consistency

dear emily,

it has often occurred to me that when we are training our little
ones to be kind and good, we are really training ourselves.

there are many gadgets in our parenting tool belt, but consistency
is one of the most effective.   if i am unfailing to shine my light
on his bad language, for instance,  then my child will usually
upgrade his vocabulary.

on the other hand, if my ornery widget is not totally sure how i
will react, he will spout off the dirty words.  the fun of it is worth
the risk.  maybe i'll ignore it this time.

if we take advantage of that very short period of time in which
they want to please us, we can teach our children invaluable
life skills.  the key is our unswerving response.  we  need to
reinforce any kind and thoughtful gesture and correct the hurtful
or selfish ones.

sounds pretty easy, but those days that i don't feel well or just
don't want to get off the couch can sabotage me.  as nike says,
"just do it!"

or as Jesus says, "let your light shine . . . that they may see your
good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."  matthew 5:16

love,
lea

don't give up!

dear emily,

i was sinking into thicker, deeper mud, reaching for the shiny
bell around my grandma's neck, when the phone awakened me.
at 12:30 in the morning that is never a good sign.

"mrs. h.?  this is officer jones from the 'xyz' police department,
and i have your son, max, with me."

"mrs. h.?"

my voice was trying to find its way around the immense wad
of cotton in my throat.

i finally choked out, "is he ok?"

"yes, ma'am, but he was driving after juvenile curfew hours.
what would you like me to do with him?"

hmm,  i was tempted to say, "how about hog tie him to the
back of your car and drag him through the stock yards!"

this is how we began max's senior year.  he was supposed to
have been at his all-night senior retreat.  i was reminded of his
ornery three year old days, when i used  to say, "if you weren't
so cute, i would strangle you!"

as we helped him pilot through the rest of his senior year, we
often wondered if he even heard our morning devotions or
repetitive encouragements.  he sort of raced in and flew out.
one thing we never doubted, though, was his heart.

by the end of the year, he was encouraging his all state track
team at their pre-race pep talk.  after hearing from so many
coaches and parents about it, i asked him what in the world
he had said.

"oh, i just told 'em what dad said at family devotions that
morning."

miracles never cease.  don't give up or "become weary in
doing good."  galatians 6:9

love,
lea

dear emily,

plane fare to the bahamas:  expensive

four days at atlantis on paradise island:  also expensive

the opportunity to laugh with dear friends . . .

and kiss a dolphin. . .

priceless.

"i was filled with delight day after day. . ." proverbs 8:30

love,
lea

a mother's prayers

dear emily,

one of my favorite authors is jan karon who wrote the
mitford series about a quaint little town nestled in the hills
of north carolina.  she is a retired advertising executive, so
her  prose is spare yet lovely.  her characters are quirky,
and their conversation is authentic and inspiring.

the most beloved is father tim, an episcopalian priest and
shepherd of the village, who loves to pray 'the prayer that
never fails', "Thy will be done."

when praying for my children, i search the bible for the
scriptures that seem most fitting for the situation.  then i
just insert my loved one's name.

for instance, if any are struggling with their future i might
pray, "Lord, please fulfill Your purpose for shelby and dan
. . . and please do not abandon the works of Your hands."
psalm  138:8

i believe so fervently in the power of God's word, that it
seems only natural to pray it.  more importantly, it protects
me from vain or selfish prayers that may have nothing to do
with His will or purpose.

love,
lea

my previous blunder

dear emily,

how to count my blunders?  in number or degree of
devastation?

my chronic disease contributes to most of them.  i have
OCDD. . . obsessive compulsive disposal disorder.

i have thrown away important bank slips, CHECKS, bills,
receipts, letters, magazines.  you name it, and i have
tossed it, to my family's constant dismay.

i have given away hans' favorite shirts, ties, suits, and
shoes.  now to my defense, favorite to him, means the
cuffs are frayed and the shoes no longer have soles.

i have left car windows down during thunderstorms and
bumped the car into the garage door so many times that
isaac jumped in front shouting, "no mom, don't do it! let
dad park it when he gets home."

but the worst blunder of all, the one that still makes me
want to empty the contents of my stomach, is difficult to
tell.  sunday had just finished her college application to
baylor.  i was so impressed by the eloquence of every
essay as i edited, at her request.

what she didn't request or could have imagined is that i
accidentally, unintentionally, inexplicably pushed the
delete button!

and do you know what she said to me?

"well, i guess i will just go to 'xyz' university."

what a lovely example that "His mercies are new every
morning. . . " even when i don't deserve them.
lamentations 3:21-23

love,
lea

ps.  i'm going to 'spring' away from my computer for a
few days.

saint patrick's day!

dear emily,

are the kids excited about saint patrick's day?  i used
to forget and get pinched to death at school, so this
is their 'green' warning.

i recently enjoyed stephen lawhead's patrick, son of
ireland, and now i know why all of ireland loves
him so!

did you realize the holiday has been celebrated for over
1,000 years?  apparently, the irish are allowed to suspend
their lenten restrictions for that one day to feast, dance,
and drink, not necessarily in that order.

saint patrick was born to wealthy parents but kidnapped
by irish raiders when only sixteen.  sadly, he spent the
next six years tending sheep in near solitude.

because of his terrible loneliness, he derived solace from
his faith and became a devout Christian.  it is believed
that he had at least two divine revelations: the first to
leave for britain and the second to then return to ireland
as a missionary.

it's interesting that upon his homecoming, he didn't try
to remove irish mysticism, but instead he assimilated
Christian life into their traditions.  he had bonfires at
easter and added the symbol of the sun to the cross,
making the celtic cross that we all know.

class dismissed!

love,
lea

". . . i have become all things to all men so that by all
possible means i might save some."  1 corinthians 9:22b

a leprechaun for sunday

dear emily,

we have been fervently praying for our daughter, sunday,
this term while she has been studying abroad, but we could
never have imagined the variety of ways the Lord would
show His love for her.

while spending a few extraordinary days on the canary
islands, she was splashed by a swimmer in the pool.

"i beg your pardon, my dear darling lassie!" said the
musical irish voice.

sunday was pleased to see the twinkly blue eyes that came
with the apology and assured him splashing didn't bother her
at all.  he remarked that she had a verra' american accent.

after an entertaining and amusing conversation, the elderly
irishman said, "good health to you and a pleasant sleep."

the next morning while enjoying her tropical fruit by the
seaside, she heard a now familiar voice asking,  "now,
would you be thinking me too forward if i asked to join
you for breakfast?"

seeing his book of mark, sunday exclaimed,  "i just was
reading in mark!"

"well now, and maybe i should be telling you, sure,  that
i just was saying a prayer for you in mass, wasn't i?"

as they were saying their farewells, he said, "the funny
thing about life is you often end up saying goodbye more
than once."

i wonder if he has a grandson her age?

love,
lea

"do not forget to offer hospitality to strangers...for through
it some have entertained angels."  hebrews 13:2