Thursday, March 28, 2013

Maundy Thursday



We cannot mourn this Holy Week - the reality of its shame and pain and blood.  The reality of confusion and loss.  We cannot wish it had never happened or we would be lost.

We can celebrate the love of the God who willingly sacrifices his PERFECT LAMB to save me...and you.

We can know that we never have to suffer alone (and I know so many who are suffering right now) because he knows all about pain and suffering...

Now, to go from this Last Supper with his mandate, his new command to love one another as he loves us.  How can I mess up such a simple command so often?  God have mercy.

Do you think that at that supper, he wondered or worried that  any of his disciples 'got it'?
Got all that he had told them and shown them?
Got all that was going to happen to him tomorrow and the next days?
Got the LOVE that he was offering and asking them to pay forward?

Do you think he wonders still?

Love.



Tuesday, March 26, 2013

October to March!

I love living in the mountains of West Virginia....especially when we have a 6 month winter season like this one.  It started in October with the Hurricane Sandy left overs and it is still going strong today!
Enjoy the pictures...The first 2 are the October storm and the rest are from this last week in March!









Happy Easter, Happy Spring
Happy Happy Everything!



Thursday, March 21, 2013

Callie-Cat

Or, as her dad calls her, Callie-gator!
She needed two dresses to make everyone happy and when she saw them she was very happy!  Wanted to wear them both....at the same time and that made me very happy!






You probably remember the story of Callie's horrific accident right before Christmas where she lost her big sister and her Gram.  Callie still can't use her arm.  Her hand is working, but she can't lift her arm.  Lots of technical medical explanations for that, but what she needed right now was a hemi-sling to keep the arm in the shoulder socket tight.  You can buy them, but not for tiny Callie, so her mom and I figured out our very own by using parts of Callie's neck brace that she no longer needs and felt.  I love felt!  It is so very useful and beautiful in so many ways.  Here's Callie sporting the prototype.  (and she isn't unhappy....just not a good picture of her)
See the gray part?  It is soft and came off the neck brace.  Velcro sticks to it like glue.  It ties, with a shoe string under her opposite arm.  Has to go on the outside of her clothes for now because she didn't like the feel of the shoestring under her arm....can't say I blame her.

The blue is the felt (she picked the color) and it has velcro on the ends of the 'fingers'.
Don't you just want to pinch those cheeks?

And in the mean time, Jake needs some lip gloss, which she is holding with her right hand and applying with her left.

I am making her another one with some pretty on it...nice stitches and decorations.  Feel free to offer suggestions about how to make it more comfortable and cute!

Here is your real job - they have an appointment on April 1 at Johns Hopkins hospital with a doctor who does 500 or so corrective surgeries on little ones each year....your job is to pray that Callie is a good candidate and they schedule her surgery ASAP....nerves only live so long when they aren't doing their job.  Thanks for your prayers.  Callie is almost 2 and is just the sweetest, cutest, smartest most independent little thing!
The other night her parents, Rachel and Aaron,  were watching The Bible and she heard them talk about Jesus and heaven and she said, " With Laurel and Nan-nan...."  

Prayer....

*****UPDATE:  Callie and her family go on Monday, April 1 to Johns Hopkins to talk to the doctor who can do the surgery.  Pray that he sees Callie as a good candidate for the surgery...or that God tells him to do it anyway!  Please and thank you.

Oh, and here is her new and prettier sling thing....Kristen I need you to teach me how to do a stem stitch....I tried.



Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Whoooo?

Sometimes I think I should just give up on this whole blogging thing because I am really not very good and faithful to it and to all of you who read....but then, something wonderful happens.  Out of the bluebonnets of Texas comes a gift- in the mail- to me.
Wanna see?




Isn't it just the cutest thing?  I LOVE my new owl, Miss Tanna and as you can see you need not worry that it came too late.  We still have snow and more is predicted even for tomorrow...the first day of Spring.  Oh, how much I love it!!!!!  It makes my heart happy and my head warm.  It came at a perfect time....you are amazing!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  A lot.

A little water starting to run, but still

looking pretty


wintry!

Thank you again, Tanna....you are a gift to me!