EMpty NesT

The children are gone.................................now what?

if you pray, HE WILL answer!!

This is not a story, but actual events that were not a coincidence as I believe ALL things are ordained and directed by His hand. However, if you don't pray and ask for things, how will you ever know when they are answered?



First I want you all to know that I pray for each of my children, but they probably would not like me to blog about the specific prayers I pray for them....so I am sharing one specific prayer that will not cause them to cringe.


As you all know, Katie will be going to USC (Southern Cal) in August of this year. Since she committed to the school 2 years ago, I have been praying that God will be with her and He would provide a family out in CA that would be a Christain family that she could go to. Well, last Saturday when I was working my 2nd job at ULTA, a lady came to my register to check out. I asked if she wanted to fill out a beauty club card and she asked if she could fill it out for her daughter. I said, "Sure!". Well, I just happened to look at the card while she was filling out and noticed the city was Los Angeles. Hmmmm, I asked if her daughter lived in LA and this is how our conversation went.....

Lady>> yes
Me>>, wow!! my daughter is going out to LA to go to USC
Lady>> , my daughter just graduated from USC
Me>> wow!! That is amazing. Did she like it?

Lady>> Yes, she did.
Me>> how did YOU do with her being so far away?
Lady>> not good at all!! But you just have to pray alot for her and know that God will be with her.
Me>> I know. I have already been praying for her.
Lady>> Just remind her often to make wise choices.
Me>> I know. What did your daugher major in?
Lady>> Music
Lady>> What is your daughers name?
Me>> Katie
Lady>> Since my daughter is now graduated, I would like to pray for your daughter every day while she is USC. I know how to pray for her and for you. What is her last name?
Me>> **choking back the lump that has formed in my throat** T-tate.
Lady>> I will pray for Katie Tate everyday while she is USC.
Me>> Thank you sooooo much!!! Maam, you will have to excuse me because I have to cry and I have to turn my back because of all the people here in the store.


That was the end of the conversation. I did compose myself and finished out my work day at ULTA. That night in bed as I reviewing the events in my head and heart, I was humbled that the Great God of the universe cares enough for me to send that lady to tell me that He is starting to form Katies "family-away-from-the-family", her college family. I got to thinking that my limited vision of a family (in a house) is too confining to God. He showed me that the family He will have for her extends beyond walls and boundries. And He let me meet her, too :D !!! AWESOME!! Then as I was laying there in bed, I thought of the verse that tells us that sometimes we entertain angels unaware (that is very loosely translated) and I got to thinking, of course.....her daughter majored in MUSIC!!! I bet if I had asked what instrument she played it would have been the Harp!!!

Dear Heavenly Father:
Thank You so much for caring enough for Katie that You allowed me to see a small portion of Your answer to my prayers. But it was HUGE to me. I hope that this blog reflects in a small way the wonder of Your LOVE for us, and encourages others to pray, trust You and look for Your answers along our life way and to give You back the glory You deserve. You are so wonderful and I humbly say thank You again, Heavenly Father. Continue to protect Katie, guide her and send people in her life that will encourage her to walk in manner worthy of You.
Amen.

if you would like to help me pray for Katie when she comes to your mind, let me know. Thank you !! :D

Note to "Self-Tanner Spray"

You did your taxes on the 15th of April and I used a new spray tanner on my legs (luckily it was just on my legs). The print was so small on the can....or maybe my eyes are going bad, but in any event, I did not know that it would CONTINUE to tan over the hours. So when I sprayed it on, it did not show any color so I kept spraying until I saw some color and by that time the can was empty. By the time I woke up in the morning......well, needless to say, my legs are looking like the presidents legs if-you-know-what-i-mean!!! Yes, the color is semi perm ante. I exfoliated the crap out of them this morning. I think they look a little better, at least, that is what I want to believe. So even though the weather would allow me to wear some cute Capri's with sandals, I am in my long pants w/ socks and shoes.

She Can Never Say Goodbye

I am back blogging earlier than I thought I would.

But I read something on my niece's blog, Summer, http://www.lemusingsofmoi.com/, that caused me to shudder.

Life without my Hairdresser?

May it NEVER be!!! But you must understand that my hairdresser is like no other. She is awesome with color (not just with one color but 3), cutting to suit the face and the never ending changing of hair styles . She is soooo funny and she always has funny stories, she listens, she understands. She has great style in clothing, make up and I love seeing what great thing she has done to her hair. She makes it possible for me to go out into public with

my head held high.

Her place I GET to go to every 6 weeks.

So what would happen IF she should leave? I think this picture says

it all and it would not be a pretty sight....for anybody.

18 Years Ago.....

.......I gave birth to my last baby. Today she turns 18!!! It made me think back to the event of giving birth and how wonderful ..... painful ..... and scary it all was. I really have nothing great to blog about, just the fact that time goes so quickly. My other two are already out of the house, now the youngest will be leaving in a few months. A chapter in my life is ending, but just as one ends another chapter begins. I loved being pregnant, birthing, and nursing. I love the opportunity in being a mother. Now, I look forward to the new chapter in the book of my life to begin. I don't know what it will hold, so I will read carefully, turn pages gently and do my best to end well.

To the 3 Best Children In The World

Breean

Timmy

Katie

Thank you for teaching me about love, a mother's love, that only can be expressed by the heart, the tears, the smiles and the never ending prayers.

The incredible set of hips I now have. I have the pleasure (?) of carrying THEM with me forever, the obvious tattoo of birthing.

18 years ago.....I closed the book on giving birth, but the other doors it has opened up to me as a person have been an incredible blessing.

An Opportunity Lost

I met up with a girl I had met about 10 years ago just this past Friday night. We had worked together and I really liked her and considered her like the younger sister I never had. Over the past 6 years we have not been in touch until Friday night. The path she has chosen for her life is anything but the one that God planned for her. We were talking and she looked at me and asked me, " do you believe people are brought into your life for a reason?". I said, "absolutely!!!". She looked at me in the eyes and asked, " why do you think God brought YOU into MY life?!!". WOW. That hit me hard and here is the reason.....about 5 years ago and event took place in my life that was weird to me at the time. I had known Richard for many years thru his daughter and my kids. I guess we have known him and his family for about 12 years. One day I went to his house to visit with his wife. She was not home at the time so Richard said just to sit at the pool with him until she got home. At the pool was this guy I had known from our old church. I had not seen him in years and was quiet surprised to see him at Richards house too. Come to find out they had known each other for years. They would go bars together, but then Mr. Z (that's what we called him) got saved and did not go to bars anymore, but Richard and Mr. Z still maintained their friendship. So the 3 of us sat there and talked...not much about anything, but just chatted. I left when Richard's wife came home and that was the end of that...or so I thought. Richard was killed in a car accident about a week later. It was not until many, many months later I realized that God had brought possibly the two people together He thought could witness to Richard. I can only speak for myself, but that opportunity was lost. It weighs on my heart still very heavy today....because I can't say where Richard is spending his eternity. So, with the question my friend Lori asked me Friday night, hit me right where it hurts (in my heart) and made me think....what am I going to do with this opportunity with her? I have started back praying for her and asking God what He would have me do for/with her. I will try to be more aware of the people brought into my life and not take situations so lightly. Missed opportunities are one of the things in life you can NEVER get back, but very possibly the greatest loss will be to the person that was brought into YOUR life.

Everybody Likes Me!!?

I came upon a thought or discovery today while I was walking my 2 miles at lunch time. I try to go to this lake by my work and walk 2-3 miles during my lunch hour a few times each week. It is a great way to escape the office and get some exercise. Well, how does this tie into the title of my posting? It all started back in middle school, to the best of my memory, that I thought and truly believed, everybody liked me. I was just a very happy-go-lucky person, thought the best of people, believed EVERYONE and since I liked EVERYONE, I thought....and believed it was reciprocated. This went well into high school (I have vivid memories of this being so in high school) and in college. It has since flowed through into my work world. Well, when I went back to my 25th High School reunion I was soooo excited. I just KNEW they would all be just as excited to see me. So I took my name tag off, just positive that they would all remember me, and I very excitedly entered into the room where the pre-reunion was the night before. It was the third person I encounterd, no wait, the third person I hugged (Cindy Jordan....we had been in school together since 3rd grade) and I said, "HI, CINDY!" (if I was a dog, my tail up to my hips would have been wagging) and waited for the same response. It was the same as the first two people, "hi, and who are you, and where is your name tag?" Of course I am not easily discouraged so I said, "HA, I don't need one because I know YOU know ME!". I quickly discovered that was not the case. So now, back to the lake. I have been walking there for about a year off and on. I take my CD player with me with some earplugs. You know the big round thing? Well, many, many people are always smiling at me. So I think, yes....Everybody Likes Me. I have been so pleased at the lake with this great old feeling.....until this Christmas I got an iPod. The last week I have not received any smiles. The discovery today was, is it because they were smiling/laughing(?) at me because I had a huge, bulky CD player!!!! Oh, it hurt, I can't deny that. But I had to smile at myself because, well, that is just the way I am. Not narcissistic or anything like that, just simple hearted (not minded but hearted). But wait, the second lap into my walk, someone smiled at me.....it was coming back,that old wonderful feeling that , YES, THEY LIKE ME!!!"....or was it because I was singing along with my new pink iPod....did they hear me singing that great song with Elton John,.....rolling like thunder under the covers.....hmmmm......for the sake of my happiness (which directly affects others happiness) I will BELIEVE.....THEY LIKE ME!!!! EVERYBODY LIKES ME!!!