windy or very cold and windy...one May it never did warm up. I lived in borrowed sweatsuits the entire month, except for church and special evenings out, as I just had not brought the proper clothes. My shorts, etc, were just not warm enough!
All this to say: traveling light is definitely preferable but not always easy to do. There's another side to this "traveling light" scenario as well...and it does not involve physical packing and physical baggage at all. It's emotional baggage...or spiritual baggage...perhaps baggage of a social nature...that I'm talking about.
Sunday's sermon, at St Simon on the Sound Episcopal Church, Fort Walton Beach, hit on this very subject. The gospel topic was Jesus' instructions to his disciples about wearing just one cloak, taking no money or extra clothes...no food, not even a bag! as they traveled around about spreading the gospel. Not only was "traveling light" important physically for folks who walked wherever they went, it was important as a matter of priority. Kind of like Jesus' words about the birds of the air having all they need...and the lilies in the field...the disciples were to prioritize: take just what they needed and not one item more, for God would provide for them, even more than He does for the wildlife and flora of the earth which he created and maintains. It would enable the disciples to focus on their mission without being burdened physically and mentally.
We can take a great lesson from this admonition, for "traveling light" can help us in so many ways. When we pack lightly, it is very freeing, for it simplifies our lives. Packing less means taking up less room in the car, in the hotel, in the guest closet. It means we spend less time primping and deciding what to wear. It also is freeing, mentally, when we keep our hearts and minds and souls and spirits free of worry and fretting and assuming and thoughts that are negative or critical. When we empty ourselves of all these things, we are free to fill ourselves up with pure and lovely and positive thoughts...which lead to positive actions...and positive feelings and positive lives.
A heart and mind free of bitterness and fear and anxiety and stress...or at least keeping these things to a minimum if not eliminating them altogether...is so superior to the alternative. We can live abundant lives, fulfilling our purpose, blooming where we are planted. We can serve God and our fellowman with abandon and joy. We can love others and ourselves as we put God first and let His light shine through us.
So, let's pack those light bags and get going on this wonderful trip called life! It's well worth the effort of getting rid of the clutter and keeping just those things in our lives which are healthy and peace-producing. May God bless our efforts and keep us on this road of life.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Believing...
The child of friends is in the battle of his life. His name is Saxon, and they are asking for God to heal this boy. Will you join in praying that prayer?
Saxon's dad, on their CaringBridge site, wanted their friends to know what they believe, as they go through this journey with their son. It was so poignant, reading how a fellow-believer states the tenets of their belief system. Very humbling. Very strengthening. Very basically a God-moment.
And it made me realize some things about personal beliefs. They make us who we are. They are the fabric of our beings, the Spirit-infused crux of our hearts and souls. They are God-breathed and God-ordained.
I had a conversation recently with a friend whom I admire. We probably don't agree totally on theology and style of worship. But we both believe. I respect his beliefs and would not want to tell him (or anyone, for that matter) what they should believe. I might answer their questions, if asked; I would hope my life would speak loud and clear of what I believe. I would certainly want to act and speak in a Godly fashion. And walk the road that God would have me walk, in a way that honors Him.
My blog is, by design, a vehicle for me to hopefully encourage folk and to point the Way...the Truth...the Life...the Light...I want my writing to be God-driven, pointing folk to the God and His Son Jesus.
But I would never tell someone how he should believe! Plant seeds of faith? Yes. Be salt and light? Hopefully. Beat someone over the head with my Bible? Never. Nor would I for a moment think that I have the corner-of-the-market on how to live out my faith. God is in the salvation business. He is the Judge. Not me. I want to just quietly and humbly walk the walk, and serve Him.
I am hopeful that I, like Saxon's parents, could briefly, succinctly say what I believe. And then live out that faith in a manner pleasing to God. And pray...read...worship...sing...listen to that still, small voice of God that sometimes whispers, sometimes shouts out to me in love and grace and mercy, as He leads and guides. May I follow his footsteps and walk in His ways through this life, with family and friends and strangers alike.
Thank you for your prayers for sweet Saxon, 12 years old...such a great kid, such an awesome family. May God bless them all...and heal that boy.
Saxon's dad, on their CaringBridge site, wanted their friends to know what they believe, as they go through this journey with their son. It was so poignant, reading how a fellow-believer states the tenets of their belief system. Very humbling. Very strengthening. Very basically a God-moment.
And it made me realize some things about personal beliefs. They make us who we are. They are the fabric of our beings, the Spirit-infused crux of our hearts and souls. They are God-breathed and God-ordained.
I had a conversation recently with a friend whom I admire. We probably don't agree totally on theology and style of worship. But we both believe. I respect his beliefs and would not want to tell him (or anyone, for that matter) what they should believe. I might answer their questions, if asked; I would hope my life would speak loud and clear of what I believe. I would certainly want to act and speak in a Godly fashion. And walk the road that God would have me walk, in a way that honors Him.
My blog is, by design, a vehicle for me to hopefully encourage folk and to point the Way...the Truth...the Life...the Light...I want my writing to be God-driven, pointing folk to the God and His Son Jesus.
But I would never tell someone how he should believe! Plant seeds of faith? Yes. Be salt and light? Hopefully. Beat someone over the head with my Bible? Never. Nor would I for a moment think that I have the corner-of-the-market on how to live out my faith. God is in the salvation business. He is the Judge. Not me. I want to just quietly and humbly walk the walk, and serve Him.
I am hopeful that I, like Saxon's parents, could briefly, succinctly say what I believe. And then live out that faith in a manner pleasing to God. And pray...read...worship...sing...listen to that still, small voice of God that sometimes whispers, sometimes shouts out to me in love and grace and mercy, as He leads and guides. May I follow his footsteps and walk in His ways through this life, with family and friends and strangers alike.
Thank you for your prayers for sweet Saxon, 12 years old...such a great kid, such an awesome family. May God bless them all...and heal that boy.
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