Autumn Thoughts

As Autumn makes its appearance
It often makes me think
That although the leaves begin to fall
and living things become doormat
I fell change is on the brink

I find myself somewhat unsettled
I wonder what the season will bring:
changes to friendships and relations,
shifts in maturity in our home.
Change can be a really scary thing.

When I find new doors are opening
I struggle with the walk on through
I find the pulls of safety and comfort
The things I find familiar having
more strength than I really knew.

Autumn brings a time of reflection
moments to sit and ponder.
Getting ready for God's inconceivables that
He has in store for those who pray.
and I am expecting gifts of God's amazing wonder.

The Cat's Meow...

When playing cards at my best friend's house last weekend we had one of those "you had to be there" funny moments. I know you're thinking of one of your own, right now. So you know when you try to tell the story to others it completely loses all it's character and you might as well have told the story in Latin because no one understood what was so funny about it anyway! So now you're totally wondering where I am going with this post if I already know the outcome of trying to relay to all of you how funny the moment was. So... I won't try to recreate the moment but I do have to share some of what was the source of our laughing til we cried.

My friend's grandmother, in an attempt to make some kind of connection with her great granddaughters wanted to give them some books that she thought they might enjoy. Now you never know what type of books those could turn out to be. Sometimes they are old religious books that meant something to their lives, or maybe books from the childhood of your parents or grandparents. But no matter what they are they most definitely will prove how good of a parent you are. Can your children be gracious when faced with the challenge of accepting the book even when it happens to be this one:

This book was published in 1964 and is translated from the feline. This is not an ordinary how to train your cat book this is a cat's version on how to train your person. I really think that some suppressed psycho-analytical type must have enjoyed the thrill of writing this book. A great example is found in Chapter 11--People.

Men

In dealing with the man of the house, it is fortunate that by and large the species suffers from a basic insecurity and is plagued, particularly in family matters, with an ambivalence that can be most usefully exploited.

Women

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT apply the same methods and ploys to softening up the woman of the house as you do to buttering up the man. They won't work for the simple reason that she has probably used some of them herself on the same male....Do not underestimate them, for they area for more clever, certainly, than the males they have captured and taken over.

Children

By and large children are a nuisance, although I should say they come under the heading of a mixed blessing, and where children are concerned you will have to decide for yourselves whether the price is worth while.

The Bachelor

I have not much to say to you on the subject of bachelors...To begin with, there are not all that many about, and the fact is that if a man has reached the age of fifty without being able to attract some woman or another into a successful partnership with him, there is something the matter with him and he might very well not be right material for living with a cat.

158 pages of this. The whole book is written in the cat's voice. The book also contains some minor cursing and descriptions of boy parts of the cat all of which had been lovingly blacked out by either the original giver of the book or by my friend's grandmother. That has yet to be determined. I recommend that if you would enjoy that premise of training your person with the tricks of pet training that you might enjoy the movie If A Man Answers --at least it was meant to be a comedy and was released about the same year so you still get the antiquated interpersonal skills that are enjoyed with this book.

Chantel worries about her new marriage to photographer Eugene failing so she decides to take her mother's advice and manipulate him. First, her mother gives her a book that will solve all her problems about how to treat a husband - namely a book on how to train dogs. Then, her mother gives her a second trick, an imaginary boyfriend who used to come in handy during her own marriage to Chantel's father. However, if Chantel's mother made this man up, what is she going to do when Eugene brings him home for dinner one night? Written by MaxVaughn

HMM 6

These Mickey's are not so hidden, but so cool. One of the professors at the University where I work sent me this great picture when he discovered I am a Disney nut.

He saw this bus on a trip to Japan. I really need some of these tail lights on my van.

I cant' believe she's 12!!

My friend Alisa sent me this great photo of my daughter when they happened to attend the same baseball a while back. Today is Jenna's 12th Birthday and if seems an appropriate photo as I reflect on what a blessing Jenna has been to our lives. I really find the time flying, but unlike some people I don't feel the twang of infant or preschool days, I was never much of a baby person. I really enjoy the person Jenna is becoming now. I love the way she thinks through things. I love her view on the world and how she is able to let things roll of her back an move forward. She is so not like her mother, which is probably a blessing that she doesn't quite appreciate yet. She is laid back and thoughtful. She rarely stresses out over stuff. She can start a project without knowing what the final outcome will be. She really believes that if you love God with all your heart, soul and mind and your neighbor as yourself that the rest will take care of itself. She has a humble confidence about her abilities that astounds me. She is truly a blessing. So Happy 12th Birthday to my Sweet Girl. I love you!

She brought back SPT.

She's back with SPT. It could be short lived but heck it's about Vacation and I love Vacation.

Lelly's Musings

This is what I did for summer vacation--it was the best and totally relaxing.

This is me enjoying a dolphin cruise.

Door Number 2

We are finally in our new offices -- Everything is put away and I am now functioning in my new environment. I have walls and even my own door.

So Welcome -- come on in....

Thanks for virtually dropping by...feel free to drop by for real anytime.

Surviving the Wilderness.

I am part of a small group that meets every other Sunday or so and also for family game night about once every couple of months. Small groups are meetings of a smaller numbers of people than a church service or Sunday School class. At our church even the Sunday School classes can be the size of small churches elsewhere thus the reason for a smaller group to be accountable to and have fellowship with. We have a pretty well established group and it has become much more important in my life that I would ever have imagined. I am a sceptic won over by some great people. All of that to say...we had a great discussion Sunday evening.

It wasn't that we made any great revelations but we came to realize that each of us is going through our own version of the Israelites in the wilderness. We each had things to share about how we are waiting on the promised land. What we may have discovered is that

• The Wilderness might not be as lonely as we each first thought. We each are fighting something that makes us feel lost and sometimes without a way out.
  

• Just Because we can't see Land doesn't mean that it isn't out there somewhere. Just hold on and keep your eyes peeled. In the philosophical words of Dorie in Finding Nemo. "just keep swimming.."
  

• God's plans are the best plans. No really...God's plans are the best plans. Let go of your expectations of the situation and the people who control it. Jason Mraz sings a song called "I'm Yours" and for the most part the lyrics are very much from "me" point of view, but like most lyrics (for me anyway) you can come away with parts that really speak to you. the lines I like here are:

I won't hesitate no more, no more

It cannot wait, I'm yours

Well open up your mind and see like me

Open up your plans and damn you're free

Look into your heart and you'll find love love love love

• Play the cards you are a dealt and be grateful. When we feel entitled, we focus on what we are owed, not what we might need to give to others. It is a "one-way street" mind-set. When these feelings are strong and people don't meet our expectations, we often find ourselves bitter, resentful, and angry. Relationships can be (and often are) destroyed by feelings of entitlement. (copied --not my words)

The things realised about the wilderness that even if we can't see each other we are all out there somewhere at sometime, scream really loud and we're there to help.

For me personally... I am realising more each and every day that it is not about me. I need to get out the way --God has bigger plans--plans the are inconceivable to me. The things that seem to have no rhyme or reason (like going into a land of giants) are part of a larger vision. It's not about me being comfortable but about me getting out of the way so others can be comfortable. I'm not entitled to things being a certain way. All the things that cause nightmares for us control freaks. Grace and Peace to you.