Today was my day to take my mom to breakfast. Today the subject was me. She told many stories to me about people who have stopped her on the street just to say that, "Denise is the most wonderful person in the world." She also asked what month it was and then said, "Well June is coming and when your work celebrates your birthday, I am going to tell them a funny story about you when you were four." Those two examples are pretty normal each week but then came more.
Mom looked at me and said, "Remember when you sang with those other girls in Nashville." O.k. now how do I respond to that? Of course I don't remember because I have never sang with any girls in Nashville but in my mom's cute little head she obviously has some kind of memory going on. So I chose to just smile. "Well," she said, "I was in Mr. King's store when your daddy came in and asked me if you were in jail. I said no, she is just singing in Nashville. He was so relieved to hear that about you." That was the story so once again I just smiled. But it was quickly followed up by more.
"Yes," she said, "your daddy called me the other night. He said he called just to say hi because he had a run to Michigan." (insert here that my dad has been dead since I was 19 years old so that's 49 years. He did drive a truck for a living but if he were still driving he would be 78 years old) "He asked me what you were doing and I told him that you worked for the church. He said then he better stay away from you." At this point I laughed out loud because that was funny.
She can really be funny sometimes. What I get from it all though is that my mom loves me. She wants to tell me that I am wonderful. She wants to tell me she is proud of me working at the church. She wants me to know that I am on her mind. Those are the things she would want me to know if she could really put those thoughts into real words.
Sunday is Mother's Day and I want the subject to be about her. I want to honor her and show her love. This year I am going to make her favorite pie for her, caramel. I have never done it before and I really don't make pies. I had to call my cousin in Tennessee so that I could be told how to do it. I hope that in some small way she will know the love that is in the making of the pie.
Happy Mother's Day Mom! God gave me to you and you to me. He never makes a mistake and He is good all the time. I thank Him for His choice for me. God bless you, Mom!
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Monday, January 25, 2010
Another Lesson From Everett
My seven year old grandson, Everett, is always teaching me something. I wanted to pass this on to you. My Dad was having surgery on a Thursday, partial knee replacement. My daughter has all of the kids signed up for an Enrichment program for homeschoolers which meets on Thursday. On Wednesday my daughter mentioned to Everett that the next day would be his class. Everett said, "Family is more important than class." Barb asked him what he meant and he replied, "I can't go to class when my poppie is going to have surgery." With that statement his lip began to quiver as the tears were right at the surface. She promised him to take him over to see his poppie before the surgery and then after. This was satisfactory to him.
A seven year old already understands the importance of family. He knows that we do not need to go after fun for ourselves when there is an important issue taking place in our family. I want to commend my daughter, Barb, and husband, Kalin, for the way they are raising their children. They are training them in the important things of life. The most important thing they are doing is pointing each of their children to Jesus. They incorporate the love of Jesus into their training as they love each child for the glory of God.
Thank you Barb and Kalin for your efforts. Thank you Everett for considering others better than yourself. I heard your lesson and will strive to learn it as I serve my family.
A seven year old already understands the importance of family. He knows that we do not need to go after fun for ourselves when there is an important issue taking place in our family. I want to commend my daughter, Barb, and husband, Kalin, for the way they are raising their children. They are training them in the important things of life. The most important thing they are doing is pointing each of their children to Jesus. They incorporate the love of Jesus into their training as they love each child for the glory of God.
Thank you Barb and Kalin for your efforts. Thank you Everett for considering others better than yourself. I heard your lesson and will strive to learn it as I serve my family.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Breakfast with Mom
Every Thursday morning for the past 30 years I have had breakfast with Mom one day a week. We have gone to the same restaurant for most of those 30 years. It is like a family. The waitress and the other customers know me by name. They have shared in the slow decline of my mom over the years especially the last ten.
Our times at the table now do not consist of real conversation. Actually my mom cannot follow a conversation anymore. She does like to talk. So she makes up stories and tells them to me. They are usually about me. For instance, she had a dream we were running together on the farm in Tennessee or my dad was defending me against neighbors who were speaking back about me. This last week she said when I was three years old I said, "I just got the call and I am going to be a truck driver." :) That's funny!
Mom loves to tell a joke. She forgets a lot of things but not this one particular joke. She will tell anyone who is in her path. I try to make sure we go straight from our booth to pay but I am not always successful. One morning, Mom pushed me ahead of her so that she could interrupt a man's breakfast to tell him her joke. He did not look very happy about it. I was not close enough to thank him for his patience so I decided to ask the waitress to let him know of mom's condition. I remember the waitress saying to me, "Don't worry about that! Your mom is fine. You do not need to make excuses for her."
What a wonderful thing to hear from this woman who has waited on us for many years now! She was kind and loving concerning my mother. I have to remember that kind and loving part as I sometimes get a little embarrassed and impatient. She is still my mother after all. I need to treat her as such.
The people we meet each day are taking account of us. They can be the cashiers, the driver of the car in front of us, the person we pass walking on the street or a waitress. What kind of attitude do they see from us? Is it reflective of Jesus? It better be if you are a follower of Christ. That is who we are called to reflect.
So do these people I meet every day know who I am, a Follower of Christ? More importantly, does my mother know who I am? (Even if she can't quite process it)
Our times at the table now do not consist of real conversation. Actually my mom cannot follow a conversation anymore. She does like to talk. So she makes up stories and tells them to me. They are usually about me. For instance, she had a dream we were running together on the farm in Tennessee or my dad was defending me against neighbors who were speaking back about me. This last week she said when I was three years old I said, "I just got the call and I am going to be a truck driver." :) That's funny!
Mom loves to tell a joke. She forgets a lot of things but not this one particular joke. She will tell anyone who is in her path. I try to make sure we go straight from our booth to pay but I am not always successful. One morning, Mom pushed me ahead of her so that she could interrupt a man's breakfast to tell him her joke. He did not look very happy about it. I was not close enough to thank him for his patience so I decided to ask the waitress to let him know of mom's condition. I remember the waitress saying to me, "Don't worry about that! Your mom is fine. You do not need to make excuses for her."
What a wonderful thing to hear from this woman who has waited on us for many years now! She was kind and loving concerning my mother. I have to remember that kind and loving part as I sometimes get a little embarrassed and impatient. She is still my mother after all. I need to treat her as such.
The people we meet each day are taking account of us. They can be the cashiers, the driver of the car in front of us, the person we pass walking on the street or a waitress. What kind of attitude do they see from us? Is it reflective of Jesus? It better be if you are a follower of Christ. That is who we are called to reflect.
So do these people I meet every day know who I am, a Follower of Christ? More importantly, does my mother know who I am? (Even if she can't quite process it)
Monday, November 17, 2008
Remember when...
We have all said "remember when". Sometimes it is because we don't see the value of something until a long time after it happened. Other times it is because it is a precious time. I was reminded of this the other day.
Ronn and I were on our way to a wedding reception and were early so we stopped at my daughter's house to kill some time. My daughter and husband were still getting ready for the wedding so we were being entertained by the grand kids. My granddaughter was in my lap when my daughter came down the stairs. She looked up and said, "Mama you're a princess!". This was one of those "remember when" moments. It was precious and we will repeat it often in the future.
It really got me to thinking. I began to remember my daughter twirling in a dress with her blond hair flying. She was a little princess all dressed up and enjoying every minute of it. My little princess grew up and on her wedding day she was a grown-up princess in a beautiful white dress marrying her prince. My granddaughter reminded me of my grown-up daughter princess and all of the times in her life which I "remember when".
The prince or princess you have is a gift from God. Enjoy him or her. Treasure your time. Utilize your position as parent to point your prince or princess in the direction of their creator and Savior. The days go by too quickly and we allow so many things to get in our way. It is important to take time with these who are our future. I know that I missed many opportunities to enjoy my children because I simply allowed myself to get too busy or to be impatient. Don't regret! Don't be caught in a position of not enough "remember whens" in your life.
I enjoy my time with my grown-up princess more today than ever. She has grown-up into a godly woman who loves the Lord, her husband and her children. I am so thankful to the Lord for His gift to me.
Ronn and I were on our way to a wedding reception and were early so we stopped at my daughter's house to kill some time. My daughter and husband were still getting ready for the wedding so we were being entertained by the grand kids. My granddaughter was in my lap when my daughter came down the stairs. She looked up and said, "Mama you're a princess!". This was one of those "remember when" moments. It was precious and we will repeat it often in the future.
It really got me to thinking. I began to remember my daughter twirling in a dress with her blond hair flying. She was a little princess all dressed up and enjoying every minute of it. My little princess grew up and on her wedding day she was a grown-up princess in a beautiful white dress marrying her prince. My granddaughter reminded me of my grown-up daughter princess and all of the times in her life which I "remember when".
The prince or princess you have is a gift from God. Enjoy him or her. Treasure your time. Utilize your position as parent to point your prince or princess in the direction of their creator and Savior. The days go by too quickly and we allow so many things to get in our way. It is important to take time with these who are our future. I know that I missed many opportunities to enjoy my children because I simply allowed myself to get too busy or to be impatient. Don't regret! Don't be caught in a position of not enough "remember whens" in your life.
I enjoy my time with my grown-up princess more today than ever. She has grown-up into a godly woman who loves the Lord, her husband and her children. I am so thankful to the Lord for His gift to me.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
The Eyes Have It!
Have you ever looked into some one's eyes? I mean really looked. If you have, you know how much is said by our eyes. Our eyes give away what we are thinking or what is in our heart. I remember one time when I was being corrected by a Mormon on a biblical passage. I was looking directly at him in what I thought to be just a listening manner. But my husband told me that my eyes were saying, "you do NOT know what you are talking about". I thought I was hiding my feelings but my eyes were giving me away.
There are many different messages given by people we pass each day. Some messages of sadness, others of anger, others of pain and then a few laughter. The problem is we really don't pay attention. It is probably not realistic for us to think we can pay attention to everyone. So what is our responsibility as followers of Christ to the eye messages around us?
In a crowd, a smile, a nod, a spoken hello goes a long way to connect with people we don't even know. With that connection may come encouragement for the one who is struggling.
In the church, a smile, a nod, a spoken hello and stopping to talk will make a difference in the life of those pair of eyes in need of a touch from family. We walk too fast and tend to be task focused. We don't stop and take time with our fellow believers. We are part of the same body, the body of Christ. We need to care for one another. If we did, what a difference for the cause of Christ would be made. Answer the eyes you meet in the hallways with love, compassion and empathy as you stop.
In our immediate family, a smile, a nod, a spoken hello, stopping to talk and being eye proactive. What I mean by eye proactive takes involvement. We should be so involved with our family members that we can foresee the thoughts coming before they are ever behind the eyes. This takes a lot of time and attention but cannot be overlooked as we seek to serve our families.
Those eyes say a lot. What do your eyes say? What do mine say? Do our eyes reflect who we are in Christ? Or do we have work to do? Christ's eyes were full of compassion as he looked at the crowds. He saw sheep without a shepherd. (Matthew 9:36) I thank God He looked and saw me and then saved me. I now have THE GOOD SHEPHERD. My desire is to follow my shepherd with all my heart, all my mind, all my soul and to reflect him with my eyes.
There are many different messages given by people we pass each day. Some messages of sadness, others of anger, others of pain and then a few laughter. The problem is we really don't pay attention. It is probably not realistic for us to think we can pay attention to everyone. So what is our responsibility as followers of Christ to the eye messages around us?
In a crowd, a smile, a nod, a spoken hello goes a long way to connect with people we don't even know. With that connection may come encouragement for the one who is struggling.
In the church, a smile, a nod, a spoken hello and stopping to talk will make a difference in the life of those pair of eyes in need of a touch from family. We walk too fast and tend to be task focused. We don't stop and take time with our fellow believers. We are part of the same body, the body of Christ. We need to care for one another. If we did, what a difference for the cause of Christ would be made. Answer the eyes you meet in the hallways with love, compassion and empathy as you stop.
In our immediate family, a smile, a nod, a spoken hello, stopping to talk and being eye proactive. What I mean by eye proactive takes involvement. We should be so involved with our family members that we can foresee the thoughts coming before they are ever behind the eyes. This takes a lot of time and attention but cannot be overlooked as we seek to serve our families.
Those eyes say a lot. What do your eyes say? What do mine say? Do our eyes reflect who we are in Christ? Or do we have work to do? Christ's eyes were full of compassion as he looked at the crowds. He saw sheep without a shepherd. (Matthew 9:36) I thank God He looked and saw me and then saved me. I now have THE GOOD SHEPHERD. My desire is to follow my shepherd with all my heart, all my mind, all my soul and to reflect him with my eyes.
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