Monthly Archives: January 2013

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As a Christian, I gotta say this is the most eloquent post on the subject of Christianity that I’ve read in a long time!!

becomingcliche's avatarBecoming Cliche

I started running again. I have never been a serious runner. It’s easy to make excuses to sit at home on my behind.

“I’m reading a book, so I’m actually exercising my mind.”

“I don’t have time for this stuff. I barely have enough time to do the things I really want to do.”

“I am not built properly. I’ll injure myself.”

“Runners’ feet stink. I don’t want that to happen to me.” ***

“I just don’t like to run.”

“I was humiliated in high school by their running program. They made me feel terrible about myself. No thanks.”

But I am motivated when I watch my husband. He’s a very serious runner. 30+ miles a week, up at 5:45 every morning to get it done, and he’s a basket case if the weather or illness prevents him from running for several days in a row.

My desire to run…

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Lunch Will Be Served On Our Front Lawn! Hope You Love Fish!!

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“Hey!  Is this where the party is???”

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“Oh yeah!  Lunch is served!!”

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“We’re big birds!  We want more!!”

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“Oh, they’re so greedy!!”

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“Who me?  What do you mean???”

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“I’m ready for my close-up!!”

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“Did you have to invite these two guys???”

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“Watch it!”

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“Humph!”

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“Okay, lunch was delicious!  Let’s be friends!

See you tomorrow…

Same time, same place!!”

Thank you, God, for Your fine-feathered friends to delight us!!

Hey! Did You Hear? My Son Is Now Quoting Me On FB!

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Does that mean I’m really a writer!?!  Ha!

It just started last week!

We were at drama practice sitting around trying to think of some good choreography…

For “Me Without You” by tobymac…

Great song!

There’s an instrumental part (sort of robotic-sounding) in the middle of the song…

And we were trying to think of cool movements for it…

So, as we were tossing ideas back and forth…

One of us (probably me!  Ha!) said,

“How about if Jesus was a robot in this part???”

Everyone laughed, except for one of our newer boys!

He had been asking questions all practice…

Like…

“Why do we need to BE a piano?

Or turn ourselves into musical instruments?”

We tried to explain how human video dramas are done at Fine Arts competitions…

If the song talks about a ladder…

We need to MAKE a ladder using the people in the drama…

If there’s a hill…

We MAKE a hill with our bodies!

Still he didn’t get it!!

So I guess the “robot-Jesus” idea was the last straw!!

He was so exasperated with all of us…

That he said, “That’s just really offensive to talk about Jesus like that!!”

That’s when I said the line that my son quoted on FB!!

“Don’t take us as seriously as you’re trying to!!!”

All the older kids cracked up…

My son wrote it down and posted it…

As a quote from his wise Mom…

And I got 20 “Likes” on his FB page!!

Two days later, I had a funny dream that I remembered completely…

Most of it was a convoluted story of us moving into a new house…

Realizing that it was falling apart…

That the previous owners left all their stuff…

Even a kielbasa/hotdog- looking food item in the grill, etc., etc.

Oh, and I dropped my cell phone in a lake!

Crazy!

But, at the end of the dream…

I was coming home late from somewhere…

And my retired cop husband was sitting in his car in a Foodtown parking lot where we used to live in NJ…

Waiting for me to make sure I was safe…

I saw him sitting in his car with the headlights on…

And I thought, “How nice!”

Just as I was going to turn right to pull into the parking lot…

A HUGE Moose

Came charging at the left side of my car!!

I was at a red light…

But, I said to myself…

“I remember what my husband always said to me!

‘If a HUGE Moose came at you, even if you’re at a traffic light…

Step on the gas and get out of there!!'”

By this time, after telling my husband and son this crazy dream…

We were all laughing hysterically!!

My husband does give us lots of safety tips…

But never once about a HUGE Moose!!

But, I got 30 “Likes” on that one!

One of my friends read it and didn’t understand it!

Guess you had to be there!

My philosophy is…

To never take myself or life too seriously!

Ahhhh…Laughter!

Belly laughs…

Joy, Joy, Joy!!!

Jesus, give me more of it!!

 “A joyful heart is good medicine…”  Proverbs 17:22

 “Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy;

Then they said among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for them.’”  Proverbs 126:2

 “A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance…”  Ecclesiastes 3:4

 “A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed.”  Proverbs 15:13

 “Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!”  Psalm 32:11

“Up On The Roof”

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“Hoo…Hoo!”

The way the sun’s shining, makes this dove seem as if  it’s made of clay, like our roof!

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But, it’s very real!!

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Looking up…I caught these black birds perched on a neighbor’s roof!

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They have a great view of the Heavens!

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And not a care in the world!

Jesus, if we would just learn to look up, too!

And stay fixated on You…

I know you’d care for us, also!

Amen!

When I look up (fix my eyes on You!)…

I see some amazing things!

I remember all your promises…

I see all Your faithfulness…

Help me in this new year to do just that!

“…fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.  For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:2  NIV

The Christmas Vultures…And Other Christmas Realities!!

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Here’s an email I sent to my dear cousin in NJ who sent us a lovely “Tour of Italy” basket this Christmas!

“Dearest Cousin!!

Thank you so much!!  We love it!!  Such a wonderful little tour of Italy!!  How lovely!!  So thoughtful of you!!!

I believe it was a beautifully decorated tin with bow, with all boxes filled with goodies, and cellophane intact, but the ‘Christmas Vultures’ in my house…tore open everything while I was at church last night…and by the time I got home, the mixed nuts were devoured by the BIG vulture…and the cheese swirls were gobbled up by the cute little vulture!!

So I had to hide all the chocolates from them…lest I have nothing!  Ha!  And then I dug out the beautiful bow from the discarded box, and place it lovingly back on the gorgeous tin basket around the pasta packages that were miraculously still uneaten!!

I get to open so few gifts…I felt cheated!!

My brother and his wife sent a Texas Yahoo Coffee Cake, and the BIG vulture had a trail of crumbs from the table to his chair…so he couldn’t even deny it was him who tore into it!!  The vultures are instructed to not open any gifts without me ever again!!  Especially those from MY side of the family!  Ha!

Have a Very Merry & Blessed Christmas, Cuzzie!!  Love you so much!  Me”

Her response came quickly!!

“Well, at least you got a little bit of it!!!  Next time I’ll have to have it wrapped in a box with a lock that only you can open!!  (Only kidding, of course.)  There is no way to keep “vultures” out if they want to get in!

Hope you have a Merry Christmas, too!  Love you!  Me”

I laughed so hard I almost couldn’t type back!

“Thanks, Cuzzie…that was my early morning laugh!!!!  I liked your idea of the lock, though!!  The cute little vulture said, ‘I guess I should have taken a photo of it!!!’  Duh…that would have been nice!!  Since his generation takes photos of everything…hence the allure of FB!!  If I make it ’til Christmas, it will be a miracle!  Pray for me!”

Other Christmas Realities!!

I took on too much…

I can’t continue to eat like this…

I stressed too much…

I will never again make all my yearly doctor’s/dentist’s/etc. check-up appointments in December!!

I’m not used to working…

AND doing Christmas!!

It’s been 10 years since I retired!

But Hallelujah…

I did get it all done…

Thank you, Jesus!!

I enjoyed celebrating YOUR Birthday!

And the day after Christmas…

Ahhh…Peace was mine!!

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Happy 6th Birthday, My Sweet, Precious, Little Girl!!

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You were born on January 8th, 2007

We brought you home in March…

You kept us up all night…

’til August!!

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Mom could barely find time to comb her hair…

or brush her teeth…

It was just like having a new baby in the house!

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Ahhh…a sweet, precious, little baby!!

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A very playful baby…

Who loves the pool!!

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And hangin’ with Daddy!

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Or, maybe learning to drive a golf cart!!

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Let’s watch a little TV!

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But, don’t touch my chewy!!

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I like sharing a Ritz with Dad!!

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And relaxing on my chaise lounge!

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I’m done reading my book!

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So can I go out on the golf course and play with the visitors????

Happy Birthday, My Sweet, Precious, Little Girl…

Even now, at 6 years old…

You’re still quite a hurricane in our lives!!

And, we love you more than ever!!

“Love Lifted Me”

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This is my sister singing the first part of this powerful song at the Christmas Eve Concert at Middle Church.

She dedicated the song in memory to our Dad,  since “Love Lifted Me” was his favorite hymn!

I could listen to her sing Gospel music all day!

My Dad would be so honored and proud!

My Mom would be singing right along, too!!

Love Lifts All of Us!!

Amen!

“Love Lifted Me”
Middle Church Jerriese Johnson Choir
To learn more about Middle Church visit:
http://www.middlechurch.org

One Terrific Sister Act!

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Sister Act

Photo Courtesy of:  www.broadwayinchicago.com

First row: Hollis Resnik, Ta’Rea Campbell;
Second row: Florrie Bagel, Diane J. Findlay, Lael Van Keuren

In December, we went to Tampa to see Sister Act…

In this touring company, my dear friend’s daughter, Lael Van Keuren played the part of Sister Mary Robert…

She came directly from the original cast of Sister Act on Broadway!

In the Ensemble, Understudy for Sister Mary Robert, and Understudy for Tina/Michelle…

At the Broadway Theater…

Jerry Zaks, director…

Her favorite credits include:

Dirt Rotten Scoundrels (North Shore Music Theater);

Hello Dolly! and Cinderella (both at Paper Mill  Playhouse).

We thoroughly enjoyed Sister Act…

So did everyone around us!

We laughed sooo much!!  It was delightful!!

This show has such a positive, uplifting effect on audiences, and it was so much fun to be a part of it!

Especially since we knew Lael was in it!!

Lael was amazing!!  The lady next to me agreed!!

Her voice is so powerful!

The acting, dancing, and singing…

Everything my friend did for Lael, and with her, over all the years has definitely paid off!!

We’re so very proud of her!!

We’re so glad we got to see her after the show!!  We haven’t seen her since moving to FL

She’s grown up…but still with that same adorable face and smile we love!!

She’s so cute and sincere and lovable and bubbly!!

I know my friend (who I taught with in NJ) misses her dearly, now that she’s touring with the company.

We wanted to hang around a little longer and chat more with her, but our car broke down on the way to the show…

There’s always something!  Amen?

So we were at the mercy of our repair man…

Who was nice enough to drive us to the theater on time…

Hallelujah!!

And pick us up before he closed!!

God is good!!

And though our day in Tampa actually cost us $1200 in car repairs…

We want to give a shout out to Doug and John…

At Firestone Complete Auto Care…

900 E. Kennedy Blvd.

Tampa, FL

God love you guys!!

Thanks!

You helped us get our car back on the road…

And got us to the show on time, too!!

I did have one favorite song in the play…

The song, “Sister Act,”  in the Broadway Musical “Sister Act” was sung by the lead character,

Deloris Van Cartier, played at our show by Rashidra Scott

Here are the lyrics:

“I don’t need a spotlight,
I don’t need a crowd,
I don’t need the great wide world
to shout my name out loud.
Don’t need fame or fortune,
nice as those things are,
I’ve got all I need
to feel like I’m a star.

I’ve got my sisters by my side.
I’ve got my sisters’ love and pride.
And in my sisters’ eyes
I recognize the star I want to be.

And with my sisters standing strong,
I’m on the stage where I belong.
And nothing’s ever gonna change that fact.
I’m part of one terrific sister act.

And yes, I love that spotlight!
Yes I crave acclaim!
I’ll admit I love the sound
when strangers scream my name.
All that glitz and glamor,
they’re all right no doubt.
But what are you left with
when the lights go out?

I’ll have my sisters with me still,
I’ll have my sisters, always will.
And with my sisters’ love,
no star above will shine as
bright as me.

And as a sister and a friend,
I’ll be a sister ‘til the end,
and no one on this earth can
change that fact –
I’m part of one terrific sister act.”

Thank you to all my “sisters!”

I love you all!

We got a photo with Lael after the show!

Go see it…you’ll love it!!

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