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Monday, November 14, 2011

You've Gotta Friend in Me!

Who can resist Buzz and Woody? If there was ever an unlikely friendship this is one of them. Even though we know from the beginning of Toy Story that eventually Woody and Buzz would be more than just friends, the story is one that many of us can relate to, whether adult or child. My husband loves this movie and for years when he was working shift work he'd watch it and then rewind it to have me watch certain parts of the movie to figure out if I saw what he saw. Most of the time he'd have to point out the little things that he was looking for like the toolbox that says 'Binford Tools'. I think he could still watch his movie and find little things that I missed and he would still ravel in the thought of showing them to me and asking me to guess what he found.

Friendship is a funny thing, most of the time we are not 'looking' or 'seeking' friendship it just happens. Usually we find it in the most unlikely people too, wouldn't you agree? This morning I opened a gift that I received in the mail yesterday (ok actually Saturday but we didn't check the mail). It is a book on friendship from a very close friend who is very far away. I haven't read much, actually just the Foreward and in it a cord was stuck, on of almost familiarity. I couldn't remember where so I opened my other book and read where it was marked. The question at the end of the short story "What does the friendship of horses show about the value of loyalty?" Funny how I haven't read from my Angel Horses book in almost a week and the first thing I read this morning is on friendship, the two connected immediately. Horses, for those of you who may not know, remember everyone they meet by scent. They blow in your face and you blow in their face and they remember you, not unlike a friend that you may not see for many years or talk to for weeks on end. Proverbs 27:9 says "Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart and the pleasantness of one's friendship springs from his earnest counsel.'  The Message Bible translates it like this Just as lotions and fragrance give sensual delight, a sweet friendship refreshes the soul." There is a sense of strong friendship throughout the Bible in many ways, in words describing a true friend who gives joy and good counsel, to the friendship of God with man. Exodus 33:11 "God would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend..." I find it interesting the way friendship is described in this verse, the way that a man speaks to his friend, to me it shows that God loved Moses like a friend more than a messenger. And throughout the New Testament, there are instances where God 'shows up' for His friends in the most unlikely ways, at the most dark times of their lives, like many of my friends have for me.

I have many friends, friends who I've known for 20+ years and friends who I've met within the last few months. Friends who when I was the meanest I could be, would support my meanness and make me laugh about it. Friends who stood behind me when I was getting myself in a heap of trouble. Friends who laughed at me and with me when I did (and still do) something stupid. Friends who came at a moments notice without any question or delay when I was at my lowest.Friends who are both noisy and quiet and friends who are loyal even when I probably don't deserve it. Friends who were and are more than friends. Friends who are, without a doubt, sent by God. I have many friends, and all look like this picture (no not just the horse) but the picture of friendship, real friendship, no matter what, no matter where friendship.I hope that I am this kind of friend, the kind that would be whenever and wherever the kind that is just like this picture. One who would kiss you no matter what was going on, one that would check on you with a hug just to make sure you're still there, the kind of friend that all of you have been for me. The kind of friend that God wants me to be, the kind of friend that He has been and is still even though I don't know it, the kind of friend who talks to you, listens to you, hears you, and sometimes just stands around. I hope the kind of friend that says, You've got a friend in me!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

The Audacity!

Yep! I bet that got your attention didn't it? And I'm betting (only because I am a betting woman) that you, my 1 or 2 readers, think that I am very mad - or at least that's what I would induce from the other side of the screen; especially with a title like such as this!!! Well you would be wrong .... well and a little right. I have for some time now been a miffed - not at someone but at people in general. Why? Well, I'm mostly tired of hearing about how I should dress, what I should look like, how I should act, and all of that wrapped up in being a good mom, a happy and fulfilling wife, and somewhere in the middle try to figure out time for just being me. So miffed I am and the title, well I believe you will agree with me, even those of you who may be men.

After stewing, like I do so proficiently, over this miffing issue, I read something this morning that made me think "you know what, I know exactly what that's like!" What did I read, well okay so it was Esther, and I probably should have gone on with my study but I have to say this portion hit the nail on the head. Esther, for those of you who may not know, is a Jewish woman who was "picked" by the Persian King to be his new wife (literally picked); who found herself in a position to request the King a favor. Not to over exaggerated huh? Well, then I read on...Esther by far is the Queen, the queen of manipulation!!! Ahhh, the glory of it all, to find a woman in the Bible who is gracious, kind, obedient, and most of all anipulative...albeit through the grace of God. And I know some of you are saying "what ever! And what in the world does this have to do with your title!?" Well here it is. How many of us watch TV? Well, I'd gather to say everyone of us. And how many of us watch "What not to Where?" How about all the talk shows that have fashion designers on it that re-do a mom? How many of us say "wow that's really nice how she looks" but not one of us would be caught dead in the outfit let alone PAY for the outfit? And what in the world are 'mom jeans'? How in the world did we go from just blue jeans to 'mom jeans'? Anyone? Any ideas? Anyone catching on? The audacity of a man, yep that's right 90% of the people who 're-do' a mom or a woman are men, my guess probably the same men who designed bras! Yes, I so went there!!!!! So can anyone reading this answer what are 'mom jeans'? I'm guessing no. There are no ads that say "Mom Jeans, just for the mom you want to be!" There's not a section in the stores that say "Mom Jean Section". So what are they? And who came up with them? And why my title?

Esther was in a situation where she had to decide between herself and her heritage; between her life and the lives of thousands. And to make that decision, she used the one thing she had, her looks. Her husband's new best friend had just decided and convinced the King to kill thousands of Jews, and she had to change his mind. The author of the study said something intriguing, she made the King jealous by inviting him and his best bud to 2 banquets. She didn't ask for the King's attention alone, she made no intent to have him at a banquet designed just for him, she invited his best friend along. Ahhh, the audacity! The conniving, over-thinking, audacity of a woman who needs to get her way and the way she did it was brilliant! Make her husband jealous. For those of us who have read Esther, we know that the King granted her request to save her heritage (and herself not to mention), for those of you who haven't read it, Esther had God on her side. So how does Esther's situation relate to my title and obvious ranting above? We, all we's out there, are being swayed (made jealous in essence) daily to change and hide who we really are, who we are meant to be, and what we look like being who we are so much so that 'we' get lost; we become jealous of what one woman looks like because she may not be wearing 'mom jeans'. Just like Esther, who got lost in her pampering, clothing, and royalty, are we getting lost in the jealousy of not looking and being a mom??!!! Yet here we are, most of us moms by this point in our lives, the rest of us thinking about being moms, and all the while being told we can't look like a mom. Don't wear those jeans! Their 'mom jeans'!!!! The last time I checked and took inventory, I was a mom. A mom of 3 beautiful children, a mom to more than just them but to children I never thought I would be a mom too, a mom who is a daughter to a mom, a friend to moms all over the country and world, a sister to a mom, an aunt to a first time mom, a sister-in-law to a mom by default, and a daughter-in-law to a mom who raised a wonderful son to the man I love. That's a whole lot of mom to hide. A mom who doesn't know what 'mom jeans' are, a mom who doesn't wear the right things, a mom who is just that a mom. Probably just like you. Maybe the audacity should be laid with me, I have more audacity to put this out there than I probably should. I have more audacity to say whatever I want mostly because this is a blog, then I probably should allow to come out of my brain, and yet here it is....audacity. Audacity to want to tell designers to 'shut up' because I'm betting they wouldn't want to see their moms dressed in non-mom jeans! Oh the audacity to make me (and us) something we are not, hide the one thing that defines me (us) most, being a mom. I believe that no matter what pair of jeans I put on their going to be 'mom jeans' because the I am wearing them and I'm a mom.