Hold on to your hat sisters..

This post is going to knock it out of the playing field...and in case you were wondering...yes I REALLY make myself laugh. Okay..I know two posts in one day is REEEEAAALLY extravagant for me, but I've been dying to post this so you guys could join in. 


So I have to tell you that I was reading an email from a new friend, who ROCKS I might add...and she mentioned she is clumsy! Which made me laugh because I have done some wild clumsy things in my life, one of which I will save for further revelation momentarily.  Anyway, it got me to thinking about how we share our stories of clumsiness and how we get a good laugh out of each other...THEN in some weird train of thought that my brain is equipped and wired for...I started thinking about the game CLUE. Don't ask...just follow me there. So here's how this interactive post is going to go:


State the worst injury you ever gave to yourself using a character from the game of CLUE, the room you were in, the weapon and a small description. I would LOVE for you to pass this on to your friends so we can get as many responses as possible! I think it will be a blast. So I'll start:

Miss Scarlett, in the bathroom with the cabinet door. I  gave myself a 3rd degree concussion and whip lash one morning after a shower. I flung my head up after running my fingers through my hair and gracefully...in a very harsh completely ungentle way, whacked my head on the cabinet door and knocked myself out....there you have it...now the world knows. 

You're next! Here are the Characters from the board game in case you need a refresher:


Miss Scarlet
Colonel Mustard
Mrs. White
Reverend Green
Mrs Peacock
Professor Plum

Words of petition

As is custom on the nights I'm exhausted and believe I might actually get to sleep...Biscuits...my sweet boy who is 18 months old today...decided he would not. I got up several times throughout the night to take him what I thought he needed, or find his papo (otherwise knows as passy) but nothing seemed to work. I was thinking how crazy it was that the Bug was speaking in full sentences at this age, and it was SO much easier. He has a LOT of words and more than ever they are starting to take literal flight, but he's still just our baby...and I like that.  At about 2:30 in the morning though...we were on round 4 or 5 getting up...which I have to tell you before you all start giving me parental advice...I don't do often. I had a feeling that something must be wrong, so I was being extra attentive. So just know I'm not an overrly protective, give my baby anything, jump at every noise mama! Anywhoo...I was laying there listening to him A - GAIN...and all of a sudden...there it was "Baba...baba...mama...baba" I couldn't believe it! He was asking for a bottle! I could HELP! Whoohoo! I flew down the stairs and loaded a bottle with milk, warmed it quickly and ran back up the stairs to rescue my sweet boy who was obviously hungry...don't even start on me about the fact that he's 18 months old and is still drinking out of a bottle...


Later in the morning as I was resting my head on my pillow, thinking the night away...I started to wonder about our first words of petition. When we prayed for the first time...did our Father just jump up and down for joy! Was He elated when He heard us speak to Him for the first time...even if it was for a Pretty in Pink Barbie? Or for the boy that we so wanted as our boyfriend and were certain we would die if God didn't force him to fall in love with us right there on the spot! Whatever the first time we've prayed, or even now when we pray,  words of petition bring so much more to the table. I have to believe that in some way...even if we aren't on the right path...or if we're asking for something that isn't what we need...or if all we EVER do is ask...I have to believe that somewhere in the heartbeat of Heaven there is rejoicing because we haven't given up acknowledgement of our Creator. 


There are times too when, as I said Biscuits doesn't articulate his words well...eh-hem...and I would give anything to have someone say...listen lady...he is sick and tired of being in the house and is requesting you get him goldfish crackers and take him on a walk...something like that. Do you remember that scene in Up when they realize the dogs can talk through their voice boxes? I need one of those for him! There are times when we ourselves have this ongoing thing in our heart that we can't verbalize. We know the bulk of our request, the pain surrounding it...but we just don't know what to pray for. What then? Our hope is this..the Spirit intercedes for us in prayer and takes everything our heart would verbalize and lays it at the feet of the Father. He is our translator giving God the whole of what we request and what we seek.  Romans 8:26 says In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. I love that 'with groans that words cannot express'. I have to tell you I have spent plenty of time on my face, tears soaking the carpet, and no words can fill the room...only sobs. There is such peace in knowing, I don't have to verbalize it because the One Spirit who is active and living in me is at that moment, racing to the thrown room to lay my heart at the foot of the king, and He in turn will quiet it:


Zephania 3:17 says:
The LORD your God is with you,
       he is mighty to save.
       He will take great delight in you,
       he will quiet you with his love,
       he will rejoice over you with singing."


Are you feeling lately like you just don't have much to say? Do you feel like a parakeet constantly repeating the same thing? Say it again. He WILL take great delight in you. It doesn't say He DID...it says He will...


I know from emails and comments and women at church...there is so much pain painting the skies of this world. There are petitions to be made. Don't think for one second our Father is too busy, not interested, or hasn't heard you because He hasn't answered. He rejoices over you. He will calm your heart, and I promise He is mighty to save. But don't take my word for it...ask Him yourself.


I love you,


Sara

Just thought I'd let you know...

EVIDENTALLY...I'm uncooperative. YEP...you heard it first here! I mean...I'm just as shocked as you are. I always thought I had a pretty good attitude and was pretty um...what's a good word...how about fluid? Yep...pretty fluid in my ability to adapt to my situation and circumstances. 

*Disclaimer - We should stop right here before I go any further and I should tell you this is a totally selfish rant and there really isn't anything inspirational about it. That being said, I can hear my mom saying 'If you don't have anything nice to say...', but she's not really here and that was all in my head, so read on sister!


So this morning I went to a networking meeting that I attend every Thursday. The meeting starts at 7:30 and it seems that it always snows Wednesday night...which makes for a really fun morning. I had a great drive though, I raised the roof of my car in praise and I stopped at Starbucks (of course) for a Venti Refresh Tea, and headed to my meeting. Got there early because a friend of mine who is also in the meeting and the person that I started the group with, was meeting me there early so we could talk about the direction of the group. She wasn't there yet, so I settled into a comfy chair and contemplated the economy and the effects it will have on the lending industry over the next year (will I survive...I say whilst biting my nails and tapping my foot nervously on the floor)...(yes...I will). Anyway, this group is being formed under a networking organization...kinda’ like how a chamber of commerce has leads groups...this organization teaches and forms groups for networking. It has a great business model and a ton of resources, so we thought it would be a good fit for us. One of the people that is in place to help us was going to show up this morning, I had never met her, but was looking forward to the insight she would have.


To make a really long story short, we were the only people there at 7:20 and were discussing the applications people had submitted and getting them to her. I mentioned that my weeks were really crazy and I usually schedule appointments further out, but that next Thursday morning at the meeting I could get her everything she needed since I didn't have it all together. She said she wouldn't be there, I said ok, well my next available appointment would be on Wednesday the 10th and this is the conversation that ensued:


(VERY BIG SIGH FROM SAID MEANY WOMAN) "What do you mean you can't meet me before then?"
Me: "Well, as I mentioned" (in the sweetest non condescending way possible) "I won't really have everyone’s applications till next Thursday"
Meany: "Then" (sigh) "What about Friday?"
Me: "I won't be in the office that day and have my day booked"
Meany: "Well the 10th is 2 weeks away"
Me: "I know and unfortunately, my calendar is pretty crazy right now, but I'm happy to try to meet you when I can and it looks like the first day I can meet you is the 10th"
Meany: EVEN BIGGER SIGH - "I think this is ridiculous"
Me: "Come again?"
Meany: "I think you are very uncooperative"



And there you have it people! Shocking, but true. What I really wanted to say, but I didn't because my 'Be Nice' radar was blaring in my head so loud I couldn’t think, was:

Listen lady, I'm a full time mom, full time wife, full time mortgage broker, I'm on the board of a nonprofit and I lead a woman's Bible study. If you want to know if I'm uncooperative or not, talk to some of those people and then come and talk to me. In the meantime SINCE you don't know me from Adam, I am HAPPY to meet you on Wednesday the 10th. Now what time would work for you?


WHEH! I hit the exclamation key really hard when I just typed that...just so you know.


And that is all I have to say about that. I have a little gremlin pulling at my arm making monkey noises and saying words that sound oddly like 'Mommy you are the best most cooperative mommy I could ever want'...if only I had a translator that could speak 18 month old.


Love ya'll,
Sara

This Weekend

For the last year on the 1st and 15th of every month I have memorized and posted memory versus on Beth Moore's Siesta Memory Verse Challenge.

There were moments where I was really great at doing it...and other moments where I was being a big baby and didn't want to do ANYTHING for ANYONE because I was mad...but that is a different story....and I did catch up so who cares anyway??? SO...this passed weekend about 1/4 of the women that participated went to Houston Texas to indulge in a little Siesta Celebration and hang with the Living Proof team. 

We met at the Houston's First Baptist Church, which by the way is not easy to find...as a matter of fact...not much in Houston is easy to find. I found the Galleria...but even that took me forever to find a way IN TO THE DANG PLACE. Whatever...so we met at the church on Friday night and Saturday morning and received an amazing word from Beth. One of the coolest parts was there were only about 500 women there. I think the smallest event we've ever been to would be in Laramie, WY this past year and there were around 2500 women there. In any case, even with the 500 women that were there, we brought the house down with praise and worship lead by none other than Travis Cottrell. It was truly an amazing time. It is so hard for me to put into words the ideas and thoughts Beth's messages provoke in me. I think one of the things, however, that impacted me most was the thought surrounding how our Father directs our path, that His word is a light unto our feet. That a lot of times we depend on light to illuminate everything for us, but a lamp only gives you the light you need. The light we need is our direction and sometimes it's minute by minute, and sometimes the light shows more, but the good thing about the light is...it always shows up in the dark.

We stayed at the Houston Omni hotel, which was A-mazing! We ate A LOT and read our verses  A LOT. I was sad though that I didn't get to meet as many of the Siesta's as I would have liked. That left with me with some questions about how whether I'm really outgoing or not...but we can save that for a post for a different day. It will include some heading like 'Which personality am I ... today?'

It was a good weekend. It was a sad weekend. I am so blessed to have gotten to go. I'm so blessed to have a husband who realizes the importance of the Word and what it means to have it imprinted on our hearts. I'm grateful I have a mother that instilled that need for the Word in me and was there right beside me this weekend. I'm also grateful for best friends to walk roads with. The ones that you can be real with, laying down every falsity and facade to expose your heart in it's true state. My bff otherwise knows as our ball of energy Joni lost her mom on Saturday...and the events surrounding the time she passed were truly amazing. Not just what was going on in the room when she went home, but the text Joni received before anyone even knew while we were in Houston, her mothers last words days before and the song we were singing when her mom died...God is good people...that is all i can say...He is so good.

and it comes again...

I coulnd't write on Saturday. Not because I was overly emotional or because I forgot...only because I didn't know what to say. Will we do this ever year? Will I write to faceless people...some not faceless...the epic of the day...the one that never changes in our hearts? It never loses it's emotion, it's sadness, it's sorrow...it just is. And it will continue...year after year...after year...until He choses to take us home. At that point it won't matter because in my arms that boy will be. And I will hold him till every second my chest ached for him, till every time my arms felt empty, till every time my heart yearned to be back in that hospital room...if just to hold him one more time...till all of that washes away...and then maybe a few hours...days...months more...I will hold him.

I miss him so...oh...I miss him 

Santa aside, tree still stands

and all the lights are low

there in a room, far from reality

no one could change the blow.

White washed walls, a baby born

and quietly they wept

a sweet little baby, a tiny new body

a death they knew to expect

Unimaginable pain, unmatched agony

the clothes are laid aside

they kiss him lovingly, breathe deeply

this is the moment, this is the time

An ounce of hope, a promise made

this cannot be the end

A journey polished, that's what is promised

Mercy come now, grace attend.

Desperation sings, sorrow lifts

the time is now at hand

The Father arrives, takes the child

his new life now begins...

Hope in deliverance, joy in sorrow

Love that transcends all

Triumph infusing, grace in the using

Not my life, yet his...so small..

Santa

It is time...after way too many years...here goes:

Dear Santa,

I know you must be surprised. I'm surprised too. You would think after you brought me Pretty In Pink Barbie I would have stayed totally loyal to you. All I can say is I'm sorry. Somewhere between 6 and now (eh hem...no age mentioned here) my Frosty got freezer burnt and my Jolly didn't gel. So before you judge me, let me say I still believe.

Now that we have that out of the way, you should know I have a few requests. I have not been too nice this year, but I think you will overlook my not so nice behavior with the knowledge that I had to clean up a LOT of throw up this year...and it wasn't my own. Nough said. First and foremost, I would like to tell you I'm a bit concerned about the whole Socialized Health Care initiative. I know you don't really have too much political clout, but I'm wondering if you could put the same size dentures under the tree of our fellow congressmen with a tag that says 'One Size Fits All' and that might give them an idea of how hard it will be to put a 'one size fit's all' healthcare plan on the American people. I would also like if you would please sprinkle some fairy dust on our Mr. President (the Tooth Fairy has extra if you don't have any left) and get him to give a tax credit to current home owners that already own cars and are married with children and are US Citizens...I think those of us who have paid our bills and are doing what we're supposed to do would like to share in some of this free wealth :) Just a thought.

Okay...on a more personal note, I don't think I have slept in about 7 years. I would ask you to bring fairy dust for that, but a years supply of Ambien would work just fine. I like to have at least one present to unwrap. I would also really like if you could have a discussion with T-Mobile about my voicemail. It seems we are in disagreement about when voicemails are left and when I actually get them. Since you know I'm the type of gal that likes functional gifts and enjoys the practical side of things, I'd like you to install 'Yes Mommy' buttons on both my children. One seems to have the 'Why' button and the other has a 'no no' button installed instead. While the 'no no' can be cute at times since he only knows a few words, I figure we might as well get a head start on him.

Last but not least, and most importantly, you may have noticed a few 'new' things about me...so here is my final request:

my waistline is missing,
some things started saggin,
the gray is a creeping,
my hips...they ain't shrinkin'
the gyms not an option
it's always too hoppin
with girls and their yoga pants
their cute hair...their implants
i'm feeling like Dopey
add Sleepy and Grouchy
Snow White would be a nice twist
or i might start a hit list
this may seem quite forward
but you've always been aboveboard
please Santa, here's my point
a makeover...a new look of some sort
a lift, a tuck, no wrinkles here
you could easily make this quite a year
i'm not asking too much
i'm not afraid to beg
but come christmas morning
i might lose my head
that about sums it up,
i have nothing left to say,
please santa remember me
come Christmas day

Sincerely,
Sara

It's a sad day...

There comes a time in every life where things just don't work like they used to. When they slow down, don't operate like they should, or just plain don't want to go...well...it happened in our house today. Here is what happened.

I woke up this morning to the smell of coffee (which is always a bonus). After having a very sick little girl for the last 4 days and my son now picking up where she left off, I was very ready for the coffee my husband very sweetly made. As I poured my cup (in my favorite cup) I noticed it looked slightly weak (sorry honey) so I proceeded to pour a little in the sink and there it was...brown water. So I dumped it out and started over.

**as a side note...if you know anything about the Skorick gene...we don't drink weak coffee. We drink BLACK coffee...amen.**

As I washed the used coffee grounds out of the basket I noticed some of them ...some of them weren't even grounds at all...some of them were still BEANS!. This made me suspicious, apprehensive and very edgy. I immediately pulled my trusted coffee grinder out of the cabinet and sweetly told it that it was the best coffee grinder ever. It was not of noble birth...there was no Cuisinart label on the side of it, no kitchen aide...it wasn't even a Braun! No...ours was a $10 Mr. Coffee grinder, and we were proud of it. It has lived with us, moved with us, been abused by grinding spices...it has been a GOOD grinder for a lot of years...I would say probably 12. In any case...I plugged it in, poured the beans in, put the cap on, and push.......nothing...no loud obnoxious noise, no murmur, no nothing...to my absolute horror it was silent.

As I stood in my kitchen wondering how in the world I was going to get any coffee now, I wasn't even ready to face the prospect of NOT having coffee today. That is another story for a different day that I might not even tell you...but ANYWAY...suddenly a bright light appeared overhead and a whisper came from the cabinet below. It was a soothing whisper of hope and encouragement. As I opened the cabinet door...there it was...the gift my BF gave me for my birthday and it was shiny and beautiful and just waiting to feel the love. I thought surely...this is it...this could be the ticket...the appliance to go where no other appliance had bean before! So I grabbed it, poured my beans in, and VOILA...in a magic moment (that was really really loud) my beans were obliterated and ready to be boiled! YES! Coffee here we come!

So today I wish to say good bye to my old grinder...see ya!
And I wish to applaud our brand new Magic Bullet! Thank you Mr. Bullet for saving my hinny! You will soon be replaced by someone more equipped to do the job....sorry.
And now I will go drink this...