Taking Notes at a Funeral

So.....I attended a funeral last night.

It was for a friend of mine's husband. I met the man only once. I went to support her and see a very dear friend of mine who came in town to help during this time.

Last night I learned so much. I pray that God keeps it fresh in my mind for quite a while, as it was all so much to soak in.

I greeted my sweet friend Peggy who I haven't seen since December of '08. It was so awesome to hug her. I have missed her greatly. Peggy is an amazing woman of God. She lost her husband in '08 suddenly, though God was directing every single step. She is someone very close to my heart...a spiritual mother if you will. When she moved, my heart broke because she wouldn't be here with me anymore, but I knew that she was following where God was leading. So, when our friend Brenda's husband became suddenly ill, she came in to help Brenda....she was in this position before, so she knew how to minister to her.

I waited for my BFF to get there. Together we went in. We saw Brenda, hugged her neck and gave her our love. I told Brenda, "I never know just what to say in a time like this, so just know that I love you."

We stood off to the side, saw a few other ladies we knew and sort of caught up while waiting for the service to start. My bff, Dana, noted something....there was a lack of grief in the room. Not to be confused with sadness. Yes, people were saddened over their loss....but there was no heaviness there, because they knew where he was. He was with his Father in heaven.

We were ushered in and sat down. The service began. BEAUTIFUL. His grandchildren came in waving beautiful flags. There was a Shofar that was blown as his casket entered the room. Amazing.

A friend of theirs began with prayer. Then there was a time for the family to come up and say a few words......during this, his grandchildren became overwhelmed with sobs. My heart hurt for them. As the family members shared their rememberances of David, I was starting to feel sad that I had not had the opportunity of knowing him more than the one meeting.

They spoke of his unconditional love no matter the season of their lives. They spoke of how he was always there, and there was always a sense of love with him. They made note that he was not a man of many words, but when he spoke you listened because he only opened his mouth to impart wisdom...and an occassional funny. Through all of this, his grandbabies continued to sob. That is when the Lord showed me something....he was a man that made a point to spend time with them. He got out in the leaves and wrestled with his grandsons. He built tents in the garage and backyards with them. He loved to dance with his granddaughters on his feet. He loved to play and laught with them. They were not mourning a grandfather who they wish they knew better. They were not mourning all of the things they wish he would have done with them. They were mourning the loss of a great man in their lives who always had time for them. They were relishing every memory they had with him.

Do my kids have enough of those memories of me? If I were to be taken home tomorrow...would they mourn because there are not enough of those kind of memories, and they wish there were? Or would they be able to mourn for their loss, but be able to revel in the plethora of memories that we had made together?

(It was at this point that I felt compelled to write that down, to remember.....I felt really weird. I was taking notes at a funeral!! Oh please don't let anyone see me!! LOL)

The next thing was time for friends and members of their church to step up and say a few words. The same theme was said over and over. "David was a man of few words. But he loved the Lord and served Him greatly...all the way until the end. In everything he did." He ministered to people on his deathbed. Oh that I would have the boldness and strength in my relationship with Christ to continue to put HIM first in my final hour!! He cared for people's hearts. He cared deeply for them. You could sense that this was not in any way "lip service". He was truly a man after God's heart. His life was such a testimony to me and all who sat in that service.

A man who worked with him even stood and told of the "work side" of David. And yet, his story was NO different than all the rest!! David maintained his wonderful steadfast heart even on the job. There wasn't a work personna, home personna, and church personna. He was the same in all areas of his life. That is testament to Christ that lived in him.

Towards the end, Brenda got up briefly to thank all who attended and hae prayed and helped her during this time. She also mentioned that that day...was their 20th wedding anniversary. How very bittersweet it must have been for her.

After all was done, Dana and I hung around to talk with Peggy. We stood there, the three of us holding hands, and listened as Peggy poured into us. She encouraged us, she reminded us of things that God has called us to do, she confirmed some things that we were both dealing with/praying about. It was amazing. God used her so greatly to guide us. After she was done talking we kind of stood in silence. There was jsut so much to take in from the service to what she spoke that there were not (and still are not) many words that can explain the peace and knowing and confirmation that was sensed.

Never in my life have I come away from a funeral so very encouraged and uplifted and focused.

I am so thankful for Mr. David and the life he led...though I met him only once, his life has impacted me more than he will ever know.

I am also thankful that God used his passing to reunite Peggy with us, even in for jsut a short time. That time was used wisely. We didn't stand around talking about this that and the other....the time was spent receiving what God wanted to tell us through someone who means so much to us.

Taking notes at a funeral.....proof that God will use any and all situations to guide those who seek Him.

Blessings Abound!

I know that I am blessed. But recently, the Lord has been impressing upon my heart just how blessed I am.

My bff (best friend forever) has been sayng something lately: "what can I be thankful for?" And sure, you say "I am healthy, I have a home...etc." But, do we ever stop long enough to realize just HOW blessed we are?

Stopping and taking in the fact that many people are out of work, while you have a job. It may not be the job of your dreams. It may have lost it's awesomeness long ago, but you HAVE a job. You are not stuck somewhere trying desperately to get hired while no one is hiring. You are blessed.

Have you thought about that roof over your head? "Yeah, I have a roof over my head," you say in passing. But have you stopped to think of the millions of people around the world who do not? How many times do you complain about that leaky faucet, that run down looking porch, having to cut the grass, needing to clean that toilet....without even thinking about how blessed you are to have those things to complain about?

"I don't want to eat the chicken in the freezer! I wish I had money to go out to eat," we whine. While a bowl of rice is a feast to some. A sandwhich handed out with a bottled water from a stranger is the only meal some have had in 4 days. Looking into a refridgerator filled with milk, cheese, butter, eggs, leftovers, fruit, you name it and sighing because we have "nothing to eat." Wow. How very blessed we are indeed.

When you are in the midst of complaining because your car payment is due, or the guy in the drive thru messed your order up again, or the neighbor just got a brand new '10 vehicle while you are 'stuck' with a stinky old '08 model car...stop and think of how truly blessed you really are.

Blessings abound all around you.

Yes, you have your health. You have your home (be it owned by you or rented). You have your job, your kids, food, etc. But don't be so lax about those things. They are indeed blessings that many many people go without.

Today......you are blessed. In all of your circumstances you can still be blessed. You just have to look around.

The Game of the Year!

WOW.

Just wow.

Really.

You had to be dead to not get emotional about this game. This game had so much more wrapped up in it than who gets a trophy.


I don't know how anyone could miss the screams and WHO DAT's that came streaming through the air last night. You could hear the people from 2 streets over in my nieghborhood. There were fireworks going off. Nieghbors were dancing together. Strangers hugged and high fived. It was electric.

And it was not even just around here in this area. It was state-wide.....it even stretched to the rest of the country.

It was so much more than just our football team winning. So much more. It was a long overdue validation. It was a realization that "hey.....we really can do jsut about anything!" It was uniting us once more.

New Orleans. A city that had such destruction ravage it just a few years ago. A city that has been fighting to get better. A city that refuses to give up, now has seen that their hope is not in vain.

God has blessed us. He chose to use the Superbowl to restore hope. He chose to use those players, those coaches and that team as a whole.

This city, no - this state has so much to look forward to. Where there is Hope renewed, mighty things can happen.

We witnessed not only history last night, but the beginning of a whole new outlook for our city and state and all who dwell here. They will forever remember where they were and who they were with when we saw the Saints march to victory. My prayer is that they will forever remember the Hope that came with it and look towards all that we can accomplish together!

Aaaaannnnd, we're off!!

And so today begins another facet of my "new season".

I began my workout schedule today. My Hunny bought me the Wii Fit and the Biggest Loser 'game' to go with it. (ladies....I requested both things.....so he is in the clear ;P)

I was thinking, surely no 'game' would have an impact on me. I mean, I have 7 kids that I chase after and clean after, and barely break a sweat doing that. I have Praise Troupe once a week, and that makes me break a sweat a little more. But come on...a video game?

I was proven wrong. Bigtime.

It was about half way through that I knew that I was done for. When tears of frustration and realization that I was waaaay more out of shape than originally thought came streaming down, I realized that I may just shed some of this weight.

I have no unrealistic goals. After birthing 7 children, all of whom were c-sections, I know that the bod of my 20's has been lost forever. However, I also know that if I am able to apply myself and become determined enough, a healthy weight and body structure can be achieved.

I honestly do not have the funds nor the time to run to a gym, so this is wonderful that I feel that results ARE attainable with this 'game'.

I had my weigh in today. And though it was *** lbs, it still was not as bad as I was thinking. And really 46 lbs to lose sounds so much more attainable than what was originally in my mind.

So......it will take determination, a positive attitude, a constant focus on the goal line, and a whole lot of God.....but I am ready to exercise and eat the right way through this new season!!!

*just a small FYI.....if you do choose to do this as well, it is easier if you lock up your 2 yo twins first. Not too easy to cry through a workout that is already killing you only to have them think Mommy got down in that position for them to climb on her. :D

Cleaning and New Seasons

Cleaning......some love it, some don't. My opinion is that of the latter. :D

I am no June Cleaver, that's for sure. And having 7 kids, there is stuff everywhere all the time. No getting around it.

Recently, the Lord has been impressing upon me to de-clutter the house. Easier said than done. There are smallish piles of stuff that has no place, all over the house....in every room. I can't get away from it.

It attacks my eyes the moment I enter the room (any room). It makes it to where I just never want to go in that room. So I stay away, which makes it worse, b/c when you do that it mulitplies! Oy.

Well, so far, with the Lord's grace and energy and focus, the kitchen has been tackled!! Even the top of the fridge is organized!!!

Just from the kitchen alone: one super-sized diaper box full and three big black garbage bags of stuff. That is all it was.....stuff.

I am so excited that God is bringing me through a new season!! I was finally able to look at things and say I will NEVER need this again and throw it away with a feeling of relief. Things like old baby bottles, breastfeeding supplies, cups with no lids, tupperware with no tops, things I never use!! GONE. With no remorse. :D

New seasons are not so bad. I don't know why we fight against change so much. Because once we get there and go through the change we are refreshed and renewed. Kind of silly to go against it, huh?

Cleaning the house of clutter entails much more than just the physical aspect of it. There is a refreshing of your spirit. There is a lightening of the closed in shadows that can surround you in those piles of stuff.

I am so thankful for decluttering and new seasons!!!! :D