Author: Big Mama

  • They ought to take that Oscar back

    I’m sitting here in front of the fire this evening thinking that Al Gore is full of crap. Global warming? What a joke.

    Obviously, he’s never had the experience of digging for wool tights for his daughter to wear with her darling, halter style Easter sundress that will be a total waste, due to the fact that it will be completely covered by a brown wool coat.

    And don’t even get me started on my fresh, new Easter pedicure that involved having my toes painted a bright, springtime shade called Cha-Ching Cherry. These toes won’t see the light of day tomorrow. They’ll be in wool socks from dawn til dusk.

    Mr. Gore, here are some pictures of our beautiful roses. I look forward to these roses all year. Our yard never looks as pretty as it does in the spring. By tomorrow, these roses will be gone with the sleet filled wind.

    It was nice while it lasted.

    Hope everyone has a lovely Easter filled with wool coats, warm socks, a fire in the fireplace, and Reeses peanut butter cups. You know, the Easter essentials.

    And remember, He is risen.

  • Farewell Billy Clyde, we barely knew thee

    When I heard the news last night that Billy Gillispie was flying to Kentucky to “talk” with their Athletic Director, I got a pit in my stomach that wouldn’t go away. I went to bed praying for an Easter miracle. A miracle that could become part of Aggie lore about how our coach was offered one of the most elite positions in college basketball and turned it down to stay at Texas A&M.

    And yes, I am often delusional and live in my own fantasy world.

    I mean really, who can blame him? I’m sure that for a self admitted workaholic basketball coach, this opportunity is a dream come true. It would be like someone offering me a book deal complete with bags of money and me turning it down because I’d prefer to blog for free.

    Had Billy Clyde chosen to stay at Texas A&M, he could have become a legend. In fact, just by getting us to the Sweet 16 this year, he was well on his way. Eventually, he would have had statues erected in his honor and the Billy Clyde Arena would have one day sat proudly on the campus.

    Granted, it would have been hard for him to make ends meet on the paltry 1.8 million that we offered him, but if he really budgeted, he could have made it work.

    At Kentucky, yes, he could become a legend, but it will take a lot more than just trips to the Sweet 16. It will take multiple Final Fours and National Championships, otherwise, he’ll find himself following in the footsteps of Tubby and getting out before you’re thrown out. The Kentucky fans are fanatical about their basketball, just like Aggie fans are fanatical about football.

    And ultimately, that was the problem.

    So, with all sincerity, I wish Billy Clyde all the best. Thanks for helping Aggies believe in basketball again.

  • Taking back what is His

    “But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.”

    Isaiah 53: 5

    He did it because “God so loved the world that He gave His only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life”.

    He did it because “as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love” and “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us”. The height of His love and the width of His forgiveness are the beams of the cross.

    He did it because “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”.

    He did it for all mankind.

    But He would have done it just for me.

    And He would have done it just for you.

    “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”

    Luke 15: 20-24

    Happy Easter, y’all.

  • The greatest miracle

    Yesterday, my friend AJ and I met at my house for lunch. For those of y’all who may not know, AJ’s mom was diagnosed with aggressive pancreatic cancer back in October and given maybe 6 months to live. You can read about their story here.

    It has been unbelieveably sad at times to watch how their lives have changed, but at the same time, it’s been incredible to watch how they have pulled together to make these last few months count. I’ve watched their faith grow, even as it is being stretched to the limits.

    As AJ and I were eating lunch yesterday, her sister called and said their mom wanted to hear the story in the Bible about the man who was sick and his friends lowered him through the ceiling to get him closer to Jesus. We couldn’t remember exactly where the story was, but knew it was in either Matthew, Mark, Luke or John or some combination therein.

    So, we did what all good Bible scholars do and did a Google search.

    “Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven.’ The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, ‘Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, ‘Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven, or to say ‘Get up and walk? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…’ He said to the paralyzed man, ‘I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.’ Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God.”

    Luke 5:16-26

    I hadn’t really read this story in years, although I can remember it being taught in Sunday School year after year. It lends itself to being very dramatic when told with flannelboard figures.

    As I read it, I realized that what I had always seen as the miracle of the story was the paralyzed man being able to walk and that’s not what it’s about at all. The miracle is the forgiveness of the man’s sins. The physical healing was just to show Jesus’ power in a tangible way.

    It was like something clicked for me and I realized that I spend so much time praying for things. Praying that God will do this or that, but the most incredible thing He can do for me has already been done. He has paid the debt for my sins.

    We are a new creation. Our chains have been loosed and we are set free. That’s something that no amount of chemo or surgery or new, improved medical treatment can give. It’s only through Him that we can truly be healed, truly be free, truly be changed and transformed.

    Here’s the thing, AJ’s mom gets that. Yes, you pray for the physical healing because miracles happen everyday, but you also pray for His will and find peace in knowing that He is all powerful and sees things we can’t see. The eternal picture.

    All we have to do is let go and trust Him.

    And find the joy in knowing the greatest miracle of all has already happened.

  • Who can resist hot pink flip flops?

    I woke up this morning with my head throbbing and a sore throat. Darn you, oak pollen, darn you to heck.

    And since the pressure in my head is preventing me from coming up with much of anything that requires any effort, I’ll tell y’all about the discussion Caroline and I had on the way home from school yesterday.

    A few weeks ago, we went shoe shopping and she fell in love with a pair of hot pink flip flops. The only problem was she didn’t like the way the strap goes in between her toes because it was a “little bit hurty”. But she begged to get them anyway because they were so “beautiful” and since they were only $6.00, I agreed.

    She has spent the last few weeks wearing her flip flops around the house, trying to get used to the way they feel between her toes. It makes a mama proud to see that her girl is grasping one of the basic fashion concepts, which is that sometimes lovely footwear is painful, but it’s worth the sacrifice.

    Yesterday, she begged to wear her flip flops to school and I told her she wasn’t allowed to wear flip flops to school because then she couldn’t run and jump and play. She told me, “Actually, I’m not going to run or jump today.”

    I still told her no, but agreed to let her put her flip flops in her school bag and she could wear them after school. She thought that was a great idea.

    So, we’re driving home from school yesterday and she tells me, “Miss J. took my flip flops away today.”

    And I asked, “Why, did she do that?”

    “Because she told me to be quiet during naptime and I didn’t listen. I shouldn’t have done that.”

    “That’s right, you should have been quiet when Miss J. told you to be”

    “No, I should have hidden my flip flops so that Miss J. couldn’t take them from me.”

  • Sometimes I sits and thinks, and sometimes I just sits

    So, I’d been seeing all the Thinking Blogger awards all over blogland and each time thought to myself, “Now, there’s an award I’m probably not qualified for”. I’d say most people don’t find Big Mama and deep thoughts synonymous. I’m okay with that.

    Anyway, I was wrong because Jennifer at Snapshot and Just A Beach Kat have both bestowed me with the Thinking Blogger award. I guess thinking about the cost of a Big Gulp and what new shoes to buy for spring, count as thoughts. Lucky for me.

    Thanks, Ladies. I appreciate it.

    And along the lines of being a deep thinker, I have to share that last night’s premiere episode of The Bachelor: An Officer and A Gentleman did not disappoint. In fact, there was so much to ponder, that I can’t even wrap my mind around its cheesy goodness.

    It truly is reality T.V. at its best. Where else can you find Lieutenant Richie Cunningham looking for love? He looked like a woman with PMS in a room full of chocolate. So many choices, so little time.

    ABC pulled out all the stops on this one. We got to see a drunk girl fall off a barstool and just keep sipping on her cocktail. Don’t y’all know her Mama was proud?

    And then, in a moment that makes me sweat just thinking about it, one of the girls serenaded the Lieutenant with The Star Spangled Banner. My embarrassment was so overwhelming that I had to bury my head and could only stand to rewind and watch it over about 55 times. By the end, our Bachelor was wiping tears from his eyes and so was I, but I don’t think for the same reasons.

    And a girl in a minidress doing a backwards centipede? The Bachelor kept talking about what an accomplished group of women he had to choose from, and if that skill doesn’t prove it, what does?

    I have a feeling it’s going to be a great season. For one of my favorite Bachelor recaps ever, go visit Lincee. She is part of my Bachelor watching tradition and will make you laugh out loud.