Mother of the year

Well, just got back from the dr's ofc where my son Barrett got a cast on his broken arm. He is 12 and this is his first broken bone. I know I am fortunate, some people's kids are such maniacs that they become very acquanted with the ER staff at a young age. Not so with Barrett, he has always been a cautious, rule-following kind of kid. He is, however, not one to suffer in silence. If he has the slightest ache or pain, he howls to the "blue corn moon" like he has just had a limb amputated! Consequently, neither Lon or I take him very seriously when he gets hurt. So.....Monday was his first football game to play for his school (up until now he has kids inc football and his dad was the coach). I was a little nervous since he weighs 90lbs. soaking wet and some of those boys are shaving already!! In the 2nd qtr, he got injured and had to come out of the game. I went over to see what the problem was and he started crying. I told him he needed to "dry it up" because all of his friends were watching. Lon was so mad at him, he thought he was being a weenie. After the game was over, his wrist was pretty swollen but they told to put ice on it and it should be ok. That night Lon gave Barrett this big talk about being tough and playing thru the pain, that football was a tough sport and you are going to get banged around but you can't come out of the game crying every time that happens. I also had given him a talk about "crying wolf" every time he gets hurt and how are we supposed to know if he is really hurt when everytime something happens he acts like its the end of the world. Well, Tues morn. it was still pretty swollen and tender, so his coach had us take him to the Tascosa Athletic Trainer who said it was probably a sprain, but if it was still swollen in 2 days, we'll need to get it x-rayed. Thursday morn, it was still swollen and painful, so I took him to Dr Higgins and guess what? His radius (the larger of the 2 bones in the forearm) is broken!I felt terrible. I told him "Boy, Daddy is going to feel really bad about not believing you." (hoping that he had forgotten about what i had said) To which he replied "You can't be talking Mom, you told me to dry it up!" So much for him not remembering! So, he's got a cast on for 6wks, but the dr said he can start playing again in 3 wks. (YIKES! Not sure I want him to) He is so disappointed, he was absolutely ecstatic about finally getting to play football for deZavala and the first game he gets hurt. I told him "oh well, theres always next year". I'm hoping he'll lose his zeal for the game by then, but I'm pretty sure thats not gonna happen. He LOVES it, just like his dad. He can't wait to play for the Rebels like Lon did. The next few years are gonna be nerve wracking for ole Mom.

still sad

I can't seem to shake this feeling of sadness and grief over the death of Steve Irwin. I'm not sure why, except that I'm one of the millions of people who felt like they knew him even though I didn't. My heart aches for his wife and kids and I keep putting myself in Terri's place trying to break that news to an 8yr old that adores her daddy and a 2yr old that really has no understanding what it is all about. I, myself have a daughter that absolutely worships the ground her dad walks on and the thought of having to tell her that he is gone is beyond what I can bear to think about. But, thank God, I don't have to tell her that, and starting now, I am going to try to stop obsessing about it. So, I am going to follow Paul's advice to the Philippians in chapter 4:8 "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." To that end, I am going to turn off the TV!!
Speaking of TV, I have been convicted by the Spirit in the last few months that TV & the newspaper have become idols in my life that I put before God. I confess that I don't read my Bible every day, but I NEVER miss a day reading the paper, I am a total news junkie. There's nothing wrong with that, unless it gets in the way of deepening your relationship with the Father. Which, for me, it does. So, as we begin this new school year, I have committed anew to lay down the newspaper and turn off the TV. I know I don't even want to know how much of my time that I waste staring at the TV. It's time to wean off.
Another verse that has really jumped out at me lately is Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Before, I had always focused on the "God's workmanship" part of that verse, which is awsome, but lately, I have been struck by the fact that IN ADVANCE, God prepared good works for us to do, but, you notice it doesn't say that He will force us to do those works. I firmly believe in the prompting of the Holy Spirit and I think that there have been many times that I turned my back on that prompting and the good work that He had prepared for me to do, either went undone or someone else did it, because I was either hesitant or afraid of looking foolish, or possibly I was just so busy being caught up in day to day, insignificant details. Don't get me wrong, I am not advocating any kind of "works-based" salvation. On the contrary, I know that we are saved by faith, and that based on that faith we in turn, do good works. But, I do think that, once in heaven, we will be called to account for the good works that we have done (or not done) and possibly (just my thoughts here) we will be commended for the good works we have done, but will be shown all the things that we could've done but didn't. What would have been different had we done those things. I am praying to be more attentive to the Spirit's leading and not leave anything "on the table" so to speak.

A sad day

yesterday was an absolutely awesome day! Our church (Central CofC) preacher switched pulpits with another church (Washington Ave Christian Church). This was a pretty big step for our church and their preacher was excellent. His name is Jim Shelburne and he is a natural, easy speaker, not to mention hilarious. He was talking about the church being made up of parts and that the church needs all of them, but that in the years he has been in ministry, he has come across quite a few "rear-ends"!!! and that was OK because the church needs all of its parts! Brought the house down. But, as funny as it was, I know he wasn't kidding, I'm sure that is absolutely true. I have so much respect for those who work in ministry for that very reason, and I pray that I have never been in that "rear-end" category but I'm sure that at one time or another, we have all been rear ends! haa
Well, the reason i titled this post "a sad day"....I found out this morning that one of our family's favorite "TV people" Steve Irwin died in a tragic accident yesterday. My daughter is a huge animal lover and that is how i came to know about steve, thru her watching him on Animal Planet. He has become a fixture in our household the last few years. I love that guy, and I am always very touched by his tender heart toward all God's creatures, especially those that aren't so cuddly and lovable. My heart and prayers go out to his family, especially Terri and his 2 little children, who must now grow up without him in their lives. A sad day, indeed.

My son would say I'm a "newb"

well, here I go....I have decided to dive into this blogging thing with full disclosure that I am ...well I guess the politically correct term for would be "technologically challenged"! I'm sure that is pretty obvious, by the fact that I still capitalize proper nouns and type in full words and sentences! When I see what my son types to his friends, it is apparent that they use abbreviations and numbers and symbols for everything! Oh well, I'm old school, but learning! In fact, while I have been setting this blog up, both of my kids have come in to see what I'm doing, when I told them, they were incredulous! "Mom, YOU are going to do a blog? NO WAY!!" Well, ....way. So, this boring little blog will be mainly about our family and our comings and goings and the occasional "hmmm.... I wonder" thought that goes through my brain.
Today was a good day in our family because the Sooners won. (Just barely...might be a long season since we lost our cheater QB!)
Looking forward to tomorrow, as our pastor and one from another church (different denomination) are "trading pulpits" for the day. I love our preacher and will defenitely miss him, but I look forward to hearing Jim Shelburne preach at our church. Very exciting for our church and defenitely a step in a new, positive direction. Things they are a changin' for our church and I am soooo excited about what the future holds. God is moving in this body! I love it. Has been a long time coming. Well, I better get some sleep because I am in NO WAY a morning person and that alarm in the a.m. just irritates the crap out me.