My vampire and me

It had been a long, tiresome and exciting day. My mother, Zoë, Miá and I had tromped all over New York City beginning at 7 a.m. that morning. It was now late afternoon and we were beat! All we wanted to do was find some food and find a subway station to take us back to our hotel.
We were leaving FAO Schwarz, crossing over Fifth Avenue and walking past the Plaza Hotel.
To escape the crowds and a busy thoroughfare, we decided to take a side street to reach our destination that traversed past a private entrace of The Plaza. (not the grand main entrance - this was less ostentacious and more concealed)
We were almost oblivious to the group of people lined up behind barriers on both sides of the street. There had been so many people everywhere else, for all we knew they were lined up for a show or a buffet or who-knows what, and we decided to just bypass the scene. When we circumvented the masses and got to the location that was next to the front of the crowd where the barriers held them back, I began to notice all the cameras and the excitement. Standing in front of the barrier, I spoke to a young woman on the other side of the metal bars and asked her, "What's going on?"
"I think they're filming a movie!" the cute brunette responded.
I replied, "Do you know who's in it?"
"Nope!" she said. "I'm just here cause my friends dragged me along."
Hmmm.... I thought to myself. "Let's just go," I said to my mom. I didn't see any movie cameras or trailers and it didn't look like a movie scene to me. No telling how long those people had been waiting there and no telling how much more time would drag on before they caught a glimpse of some unknown "movie star."
So we started walking.
Right as we got up to the side entrance of the infamous hotel, who crosses in front of me but Robert Pattinson.

"OMG, OMG, OMG! It's Robert Pattinson!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.
He was gorgeous! Dressed in a black suit with a crisp white shirt unbuttoned part of the way and a black tie hung loosely around his neck, the sight of him took me by surprise.
It's relevant to provide some history. I have been a R.P. fan for quite sometime. It was several months back when CJ brought home the first Twilight movie and I disregarded the film saying, "I don't want to watch some vampire movie."
He cajoled me, "Everyone says it's really good. All the girls seem to like it."
So I watched it reluctantly but instantaneously fell in love with the beautiful and hypnotizing Edward Cullen - R.P.'s character in the movie. I think I watched that movie three times before it was due back to the rental store.
I then proceeded to read the Twilight books. I read all four books in the series in a week. I just couldn't get enough!
Since then I have found myself stopping at every magazine stand and gazing at every website that has a picture of R.P. featured. I just can't seem to help myself! (It's an innocent fascination really and my husband has no concerns.) :)
But as I came face to face with this man that has held an allure over me, I lost all sense of maturity and self-awareness.
I squeeled loudly with my words running together in an almost foreign language type of tone. Then... for a moment.... time stood still - Robert Pattinson turned and looked at me!
We were eye to eye for a flash of a second.
The look he gave me though was not a smiling face. It was a look of fear. I think the poor man thought I was going to attack him.
Then in an instant, he was gone... wisked into the restricted hotel like steam that evaporates into the air.
My shoulders slumped. I realized what an idiot I had made of myself and what an opportunity I had missed - my camera was in my hand the whole time and I had not snapped a single picture. What a great journalist I am, huh?
I was still in shock, standing frozen in the path of what had just occurred, til I felt a small hand tugging on my sleeve. It was Miá. "Mommy, who was that?" she said with her sweet innocence.
Zoë, the older sister, with indignation replied for me since my voice had seemed to cease. "Duh! It's Edward from Twilight!"
I smiled at the occurrence. The whole story seemed to transpire in slow motion, but in reality it was over in a flash.
At least I thought it was over til my mother, with similar stagger and surprise, began shrieking just as I had moments before, "OMG! OMG! OMG! It's Pierce Brosnan!!!"

Like a replay of the serendipitous encounter I had just experienced, my mom was brushed with the same destiny with a movie star of her attraction. P.B. had arrived just moments after R.P. because they were filming a movie inside in a restaurant in the Plaza Hotel.
It was quite the event.
In retrospect it almost seems like a dream.
But it really happened.
And I have the Newsweek article from the next day to prove it.... the headline: Robert Pattinson anxious to return to London after enduring fanatic New York females.
Well, at least I left an impression....

Falling off the wagon...

Well, it's been nearly two months since I've blogged. There's no excuse really. I could give some like "I've just not had enough time," but in the end, excuses are just a waste of time. So it's redundant, and I'm moving on.
June and July have been a whirlwind. Youth trips, mission trips, conventions, weddings in other states and trips to foreign countries have all been stuffed into a few weeks' time. Like kernels of popcorn that explode when enough heat is applied, there were times when I felt like the pressure of it all would make me pop. But in the end, it's what I signed up for and agreed to. I made the choices to be this busy and I must say that even though it was all a bit stressful, it was an adventure and a lot of fun.
One of the highlights has been taking my mom and children to New York. I had a short visit there once before, and I tested my own resourcefulness by going back as the leader and provider for my family this time. It gave me a great sense of accomplishment to know that I could go to another city and manage to get around, take care of the details and planning and really have an enjoyable experience all at the same time.
The good news is that things are starting to get back to order. My office staff is now back at 100% - at least for the day - you never know how long that will last. And my spouse and kids will be returning from the last of the summer trips at the end of this week. (I have enjoyed a few days of sobering sanity being home alone for a short time.)
Now that order and structure is returning, I will attempt to be more fervent in my blogging. Back to the grind...

Bounce...

A little more everyday, I'm learning that life is about reflexes. How you respond to the surprises in life, the unplanned moments and the interuptions. Just when you think you have things figured out, there's a bump in the road or a fork in the road or maybe even a dead end.
Well, you can't just sit down in the middle of the road and cry about it. You have to do something about it.
I know I'm a magnet for chaos. It's a world I've grown accustomed to. But there are a few daily routines that fill my day, like my morning coffee. I can't imagine a day without the habit. The first of the morning catch up with the office staff. I love coming into the office in the mornings to find everyone eating breakfast or maybe even just filling out paperwork at their desks, but while they do, they're talking about what happened over the weekend or the night before. I truly enjoy hearing about what is going on in their lives each day. But for daily routines, that's about it for me.
I do try to plan. For instance, I'm going to New York this summer for a few days. I've made hotel reservations. I even bought tickets to a Broadway musical in advance. But at some point I recognize the best prepartion I can do is to be prepared for the unknown.
I think that's the way life is and the only true way to be prepared for the twists, turns, ups and downs, is to know how to bounce back or get up. So can you truly be prepared for the unknown? The answer is yes, and faith is the key!

I am determined

Every morning, the first thing I do when I open my eyes is to roll over, grab my cell phone and check my email. This morning started out with an email from a good friend in Bangladesh. It was as if God were speaking to me already, preparing me for a morning of worship.
Like clockwork, the girls and CJ were running out the door to go to church and I was left with a few quiet moments to get ready myself while also cooking a dish to take for the lunch that would be served after the morning service.
I sat down with a cup of coffee to study my morning Bible devotion. More preparation for a coming worship service.
That worship service finally arrived and after a morning spent talking with God and His preparation of my heart for this service, I was excited to see and feel His presence there in our sanctuary.
I often wonder if others see God in our services as visibly as I do. But His presence this morning was undeniable. There was singing, fellowship and a time of honoring some men of our church for their years of dedication, then it was time for the choir to lead in a well-known version of "I Am Determined."
From the moment the music began, I could feel God swell in our sanctuary as if He filled the whole room to the four corners, then He breathed His breath into the soloist who brought forth the audible voice of God. My breathing became heavy and my soul was humbled from awesome display that was transpiring. Then the choir joined in singing "I am determined to be invincible til He has finished His purpose in me." And it dawned on me that all of this was for me. God was speaking to me. From the moment my eyes opened til this dramatic and emotional stirring in our worship service, God was telling me that He is with me always; He has a purpose for me still and He wants me to be unshakeable in following His will.
Wow! I could barely sing the song. The words were on my lips, but no voice was coming out. The song ended with a huge climax providing just a glimpse into what I think Heaven will look like and as the Minister of Music waved His arms to end the song, the lights went out in the building.
Woh...
As if I wasn't aware that Christ was there already, it was like He put His stamp on the final note. It still gives me chills just thinking about it.
All I could do was smile, to know that God cares so much to do all this for me. I wonder what He was doing for others this morning as well.

Love is a beautiful thing (at the right age)

So, my 5 year old daughter, Miá, came home the other night and said, "Mama, guess what?" You can guess my response, "What?"
I was standing in the kitchen making dinner. It had been a good day and I was in a very good mood. I prepared myself to hear about Miá's school day, maybe a paper she colored or an adventure on the playground.
She said John (her 6 year old boyfriend) "told me today that he loves me!"
Screech. Stop. WHAT? - That's what happened on my insides. - On the outside with a cool and calm demeanor I asked her, "and what did you say?" (while trying to keep from coming unglued)
She said, "I told him I loved him too."
Ugh... You have got to be kidding me!
Have you ever felt your stomach literally drop? Your head starts to spin and you feel like you will faint?
I had to sit down.
I mean, 5 years old is way too soon to start developing feelings of this magnitude. Love is something for her parents or her sister or other relatives. Love can maybe even be for her favorite friends in CJ's office that she gives hugs to every morning on her way in to school. But definitely not for a BOY!
My mind was flashing with so many things that I wanted to say. I kept thinking that I should yank her out of preschool and send her to a nunnery. (Ok, not really.) But I did think of some extreme things that I could say or do to put a stop to this boyfriend situation immediately.
See up til now, I knew when she said that John was her boyfriend that it meant a friend who happened to be a boy. But saying I love you put the relationship into a whole different perspective.
The only words that I could utter out of my mouth was, "aaannnnddddd.... then what happened?"
She said, "then we all said I love you to each other! It was fun!"
"Huh?" (my bewildered response.)
She said, "Yeah, then I told Presley that I loved her, I told Maia that I loved her, I told Hays that I loved him..." and she kept on going.
And then she said the best part, "and they all said they love me too! I guess I just can't help being so lovable!"
As she skipped away down the hall, I could hear her singing "I love everybody and everybody loves me..."
Whew. What a relief! Crisis averted. For now.

What have you done for me lately?

Most days, I travel along the road of life feeling pretty good. Day in, day out, doing what I've got to do and usually when I put my head on the pillow at night, I feel like I've accomplished something. Then there are those moments when you hit a wall and the wind is knocked out of your sails.
I had one of those moments yesterday.
I think as Christians, we live our lives aware of how unworthy we are of God's love, grace and His ultimate sacrifice. It's easy to rest on the verse of scripture found in Ephesians 2:8-9 which says it is by grace we are saved through faith. It also says that we are not saved by our good works so that man may not boast. How easy it is to use that passage as an excuse to just get by.
We know we are saved regardless of how few good works we actually do and are continually unworthy of His salvation which he freely gives, so there's no real pressure to step outside of our comfort zone.
But verse 10 of that chapter says that we are created to do good works in Him and for Him.
It was in reading that verse yesterday that I felt challenged. What good works have I really done lately? Have I really gotten so busy and caught up doing my regular job that I've forgotten to do my REAL life's purpose job? Has it really been a couple days or weeks or maybe even months since I witnessed to someone about my faith, shared the gospel or led someone to Christ?
When I read that passage yesterday, I felt ashamed. I felt my unworthiness in a soul-saddening sort of way. I wonder how many times I've disappointed my Father by wasting the precious time He's given me each day by merely living life.
I believe that God wants us to live with passion and purpose. He wants us not to just live life, but to live it to the fullest for Him each and every day.
My mama always says that Lord has a way of keeping us humble. And I guess everynow and then we need those reminders that just kick us back into gear.

Beginnings and endings

My best friend Erin just brought the most beautiful baby boy into the world. His name is Brennan Joshua and he is absolutely perfect! Of course I've only seen pictures, but I have spent so much time in prayer over this little angel that I feel attached to him already.
Seeing the pictures of Erin and her new baby instantly took me back to the day when each of my little girls were born. Both births were so completely different, just like the different children they've turned out to be.
When you have a baby, everything is about beginnings. The first bath, the first bottle, the first poo.... I guess even as the babies grow into toddlers and children, we still have those beginnings - the first day of school, their first lost tooth, and so forth and so on. You don't really expect to have endings when your kids are young, so when they do, it's a bittersweet moment for the parents.
My girls had an ending this weekend. It was the end of competitive all-star cheerleading. And even though it was expensive and time-consuming, it was a little sad to know it's all over. Zoë and Miá loved being on their squads and all the things involved with being a part of their team. I had the opportunity to see both of my girls shine on a big stage. I got to see them overcome fears and anxiety. They worked hard (very hard) and exhibited self-discipline and poise under pressure. There's something special about seeing your kids strive towards a goal, work towards that goal and then excel, that's extremely gratifying for parents.
So why are they giving it up?
Because it's expensive and time-consuming! Well, not just that, but also because they've outgrown it - already! There are new expensive and time-consuming activities on the horizon and so a choice had to be made. In the end, Zoë made the choice to go to the next level. She will take the lessons and behaviors she's learned and apply it to a new school cheerleading squad. She'll also be able to play basketball (which she loves) and maybe even piano lessons - if I can find a place for her to practice.
As for Miá, well, the second child always loses out. Since big sister's not doing it anymore, neither will she... but I'm sure we'll find something for her to do. She is only 5 after all!
Oh and they're still going to do gymnastics. So it's not a complete drop.
One funny moment occurred this weekend. They had their last competition in Panama City at the UCA national competition. After competing, the participants each received a goodie bag from the UCA sponsors.
Zoë opened up her goodie bag to find tampons and a razor and shaving cream. Yeah, those are a couple of beginnings that I'm just not prepared for yet!