Just a thought & another perspective

Monday, December 22, 2008

The hug I was waiting for

A picture speaks a thousand words. The hug I was waiting for finally came on Sunday December 21. It wasn't hard to find the redhead in the group. I had my eyes fixed on him and the minute they were dismissed, I made a beeline for him. I did exactly what I said I was going to do. I threw my arms around the neck of my 6ft 2in son a cried. I hugged him real tight ....didn't want to let him go, but there were others there who wanted to do the same.

Thank you to all who sent cards, letters and care packages! Thank you for all your prayers.

Please continue to pray for all who are still serving, especially during this Christmas season.

Merry Christmas to all

Monday, December 15, 2008

It finallly came!

The one thing I've been waiting for finally came today @9:08 pm.

It didn't come as"Unavaliable". It didn't come as"Restricted". It came "Eric's Cell". That could only mean one thing....he was finally stateside. The count down has almost reached it's end. There is light at the end of the tunnel! In a few days, I will throw my arms around the neck of my 6ft son and probably cry.

Up until this time, I have not thought of where Eric was or what he was doing. I would not allow my mind to wander. You see, when we got the call that Eric would be going to Iraq, I wrapped my arms around his neck and we just held each other. I prayed and at that moment, I placed him in God's hands. From that moment, I've been at peace. There has never been room for "What if". It strange though, since I knew they were getting ready to come home, the reality of it has been just a little overwhelming.

So, to all of you who prayed for him, Thank You! For all who wrote, or sent a package or took a phone call at odd hours, Thank You! Let us remember, that there are many more mothers and wives, for that matter, who are waiting for the call that lets them know their loved one is stateside. Let us continue to pray for them.

13 Hours on Saturday

So, how do you spend 13 hours on Saturday? First of all you have to have a plan. One that has been scheduled, so you can build the excitement by the anticipation. Then it's just a matter on carrying out the plan. In years past, the plan centered around Great Lakes Crossing. This year, however, the location was changed to Frankenmuth. After all, the Birthday Girl gets to choose how she wants to spend the day.

For the past several years, my daughter Amy & I have celebrated her Birthday by spend a day together. This year was no exception.

#1 I picked Amy up around 8 am with an Egg Nog Latte in hand.

#2 We drove to Birch Run to have breakfast at Tony's. Now, if you've every been to Tony's, you know that a side order of bacon is actually 1 lb. of bacon. Needless to say, Amy & I choose to split a Cheese Omelet. The plan was to eat at Tony's and walk it off in Frankenmuth.

#3 Drive to Bronner's. This place can be overwhelming. There are many displays to see....none so strange then the snowman holding the light up Santa face. (Maybe Amy will share the photo on her blog). When the Birthday Girl says she's had enough of Bronners, you move on.

#4 River Place was the next stop on our tour. We searched out the shops...had a few laughs..even came up with 2 cabin themes for next years CFL camp.

#5 At about 1:30 we decided to stop for lunch and headed to The Bavarian Inn. It was a 30 minute wait for a table, but worth it. We choose a Frankenmuth combo plate so we could have both chicken & sample some German food. Remember, if you eat, you must talk it off.

#6 We strolled through Frankenmuth and stopped in a few shops and made a few purchases.

It started to snow little ice pellets and the wind blew the snow off the roofs which just added to the pelting.

#7 After we picked up some flavored ground coffee at Zenders, we got in the car and headed to Birch Run to finish off the plan. We went to Phaltzgraff's to find they were having a closing sale. Yippy!!! We got some great buys. Next, we looked for our favorite store that combined The Gap, Banana Republic & Old Navy clearance, only to find it was closed. Bummer!!! Amy searched for boots, but the ones she really liked had a price that was more then she wanted to spend (Haven't we all been there?) We Checked out Pottery Barn, American Eagle & Areopostale. My mom phoned me to find out how we enjoyed our day only to find that we were still at Birch Run! Yes, at around 7:30 pm we finally headed home. The roads weren't too bad...well that is until we got on 53 near Almont. (I decided to take 75 to 69 to 53 instead of 75 to 59) 53 south was a sloooooow go Can you say 30 in a 55. The road wasn't to bad, but the lead car was an overly cautious driver. So...

#8 I dropped Amy off around 9:30 pm ( what usually take 1:30 to 1:45, took 2 hrs)and headed home.

It was a long day, but the conversation, the laughing, the food and fellowship was worth every minute of the 13 hours. I wonder what we'll do next year.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

What Inspires me?

What inspires me? This was a question from Matt Bunk's Blog post.
Well, many things inspires me. Take for instance my son Eric. He inspires me to have his favorite food on hand and the house ready for his Home Coming.
Winter inspires me to knit.
My granddaughter Sarah inspires me to sew doll clothes and dress ups.
My daughter Amy inspires me to shop.
My mom, to just take time and enjoy our Mondays together.
Pastor Bob inspires me to seek God's face.
Alieen inspires me to want an intimate relationship with God.
A good book inspires me to read more.
Sundays, after church, inspire me to rest.
Color inspires me to be creative.
Music inspire me to sing, or dance or worship.
A moment, a person or an incident can inspire me to write a scene in a play or a monologue.
A tee shirt with a slogan on it can inspire a cabin theme for next years CFL Camp.
An a reality TV show can inspire me to develope another theme for another cabin.

So Matt, I guess there is alot that inspires me. The question remains Will I act upon the inspirations?