Children make me laugh. I think far to often we are trying to teach them lessons on how to grow up to be good citizens, or are often annoyed at their little oddities that we don't take time to stop and really listen to them or pause to watch them. They are full of wonder. They explore. They create. They are uninhibited. At least until adulthood squelches all of the fun right out of them and they become bitter, grouchy, negative adults like the rest of us. Seriously, they have a lot to teach us.
Like today, for instance, I had a couple of little girls stand by my counter and say, "Mrs. Raben....watch what we can do..." They then proceeded to raise their arm in the air and lick their own armpit. I have to admit....it was a feat I myself had never thought to try. It made me laugh out loud.
"Why would you want to do that?" I asked. To which they shrugged and ran off to show some other poor teacher who more than likely told them to stop doing that and not to let them catch them doing it again. Squelch!!
If you really want to know how the world functions, just stop and ask a child. You will be amazed and in awe of the answers you receive. They are full of excitement and honesty. They will ask you how come your glasses are so thick or they'll show you the most creative valentine box you have ever seen. They will guess that a great white shark is as big as their grandpa and that "No, the kid that was in trouble yesterday and was sitting in the principal's office might have looked a lot like them but in actuality it was really their older brother (even though they only have a sister.) They pray prayers that God will please take a vacuum and suck all of the cancer away...or bury it in a hole in the backyard. There eyes light up and twinkle when they bring you a cupcake on their birthday that they helped make. They tell you they are worried about their friend who has a "friend" called Mr. Lefthand who sometimes hits himself. They are eager to please you and they want to go to school even when they are sick because they don't want to ruin their perfect attendance record. They talk and interrupt the classroom because it's reading time, and they struggle at reading. And why wouldn't they struggle when too often they are trying to read stories where the children have names like Portia or Marisol and they can't remember them, let alone pronounce them.
Children are curious and they ask lots of questions and want to tell lots of stories. It's hard for them to sit and listen when they really just want to show you how to lick their armpit or ask you why there is a piece of candy on the teacher's desk and can they have it. Do you realize how difficult it is to be at school all day long when you have a brand new puppy at home waiting for you?
I guess what I'm trying to say is, children are amazing! Talk to them. They have a lot to teach you. Mostly.....how to live......and how to love, ...and how to laugh.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Jesus Freak
I looked the word "freak" up in the dictionary. I used to think the term was derogatory, even insulting. If someone called me a freak....I definitely would have been perturbed. A "freak" was something "odd". Now I actually sort of see the word as something positive. Let me explain.
The dictionary definition says,"strikingly unusual person, animal, or plant that appears to be unique or occurs very rarely. Exhibits a strange deviation from nature...a person who has withdrawn from normal, rational behavior and activities to pursue one interest or obsession."
Yup! That describes me...or at least who I want to be now. I used to want to "fit" in. Become part of the crowd. Disappear into the scenery and not stick out like a sore thumb. I used to be satisfied with being called a "Christian" but you know what? That word just doesn't seem to work anymore. We are now asked to check on different forms whether we are Jewish, Muslim, or Christian, like it is a nationality or something. So, anyone not a Jew or Muslim would qualify to check the box, right?? Okay....so if everyone in the United States is a Christian, not by choice, but by a check box....well, guess I'm going to have to separate myself from "the boys" and become a "man". I want to identify myself with Jesus....not a christ. The word "Christ" could actually describe any sort of a savior...Buddha could be a type of christ...The new age "maitreya" is said to be "The Christ". Guess that means just about anyone could be identified as a "Christ-ian" and sadly...are.
No, I have decided to separate myself from that vague term of "Christian" and I choose to identify myself with Jesus, THE Christ! There is only one Savior...only one way to God, and that is Jesus of Nazareth....God incarnate!
Now, I know the drill... Isn't there many ways to God? Isn't it judgmental to believe Jesus is the only way? How conceited is that? I guess that is why I am a Jesus "Freak". I chose to "deviate" from the path of all inclusiveness and believe "The Holy Bible", God's own word....The TRUTH!
I was thinking how it isn't really all that hard to be a "Christ-ian" in this day and age. But it is really the name of Jesus that stirs up and causes all of the controversy. There is power in the name of Jesus...and believe me, if you start becoming a "Jesus Freak" you will probably begin to stir up a lot of heated discussions.
I'm starting to wish I was a pastor....and I'll tell you why. People know where you stand! They expect you to be all bibly (is that a word?), they are not shocked if you "talk the talk and walk the walk". After all, you should, right? They aren't quite as offended to hear the name Jesus in normal conversations...after all, that is your job as a pastor. But, here is my point....how can I not talk about the one thing that is my passion to everyone I come in contact with. If you love golf....you talk about it. If you love football...you talk about it. Well, guess what...world? I LOVE JESUS!! And I'm falling more and more in love with Him everyday! That's why I'm warning everyone....JESUS IS MY PASSION! I can't contain it any longer! I want to scream it from the rooftops.
So, I'm choosing to become a "Jesus Freak". Freaks are usually rejected, and I imagine I will be, too. But now, I won't consider it such a bad thing.
Let me challenge you. Freaks are radical! They withdraw from the normal and rational behavior and activities to pursue their obsession. Maybe, you should make Jesus the object of your obsession and join me...what would people do if they labeled you a Jesus Freak!
The dictionary definition says,"strikingly unusual person, animal, or plant that appears to be unique or occurs very rarely. Exhibits a strange deviation from nature...a person who has withdrawn from normal, rational behavior and activities to pursue one interest or obsession."
Yup! That describes me...or at least who I want to be now. I used to want to "fit" in. Become part of the crowd. Disappear into the scenery and not stick out like a sore thumb. I used to be satisfied with being called a "Christian" but you know what? That word just doesn't seem to work anymore. We are now asked to check on different forms whether we are Jewish, Muslim, or Christian, like it is a nationality or something. So, anyone not a Jew or Muslim would qualify to check the box, right?? Okay....so if everyone in the United States is a Christian, not by choice, but by a check box....well, guess I'm going to have to separate myself from "the boys" and become a "man". I want to identify myself with Jesus....not a christ. The word "Christ" could actually describe any sort of a savior...Buddha could be a type of christ...The new age "maitreya" is said to be "The Christ". Guess that means just about anyone could be identified as a "Christ-ian" and sadly...are.
No, I have decided to separate myself from that vague term of "Christian" and I choose to identify myself with Jesus, THE Christ! There is only one Savior...only one way to God, and that is Jesus of Nazareth....God incarnate!
Now, I know the drill... Isn't there many ways to God? Isn't it judgmental to believe Jesus is the only way? How conceited is that? I guess that is why I am a Jesus "Freak". I chose to "deviate" from the path of all inclusiveness and believe "The Holy Bible", God's own word....The TRUTH!
I was thinking how it isn't really all that hard to be a "Christ-ian" in this day and age. But it is really the name of Jesus that stirs up and causes all of the controversy. There is power in the name of Jesus...and believe me, if you start becoming a "Jesus Freak" you will probably begin to stir up a lot of heated discussions.
I'm starting to wish I was a pastor....and I'll tell you why. People know where you stand! They expect you to be all bibly (is that a word?), they are not shocked if you "talk the talk and walk the walk". After all, you should, right? They aren't quite as offended to hear the name Jesus in normal conversations...after all, that is your job as a pastor. But, here is my point....how can I not talk about the one thing that is my passion to everyone I come in contact with. If you love golf....you talk about it. If you love football...you talk about it. Well, guess what...world? I LOVE JESUS!! And I'm falling more and more in love with Him everyday! That's why I'm warning everyone....JESUS IS MY PASSION! I can't contain it any longer! I want to scream it from the rooftops.
So, I'm choosing to become a "Jesus Freak". Freaks are usually rejected, and I imagine I will be, too. But now, I won't consider it such a bad thing.
Let me challenge you. Freaks are radical! They withdraw from the normal and rational behavior and activities to pursue their obsession. Maybe, you should make Jesus the object of your obsession and join me...what would people do if they labeled you a Jesus Freak!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
January--The Month of My Discontentment
January brings with it a cold, wintery attitude that I have always disliked. It makes you rethink and analyze. It makes you restless and discontent. It brings with it the ugly reality of fleeting time and impending taxes.
I have never cared for January. It is a long month of cold, icy moments. I'm not your typically depressed sort of person, although I do tend toward pessimism and negativity, however, January is the month where I battle my mind...I have to fight to keep upbeat and there are moments when I just lose it. All of the ugly tendencies I've buried resurface and make their appearance in January.
January is like a fickle, nagging woman. She exists to make your life miserable. And to challenge the perimeters of your sanity.
December for me is an exciting month. As you all know, I LOVE Christmas. You spend the time with your families...It's a good month for me. I know that isn't always the case for many, and December can be the bad month for a lot of people. But not for me. Then, in blows January, challenging you to quit eating, get healthy, save money, change your bad habits, etc....and I am presented, once again with the opportunity to fail! Laugh out loud! Okay...it should be seen as a time of new beginnings and new opportunities...which again makes me crazy. January asks too many questions and snoops into your private personal life. What AM I supposed to be doing with my life. Questions of wondering....Does my life count for anything important in the scheme of things?? Why do I replace my deep inner emotions with food? Why do I overspend? I want to make a difference, but too often, January reminds me of how very little I have changed in the last year, and laughs at me for being idealistic in my thinking. She taunts me and goads me like she's human. I want to slap January right across her unforgiving face and yell at her to leave me alone! Just when I think, I can't handle January anymore....I get a reprieve....and in rushes February.....the month of LOVE and embraces me in it's arms, promising me that spring will soon be arriving if I can endure a little bit longer.
Then I realize....that even though I dislike January so much, she is needed for my inner growth and OH, how I appreciate February so much more! And the cycle of the four seasons and the cycle of life has come full circle once again....as a reassurance of the faithfulness of the Creator who reminds us that although everything changes......everything also stays the same! Winter, spring, summer, and fall......the Lord God made them all. And even if January is a cold, frigid broad...she serves a purpose. I just don't happen to like her very much!!!!!
I have never cared for January. It is a long month of cold, icy moments. I'm not your typically depressed sort of person, although I do tend toward pessimism and negativity, however, January is the month where I battle my mind...I have to fight to keep upbeat and there are moments when I just lose it. All of the ugly tendencies I've buried resurface and make their appearance in January.
January is like a fickle, nagging woman. She exists to make your life miserable. And to challenge the perimeters of your sanity.
December for me is an exciting month. As you all know, I LOVE Christmas. You spend the time with your families...It's a good month for me. I know that isn't always the case for many, and December can be the bad month for a lot of people. But not for me. Then, in blows January, challenging you to quit eating, get healthy, save money, change your bad habits, etc....and I am presented, once again with the opportunity to fail! Laugh out loud! Okay...it should be seen as a time of new beginnings and new opportunities...which again makes me crazy. January asks too many questions and snoops into your private personal life. What AM I supposed to be doing with my life. Questions of wondering....Does my life count for anything important in the scheme of things?? Why do I replace my deep inner emotions with food? Why do I overspend? I want to make a difference, but too often, January reminds me of how very little I have changed in the last year, and laughs at me for being idealistic in my thinking. She taunts me and goads me like she's human. I want to slap January right across her unforgiving face and yell at her to leave me alone! Just when I think, I can't handle January anymore....I get a reprieve....and in rushes February.....the month of LOVE and embraces me in it's arms, promising me that spring will soon be arriving if I can endure a little bit longer.
Then I realize....that even though I dislike January so much, she is needed for my inner growth and OH, how I appreciate February so much more! And the cycle of the four seasons and the cycle of life has come full circle once again....as a reassurance of the faithfulness of the Creator who reminds us that although everything changes......everything also stays the same! Winter, spring, summer, and fall......the Lord God made them all. And even if January is a cold, frigid broad...she serves a purpose. I just don't happen to like her very much!!!!!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Don't You Wish You Had the Answers??
It's early morning...a quiet time to meditate and ponder the complications of life. I have just received one of the biggest miracles in my life and within days have once again been dashed against the rocks and beat up with more bad news. And like always, I fall back in to shouting out the same question I shout every time I am in the same circumstance. WHY! My contemplations have lead me to no real conclusions or answers. It actually just leads to more questions..Life is a puzzle to which we can not begin to have all the pieces without the One who holds the last piece. Life is like a series of doors that can never be opened without the One who holds the keys to ALL doors. Life is a complicated series of problems that can never be solved without the One who holds all the solutions. Just when you think you have managed to figure out or control the things around you....chaos breaks out and once again you are filled with the question, WHY? As the song says...Life is a dance you learn as you go. Sometimes you lead...sometimes you follow. I like that phrase. I sometimes wonder how people without God and without hope get by in this world. If everyday life slaps them up along side the head the way it does sometimes, how do they appreciate the wake up call?? So often, we are just sleepwalking through life. But as long as the waters are smooth sailing, we don't seem to mind that we are not really awake. Then when the sea gets bumpy and the bottom falls out, the storms swirl around us,....Lions, and Tigers, and Bears, Oh MY! We always wake up with a splash of cold water in our face, believing that we, of all people did not deserve that! Where do we get the idea that life owes us? Life is not an ironed out, bump free, happily ever after, it's all about me, fairytale. Life is a gift we were entrusted with...it's our story that has been written out, a play on the stage of life....and it's not at all about the storyline....but it's about how we play it out. Life is precious and fragile. It is tough and harsh. It is mountains and valleys. It's an awful lot like bull riding.... an 8 second, exhilarating, gut wrenching, white knuckled, ride in the scheme of eternity.
But I've learned, mostly, that life is a test....and too often we fail it...because we never learn how to embrace it. To grab on to it's hairy main and hang on for all we are worth! And it's about embracing all of it. The good, bad and ugly. The hellos and the goodbyes. The heartache and tears, the joy and the wonder of it all. We struggle and get so caught up in the individual acts of the play that we lose sight of the underlining message. We are a part of a larger story. A play within a play! "The bigger picture". Our job is to embrace the lines we've been given, play the cards we've been dealt, ride the bull that we've drawn....and our heart attitudes, countenance, mind sets, and actions will determine whether or not we have passed the test! Are you failing your pop quizzes so that it will be impossible to pass the big test? I don't know why bad things happened to good people.....I don't have the answers to all of life's hard questions. But I know the One who does. And someday I'll ask Him. In the meantime, we don't really need to have all the pat answers to life's curve balls. We just need to crawl up on LIFE's back, hold onto our hat......and stay on for our 8 seconds!
But I've learned, mostly, that life is a test....and too often we fail it...because we never learn how to embrace it. To grab on to it's hairy main and hang on for all we are worth! And it's about embracing all of it. The good, bad and ugly. The hellos and the goodbyes. The heartache and tears, the joy and the wonder of it all. We struggle and get so caught up in the individual acts of the play that we lose sight of the underlining message. We are a part of a larger story. A play within a play! "The bigger picture". Our job is to embrace the lines we've been given, play the cards we've been dealt, ride the bull that we've drawn....and our heart attitudes, countenance, mind sets, and actions will determine whether or not we have passed the test! Are you failing your pop quizzes so that it will be impossible to pass the big test? I don't know why bad things happened to good people.....I don't have the answers to all of life's hard questions. But I know the One who does. And someday I'll ask Him. In the meantime, we don't really need to have all the pat answers to life's curve balls. We just need to crawl up on LIFE's back, hold onto our hat......and stay on for our 8 seconds!
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Sarah, God's Special Gift To Me
I've always loved my daughter-in-law...she's always been an amazing person. Her beauty is evident to all both externally and internally. But today...I do believe I saw her in a new light! Let me tell you a little about her.
I've actually had the privilege of knowing Sarah since the time she was 15...and over the years I have come to know what a special person she really is. She is strong and courageous...she is a wonderful mother and sister and aunt! I am not always the easiest mother-in-law to get along with but Sarah has always endured my shortcomings with patience, love, and understanding. I contribute most of her wonderful attributes to being raised by wonderful parents who loved her and taught her the right things. And God blessed her with the attributes she needed to become this beautiful, radiant angel I witnessed singing in church today! She glowed as she praised and worshiped God with her gift of a beautiful voice. I sat amazed that I was indeed fortunate enough to have her as my daughter-in-law.....this beautiful woman of God, blessing those around her with her quiet, peaceful spirit.
It has indeed been an honor to witness the young 15 year old I first met, mature into this breathtaking woman of God, radiating confidence, boldness and maturity, where once there was little. Becoming a mother at seventeen would take it's toll on most teenagers I know, but Sarah did everything right. It wasn't always easy and there were a lot of sacrifices she made for someone so young, which indicated her inner strength was always one of her finest attributes.
You would think that finding yourself pregnant and unwed at the age of 17 would not be something in God's plan....right? Don't be so sure! I am reminded of another special woman of the Bible who experienced some of the same things that Sarah endured, also.
But even when we think we have messed up, God takes our brokenness and makes glorious masterpieces out of things that we never even think can be mended. Our son becoming a daddy and husband at 19 would never have been the path his father or I would have chosen for him. But praise God, we aren't the ones in charge of our paths. God is! It was hard for everyone,of course, but especially for Jordan and Sarah. But I have seen so many amazing things because of God's grace and love that He poured out onto our families during this time.
If I could have personally lined up every girl in the world to choose the perfect wife for my son....I would have picked Sarah! How I was blessed enough to become her mother-in-law.....I'll never know....but I thank God every day for her. I don't think I have ever heard an unkind word come out of her mouth. She believes the best about everyone. She gives of herself to anyone who has need. She is truly an amazing person. I love her so much! I love her for loving my son. I love her for giving me my grandchildren. I love her for her unconditional way of loving me.
Sarah.....you are a Special Gift from God to this earth! How lucky and blessed I am!
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
My Bucket List (At least for Today)
I am an anally responsible person! So it may amaze and amuse you as to what my "bucket list" would consist of. Let it be known here and now that I will probably never accomplish anything on this list.....but I can dream can't I?
1. Tear the tag off of the mattress.
2. Sleep in until noon.
3. Feed the animals in the zoo cage that has a sign "Please Do Not Feed the Animals!"
4. Stick gum on the bottom of my desk.
5. Throw a banana peel out of my car window while driving down the highway.
6. Take the free coffee from the hotel room.
7. Text at the dinner table, in church, or while at work.
8. Cuss out loud at a preacher.
9. Hang up on a telemarketer.
10. Wind the clock backwards.
11. Leave the batteries in the toy until they drip acid on everything.
12. Bounce a check.
13. Roller skate in a buffalo herd.
14. Spit into the wind.
15. Leave the bread wrapper opened.
16. Lick a flag pole.
17. Sit down during the Pledge of Allegiance.
18. Wash my whites with something red.
19. Eat my dessert first.
20. Leave the cap off the toothpaste.
21 Drive 30 in a 25 mph zone.
Well, there you have it. Seems possible....for a normal person. Yeah...Right.
1. Tear the tag off of the mattress.
2. Sleep in until noon.
3. Feed the animals in the zoo cage that has a sign "Please Do Not Feed the Animals!"
4. Stick gum on the bottom of my desk.
5. Throw a banana peel out of my car window while driving down the highway.
6. Take the free coffee from the hotel room.
7. Text at the dinner table, in church, or while at work.
8. Cuss out loud at a preacher.
9. Hang up on a telemarketer.
10. Wind the clock backwards.
11. Leave the batteries in the toy until they drip acid on everything.
12. Bounce a check.
13. Roller skate in a buffalo herd.
14. Spit into the wind.
15. Leave the bread wrapper opened.
16. Lick a flag pole.
17. Sit down during the Pledge of Allegiance.
18. Wash my whites with something red.
19. Eat my dessert first.
20. Leave the cap off the toothpaste.
21 Drive 30 in a 25 mph zone.
Well, there you have it. Seems possible....for a normal person. Yeah...Right.
Friday, October 15, 2010
On Loan
I haven't written a blog for several weeks. I've been busy preparing for the wedding of my youngest daughter, Jill. Everything that was prepared ahead of time to get them hitched.....well, it all went off without a hitch. The bride was breathtaking, the groom was tall, dark, and handsome. The ceremony was moving. The reception was fun. The food was good. The help was exceptional. I love the in-laws.
So why, now, two weeks after the wedding am I feeling soooo sad? It seems I was well prepared for the wedding.....I just wasn't prepared to lose my baby! Now, I know the famous saying, you are not losing a daughter, you are gaining a son-in-law, is true. And that makes me happy. But, as I sit here typing this, I also know that things will never be the same again.
Never again will I trip over piles of her shoes in the middle of my living room floor or hear her rustling around in the refrigerator at midnight looking for munchies.
Never again will I lie in bed waiting to hear her car pull in and breathe a sigh of relief that God had brought her home safely once again.
Never again will I bring home that special something I purchased because it reminded me of her.
No,I won't have stray wild kittens spatting and hissing at me as I try to pull them out from behind the piano because she had let go of them in the house.
I'll now have stacks of clean towels, because there won't be someone using 3 or 4 a day.
It will now take me years to use a bottle of cream rinse.
You see, I had a very important job for many years, and it was to be a mother and raise the three little beings that God had entrusted in my care. This last one....well she has been around for awhile. It was my job to instruct her on how to live, what to do, where to go, when to go, what not to do, how often not to do it, how much to spend, what was acceptable, what was not appreciated...etc. I think you get the picture.
What if I forgot to teach her something? I didn't have enough years to tell her everything I was suppose to, did I? What if she makes mistakes? What if I can't protect her anymore? What if she gets hurt?
Thirty years ago when I had my first baby, I didn't know how to be a mother.....now I don't know how to stop being one.
We live our lives raising our children for someone else. And then, we hand them over to their other half and are expected to retire from parenthood. It would be nice if they came with little tags on their big toe when they are born that reads..
On loan...please love unconditionally...sacrifice unselfishly.....give everything.....expect nothing in return.....and turn them over to someone else in 20 years or so. Please note...they will barely say thank you or goodbye for the years you've invested in them, as they happily pack up their belongings and head out the door.....this is normal. It means you did your job well. Relax...you are no longer a mom!
It seems it would be nice to spend a little time just on me. Right? The problem is...I forgot who me is! I spent 30 of my 52 years being a mom or wife. It didn't seem important at the time. Now, it almost seems too late.
Empty nests! My little birdies have all flown away. I'm entering a new stage of life. Should be exciting.....Once I get use to it!
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