"Preaching to the choir"

Dear Emily,

Many people have a presumption about choir members, thinking we
are all goody-goodies.   nope.   I have a funny story to disprove it.

Caution:  leave this blog now if you can't take a little pg-13.   Some
of our choir members are in highschool and college, and they are
delightfully talented and refreshingly guileless.

In between services, some of us were standing in line in the ladies'
room, when one of our young choir members said, "I have a secret
admirer at school."

That got my attention.   "How do you know?"

"He leaves notes on my car."

Now, I was totally intrigued.  "What do they say?"

"The last one said, 'You have a great ass.'"

When I saw the horrified expression on the face of the woman NOT
in the choir,  I said, "I'm pretty sure, you can't say that in a choir
robe."

Love,
Lea

"When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, He said of him, 'Here is a
true Israelite, in whom there is no guile.'"

tag, you're it!

dear emily,

it's been fun reconnecting with old highschool and college friends on
facebook.    no matter how much time has passed, we have an instant
rebonding that boggles my brain and delights my heart.  

it is not delightful, however, when people 'tag' me in photos.   my page
is smothered with odious pictures that i did NOT choose or want.    it
reminds me of my least favorite childhood game, 'tag.'   i would die a
thousand deaths once tagged, because i was never fast enough to tag
anyone else.   in my case, once tagged forever 'it.'

right now i have a photo, front and center, of my jiggly, fat arms.    i
haven't removed it, because i didn't want to hurt the person's feelings
who tagged me.   wow.   i just reread that and realize that i may need
counseling.    wait, just a sec . . .  ok,  i just untagged myself and feel
so much better.

now, there are still unflattering pics of my aging face but i'm resigned
to that.   when friends from my distant past first visit my facebook page,
they all say the same thing.

"look at your sweet face."  sweet is the new 'old.'

love,
lea

"but people do not pour new wine into old wineskins . . . " mark 2:22

still the one

dear emily,

i spied hans driving to work as i finished my walk.
this is unusual, because  he usually leaves before i
even wake up.   i know, no "here's your scrambled
eggs and bacon, honey."

my justification?   i would rather he remember me
from the night before than the morning after.

anyway, he motioned me to his car.

"they're playing our song."

we have a song?   i leaned in to hear shania twain's
twangy, "still the one i run to, the only one i belong
to . . ."

for dang certain,
lea

ps.   "love must be sincere.  hate what is evil; cling
to what is good."   romans 12:9

how will we know?

dear emily,

how will we know if we have raised our children well?    there are many
litmus tests, but i like the kindness test the best.

• how do they treat the dog when no one is looking?
• who do they prefer, the high and mighty or the underdog? (sensing a dog theme here)
• are they generous to those in need?
• what do i feel when they leave,  relief or sadness?

sadness, always sadness.   

our oldest son and his precious wife have been living with us for nine months

while they have been remodeling a home.   tonight they spend the first night 

in their own house, and i'm feeling just like i did when he  left for college.

but that unhappy feeling is laced with gratitude and hope.   i hope they visit 

often, and i'm grateful that, because they were such thoughtful houseguests,  

i don't feel one bit relieved that they're leaving.

well, i guess i could say that i'm relieved he grew up so kind.

love,

lea

"be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in 

Christ God forgave you."  ephesians 4:32

men are from . . . way farther away than mars

dear emily,

hans and i were driving home from a father's dinner at my brother's new
house.   i had on shorts and he (my husband, not my brother) had his hand
on my leg ( i know, TMI.)   he would lift his hand and then put it down. . .
lift it, replace it, etc.

i couldn't help but think about every night, when he does the same thing.  
just as i'm drifting off into a sweet dream, he lifts his hand, then replaces
it, and BOOM!  i'm wide awake.   the fourth time, he gets my elbow.

so, as we're driving along, i said, "would you like to know the secret to
happiness?"

that got his attention.

"if you would hold your hand still, it could stay a lot longer on my leg."

" . . . but it stops feeling like skin if i don't move it."

i give up,
lea

"again i say unto you, if any two of you agree on earth as TOUCHING
anything they shall ask, it shall be done for them by my Father in
heaven."  matthew 18:19

green jimmy choos

dear emily,

hans and i celebrated our 33rd wedding anniversary the night of our
lovely niece's rehearsal dinner.    the coinciding events made each
one even more special, but my feet enjoyed themselves the most.

a week ago, hailey and i were taking a circle through sak's shoe dept. 
we consider this a museum expedition, gawking at beautifully crafted
works of art.  at the back of the department i saw a vision of loveliness
that took my breath away . . . green suede jimmy choo pumps.

hailey noticed my elation and began listing the outfits in my closet that
they could happily accompany.    but, the extravagance paired with the
idea that being so memorably green, i couldn't wear them often, dissuaded
me from even trying them on.   i imagined a certain person whispering to
a certain other person,  "i saw lea in her old green shoes again."

a week later there were several of us huddling around our kitchen table
computers, postponing the fancying up for the rehearsal dinner when hans
marched in.    he wore a triumphant expression, carrying a saks bag, and
'i just knew it held a jimmy choo' (dr. seuss shout out.)

as i was dreamily gazing at my gorgeous foot, shelby said, "samara will
LOVE dressing up in those."   :)

love,
lea

"every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father
of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."
james 1:17

just do it

dear emily,

i don't often post videos, because i don't think people really have time
for them.   they hop over here, because it's usually short and sweet . . .
or sour.

this is worth the time, i think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfVJT7rqc_0&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DCfVJT7rqc_0&nomobile=1

love,
lea