Tradition!

I am an ardent and unashamed lover of traditions!

If you've never had the privilege of watching "Tevia" sing about tradition (Fiddler on the Roof) well, you have just missed it! Traditions offer continuity, they demonstrate connectedness, they express value.......the list goes on and on.

Tonight we will share in celebrating the birthday of a special young man - Mr. Nathan Andrew Smith who happens to be turning 21 years old! We are blessed to be marking this birthday with Nathan for several reasons: He has been a friend of our family for many years; he is currently attending SEU (which is essentially in our back yard); his dad flew down from NC to host this celebration; and (drum-roll, please) he is the boyfriend of our youngest daughter. (Cymbal crash. Smile.)

So right now the family is engaged in a last minute flurry of activity preparing burgers for the grill, wrapping gifts, hanging streamers, arranging chairs, etc. (I am excused from said activities this time because we just returned from a conference and I'm breathing for a moment.)

But that's exactly the point. Our family birthday celebrations have had certain elements of tradition for so many years now that the girls can make it happen all on their own. They add new ideas, their own personal flair and there you have it - tradition....improved! Better still, we will also be adding "Smith Family Traditions" for this evening. Ahhhh, the richness!

There were many times through the years that I wondered if maintaining "traditions" even mattered to anyone else in the family. So much effort was required; was it really that important? The answer is a resounding "YES!" Young moms out there, it really does matter.

I would encourage you to keep your traditions simple, easily manageable. Remember, you want to enjoy repeating this not spending the whole year dreading that it's coming up again. Smile.

And include as many family members as you can. Give age appropriate assignments. Then have fun! The important thing is the repetition not the lavishness of the tradition. (And that's good news in any economy.)

Time for me to join the festivities. But I just want to encourage you - add tradition to your next celebration. You will see the dividends for years to come.

It's About Time

The past few days I've been staying up later than usual and still getting up very early. Then I saw a facebook comment by a friend who summed it up beautifully, "I stay up late at night only to realize the next morning that this is not a good idea!" Smile.

So I wondered again for the millioneth time, why is it that some of us are night owls and others know that the darkest hour truly is just before dawn? (Frank is the night owl in our family. But he graciously adapted to turning in early and getting up early soon after we married. Probably because I was more grumpy than him if we did it the other way. Sigh.)

I guess we are all just looking for a little slice of quiet and solitude in our hectic lives!

For some (Frank, my friend, my kids) that happens at night after everyone else has turned in and the house is quiet; the phone quits ringing; children, birds, dogs and even bullfrogs have gone silent. For others (like me) that moment comes just before daylight when everyone is blissfully dreaming or already reading their own devotions. There are no expectations; you aren't "behind"; the moment belongs completely to you!

Ahhhhhh! Do you feel the calm?

I've heard more than a few preachers talk about living in that state of calm all the time. Sounds a little like "Nirvana" to me. Smile. But then I read Psalm 23 again and realize that:

• The calm is for my soul, not my circumstances.
• He leads me there - I'm not required to get there on my own.
• There is no room for fear in this state.
• No enemy is allowed to harass me there.

Okay, so this is a location worth finding. (Does anyone have those co-ordinates in their GPS?!)

Yes, I know. The address is one already listed: Psalm 23. Whether you make the journey late at night or early in the morning, be sure to visit daily. Your family will thank you as does mine!


Oh you must have this little funny for today. At our ladies meeting last night, we used the old playground game "Telephone" to illustrate our point for the evening. (You remember. One person starts a phrase which is then whispered from person to person. The last one tells what they heard and it seldom matches the initial phrase?)

So our starting phrase was: "All I want to do when the day is through is linger here on the front porch with you." Some groups came close to repeating it correctly, others did not! Our favorite for the evening was the table that ended with: "All I want to do is sit on the front porch and eat wings with you!" Ya gotta love it!

Peaking in the Window

Honesty is the best policy - that's what they say.

When our board members and their wives arrived at our house last night, everything was ready. The table was beautifully decorated and set; the air was fragrant with the promise of good food; soft music played in the background; I looked like I had been meditating on the veranda; candles flickered invitingly.

But let's rewind just one short hour.

• I had worked through lunch in order to leave the office early.
  
• Dashed by the grocery store to pick up the last few items needed.
  
• Sat in the parking lot taking a phone call and trying desperately to finish the list of said items.
  
• Got home and realized I didn't have all twelve bowls/salad plates I needed. (My dishes have been retrieved from some of the most unusual locations. Smile.)
• Began sauteing the onions and celery I needed to add to my main dish. (Main dish was mostly prepared on Sunday night.)
  
• Focusing (with Kristin's help) on options for seating twelve in my dining area which is designed for six - maybe eight.
• Grabbed the season salt from the cabinet and gave a quick shake to finish off the sauteing process - disaster struck! The lid came off and one third of the season salt shaker plopped into the pan! Sigh. (Really, that was more of a double sigh moment.)

I wanted to cry but the emergency demanded calm. I salvaged what I could and added it to the main dish knowing that it wouldn't really be enough to give the flavoring necessary. And when the tears did come a few minutes later I had to ask the harsh question, "Why am I crying?!"

I dearly love all the people who were coming to my house. Kristin, Frank and Amanda had arrived and were helping get everything together. I wasn't making some extravagant french dish - it was home made vegetable beef soup and salad for pity's sake! (Yeah, I know you're shaking your head in disbelief right now. I'm embarrassed to admit that was dinner but this is about honesty. Smile.)

The truth came to me like a flood. I hate not being Superwoman!

I want people to think that I can handle a full-time office position; direct the ministries assigned to my care with excellence; attend to the emotional needs of those around me; address decisions that must be made with wisdom; prepare teachings that sound just like Beth Moore; throw dinner parties for twelve and never break a sweat!

But I can't. I need help just like everyone else around me.

Hmmmmm. Today I think I'll stay close to the best help: "The Lord is my rock, my fortress, my refuge, my deliverer." And I probably need to be delivered most from my own expectations!

There's the peak inside my kitchen window. Hope your day is peace-filled.

Incoming!

Okay, so right now I'm attempting to take a deep breath that I hope will tide me over until next Sunday night.

Occasionally, our wonderful life really lights up with excitement and this will be one of those weeks. We have meetings every single night (including tonight but I skipped out. Smile.) There will be a district wide ministry training on Friday and Saturday. My dad is coming down to spend the week with us. Another friend will be arriving just before Dad leaves. And of course there will be all the standard meetings that go into a regular week. Are we there yet?!

It would seem overwhelming except - we enjoy "living large"!! My sister (Vonnie) has often said, "Sheri, your life gives me heartburn. I get off the phone with you and go find my Tums!"

And believe it or not, there are blessings that go along with all this chaotic clamor.

• Dad requires very little entertaining. He just enjoys hanging out, going to lunch, a little fishing, visiting a few friends. Really pretty easy. Of course, he does prefer to hold the remote control while he and Frank watch FOX news. Age trumps home ownership.
• The evening events are meetings we will enjoy and other than one meal and an agenda, they will pretty much run themselves.
• I get to teach a workshop at the ministry training event this weekend and I'm very excited about that!
• Our pastor friend who will be coming is an exemplary house guest and asked only for a blanket, a pillow and a towel to be happy. Smile.
  
• The house is all clean and the laundry is even put away! (Collective ahhhhh.)

I will probably hold tightly to a new favorite verse this week: "The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace."

Yep, that thought should get me to Thursday at least! Smile.

Just a Thought

Shortest post of all time!

My battery is low; my day is full; my heart is overflowing. Nothing especially unusual has happened, I was just reminded early this morning how important gratitude is in each of our lives.

So today I'm counting blessings: a Godly husband, family, friends, church family, health, blue skies, cloudy skies, eyes to see the skies! Smile. As I sat quietly and began to ponder the blessings of my life in the midst of difficulty, my whole attitude changed.

I guess Paul knew something when he encouraged us to find contentment in ALL our circumstances.

Yep, shortest post of all time. But I hope it gives you the challenge of creating your own l-o-n-g list of blessing!

Across the Pond

So, again I apologize for waiting this long to write. Between our company, Labor Day, normal church obligations, etc. it's just been a bit tough to find a quiet moment. But finally! Gracie is snuggled up beside me on the love seat; Bella is waiting patiently for Frank by the bedroom door; everyone else is enjoying their final REM cycle and I'm getting to write. Ahhhh!

I thought I would tell you a bit about our dear friends, Phil and Sue Parsons. First off, isn't it just delightful that they are pastors in England and their last name is Parsons?! That could have only been topped if their name had been Vicars. Smile. At any rate, we met them over twenty years ago when they preached for our home church in Asheville, NC. But we didn't really come to know them until eleven years ago.

God used Phil to help push us toward a path He had ordered for our feet. Frank had literally just finished a resignation letter for the church we were pastoring. And had no idea what the next step would be for us. (This is typically NOT a good idea in pastoral work; you first secure your next pastorate, then you resign. Smile.) Frank just simply prayed, "Lead us, Lord. Whatever You have, we'll do!"

Within the hour the phone rang and it was Phil Parsons calling to say the Lord had laid us on his heart and he felt impressed to "ring us up". (Phil didn't even have our number, he had to contact a mutual friend then call us but the timing was impeccable.) Frank shared that we were leaving our church; Phil said, "Come to England and minister!"; we started actively praying about it; miracles began to happen (too many for right now - another post); and four months later our entire family was traveling in England singing and preaching.

That's the short version of how Family to Family was born. When we returned to the states, we continued to travel for six years! It was an amazing season of our lives that was launched by that timely phone call. God truly does "order our footsteps" if we will listen.

Since that time, we've visited back and forth consistently about every two years and stay in touch with phone calls, email and now facebook! They are gentle, sincere people who love God, their family and others. It's always fun to be around them. I thought you might enjoy some of their unique English-isms today. (You should read these with a rather refined English accent echoing in your head; something like Hugh Grant or Dame Judy Dench.)

• "Ah, there's lovely!" (Used for delightful or tender moments. Sunsets, end of the movie kisses, baby smiles, etc.)
• "She crunched the bonnet." (The hood of her car is crushed.)
• "Where's the bin?" (Do you have a trash can?)
• "Toe-mah-toes, Oar-ah-gah-no, sault" (Recipe ingredients: tomato, oregano, salt)
• "What!" (Used as an exclamation point expressing surprise or great emotion. "He turned rather quickly. What!" "I say, that's an exorbitant cost. What!" "Ah, there's lovely. What!")
• "Shall I put on the kettle?" (Would you care for a cup of hot tea? With milk, of course! This phrase will be used five or six times per day.)
• "Right." (Anything from: let's get started to I suppose you were correct.)
• "Isn't it mah-velous?!" (This is the equivalent of "Oh, good grief!")
• "Brilliant!" (This has nothing to do with intelligence. It is used for indicating appreciation/admiration of someone or something. "This pizza is brilliant!" "That presentation was most moving. He is a brilliant musician.")
  

Great, aren't they?! Have a blessed day and remember that your steps are ordered as well.

U.N.B.E.L.I.E.V.A.B.L.E.!!!

Some of you may find the story I'm about to tell slightly hard to believe. But I assure you this is completely true. Nothing has been fabricated; nothing has been embellished. It is simply an indication of how personal and amazing our heavenly father truly is!

Our friends, Phil and Sue, have arrived from England. We picked them up at Tampa International late yesterday. Then the four of us traveled on toward Venice, FL to enjoy a couple of days at a "mission house" that had been made available to us.

We rose early this morning and shared a leisurely breakfast. Then it was off to the beach for a couple of hours before the heat became too much. We found a particular spot we had visited before. Kind of off the beaten path near a jetty where dolphins and manatee can be spotted at certain times of the year.

The water was absolutely fabulous. A clear green-blue near the shore and a rich sapphire deeper out. This beach is on the gulf side of FL so the water is extremely calm; almost like a lake at times. We got our chairs and umbrellas all situated then decided the water was calling so we headed out for a swim.

It was really lovely because the seaweed is minimal and you are able to see straight to the bottom quite clearly. We spent about twenty minutes playing in the water, swimming, floating, threatening to splash each other (but not following through on the threat because we're over fifty! Smile.)

We turned to go back to the shore when a lady about twenty feet from us called out, "Look! There's a manatee right there!" She was pointing just in front of herself and her friend. We excitedly headed over to where she was and could clearly see the huge mammal swimming directly in front of us.

As we got closer, we were able to see that it was not one manatee but four, all gliding silently through the water. We couldn't believe our eyes! They were now within five feet of us and acting as though we were simply another form of aquatic life. What happened next is the unbelievable part.

Frank (always fearless) eased up to one of the gentle giants and reached out to touch it! The manatee didn't seem alarmed in any way. So the lady who initially alerted us to them also reached out to touch one. It was then that the magic really started.

All six of us (Frank, Phil, Sue, Molly, Grace, and myself) began easing up to these mammoth creatures and slowly allowing them to glide under our hands. It soon became evident that the manatee were just as curious about us as we were about them. All four continued to "swim" around our little group allowing us to touch or rub them gently.

We spoke rather quietly to one another; no one wanted to startle the visitors. But Molly shared with us that she had lived on this beach since the 70's and had never seen anything like this. I couldn't help but exclaim, "Oh, what a marvelous kiss from heaven!" The other lady (Grace) softly clapped her hands and said several times, "Oh thank you, God!" It was indeed a moment of divine grace.

The highlight came after about fifteen minutes. One of the monsters had come back by Frank several times. (They were identifiable because of scars on their backs from propellers that had gotten too close at various times.) The manatee hesitated near Frank for a moment then effortlessly rolled over on its back for Frank to rub its belly. We couldn't believe what we were seeing!

Of course, Frank obliged the silent request of our new friend! He rubbed the manatee until the giant casually rolled back over and appeared to be studying Frank. It was incredible, truly incredible. The tummy rub was repeated several times and the pod even allowed us to touch the "baby" which was only about seven feet long. The others were all ten to twelve feet in length and we learned that most adults weigh a thousand pounds on average.

U.N.B.E.L.I.E.V.A.B.L.E.!

We could never have justified paying for such an experience but the Lord graciously provided the delight for us free of charge. The foursome finally tired of us and silently glided on to search for easy feeding ground.

This morning I lived the literal truth of the scripture which says, "No one can imagine the joys He has in store for those who love Him."

That's the story - in full! We did get a few pictures which I will endeavor with all diligence to post for you at some point next week. This you gotta see! Smile.