Catching Up: 10 Years Later

     Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending my 10 year class reunion. The JHS Giant class of 2002 came together for float decorating, the homecoming pep rally, parade, game, and an after party. What a complete blast from the past!

      I have to admit: I was quite nervous about attending the reunion. In fact, up until about 6 months ago when I was asked to help plan it, I wasn't even going to go. I sort of felt like I already keep in touch with the people from my class that I want to keep in touch with. Although most of my classmates got along and no one had major problems with each other, we didn't always hang out together. As with any high school, there were your definite stereotypical groups. The athletes, the band kids, the tech nerds, the social group, and then the ones who just kinda bounced around from group to group. I was a band kid, but I did bounce around from group to group as well. In fact, I dated one of the (at the time) athletes... although he would definitely probably classify himself differently now. lol I also didn't hang around exclusively with my class -- being in band, I had close friends both older and younger than me. Some of my best friends graduated 1-3 years before me, and so I knew I wouldn't see them at the reunion.

       Another hesitation I faced was, well, I don't look as good as I did back then. Life happens, and I've gained a little weight. I look a little (albeit not much) older, and that's always at the fore-front of a girl's mind when she's going to see people she hasn't seen in 10 years. And finally, I was nervous about going alone. As we have established in prior posts, my husband is working out of state. I knew that most of my classmates would be coupled up, and then there I would be... no husband in sight. And I won't lie, he's pretty cute, so I kinda wanted all my classmates to all meet him. ;)
Anyway, I decided to get over myself and go, and found out that a couple friends of mine from school would be attending without their other halves, so that made me feel a little better. I arrived to meet up at one of the girls' dad's house, and found quickly that things weren't as awkward as I thought they might be. Surprisingly, it seemed like everyone (everyone!) was genuinely glad to see each other. We had a wonderful turnout for the float decorating, pep rally, and parade. We almost didn't have room on the float, and though we had reserved 4 rows in the gym for seating, we took up 5 and a half!


                            

  


   After the parade, I went to lunch with an old friend, Bea, and then visited with another friend and her new husband. Later, we attended the game, and had a major blast from the past -- one of the guys showed up in his letterman jacket and drumline t-shirt! Too funny! I also learned at the game that when I was in high school, apparently a guy wrote me a love letter, and I sent it back to him marked up with proofreading marks in red. Oops. :( I had to apologize for that one!

   The Giants unfortunately lost the game, and then Bea and I headed to the reunion party, which was a total blast. I was able to catch up with my "Twin from Another Men" (You know, like brother from another mother)... a guy with whom I share my birthday. I met his wife for the first time, and we all hung out for a good bit of the night, along with Dal, and a friend from another class, Jake. A couple from our class who married not long after high school was there.. Kylie and Will, and I really enjoyed catching up with them. All in all, it was a great time. Favorite memory: Steven challenging Dal to a foot race! Unfortunately, Dal didn't take him up on his offer. There was also some non-sexual- man-flirting and that was hysterical. Poor Brian..

   What I learned was that for the most part, as adults, my class has grown to accept and tolerate others of all races, backgrounds, orientations, and life-situations. Dal, who was from literally the most racist part of town dated an African-American girl. Steve, who used to be one of the most intolerant guys in the world, gladly hung out with a couple of LGBT folks. The "wrong side of the tracks" kids visited with the "popular" crowd. The "jocks" hung out with the "nerds." And everyone found out they had a lot in common these days, regardless of the differences.

   Unfortunately, a couple of girls proved that some things, and some people, never really progress and change, but they, and their cattiness, were in the minority. I'm proud of my class; I think we've turned out to be good people. It's too bad we only get together every 10 years. These are the folks I'm proud to have grown up with, and the kind of people I like to be surrounded with. They (We) are the class of '02.

On Isaac..

  For the past few days, I have been amazed at the lengths some people go to in our area for "storm prep." From lines wrapping around gas stations, to plastic bags covering the pumps.. from lines wrapping through Wal-mart, to the aisles being stripped bare of water, bread, and well, mostly junk food... from kids at school frantically proclaiming the "high winds" (breeze), to school being cancelled for two days, and now at 11:30, we have yet to see a drop of rain...

   The reality of it is, here in Podunk, USA, we are some 330 miles inland from the coast. By the time Isaac reaches us, he will have weakened, quite possibly,  even to a tropical depression. Although we are expecting wind gusts upward of 20 MPH, we reach that in a normal thunderstorm at times. I can't tell you how many trees have been uprooted in my back yard over the years, and we've only seen one hurricane (Gustav, 2008) since we've been here.

   I don't understand the people here who are pushing 2 carts around the store; one filled with 8 cases of water, and the other piled high with junk food. I don't really understand the need to fill up the truck, 4-wheeler, boat, and 6 gas cans. (No, that is not an exxaggeration. I saw that with my own eyes.) I don't know why 2 5-lb bags of ice should cost $10, and I don't know why gas has climbed to $4.06/gallon. I find all of this to be absolutely insane; sensationalism.

   Now, all those things being said, I don't mean that you shouldn't be prepared for the storm. I cannot begin to imagine how those people in NOLA and the surrounding areas must feel being slammed once again by storm surge 7 years to the day they were slammed by Katrina. I don't know the fear or flood of emotions that those residents (and former residents) face as they flip through the channels on TV and see images that call to mind images of the past.... images that they wish were dreams rather than memory. But... I don't think absolute insanity helps anything.

   Yes, I hope and pray that those affected by the worst of this slow-moving storm are prepared. If in flood prone areas, I would hope they would have evacuated if possible. I pray they have the supplies they need, as nearly 300,000 are currently without power. I would hope they would have stocked up on enough essentials to last a few days. And hey, here, too. In a rural area, the possibility of wind always means the possibility of power outage...

But c'mon. 330 miles inland, how many cases of water and twinkies do you really need?

We are slated to get some rain around 1:00... I'll probably "evacuate" to my mom's around 3 (before anything other than light rain happens) simply because I don't want to be alone with the possibility of a tree on my roof if the winds get gusty. We will have a case of water, some soup we prepared yesterday, and bread and lunch meat. We have plenty of batteries, candles, flashlights, and books to read. The ipads are charged, as are the cell phones. My car is parked safely in the garage, and I'll be taking the truck. Puppy girl has plenty of food, and she's ready for her short journey to visit her puppy relatives.

Stay calm and be well my friends! Stay off the roads once the winds and rain get up, and take care of your pets. Isaac may not be a monster, but being safe is always best. ....just not if it requires 17 cases of water. ;)

So Small (A re-post from my friend)

My friend, Kelli, always has the most beautiful, poignant things to say. Here's one "tiny" insight she has gleaned from the upcoming storm. Please, read and enjoy.

So, I’m sitting on the patio enjoying the PRESENTLY beautiful weather. If I didn’t know what was coming, I’d just be enjoying a break from Louisiana’s stagnant summer air.

But, I think ahead and I smile a light grin. You know, that grin that recognizes foolishness and silently thinks, “You’ll figure it out.” Yeah, that one.

I think what a silly creature I am. And, I seriously mean “creature” as in a life CREATED, with love and purpose, for reasons and plans that change things during my stay and hopefully, make them better.

A storm’s coming and I immaturely look forward to it. It spans hundreds of miles, affects millions of people and I’m sitting, waiting for more wind, much rain and at least a day-long power outage. And I think, “How arrogant you are, tiny thing.”

It would take millions of me to fill its expanse. I could NEVER equal a remnant of its power and with numerable lifetimes, I could only hope to impact the numbers of people it will encompass. I AM SMALL!

Still, the Biggest, the Most Wonderful, the Most Loving, the Most Intelligent, the All-Knowing, the All-Powerful, the Victor, the Sacrifice, the ULTIMATE LOVE knows me. I am seen. I was created. I was loved to death. I was forgiven to life. I am saved to eternity. I am completely known, and yet, wholly accepted.

I am humbled. I wonder if I appear to Him as an ant might to me….miniscule, busy, ignorant of His presence, focused on survival and so very temporary.

But, I remember the cross. And I know I am much more than small. I am worth dying for.

I will never understand it. But, believing it is one of His great gifts to me.

Enjoy the breeze, small ones. Be safe, and know you are loved. :)

Black and Gold Recap

  Well, on a much lighter note than my previous two posts, I spent the weekend between Canton, OH and Pittsburgh, PA. Let me just get this out of the way now: Although I love to travel, I hate almost everything there is to hate about Ohio, and Pennsylvania (or the part I've been to,) is not much better. However, OH does hold 2 things that I do love: My sweet Keithy (he's there for work right now,) and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

     First on Keith: I hadn't seen him in a month. A MONTH! Even with the advent of such technology as Skype and Facetime, we hadn't seen each other. He's in the hills, and they don't have consistent internet service. (It's on satellite, and it's terrible.) I was SO happy to see him, but when I did, I didn't recognize him at first, and then I cried like a baby. I'm sure a lot of it was exhaustion, -- it was well after midnight when he picked me up-- and a lot of it was the sheer emotion from not having seen him for some time. He looked SO different. His voice sounded different. For one thing, he's lost a lot of weight since he went up there. For another, he needed a haircut and a beard trim something fierce. I swear, he looked like something out of the Jeremiah Johnson movie. (Side note: We went to Wal-Mart the next morning and bought a set of clippers, and I made him pretty again. I've got skillz like that.)

    Anyway, after our (not so glorious at first reunion,) we had a fun-filled weekend planned. We spent Saturday getting pedicures (yes, he LOVES those!) and hanging around Pittsburgh. Then we drove back to the house his parents have been renting up there to hang out a while. We hit a cool little drive in type place.... until it made us sick. lol.. whoops. On Sunday, we went to the church he's been attending while he's been there, and let me just say... He looked SO different after my impromptu makeover that the people didn't recognize him! He had to tell them who he was! (And there were all of 50 people in that building total, it's not like they wouldn't have noticed him before.)

     After church Sunday, we went back to the house to ready ourselves... I donned #28 and he put on #80. That's right, folks. It's back to football. WHO DAT!?

      We drove up to Canton, which is only about 26 miles from where he's staying. We had to run to Wal-Mart beforehand, and let me just tell you that I have never in my life been stared at so much as when wearing a Saints jersey in Browns country! It was ridic! I mean, I'm surprised I don't have holes burned through my head. Then, we did the sketchiest thing I've ever done in my life: We paid some guy $20 to park in his yard. I guess that's how they do it in Canton, though, bc everybody had signs in their yard, "Park here! $20!" "Game Parking $35.00!" So, some guy in a black beater and a weird looking headset pulled us up into his yard where no less than 10 vehicles of people were tailgaiting... and we were parked to a car with a license plate that said they lived no more than 50 miles from us. All the way in Canton, OH. Crazy!

      We walked across to the stadium, and finally got in after standing there for about half an hour. The players were warming up.... and you could walk down there and watch! SCORE! Two times in less than I year I have been on the sideline for warmups! It was fantastic. Thomas Morstead is a beautiful man, folks. Don't believe me? Look it up. And nicest guy ever. He signed stuff for all the little kids for no less than 20 minutes. I holla'ed at him, and he looked straight in my eyes and grinned a big toothy grin and waved at me. And I'm pretty sure I melted into the turf. Keith made fun of me.

      Then Drew came out, did some signing for kids for a long time. He was like, 3 people from me, but then he got mobbed. He was super gracious and just as nice as he seems. Got some great close-ups of Drew, Thomas, Lance Moore, Jimmy Graham, Mark Ingram, Junior Gallette, Cam Jordan, Chris Ivory, Johnny Patrick, Patrick Robinson, Andy Tanner (rookie,the) Darren Sproles, Chase Daniel, Jonathan Casillas, Malcolm Jenkins, Marques Colston, and many, many more. Keith just has to email them to me... we put them on his computer.

      And then it was game time! It was like a comedy of errors. The "real" refs weren't there because they are trying to renegotiate contracts, so we had the replacements. They didn't call the coinflip right. They missed a blatant horse collar. They called a timeout to review EVERYTHING! They reassessed a penalty THREE TIMES before they even got it on the right team! It was insane.

      I know the HOF game is a meaningless exhibition, a preview into even the pre-season, but here's what I came away with: Drew is Drew. He's fantastic. Offense drove straight down the field against Arizona's 1st string-defense to an immediate score. Garrett Hartley is back doing his thing, and he's in good shape. John Kasay can still boot a long field goal like a boss. Thomas Morstead is still "The Leg" and deserved every bit of his contract extension. The O-Line is getting there, but they can use some shaping up. That's what the pre-season is for, and I believe they'll get better. Running backs look good. Wide receivers are good. Sproles is the Flash reincarnated. Defense had 2 picks and 4 sacks. They took out the 1st string QB in the first quarter (accidentally, of course, but here comes the bounty talk round 2!) They have a lot to shape up, but so far it appears Spags is doing a great job.

      The backup QBs are terrible. Daniel has a good arm, but no instinct. Canfield is typical 3rd string. McCown didn't play, so I can't speak for him really, but how bad do you have to be to be behind Canfield? It can't be good, folks. Andy Tanner looks good as a rookie WR. Gallette fared well. Vilma is missed, but Casillas is a good fit.

      All in all, things are looking good for the WHO DAT NATION come September, so one thing's for sure:

                                           Bounty or no bounty, dey comin'. Believe dat.

Chick-Fil-A and a nation divided..

     I told myself I wouldn't weigh in on the Chick-Fil-A debate. I told myself, "I will not divide myself from my friends." But, here I am, blogging about it... a blog.. a quite public forum. Here is what I have to say about the situation. It will be brief, and I will try to be kind to all, regardless of belief.

     Is anyone really surprised that a Bible-believing man and his family, who own a business, which he closes on Sunday because it is the protestant Sabbath, supports an organization that is pro-straight marriage exclusively? I'm not. I don't understand why Mr. Cathy's stating his belief has shocked a nation. Wouldn't it be safe to assume that a Southern-Baptist man, strictly religious, would feel this way?

     Furthermore, his business is privately owned. If he wanted to use some of his earnings to support a Muslim family organization, would that be such a media circus? I mean, if I'm not mistaken, homosexuals are killed in some Muslim countries. Would support of a Muslim organization be more politically correct? (Please note than I am not Muslim-bashing, I am making a comparison based on some practices of some Muslim extremists.)

   And then we have the goverment officials who are almost threatening the Cathy family, daring them to try to open a business in their jurisdictions. My friends, this is a dangerous and slippery slope. My take is this: If an individual chooses, based upon his or her beliefs, not to patronize a business, he or she certainly has the right to do so. But by the same right, Mr. Cathy is able to support whatever organization he chooses using money earned from his business, as long as the organization isn't doing anything illegal. When government leaders squelch businesses based on the beliefs of the owners, though, we tread into unconstitutional territory. I find this to be particulary dangerous and disheartening when we are in a period of high unemployment rates. We must not forget that even though many do not agree with Mr. Cathy's position, his company employs thousands and thousands of people in our country. To do away with his business would be to our detriment.

     And if we do shut down his business, do we also shut down Wal-Mart, AutoZone, or any of the other prominent businesses whose owners contribute to the same organization as Dan Cathy? What about those employees?

   Regardless of your beliefs on gay marriage and the organizations Mr. Cathy supports, don't you think this is a scary time for commerce in our country? It scares me that we are coming to a point in time where good, honest commerce can be thwarted due to religious and moral beliefs. Wasn't our country founded on religious liberty? Or does that not count for conservative Christians?

    Whatever your take on the Chick-Fil-A debacle, I don't think Mr. Cathy's intent is hate. I think he is simply supporting an organization he believes worthy. I haven't heard him tell anyone they're going to hell, or that if you don't believe a certain way your aren't welcome, or that he hates anyone else due to their beliefs. That being said, if you choose not to do business with his company, that is your right, and I won't be the least bit upset, disappointed, shocked, or appalled. But please, if others DO choose to "eat mor chikin," allow them the same courtesy as well. In a time where ALL of our freedoms are tested and tried, allow a little grace toward someone who uses theirs differently than you might choose to do.

My Cardboard Testimony

      You may or may not know that I spent the past week with several of my students at DCBC; only the most amazing summer camp on the face of the planet. Why is it amazing? Because God moves there. He really does. I don't know what it is about this place... maybe it's the group of amazing people who run the camp and work so diligently to serve others. Maybe it is the seclusion from everyday distractions. Maybe it's the care and concern and love for others that the counselors show to students and group leaders alike. Maybe it's the fact that this place and everyone in it are constantly bathed in prayer. I don't know. Maybe it's a little of all of the above, but what I do know is that when you take the left turn into the driveway from Hwy 113, a sudden peace and joy wash over you like a wave, and even though you are about to spend nights on a bed the thickness and texture of a bath mat and bathe in a shower shared by 19 of your closest friends, you know you are at home. I love that place.

      I know you are thinking "You are an adult. Why are you so passionate about summer camp?" Didn't I say so already? God moves there. God, the Almighty Creator of the universe, the Author and Perfector of our faith... yes, that one... moves. He speaks gently and softly, like a loving Father. He speaks quietly in a still, small voice. And sometimes, He speaks firmly, directly, and with a hand as firm as steel. And not only does He speak to the students, but he speaks to the counselors, the staff, the pastors, the ministers, and me.

     This week was emotional on so many levels. First of all, we were coming back to DCBC for the first time in a year. During this past year, a dear sweet girl we met at camp last year was killed in a car accident. We were to be back with her group, and one of my girls had become very, very close wtih her before she died. Secondly, two of my former 8th grade students (now just completed 10th), were on staff. Finally, because I had so many lessons to learn while there, but I didn't even know it.

      On the first full day of camp, after a particularly hard Bible study, Lex came to me in tears. "Why did Kaitlyn die?" She asked. Wow. Such a simple question, but one so weighted. I answered her as best I could, and told her that I would search scriptures for a more definitive answer. And I began to search. I prayed. I started a list... and then read each one. I wrote and explained the meaning of each one. I prayed. I cried. I searched more. And I finally, the next day, I gave Lex my list. She shared it with another close friend of hers. That night, the camp pastor (who was fantastic, by the way,) Brent Gambrell, preached a message on why bad things happen. Almost every scripture I shared with Lex was presented in his message (and a few more as well.) Wow. Lex and Kyndal spent the latter part of the evening surrounded by friends in prayer. What a freeing evening for them. God spoke to them in the midst of their heartbreak, and incredibly, He used me to help relay his message. I was astounded.

     On the final evening of camp, the staffers and counselors shared their "cardboard testimonies." On one side of the cardboard, they wrote a brief summary of their lives before Christ. On the back, they wrote how their lives had been transformed. Short and simple. But so powerful. "My" two staffers' testimonies definitely caused me to choke up a bit. One of them, "Rev," has come from a life that no child should have to live through. A drug-addicted mother, sometimes not enough food to eat, absentee father... I could go on. His card simply said, "Living for the World..... New Life in Christ." Wow. So simple, but so powerful. The other has a wonderful family, but carried private struggles that I would have never dreamed. It broke my heart to know that while he was in my class at school, he struggled so desperately with these things, and I never had any idea. He hid it all with a wink and a smile. I went to Rev after the service; I wanted to tell him how much he is loved and how proud of him I was..
 When I told him, he said, "Aw, but you shouldn't be!"
"But I AM," I insisted!
And then he gave a reply that was not of this world. It silenced me and brought more tears to my eyes...


"But that's the best part! It's not me!"

"It's not me." Every breath vacated my lungs. My eyes flooded. All I could do was fling my arms around his neck and hug him. "I love you, Mrs. C!" He said. "I love you, too, Rev."

     In that simple moment, God taught me everything I needed to learn for the whole week. It's not me. It's not about me. Sometimes I am so selfish! "What can I do for God?" "What do I need to be doing with the youth group?" "What do I need to get done for church?"

 Nothing.

     You see, I can't do a thing on my own. It's not me. But God can accomplish beautiful things through me. I thought back... I didn't offer Lex and Kyndal any comfort at all. I didn't know the right words to say. But through searching and prayer, God comforted them through me. Rev didn't do anything on his own... God worked through him. He worked through a sixteen year old country boy serving food and cleaning cabins at a summer camp to tell me exactly what He wanted me to hear.

So, what's my cardboard testimony?

   

The Responsibilities of the Church

  A few days ago, while reading through my twitter feed, I was overcome with the displeasure of those I'm following with the US government. Equal disdain for both Republican and Democratic leaders and policies, debt and spending, healthcare, marriage, social security, abortion... just about everything you can imagine, was clearly stated and lines were drawn. And an underlying sentiment from many "twitterers" was the issue of separation of Church and state.

   There SHOULD be separation of Church and state. Period. The Church should avoid political rambles, and the government should let the Church take care of itself. Remember when Jesus told his detractors to "Give to caesar what is caesar's and give to God what is God's" (Mark 12:17)? This makes it clear that God views the Church and the governing state to be two separate entities. He doesn't say "Give to caesar what is caesar's, and he will divide it amongst the government and the Church accordingly." Nope. Two different entities indeed.

    And though many contend that our founding fathers agreed there would be separation of Church and state solely to keep the government from regulating the religion in our country and to allow for religious liberty, I would argue that it went both ways. Although the founding fathers DID want our nation to be one of religious liberty, where people were allowed to worship (or not) as they personally saw fit, they also didn't want the Church to control the government as it had in many countries in Europe, and as seems to be the case in many troubled regions of the world today.

   So, what do Christians "do about this," in order to "fix" the problems goverment faces today -- you know, social programs that many have such problems with, such as healthcare, social security, taxes, national debt? Well, it's simple. We carry out the responsibilities of the Church.

   Galatians 6:2 says, "Bear one another's burders, and so fulfill the law of Christ." Philippians 2:4 says, "Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but to the interests of others." Deutoronomy 15:11 states, "For there will never cease ,to be poor in the land. Therefore, I command you 'you shall open your hand to your brother, the the needy and poor in your land." James 1:27 says, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: Look after orphans and widows in their distress and keep yourself from being polluted by the world."

   What does all of this mean? In context, these scriptures not only refer to caring for the spiritual and monetary needs of others, but the healthcare, physical, mental, and emotional needs of others as well. What's that you say? Christians are actually supposed to DO things for people? Which people?
 
   That's an easy one, too. All of them. Scripture also tells us in Matthew 5:43-48,“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor^h and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

   What I'm getting at is this: Christians need to stop complaining about the government, spending, healthcare, and all these other issues and DO WHAT WE'VE BEEN COMMANDED TO DO! If Christians would step up and care for the poor, provide for the sick, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and give hope to the hopeless, the government wouldn't have to act as a poor substitute! Think about that for a second... if the Church did their/our job, there would be NO NEED for these government programs! There would be less debt! Christians wouldn't have to worry about whether the government sponsored abortion or not! There would be fewer poor that needed monetary hand outs. There would be fewer hungry people needing food stamps. There would be fewer homeless needing government-funded housing! How much headache could Christians prevent the government from "causing" if we just carried out what has been commanded of us?! Wouldn't that be lovely!

  Oh, but then we play the separation of Church and state card. You know, when it's beneficial to us. Because we don't really think *WE* are supposed to do these things. You know, we hear things like this, "Well, I think it's great that the Church wants to care for the poor, but I know who those people are. I personally won't be giving them any donations. They're just going to use it to buy drugs." But guess what, Church? If they do, it's on them! Luke 6:29-30 tell us, ^" If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them.  Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back." That's right, Church! We're supposed to give it anyway!  In a nutshell, my point is this: Christians, put up, or shut up. If we are not doing as commanded by the teachings of the Bible, (the one that many of us are so quick throw in the faces of our "pagan" enemies,) then we have no right to whine and bellyache about what the government does. Period. End of story.

So, Church, now that this has been put out there..... Our move.