Seriously

I’m going to ask y’all to pray for my friend A.J.’s mom. Her mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at the end of October. I wrote this post that y’all can go read if you missed it the first time.

She had a CT scan right before Christmas and they chose to wait until after Christmas to find out the results. What they discovered was that the cancer had continued to spread. The doctor gave them another treatment option that involved extensive chemo in a twelve day time period. They had to stop this treatment last week because it was just too much. Her mom was in a lot of pain and her body just couldn’t handle it.

They are going in Friday morning to see if a third treatment option is a possibility. Her mom really wants to continue to fight, but realizes they may be out of options.

So, I’m asking y’all for your prayers. Pray for the doctor to have wisdom regarding treatment, pray that they would know whether or not they should pursue further options, pray for a miracle, pray for peace for all of them, and just pray whatever else you feel lead to pray.

Let me just tell y’all this, A.J. came by our house last night and talked with P and I for a long time. I am humbled and inspired by the faith and spiritual maturity that this 23 year old woman possesses. It’s a heavy load, but A.J. knows she’s not carrying it alone and she has fully placed her trust in the only One who holds everything in the palm of His hand.

Thanks y’all, for your prayers.

I talked to Gulley this morning and she mentioned that she had already read Big Mama. For Gulley to read the blog before 9:00 a.m. is quite the accomplishment because her computer is in the office in her garage, which means to get on the computer she has to endure the cold and let her two year old roam around the garage. I appreciate the loyalty.

Anyway, Gulley said, “I read Big Mama, it seems like you’re in a bit of a funk”, which is the way your best friend tells you that some of your posts of late may be a little lame. And let me be the first to say that I am well aware of that fact. Also, I know Gulley well enough to know that she will read this and call me to apologize. Gulley is always worried about hurting somebody’s feelings, so if she tells you that you look great and like you’ve lost 10 pounds, she’ll call you later in the day to clarify that you definitely didn’t need to lose weight, in fact you look great, you look like you’ve lost 15 pounds, which, in case she didn’t mention, you definitely did NOT need to lose in the first place.

Gulley explained that she can tell I’m not myself because she knows me so well. So, if any of y’all have been wondering, let me state for the record that I am, in fact, in a bit of a funk. Gulley does indeed know me well.

I spent this past weekend with a raging case of PMS. In fact, yesterday Boomama posted a great story (if you’re looking for writing quality, you should head over there…if mediocre is your thing, you’re always welcome here) about her Sunday morning with her three year old and her own case of PMS. Her story ended with a great spiritual lesson, mine does not.

Due to my sad state of mind throughout the weekend, I was bound and determined that Caroline and I were going to church Sunday morning. P was out of town hunting, so it was just the two of us. I woke up with a headache, but decided to go ahead with my church plan, so I got up and got myself dressed while Caroline watched T.V.

I took a deep breath and headed in to get her dressed. She had decided that every article of clothing in her closet offended her to no end and I finally just picked out a dress and started to pull it on over her head while she kicked and screamed. There is no sweeter picture than a crying mama wrestling a crying toddler to the ground as we try to get ready to go sing praises to Jesus. I wanted to throw the dress across the room and go back to bed, but by this point we had to go to church on principle alone. I wasn’t going to lose this fight.

We drove to church with Caroline whining the WHOLE way about how unfair life is and how she doesn’t like Sunday School and she has NO FRIENDS and doesn’t want to HEAR ABOUT JESUS. I mumbled something about how much we both needed to hear about Jesus this morning, got her out of her carseat and headed into church.

I wish I could tell y’all that it ended with us learning some great spiritual lesson and that we both left renewed and refreshed with the peace of the Holy Spirit upon us, but that would be a lie. We left with both of us in tears once again and I cried most of the way home in frustration.

When we pulled into the driveway, P was thankfully home from the ranch so I handed Caroline over to him while I went inside to compose myself and see if maybe a nap would take away my desire to set fire to something.

But really, it’s not just the PMS. I could throw everything into that category and use it as a catch all for all that is wrong with my current state of mind, but that wouldn’t be accurate. The truth is that I feel overwhelmed right now. Things at work are busy, as they always are at the beginning of the year. It’s hard to come off the fantasy that is a three week vacation and snap back into the reality of reports, quotas, painfully long meetings and strategy planning about new clients. This is a huge part of the reason that January is always one of my least favorite months of the year. When you combine all of that with an obstinate three year old and a case of PMS…well, it’s just bad waiting to happen.

I hope in the next few weeks as I adjust to being back in the real world and maybe as the people around me decide to give me some good material, that the content of Big Mama will once again achieve new heights of averageness.

I mentioned in my Christmas home tour that my nativity had gone missing. Since it has yet to appear, I went shopping yesterday to scout out possible replacements that could be purchased at after Christmas sales.

I went in a couple of stores and ended up in one of my favorite little boutiques where I found the sweet little nativity pictured above. As I studied it, the store manager walked up to me and said that for good customers they were offering 50% off on all Christmas items before Christmas.

Well, that’s all I needed to hear.

So, I joyfully clutched this little nativity to my chest and paid 50% of its retail price. It was an unexpected gift.

It reminded me that this time of year is about unexpected gifts. Some are nice things like sugar cookies left on your doorstep by a neighbor and others are items that will find a home in the attic until the crazy aunt that gave it to you comes to visit. But most importantly, the reason we celebrate, the reason for our hope is about the most unexpected gift of all.

No one was looking for the son of God to be born into such lowly conditions. The Jewish people were looking for a king that would save them from their oppression, not a baby born in a stable to a mother who probably had a questionable reputation by that point.

From our perspective, over 2,000 years later, we can look at scriptures like Isaiah 53: 2-12 and see that all of this was prophesied, but at that time I’m sure it just didn’t make any sense.

He was an unexpected gift, born in an unexpected way and continued to defy expectations during His time here on Earth. My prayer for all of y’all during this holiest of seasons, is that He would surpass your expectations both at Christmas and throughout the New Year.

I know that personally, He never ceases to surpass mine.

Merry Christmas.

But the angel said to them,

“Do not be afraid.

I bring you good news of a great joy

that will be for all the people.

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you;

He is Christ the Lord.”

For a variety of reasons with laziness among them, we haven’t been great about going to church this fall. It seems like every Sunday there is some reason why church isn’t going to happen and I’ll be the first to admit that sometimes that reason is that I don’t want to get out of my pajamas. I’m not proud, but I’m just being honest.

The thing is that I have missed being in church on Sunday mornings and so this morning in spite of the cold and rain and the fact that P is out of town, I got Caroline up and dressed and we headed out the door. We were even on time.

Y’all know how sometimes you can be out in the hot summer sun and not realize you’re thirsty until you walk back in the house and gulp down a huge glass of water? That was my heart as I walked through the doors this morning. My soul was thirsty and I didn’t even realize how much.

It’s not like I hadn’t been spending time with God, but there is something about being in His presence among other believers all singing praises to Him that envelops me in comfort like nothing else.

We sang this song:

A few years ago, P and I attended a church that brought in a speaker named Rick Larson also known as the Star Man. We went to the presentation and were completely blown away by the enormity and power of what he shared.

Rick Larson is an attorney and served as a professor at Texas A&M for many years, but his passion is known as the Star Project. You can read all about his research by clicking on this link.

“Scholars debate whether the Star of Bethlehem is a legend manufactured by the early church or a miracle which marked the advent of Christ”

That quote from The Bethlehem Star website is a summary of all the information that is contained within the site. And trust me when I say there is a lot of information. A LOT. But if any of y’all are interested in learning more about the Star the wise men followed, it is powerful stuff.

And if y’all want to read a post that really touched my heart today, you should head over to Blessed Beyond Measure and read this.

A few years ago, P and I attended a church that brought in a speaker named Rick Larson also known as the Star Man. We went to the presentation and were completely blown away by the enormity and power of what he shared.

Rick Larson is an attorney and served as a professor at Texas A&M for many years, but his passion is known as the Star Project. You can read all about his research by clicking on this link.

“Scholars debate whether the Star of Bethlehem is a legend manufactured by the early church or a miracle which marked the advent of Christ”

That quote from The Bethlehem Star website is a summary of all the information that is contained within the site. And trust me when I say there is a lot of information. A LOT. But if any of y’all are interested in learning more about the Star the wise men followed, it is powerful stuff.

And if y’all want to read a post that really touched my heart today, you should head over to Blessed Beyond Measure and read this.