spring clean

dear emily,

i just read every word of a blog's spring cleaning steps and promptly went
shoe shopping.   as i walked out with more than one pair,  i passed a young
man looking through his car window at me.   his mouth fell open, and i know
what he was thinking:  "thank the Lord, that is not MY wife!"

for some reason, he didn't think i could see him watching me, and it struck
my funny bone.   so i bent down and said, "ssssh!" . . . like, "don't tell my
husband."  i think he was way more embarrassed than i was about my shoes.

don't believe what they tell you:  it's pretty fun being a middle aged woman,
and spring cleaning isn't so bad, either.

love,
lea

"then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."  john 8:32

you're 'ok' and my 'ok' are not the same

dear emily,

before you were even born, i'm ok, you're ok was published to many people's
delight.  i remember being 12 or 13 and listening to my parents discuss the
wonders of the book with my uncle jim.   he especially loved the idea of every-
one being ok.

after more time than i thought was ok,  i also remember thinking, "ok, ok, ok!
can someone please take me to the mall?"

this morning my husband and i were taking a bike ride through our fine city's
beautiful streets.   he would speed through intersections, saying, "you're ok!"
this, of course, meant that i didn't need to slow down but could safely sail
right across the intersecting street.

google image

halfway across, the angel on my right shoulder said, "you can trust him.    he
loves you."

the devil on my left shoulder said, "just take a peek."   sure enough there was
a truck too close for comfort, so i sped up a bit and arrived on the other side
in one piece.

i told him, "you're ok and MY ok are not the same."

love,
lea

"for My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways."
isaiah 55:8

bumper stickers

what is the deal with people who feel the need to put a gazillion
bumper stickers on their cars?   my response to the various ones
is completely dependent on my hunger.

google image

for instance, after a lovely walk at the river with one of my funny
friends, i will feel magnanimous toward the little white truck who
passes me.   if he then tells me to 'co-exist,' i will be more than
happy to do so.

if, however, i am an hour past my lunch hour and a red camaro
cuts in front of me at wendy's drive through, i will not be very
interested in 'co-existing.'  my temptation will be to tell him that
i really don't have a choice.   he has forced his existence on me
and made me wonder whether my existence is even on his radar.

what if, instead of on our cars, we had bumper stickers on our
'bumpers?'  most of them would probably read: "i exist for me."
mine might say, "no, i have not missed any meals."

what would you like your 'bumper' sticker to say?

love,
lea

"by this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love
one another."  john 13:35

dear emily,

last week hans and i visited our 'old' church, who was hosting a
missions' conference.  i was pretty nervous about our reception,
as we had not been there in many years.  our oldest was 12 when
we left, and he's almost 28 now.   i determine all time periods by
my kids' ages.

anyway, after the service i was overwhelmed by the exuberant
welcome from the 28-30 year olds.  it hadn't occurred to me that
the 'young' people would remember me.   i wasn't much older
than that when i last saw some of them.   my heart was full, and
my resolve to "let the little ones come to me" was strengthened.

children do not forget kindness.

if it seems that you are the mom who always has everyone else's
kids at your house . . . be grateful.   that is an awesome privilege.

love,
lea

ps.  "let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we
shall reap."  galatians 6:9