i blow dry my feet

if you think it strange that i blow dry my feet, then you must not
know my aunt susan.  she can blow a sunflower seed through a
straw and knock a squirrel plumb off its sycamore branch.   that
used to tickle us kids, because that meant meat for dinner.

aunt susan's sister in law, doris, had special powers, too.  one
time i saw her spit a watermelon seed into the eye of a racoon.
she didn't "cotton to his helpin' hisself to her corn cobs." now
that i think about it, neither did we.

doris' son, my friend jimmy, was a might  'tetched'  but we
loved him just the same.  the baker boys on the south 40 were
afraid of him, which kept them from beating up on us.   which
is why i still have both my arms and legs.

which leads me to my feet.  they get freezing cold, so to warm
them up, i turn the blow dryer on them,  which is the only true
part of this story.

yep,
lea

"oh God, thou knowest my foolishness."  psalm 69:5

hosanna!

hosanna!!!!  i love palm sunday almost as much as easter sunday.
the children waving palm branches and singing, "hosanna!" so
perfectly reflect the big hosanna in my heart.   when we had
little ones, i used to get excited to pull out the resurrection eggs.
they were such a fun way to retell the greatest story ever lived.

as long as i can remember, i have awakened at the crack of dawn
on easter sunday to race down to the church by 7:00 am to begin
our marathon of three celebratory services.  the beautiful hymns
declaring His resurrection are frequently cried instead of sung,
because the message of the cross rings so deep that morning.

we are thrilled to spend this easter in a quieter fashion, away
from home with all our children.  no fanfare, no hats, no trumpets
declaring His praises.  just sweet and simple thankfulness for
His death and joy at His resurrection.

He is risen, indeed!

love,
lea

treasure in a month

dear emily,

it has been one month since i have written a word here, and i am
completely refreshed.  there is an amazing enrichment from rest.
the Lord grafted it into each week, but we seldom take advantage
of it.

the schubert "mass in G" concert went surprisingly well, consi-
dering we were still working out some glitches during our warm
up.   i wanted someone to shoot me right before to put me out of
my misery.  imagine the epitaph:  "her nerves done her in" . . .
or "she died because of the 'mass'. "
 
it was so fun of you to come.  when i would look up and see you
holding that sweet, precious baby, it made my heart sing sweeter.
as i spied shelby suppressing the wiggles of #3, it brought  the
perfect distraction from my nerves.

love,
lea

"My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."
exodus 33:14

plenty of satisfaction

dear ones,

as i mentioned a few weeks ago, my life is FULL right now, so
i'm taking a blogging break.  but, lest you breathe a big sigh of
relief, i am still watching YOU!

i have been feasting on this passage of scripture, since i've been
eating less sugar.

"satisfy us in the morning with Your unfailing love, that we may
sing for joy and be glad all our days . . . may the favor of the
Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands."
psalm 90:14, 17

i pray that your lives will be filled with this satisfaction and His
favor,
lea

if you have sheryl crow's arms, do not read this.

i just put on the first short sleeve t shirt in a while and these were
not the arms that i saw.

she does take guitar lessons from me, though.

i have enrolled in spring boot camp to try and make myself fit
and presentable.   the daily exercise and healthy diet hasn't  been
too hard.   well, if you think denying myself sugar while craving
it at all times, isn't too hard.

honestly, if scripture were sugar, i would have the entire bible
memorized.  i know His words "are sweeter than honey from
the comb," but I WANT SUGAR!!!!!!!  (psalm 19:10)

desperate times call for desperate measures, so here is my recipe
for a "mock chocolate milkshake."

-one frozen banana cut into small pieces
-1/2 cup milk
-1 T. chocolate syrup
-1 packet of equal (i wanted to put in 5 packets)

mix in a blender until it looks like a milk shake and drink it
really fast.  the cold headache authenticates the experience.

would you please give me your best pretend dessert recipe?

desperately seeking sugar,
lea

grace

dear emily,

one of my idols is an 80 year old great grandma, who sings like
an angel, looks perfectly beautiful ALL THE TIME, and has
gracious words for everyone.  don't you just hate people like
that?

our choir director wants her to teach classes to the rest of us
'younger' ladies.  i have already gleaned so much by osmosis
but could certainly stand more formal training.

here's what she has tried to teach me so far:

1.   love the Lord with all your heart, mind, and strength . . .
and your neighbor as yourself.

2.   take a few moments to make yourself presentable.  messy
hair and an unwashed face is not an expression of beauty.

3.   if you think kind thoughts, you will express kind words.
if you consider others before yourself, you will rarely have to
apologize for bad behavior.

4.   stand up nice and straight.

5.   be will prepared for everything you do.

6.   have a sense of humor and never take yourself too
seriously.  looking at your backside in the mirror is helpful.

7.   when uncomfortable at a social function, look for someone
who looks the same.  that person will be grateful for your
attention.   the popular folks will never miss you.

what are your tips?

love,
lea

"do nothing out of vain conceit, but in humility consider others
better than yourselves."  philippians 2:3

ps.  this is an edited repost.  the first time i wrote it, one person
read it.

the death of black

dear emily,

i sang at a funeral for a lovely young woman, and my heart was
broken not just for the devastated family but also for the frail
and hopeless young mourners.  they were slung upon the walls
of the reception area like lifeless tree branches.  their shadowed
eyes were opened in starving hollows.

they were watching us, the middle aged disappointments, and i
could almost hear their accusations. "why are you all acting as
if everything is ok?  where is the adult who can tell us why this
had to happen??   which one of you is going to make us feel
better???"

two distinct suffering cultures.  one in black business suits and
black dresses, the other in skinny black jeans and black spiked
hair.  separated as surely as the east is from the west.

but then i found one familiar young face, and as i approached i
saw her beneath her costume.  as she saw me beneath mine, her
sweet face crumpled, and i held her close.

love,
lea

ps.  "but we know that when we see Him, we shall be like
Him, for we shall see Him as He is."  1 john 3:2