Parting Thoughts from the Mother of the Bride

June 24, 2013 by 2 Comments

DSC_7798

*Mothers of the Bride, I wrote this piece originally for a general audience and used it on my other blog. It has also appeared in Sasee magazine. I’ve updated it a bit and wanted to share it with you, too, even though it’s not directed specifically to mothers of the bride. Hope it gives you a chuckle!

The bills have been paid and the gown preserved. Favorite photos have been selected and placed in a keepsake album. My job as a mother of the bride now consists solely of storage responsibilities. Rose garland and other wedding décor currently reside in our guestroom closet while the top layer of the cake made its home in my freezer until our daughter’s first anniversary. But I’m not complaining. These storage duties are nothing compared to the months leading up to the wedding.

The mother of the bride, however, is so much more than keeper of all things wedding related. Before my days as an MOB get too far behind me, allow me, if you will, to make a few general observations about these extraordinary women. After all, I’ve learned a lot about them in the past few years while teaming up with both my daughters as we navigated and ultimately conquered the course to their respective altars.

The MOB looks like any ordinary woman, but don’t be fooled. She’s capable of far more than mere appearance may lead you to believe. No one can match her speed and stamina on marathon shopping expeditions, and the massive amounts of detailed information stored in the forefront of her mind would fry the frontal lobes of those with lesser reservoirs of love and motivation. She’s nothing short of an organizational maven on steroids. No, nobody’s gonna mess up her baby’s wedding.

But, while MOBs have lots of business to attend to, they also manage to have major fun while helping plan the biggest parties of their little girls’ lives. So in that spirit of fun that all MOBs possess, here are a few sure-fire ways to spot these supermoms in their natural habitat. They may even now be circulating in your midst!

She might be an MOB if:

1. Her purse is home to an assortment of color swatches.

2. Her car’s GPS is permanently set to find the nearest Hobby Lobby.

3. Her spare bedroom, in fact, looks like Hobby Lobby threw up in it.

4. She feels the need to buy another bolt of tulle every time she leaves the house.

5. The latest decorating craze in her home seems to be yellow sticky notes.

6. Her eyes flash dollar signs every time she uses her credit card.

7. She uses her credit card every five minutes.

8. For every item she crosses off her list, she has to add three more.

9. She carries a notebook filled with enough plans to run a small country.

And finally, she might be an MOB if…

10. Even after all the shopping she’s done for the wedding, she still goes on a quest to find one special wedding memento for her precious daughter and her new son.

So if you spot one of these special women out and about, give her a hug—or a piece of chocolate or a gift certificate for a massage or something. Believe me, she needs it!

*Photo by Will Flowers

*What will you do in the future to encourage another MOB?

Filed Under: Above and Beyond, challenge, fun, Mother of the Bride, signs, strength

Signs of Life

April 14, 2013 by 4 Comments

Spring is finally in full swing. Signs of life are everywhere—and just in the nick of time. Our season of renewal was a little later in coming than usual, and some of us in the Heartland were ready to stage a coup early this month on winter’s stubborn rule. And stubborn, indeed, it has been. It staged a final assault (we hope!) just this past week.

When looking for signs of life, naturally we notice the big ones first. Grass is turning green, weeds are attempting their annual takeover of our lawns, and leaves as well as a variety of beautiful blossoms are adding color once again to the landscape of our neighborhoods. In fact, we get giddy over green this time of year. And, of course, warmer temperatures beckon us out the door every chance we get. Oh yes, delicious spring is here.

If we look a little closer, other signs of life are stirring as well. A little over a week ago, I noticed birds beginning their nesting rituals (like in the photo above). After gathering as much dried grass as they can hold in their beaks or finding the longest straw-like weeds they can maneuver through the air, they take flight to the perfect spot they’ve chosen for their coming chicks. Just one more wonder of nature. Just another sign of life.

But you know, no matter the season, signs of life are always around us. Even in winter, we spot smoke rising from a neighbor’s chimney. Someone’s living and moving and breathing inside those four walls. We know someone’s home. We see the evidence.

Unfortunately, we are sometimes met with no signs of life. A plant or tree we’ve tended goes brown. We watch for green that never comes. A momma bird faithfully sets on eggs week after week, finally giving up and abandoning her labor of love that never hatched. The ER doctor, desperate to give the waiting family good news, works feverishly to get a heartbeat and see his patient’s chest rise with renewed breath. But alas, no signs of life.

Beyond the signs of life we see in our physical world, what signs of life should we see across the spiritual landscape of our lives? What evidence of the life of Jesus can people see in us?

Can others tell by simply watching us that the Lord is at home in us? Do they see him living and moving in us? Are they able to witness compassion, unconditional love, and forgiveness when they look our way? Will they catch a whiff of joy or gentleness or peace when they draw near?

When others stop to consider us, may they always find evidence of Jesus living in us. No matter the season, may they always find signs of life. Signs of His life.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:7

*How have you seen Jesus in someone lately?

*My photo

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, comes out in early May. Sign up is free and to the right!

Filed Under: nature, new thing, signs, spring

Warning Signs

March 28, 2012 by 2 Comments

Not long ago my hair dryer made me nervous each time I used it. I stood in front of my bathroom mirror, hair wet and as straight as a string, and panicked a little each time after flipping its switch on. The faint burning smell it emitted could not be a good thing.

Thank goodness for the warning sign. This particular hair dryer had served me long and well and was now even giving me a heads up that it might be nearing its last blow dry session. What a trusty friend, huh?

Somehow, though, I’d forget the warning and go on my merry way, not thinking about it until the next time my head was wet. After a few nerve-wracking episodes of blow dryer roulette—also known as praying for it to dry my hair before it shut down permanently—I decided to take precautions and buy a new hair dryer before disaster struck. In other words, I finally paid attention to the warning signs.

Since a hair dryer disaster is a trivial matter (if it happens to someone else!), let’s consider other more serious warning signs we might be overlooking or forgetting as we hurry on to the next item on our agendas. What do we see happening in our lives that warrants our proactive and precautionary attention?

Maybe our bodies are trying to tell us something. Is it time to see the doctor? Do we need to make more time for sleep at night? Or maybe we see signs of trouble with our families. Are our kids acting out or withdrawing? Do our spouses seem more distant? And what about finances? Are we juggling payments or hiding purchases and credit card statements from our significant others? For each of us the warning-sign scenarios may be different, but if we are wise, we’ll pay attention.

And what about warning signs that something may be amiss in our spiritual lives? Do we find ourselves skipping church on more Sundays than we attend? Do we tell ourselves we won’t be as busy next month? Maybe we feel like God is far away. Have we been neglecting time in His Word or in talking with Him? Or perhaps the joy has disappeared from our relationship with the Lord. Have we slipped into following a set of rules rather than loving a Person?

Let’s be thankful for warning signs that alert us to possible problems—and then let’s be proactive. Let’s take precautions, if possible, before we encounter major malfunctions. We’ll all rest easier then.

“Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you.” Proverbs 4:6

*Have any warning signs come to your attention lately?

*Flickr photo by Henrique Vicente

Filed Under: disaster, preparation, signs

Mementos of Love

March 11, 2012 by 4 Comments

A smattering of cards from some of the special people in my life decorate my desk, but they’re not just decoration. They are love.

One is from a friend, and the others are from my kids. The cards add color and cheer to my workplace, but I keep them there for a different reason. As I work, they stand ever propped before me as reminders and mementos of the givers’ love for me.

These aren’t the only mementos of love in my home. Dearly loved photos are scattered throughout the house, keeping my loved ones close to my heart even though they live miles and states away.

Our piano stands as a testament of my grandparents’ love since it was purchased with the gift of money they gave us when my grandmother was battling cancer. They wanted to show their love before she passed from this earth. What joy it gave them to see how we used their gift—and what a blessing it has been to us as a family.

Don’s mom’s six-foot tall curio cabinet filled with her Precious Moments collection (over 55 figurines!) was given to me by his siblings in love and appreciation for all the years I helped care for their mom when they couldn’t be here. What a treasure.

Many other mementos of love fill my home, as I’m sure they do yours as well. As we consider our treasures, let’s also think about the mementos of love our heavenly Father has given us. I immediately think of the Bible, a gift of love from God to all of mankind. And oh, what a treasure it is to me.

What mementos of love from our heavenly Father do you see in your life? Actually, when we stop and think about it, anything we have is a gift from Him, isn’t it? Let’s take time to treasure our treasures today. Let’s thank God for mementos of love!

“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

*What mementos of love in your home—and in your life—do you treasure?

*Flickr photo by kathryn_rotondo

Filed Under: Gift, love, memories, signs

Checking Levels

May 4, 2011 by 4 Comments

Keeping an eye on levels is important business. Checking fluid levels in our vehicles is especially important. Just try not doing it and see what happens. Sooner or later we’ll pay for our negligence.

Because my hubby has always taken care of car maintenance issues, I have to admit the only fluid level I keep an eye on is the gas. I don’t want to be stranded on the side of the road and have to go through the humiliation and hassle of trying to find gas for my car. And in today’s world, it’s just too dangerous to risk being easy pickings for some unsavory character who might happen along.

Don keeps an eye on the other levels in our car, though. Not only does he make sure we get regular oil changes, he checks other fluid levels before I take off on out-of-town trips. He doesn’t want me to have unexpected trouble because of low oil, antifreeze, or transmission fluids—and neither do I! I’m thankful he’s watching out for me. Without him, I’d have to get educated on car maintenance in a hurry or pay the price through some painful and likely expensive lessons.

Keeping levels in an appropriate range is vital in other areas of our lives as well. That’s why the doctor orders blood tests and makes us get on the scale when we go to see him for our annual check-ups. That’s why others test our drinking water, soil, and air quality. And let’s not forget the levels of expertise that must be met to qualify for most jobs. When you think about it, levels are important in almost everything.

What about our spiritual lives? Any levels there that need to be examined periodically? Sure. If we fail to feed on the Word of God or neglect our time with Him in prayer, we’ll soon find ourselves spiritually parched or feeling distanced from Him. Our hearts may even grow hard.

What about the level of love in our lives? What’s the motive behind our worship, our confession of sin, and our acts of service? Another level to keep an eye on is the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. How well are these qualities being displayed in our lives?

Let’s not neglect to keep an eye on our levels—spiritual levels included. We don’t want to find ourselves sidelined or distanced from our heavenly Father. We don’t want to be easy pickings for our unsavory Enemy. Let’s not find ourselves paying for our negligence. Let’s stay watchful. Let’s check our levels.

“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8

*Flickr photo by Pat Hawks, Creative Commons License

*The current issue of Life Notes, my inspirational quarterly newsletter, came out this week, and it’s not too late to receive it. Sign-up is free and to the right!

*Be sure to enter the “Feather Your Nest” Giveaway! Deadline is noon Sunday.

Filed Under: enemy, signs
« Previous Page
Next Page »