Tuesday, November 27, 2012

I Want A Drama Free Holiday

I had to wait a few days before typing this out. I wanted to get some time between me and what happened before I took to the keyboard.

It seems that no holiday is complete without a family member blowing up and totally ruining everyone else's day.

There can never be an occasion without one person just losing their cool. Most of the time, it's the same person.

It's tiring.

 Flat out exhausting.

Why does it have to be that way?

Why can't cooler heads prevail?


Monday, November 26, 2012

Crosses On The Wall

Walls like these can be found in a lot of homes around the south. This one happens to be mine.

Over Thanksgiving someone asked me, "Do they make you holy?" At first I was kind of taken back. It's kind of a family history to goat each other in a joking, hopefully loving way. Then after I brushed it off, I started thinking about it.

This is the answer I wish I would have given:

These crosses are a perfect reminder of how imperfect I am. Christians seem to hold people up to a higher standard. And when we are hurt by our own, we turn on them even harder. Forgiveness is sometimes hard to come by. As it is hard to forgive. Do the crosses on the wall make me better than anyone? Nope. Not by a long shot.

On a daily basis I am reminded of the cost that He paid to set me free. My stains have been wiped clean.

 When I feel like nobody is there for me, He is.

 I am a sinner. His mercies are new everyday. I am grateful.

Without Him, I am lost.

These are the reasons I have the crosses on the wall. They're not for everyone else. Just me.

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Halloween 2012

The most ridiculous thing on facebook for Wednesday, October 31, 2012:

Had our first pregnant, no lie, trick or treater


I kid you not. Granted, this was not in my neighborhood*. But nonetheless, absolutely ridiculous! I wondered if she was craving candy for two? If she was old enough to be pregnant why wasn't she old enough to go get her own and use her own money to pay for it?

I was looking forward to our first Halloween in my new 'hood. I was curious to see if there would be hoards of people and all of the costumes. I was looking forward to seeing people that we might know and meeting new people. 

I made sure I had plenty of the good stuff on hand. I remember how I used to hate the Bit O' Honey type candies. Yuck. Give me chocolate!! The good chocolate. Plus, if we were to have some leftover I wanted stuff I liked! 

This Halloween may have just ruined it for me. 

I require few things when you come to my door on Halloween. 

1. Wear a costume
2. Say "Trick or Treat"
3. Spit out a somewhat sincere "Thank You"
4. If you are growing breasts or stubble, you better have a little brother or sister with you

After numerous people couldn't even muster a "Trick or Treat" my faith in humanity was wavering. It collapsed when I couldn't even get "Thank you" out of half of them.   

One lady asked if my house was the haunted house. I said, "Not this year". That if it used to be, those people are long gone. Her deep despair was audible. So she knew enough that the house used to have a haunted house, but not enough to know they had moved. Several months ago.   

With the lack of friendliness and ungratefulness in the air, we bailed. We shut off the light and watched, "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown"**. 

Do I just expect too much from people? Especially those I call, "neighbor"?  

The next morning on our way to the bus stop I saw at least four smashed pumpkins in a matter of one hundred feet. Yep. Those kids will go far in life.

In 364 days I wonder if I will have forgotten about this and want to do it all again.   

Only time will tell. 

 

*Thank God  
**I LOVE all of the Charlie Brown episodes. They do a heart good. I must get the set on DVD!