lately...

Man, I haven't written in a while! And I was reminded of that when I was visiting with my friend Stacey the other day. Apparently she reads my blog! Yippee! A reader! It makes my heart swell.

So as I was reading back over what I've written lately, I noted that I haven't followed up on my hopes for the New York Marathon. It seems, alas, that I won't get to run. Bummer. BIG bummer. But I'll throw my name in again for next year. Maybe when I'm 80 I'll get in.

And then I saw some pictures of my garden from March 31. Wow! How the yard greens up and the flowers bloom in a month! My chickens are livin' the dream out there. And as an added bonus, they are eating all the weeds, too! So although I have to pay good money to get my front yard sprayed and fertilized, my backyard is a green paradise! Heck, I might move out there soon. All I need is some outdoor furniture and an invisible shield to keep the girls from entering my personal space and pooping on it.

In my dreams. Yes, in my beautiful dreams.

Do you see my lopsided landscaping? On the left I planted a peony on the same day I planted that flowering bush on the right. (I should know what that's called, but I don't. It's called "the pretty flowering bush that made it through the last winter without dying" here at my house.) Obviously, one of these things is not like the other. But that peony is making a comeback, I tell you! Hopefully in 2 years it will be as big as the other, unidentifiable bush! Note to self: time to get rid of the broken fountain. It's already lived it's glory days. Put it out of it's misery. ASAP.

And now, for your viewing pleasure, are some awesome pictures I snapped of the girls. Who love a good modeling shoot.

HAHAHAHA! Aren't they funny? I could eat that last one with a spoon! Oh wait. I might.

the recorder strikes again...

Good news people! Gavin got his black belt! For the recorder that is.

There's this new-ish thing going on in public school music classes. The kids play a song for the music teacher. They pass "the test" and they get a little "belt" for their recorder. Actually it's a color coded piece of string that gets tied onto their case. But that's neither here nor there.

The fact is: G is a black belt in the recorder. AND, not to brag, but he's the FIRST FOURTH GRADER TO RECIEVE THIS HONOR THIS YEAR.

Okay..... how did this happen? I think the standards have been significantly lowered for musical prowess since I was a girl.

But I haven't even gotten to the best part.

Today is my daughter's birthday. MA BABEEEEEE! She's a TEENAGER! And while we were having our 6 am birthday present opening session before the kids got ready for school, Gavin decided to give his sister the most thoughtful gift he could imagine.

A SERENADE OF HAPPY BIRTHDAY ON THE RECORDER.

Are you KIDDING me? I had to close my eyes. I was pretending to really focus on the beautiful music being played from his heart, but really I was cringing at every flat note he played in lieu of the correct one.

Finally, Abby, who had been so sweet (for once) to listen to his off key rendition, said, "Thank you GAVIN! THAT WAS SO SWEET!" (thus signalling an end to the song).

And in the quiet, dark of morning, across the room, Scott said:

Gavin. Sports. Yo.

The moral of the story is: A music career is not in your future, son.

deep thoughts by kim handy

There is so much sadness in the world today. Look around. You'll find failings of all kinds. The earth is failing us (floods, tsunamis, tornadoes, and earthquakes). The hope for peace is failing us (see middle east). And humankind is failing. Failing us? Maybe. Failing in themselves? Absolutely. Physical illness, mental illness, addiction, personal failings. Aren't we all failing in some way?

I've recently come across the news to find people I know in trouble with the law. People I know. And it got me to thinking about a song I like. The lyrics, in part, read like this:

All those people goin' somewhere
Why have I never cared?

Give me Your eyes for just one second
Give me Your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me Your love for humanity
Give me Your arms for the broken-hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me Your heart for the ones forgotten
Give me Your eyes so I can see

You see, when I saw these people on TV, it broke my heart. I haven't seen either of them in years, but obviously, life has not been good for them. So where are my arms right now? Are they reaching out? Am I stepping forward to show love? No, I'll be honest. I'm sitting in my little bubble, focusing on what I can control (ha! or at least what I think I'm in control of), and hoping for the best for these people. People who God loves. People who He is wishing more for.

So what can I do? I'm not in a position, even if I were willing, to help these folks. I can't bail them out of jail. I can't change the charges brought against them. It feels hopeless. And yet, there's hope.

I was talking to a friend yesterday. She was telling me about one of the people I saw on the news. She mentioned that this person had exhausted their family financially and emotionally. She said there was probably no hope left for her life. And it got me to thinking. NO HOPE? Is that what Jesus says? Because if there's no hope for these people, then that means there's no hope for me! No hope for a sinner, broken and scarred.

It was about then that scripture began flooding my mind. Things like when Jesus said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Notice he said "all". Not some things. Not most things. But ALL things. Including this lady's life. Is she not the perfect example of the person in that song I mentioned? Broken-hearted. Forgotten. Beyond my reach.

I can't do anything to change these people I know or the course of their lives. But I can do something powerful without leaving my home. I can (and have) dropped to my knees before an Almighty God, who knows all our sin and forgives us when we ask. I can stand in the gap for these people, even if they have no idea there is a gap. And I can petition the Lord on their behalf, asking that the HOPE they need will come. That it will be right around the corner. On it's way before they've even asked.

Stand with me. Please?