Dial "M" for Mom

Today has been one on "those" days.  It started out all Snow Whitish, not in the "someday my prince will come" way but in the birds are singing, and I am skipping around the wishing well, - all happy, happy, joy, joy- except that I didn't really skip and I don't have a wishing well.

Anyway...things were going swimmingly. Everyone got up and out without problem, I got the bulk of my household chores over early, the baby I keep three days a week settled down for his nap right on time and (cue the foreboding music) then the phone rings. It's the high school graduation coach telling my that my senior son has not turned in his research paper and there is no way he can graduate unless and until it is turned in.

What's worse is not that I found this out, but that he lied to his dad and me and said that it was completed prior to our vacation last week. We allowed him to have two friends along contingent on the finished paper. So the happy, happy, joy, joy, is gone now replaced with  angry, angry, bitterly disappointed, bitterly disappointed.

I bandied ugly thoughts and emotions about for a while and came to the conclusion, that it is not my failure as a mother that caused his behavior. (Not sure if that's true but it makes me feel a little better.) There comes a time when each one must take possesion of his own "stuff", wholly and stop playing the blame game.  Hard-working responsible parents can have irresponsible, take the easy way kids. We were never perfect parents and never claimed to be. We did the best we could with what we had at any given time and prayed it was enough.  So after coming to my own sort of calm about this...the phone rings, again.

The high school, for the second time, different issue, different kid. This time I am told Allison needs me to bring her more suitable clothing or spend the rest of the day in ISS.  As I write this she is in ISS, a bailout would not help with learning the needed lesson. In this situation I see her lesson as rules and authorities are expected to be obeyed.  I can't help but wonder what my lesson is in all this, but I'll have to ponder that later since the phone is ringing and caller id shows it's the primary school.

Tipping the Scales

My husband weighed 117 pounds when he graduated high school. He was told that if he stood sideways he resembled a zipper (I assume his nose would have been the pull). In comparison, I weighed in the neighborhood of 130 when I graduated. Sparta has had the metabolism of a hummingbird.  If conventional dieting wisdom said "don't", he did and it never showed in his weight.  Not fair, not fair, not fair.

While I have been up and down the scales and tried practically every diet known to (wo) man, he has never had need. That is until now  and by now I mean the past couple of years. I don't think he needs to lose anything but he feels yucky and there's no arguing with that.

You'd  think he might listen to the 20+ years of expertise I have garnered on the subject. Carbs? Calories? Fat content? Ask me, I'm your girl.

This morning I gave him the most critical piece of advice for successful dieting. Eat breakfast and not just any breakfast but one high in protein.  Do you think he listened? Ummm, no.

That's okay though because at some point in the future, someone else will tell him the same thing and then the advice will be pure GOLD. 

At that time there will be some eye-rolling and shaking of the head-- my own. I wouldn't shake him no matter how tempted. I'll bet that would burn a few calories though.

God and Football

The following is a letter written by Neil Caudle's mom after Auburn's national championship win. Sparta told me that earlier in Auburn's season Coach Chizik was asked about the amazing win over Clemson. His reply that "it was a God thing" was met with derision; even after THE big game, acknowledging God's hand in the matter was called into question.  Check out this article from ESPN http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/commentary/news/story?id=6011095 then read the awesome letter from Teresa Caudle.

hey, auburn fans! i just downloaded my pictures from the national championship game. because we were on the south end

of the field, opposite from the action at the end of the game, i made pictures of the jumbotron and scoreboard. the attached

picture reveals that not only did # 19 take the snap and hold the ball for the 19 yard field goal to break the 19-19 tie to win the  national championship, but there were 19 seconds left on the play-clock.


 
all of us have wonder at times whether or not we are in god's will. with each injury and disappointment, keith and i wondered if god wanted neil to play football at auburn. but neil always felt he was in god's will, even when things didn't go

like he wanted them to. getting to be a part of the national championship team seemed to be an affirmation that he was right to stick it out. but god always exceeds our expectations. sometimes god gives us signs.
you can do the math and see it is no coincidence. i believe god orchestrated neil's last college football game to show his
power and to affirm to neil (and us) that # 19 was right where he was supposed to be all along. (matthew 25:21)
for now i see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now i know in part; but then shall i know even as also i am known. (first corinthians 13:12)
god always does what he says he will do. (psalm 33:4 and psalm 145:13)
god is all-powerful and he will never forsake us. (psalm 37:28 and romans 8:35)
god will bless those who seek to follow his will. (1 john 5:14 and matthew 26:39)
god requires us to humble ourselves and take the form of a servant. (matthew 20:26 and 23:12)


verse-of-the-day today is this: "even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: but they that wait upon the lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." isaiah 40:30-31

thank you for sharing in this experience with us. thank you for all your prayers and support. our god is an awesome god!


war eagle!
teresa and keith


I have always believed that my God cares about even our smallest concerns, to me this is just further confirmation. Though it must be said, to most of my fellow Alabamians football is no small thing whether they roll with the Tide or soar with the Eagle.  Giving God the glory!!! War Eagle.