conversations swirling into thoughts
evacuations routes
the best times to go
what to take, what to leave
irritation that this is such a big deal

and then the horrible thought
laced with a tinge of fear:

what if it’s not here when we come back?

sudden understanding for the victims of Katrina

i’ve spent a good part of my life in danger
of storing up my treasures on earth.
i look around my bedroom and think,

what a relief it would be to have it taken all away…
oh, to be able to say, “It was nothing, just stuff, just things,
it wasn’t my life.”

suddenly the fear is gone
i could almost wish it would happen
to start fresh, with no baggage,
no burden of possessions
now i’m beginning to envy those refugees.
(i can’t bring myself to pray for it, since i can’t wish
my family out of house and home.)

i thought today about having things,
buying things…
i can’t spend my life in fear,
refusing to enjoy the material things God makes
me steward of because “it might be destroyed.”
money is not evil, it’s the love of money.
my guard is not against having things,
it’s against loving them.

every time someone on the news said, “We’ve lost everything,” my Dad said
“It wasn’t yours to lose.” 

everything i have is God’s,
even my life.

whatever the outcome,
whether i come home to nothing, or everything,
i will never be the same again.
and by God’s grace, i will praise Him with my whole heart,
for He has done mighty acts…

My sister was right–Switchfoot keeps writing songs for me.  They
did “Twenty-four” the year I was twenty-four, and now “Daisy”….

   
           
           
          Daisy, give
yourself away
       
           
           
           Lookup at the
rain
           
           
                 The beautiful display
   
           
           
           Of power and
surrender
           
           
           
         Giving us today
   
           
           
           And she gives
herself away

Have you ever been in a moment that was so beautiful you had to find
someone to share it with you? 

Tonight I shared a lovely sunset
on the swing with someone special.

~a beautiful wedding for one of my favorite people
~barbeque reception outside at a wonderful home
~the wedding cake turning out perfectly (thank you, Lord!)
~The Rainmakers (father-of-the-bride’s band) playin’ country music and good ole’ rock ‘n’ roll
~abandoning shyness and pride and being crazy on the dance floor
~being comfortable enough to mock-fight for the bouquet, telling the
sixteen-year-olds to get out of the way of the
  nearly-thirty’s
~dancing in the rain with my best friends
~the bride dancing in the rain with all her childhood girlfriends (and being one of them)
~deciding that I must be a “country girl” at heart
~feeling young, and feeling that youth rightfully goes with my age
~racing the limo down the lane as it took our friends off to their new life
~good friends, good food, dancing, laughing
~a perfect day and we got ‘er married off
~coming home to my beautiful family
~seeing my sister’s new mice, which she got for her birthday (they are kind of cute)
~kissing my baby sister while she’s still damp from her bath
~watching great movies like The Princess Bride and Terminator with my Daddy
~being able to sigh with tired happiness and thank God for all the love and laughter in my life

When my second brother, Sean, the seventh in our family, turned five or
six, he got a birthday card from Grandma that he could almost
read.  Later he told her, “Grandma, I like getting letters from
you, but would you please not write curses?”  My devout
Catholic grandmother was nearly in tears until someone
interpreted.  He couldn’t read cursive.

In spite of rising gas prices and few extra thousand people in our state, life as we know it may not be much different.  But it’s still a good reminder not to take that life for granted.  Thankfulness…

       
           
           
           
            Oh, my baby,
when you’re older
          
                
           
           
      Maybe then you’ll understand
   
               
             
            You have
angels to dance around you shoulders
   
           
               
                 
‘Cause at times in life you need a helping hand

   
                
              
           
        Oh, my baby, when you’re prayin’
   
           
                 
               
        Leave your burden by my door
 
               
             
             
    You have Jesus standing by your bedside
   
               
                  
           
    To keep you calm, keep you safe,
   
           
           
               
               
     Away from harm

     
               
           
           
              Worry
not my daughters,
       
                
               
           
          Worry not my sons
 
                
               
           
    Child, when life don’t seem worth livin’
   
               
                
      Come to Jesus and let Him hold you in His arms

   
           
           
                 
        Oh, my baby, when you’re cryin’
 
                 
              
           
        Never hide your face from me
   
              
                
        I’ve conquered hell and driven
out the demons
             
               
           
        I have come with a life to set
you free

       
               
               
           
        Worry not my daughters,
   
           
           
               
               
    Worry not my sons
       
                 
           
            Child, when
life don’t seem worth livin’
       
               
                  
Come to Jesus and let Him hold you in His arms

             
             
             
            Oh, my baby,
when you’re dying
       
               
                  
             Believe the
healing of His hand
           
               
               
   Here in Heaven we will wait for your arrival
   
           
                 
               Here in Heaven
you will finally understand
         
                
             
      Here in Heaven we will wait for your arrival
   
              
                   
          Here in Heaven you will finally
understand

       
           
           
               
           Worry not my daughters,
 
                
              
           
       
        Worry not my sons
   
               
                   
          Child, when life don’t
seem worth livin’
             
               
              Come to
Jesus and let Him hold you in His arms

            
             
           
         
        A lesson in how God provides

As Mariah said, “The last
day, of course everything had to go wrong.”  Well, not everything, but a lot of things.  I
got there just in time to hear that the girl running box office was ill and
Mariah was tracking down someone to take over.  When she got off the phone she
turned to me and said, “The house manager can’t make it…Brenda says you can do
it.”  Aaaaaaaaaaaa……!!!!!

But I actually was ready.  I had given my ushering spot to a
friend, which meant I wasn’t short-handed on ushers–in fact I had more
people helping me than I knew what to do with.  And I had dressed
up, on whim.  Mariah and Courtney and Mindy all helped me do what
had to be done to open house and then we just…did it.  God
answered all our prayers before I even new to pray them.  The show
went great, we had a great audience, no major
catastrophes, and I am wiped out. 

That was it…the last Anne show.  And we had to say
goodbye.  Kind of sad, but relieving in a way.  It’s over, we
can all go on with our lives now.   *smiles*  Thank you
to all of you who made me feel like a part of the “Anne”
family. 

 
 
The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul;
         The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;
   The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
         The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
   The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;
         The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.

sometimes hope seems like such a fragile thing
like a birthday candle that gets blown out accidentally
when someone laughs from across the table

but sometimes hope is like a volcano
lighting everything around it and setting it on fire
and nothing can stop it

I love the way you carry on
You make me wanna sing another love song
Sing another love song to you