Cure for the Common Life

I was privileged to attend an unusual birthday celebration last week. The birthday girl is a single mom, and her life was hard even before she became a paraplegic about eighteen months ago. She is on our church's outreach list, but only a few people in our group knew her. We discussed what we might do to get better acquainted, and hit on a plan to visit her for a cook-out. Christy gave us her enthusiastic permission, and last Friday evening we loaded up a grill, ice chest, tables, chairs, food, and birthday gifts and carpooled to her home.

It wasn't a typical way for the young adults in our class to spend a Friday evening, but they participated whole-heartedly. Maybe it's because we've been working our way through Max Lucado's book Cure for the Common Life, but what I took away from that evening was how beautifully each individual's gifts and talents sparkled in their ministry to Christy. Each person made a unique and indispensable contribution to the evening. Christy said it was the best birthday she'd ever had.

That is how the body of Christ is supposed to work. It was a moving thing to witness.

New Kid on the Block

This week marked the beginning of a new chapter in my life. I moved from a job as special education teacher at Zwolle Elementary to 4th grade teacher at Many Junior High. I must be getting old, because it seems like a BIG change. When I get everything together, I think it will make life simpler, but right now things are a little hectic. In the midst of it all, there's a lot to be thankful for.

My new co-workers have been so warm and helpful. Many of them are Christians, and that makes all the difference. Our family is saving time and money on the daily commute, and I get to be with the kids both before and after school. Brooke walks over from the high school, and we can catch up on her day while Brayden is at football practice. (Brooke also is willing to grade papers and help out -- all it costs me is snack money! :o)

Right now I have 22 students: a few with special needs, some with challenging home situations, and several who are very bright. All of them will stretch me in different ways, and I pray I will make a positive impact on their lives.

The night before school began, I was in pain from a root canal gone bad and definitely not psyched for the first day of school! It meant a lot to have several people remind me that they were praying for me. As I opened my Bible late that night, it fell open to Psalm 37. I read those familiar words in the old King James version, and they spoke to me with freshness and promise. The next day I realized I was experiencing God's strength in my weakness.

I'm also new on the "Facebook" block. (Blake would be ashamed of me, I'm sure, and Brooke thinks I'm hopelessly age-inappropriate.) To my children/critics, I will explain in my defense that it appears to be a great way to touch base with friends scattered all over the country. It's been good to hear from several old friends in the past few days. I just have to be sure that I don't get carried away in my pursuit of connecting, especially since I live in the sticks where dial-up is ever so slow.

There's something rejuvenating about being "new" at my age. God's mercies are new every morning!

Happy Birthday, Brayden!

In LSU country, Brayden is BSU's biggest fan,

and lover of all things blue and orange!

Happy 12th birthday, Brayden. And pardon me for feeling a little sentimental today. In many cultures there are special ceremonies for boys your age, and I can understand why. Somehow in the past year, you've become a young man instead of a child.

You're taller and your shoulders are broader, but you've grown in so many other ways as well. You are more responsible, more thoughtful, more caring. You are fun to be with. (Oh, and of course, you're a better ball player and are well on your way to becoming a great trumpet player!) There is never a dull moment when you are around! Best of all, you are spending time in God's Word, and it is changing you from the inside out. I see in you today the promise of the man I pray you will become.

Many years ago, before I even dreamed of you, I discovered a prayer written by General Douglas McArthur. I claimed it for your older brothers, and I claim it especially today for you. Here is an adapted version:

"Build me a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak, and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid. One who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat, and humble and gentle in victory.

"Build me a son whose wishbone will not be where his backbone should be; a son who will know that to know You is the foundation stone of knowledge.

"When you lead him to face the stress and spur of difficulties and challenge, may he learn to stand up in the storm. Here may he learn compassion for those who fail.

"Build me a son whose heart will be clear and whose goal will be high; a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men; one who will learn to laugh, yet never forget how to cry; one who will reach into the future, yet never forget the past.

"And after all these things are his, add, I pray, enough of a sense of humor so that he may always be serious, yet never take himself too seriously.

"Give him humility, so that he may always remember the simplicity of true greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, the meekness of true strength through the power of Jesus working in and through him. Amen."

I am proud to be your mom, and I love you more than you can know. Have a wonderful birthday. Just stop growing up so fast!

True Confessions: I ODed on HGTV!

When James said, "Confess your faults one to another," I'm not sure he had this in mind. But this post is especially for those of you who have long been amused by my style of getting things done.

In the last year or so, I've become a fan of HGTV. My favorite programs are Design on a Dime and Designed to Sell. This summer I've also followed Design Star. (One of the judges reminds me of Steve's sister Robin, and when the finalist Jennifer smiles, she makes me think of my friend Marla.)

Earlier this summer I developed a monster rash from poison ivy, and my doctor put me on steroids for two-and-a-half weeks. She told me I would have trouble sleeping and would probably feel a compulsion to clean out closets at 2 am.

Well, no closets got cleaned out, but I did catch up on some reading. One night I explored all the bells and whistles on my cell phone. And I spent the better part of many nights dozing in the recliner watching the news and HGTV. We went way beyond Steve's favorite question: "How many of those shows can you watch?" to my own: "Just how many times can I watch the same re-run?"

Being fully saturated, I finally had to act on all I had learned. My project has been two old rickety chairs from the church. Brother Jerry Larpenter installed cross pieces to make them a little more sturdy. My vision was to paint them a glossy brownish-red. Last night I opened the paint can and went to work. The color wasn't exactly what I was hoping for, but I was sure that when the paint dried, they would be beautiful.

This morning I was all set for coat #2, but the shade looked even worse in daylight than it had last night. I took a closer look at the paint can and realized that the color was named for something to do with wine. I remembered seeing a lot of old paint in the shed, so I went digging around for something to mix with my paint to get the color I wanted. I didn't find exactly what I was looking for, but I was not going to the store. Without going into detail, I'll just say that the mixing process involved some old spray paint.

When that didn't work, I went back to the shed, dug back a little farther, and found just what I needed, or so I thought. I mixed it all together and set to work applying the paint. The longer I worked, the worse it looked. It was time to break down and go to Wal-Mart.

When you combine cost of paint, plus multiple trips to the store, plus hours of labor, these are truly THRIFTY pieces of furniture. They may not be safe to sit in, but THE CHAIRS will be in our new Sunday school classroom on Sunday!

And now for my personal decorating tips. Tip #1: If you are looking for a distinctive shade of purple, may I recommend Krylon's Gloss Cabernet. (Spraying in red-brown primer will only deepen this lovely paint color for a more customized appearance.) Tip #2: If mauve is more your taste, mix in Krylon's Gloss Canary in a ratio of 1:4.

Happy decorating!

Y-E-S to VBS!

I've had a great week at "Outrigger Island" with a group of 3rd and 4th grade students who kept me hopping! Summer wouldn't be summer without VBS, and I enjoy it as much as an adult as I did as a kid.

I never cease to be amazed at the open hearts of children to accept the message of the Gospel. This week we focused on the basics: God is real; Jesus, God's Son, is the only way to Heaven; there is absolute truth and it can be found in the Bible; our actions show what we believe -- timeless truths for kids and adults. We had some fun -but forgettable -music, but one song will stay with me: "The Word" was absolutely beautiful. (Did I say forgettable? "Y-E-S to VBS" keeps rapping away in my head!)

As much as I loved interacting with the kids, another special blessing was seeing so many young adults from my 20-30-something Sunday school class involved - from leading worship, to teaching, to serving refreshments. The week would not have been the same without them!

Brooke and Brayden at Lake Arthur, LA Camp Ground. My mother attended church camps here in the 1930s.

Footprints of Faith

Today I joined a host of old friends in paying tribute to a life well-lived at the homegoing service of Dan Hoffpauir. Dan and Edith were two of the heroes of my youth. Dan was instrumental in leading my oldest brother to the Lord, and Edith played a vital role in my own faith journey, especially during my teen years. Like a lot of kids, I had a sharp eye for anything phony, but these two never disappointed me. Their faith was an integral part - the ultimate definition - of who they were and how they lived. They were the "real deal," and the care and encouragement they poured into people was always authentic.

Their generation is slipping away from us so quickly. It is humbling to realize that my children and their friends must now search for role models of faith among my peer group. I could never hope to fill the shoes of the saints of my youth. But today, as I've reflected on the life and faith of Dan Hoffpauir, I've been asking God to help me follow the footprints.