the promise concert -- tonight!

we've been in the middle of another october prayer challenge this month -- praying MORE for our kids.  those posts are on my sparrow Facebook page each morning ...

but i'm sharing today's post here ...  praying for the lonely.
AND ... praying for this evening's event --- THE PROMISE CONCERT.


october 25 *the lonely*

this october we've been praying MORE for our kids.
but today i'm going ask us to pray for those kids who aren't in our family.
in fact, we're going to pray for kids who aren't in any family.
the lonely.

the orphans, the abandoned, the neglected, the ignored.

i'm involved with an adoption and foster care ministry called Promise686. and tonight we are hosting a large awareness event/fundraiser. 200 plus people will gather this evening under a {really cool} white tent, up on top of a hill for dinner and music and discussion because they care about the lonely kids in this world. 

it's a wonderful ministry -- one that came alongside us in our adoption of bella -- and it's growing. tonight is a celebration of what God has already accomplished in Promise686 and a challenge in how we can take part in what He's yet to do. 

psalm 68:6 "God sets the lonely in families ..." that's it. that's God's plan -- to bring lonely kids into the arms of mamas and daddies and sisters and brothers. to give them not only a strong roof over their heads, but to give them tender roots in their hearts. to connect them. to embrace them. to become one with them. family --that thing we take for granted until we don't have it ... or until we never knew it. 

oh y'all ... pray for this event. there's a ga-zillion details to pulling off something this large scale. we've been working our tails off for several months now, but we need your prayers for this evening. yes, i'm worried about everyone's dinner being served warm and the sound system working seamlessly, but mostly, mostly, mostly, would you pray that people have hearts to hear and eyes to see what part they can play in reaching out to the lonely. 

adopting? fostering? serving? giving?

we may not all be called to adopt, but we are all called to do something. tonight is about whatever that something is that we can do to help lonely kids. 

dear Jesus, "Father to the fatherless ..." we know your heart for the children of this world and your plan to set the lonely in families. we know you have created each of your children -- orphan or already home -- in your wisdom. your heart breaks for those who hurt. Jesus, open our eyes to the work that you want us to do. break our hearts for what breaks yours. move us to mercy. create in us fresh compassion. encourage us to more action. unhinge us. unglue us. undress us from the things which slow us ... from the distractions which keep us blind and busy. Lord Jesus, would you stir hearts and open eyes even this evening under the big white tent, up on a hill. a-men.

please check out the ministry page on Facebook or on the web.
Promise686 
http://www.promise686.org

i promise to post pictures in the next day or two! 
(this picture above is the a little glimpse of our centerpieces). 

a letter to mamas of young girls everywhere ...

we see them ... out there in our backyards, on our driveways, at our kitchen counters.

they are young and beautiful.

sometimes amusing.
sometimes awkward.
sometimes even (though we'd never admit it) kind of annoying.

they are little girls growing from tiny to tall ... from toddler to teen ... from innocence to understanding.

and we can't imagine how they will ever be anything more than just what they are at this exact moment.
it is hard to see how they are changing and what they will become.

some days it's a slow process. painstaking.
other days, and they grow a foot and change moods like a pair of jeans.

and we are left watching and wondering and waiting.

these young girls.
all full of possibility. potential. promise.

last night, my college-aged daughter and i got to go see her best friend, annika, in her volleyball match. annika's playing D1 volleyball for georgia tech. (that means she's really, really good).
we sat in the stands and cheered her on like she was flesh and blood. these girls have been friends since 1st grade -- i suppose that's about the same.

annika's an amazing athlete and it was so fun to watch her play at this new level of college volleyball. thrilling, in fact!
afterward we hugged, took a few pictures, even got annika's autograph! she's like our own little superstar.

and driving home ... i couldn't help but remember annika and emily playing "pepper" with the volleyball in our backyard way back then.
many years ago.
two little girls honing their skills. giggling and goofy. zero control. chasing wild balls. i can remember one afternoon them coming sweaty into my kitchen to ask, "mom, do you think we'll make the team?"

they did.

and now these girls are 18.
annika playing for georgia tech.
emily, just a year ago, closing out her  own volleyball career with a senior year state championship.

both girls, with these big moments.

and yet i can see them, clear as day, in our backyard on buttercup trace. all legs and arms and enthusiasm. as a former player and coach, i loved watching these girls get better, but, i'll admit, i had my moments of wondering. did any of us think they'd not only make the team as 6th graders but grow up to experience a state title or an athletic scholarship?

mamas, i know sometimes you see your own
little girls and you wonder about them.
who are they?
what are they?
what will they become?

it's exciting, but it's also intimidating.
there's so much life to get through. so much living to be done. so many hurdles to encounter.

and i'm not just talking about the hours in the gym, but the bumps on the road and the pain in the process.

for several years, i had the chance to disciple annika and emily in a small group at our church. and i'll be honest, there were times when i didn't get their jokes or grasp their attitudes or understand why they were so ... so middle school-ish ...

there were times when emily didn't want to talk to me ... (or listen).
there were times when i couldn't help notice the eye roll or the pre-teen embarrassment.
there were times when i wasn't sure they'd ever move beyond the stage of food in their braces and fart jokes.

and then i see them last night hugging on the court. beautiful young women. one friend performing, another friend so proud. and my heart swells to see it.

to know THIS is what those little girls in my backyard have become.

we cannot foresee the big accomplishments and grand moments ... we cannot promise them state titles or athletic scholarships ... as mamas of young girls we can't do everything, but we can pray and hope and believe and encourage.

and we can be encouraged.

tonight, i wanted to share this little slice of their lives with y'all as a reminder ... God has something grand for your girl. whether it be out on the court or encouraging from the stands ... He's got something great planned for that gangly little gal bouncing a ball out on your driveway.

i know some days it's hard to see it.

but, i encourage you, hold faithful to the promise God has for your precious girls. He's every single day making, molding, and shaping them into something beautiful.

with love,
signed the mom of an almost all grown-up girl

praying MORE for our kids (again)!

i never repost or repeat. i think it goes against some kind of blogging world code of conduct. except that i'm going to do it this month. a year ago, we journeyed through the october series "praying MORE for my kids." and ... i'm feeling compelled to do that again this october. we started today, in fact. you can find the prayer prompts each morning over at my even the sparrow facebook page.
even the sparrow - jody mcnatt

this is the blogpost which kicked off the series last year ... here it is again! i don't know what your praying and parenting and family and kids all look like -- but in my house, we are still in need of MORE PRAYER.

join me. again.

some of this will be repeat from last year -- word for word -- some of it will be fresh. this month i'm in the middle of planning an adoption fundraising event in our community ... and i need a little wiggle room in my responsibilities. =) thanks for understanding!

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

so, i'm curious ... what is one thing you could do {more of} for your children?

let me first tell you what i think your answer isn't going to be ...

it isn't going to be...
   more laundry.
   more meals.
   more money.
   more treats.
   more driving.
   more privilege.
   more movies.
   more trips to the mall.

am i right?

i'm pretty sure none of you were tempted to go down one of those paths. for the most part, we already do an awful lot for our kids. we give them an awful lot -- perhaps, at times, even too much.

no, i'm not sure my kids need more of anything at the moment ... i mean clean laundry and healthy meals are good things, but if i had to be selective, i can't say i'd put them at the very top of my list.

now, i'm not assuming we all think exactly alike, but i have a hunch that a few of you might have answered you would like to pray more for your children ... maybe even pray more with your children.

so maybe it was just a few of you or maybe it was most of you ... regardless, i bet some of you do want to pray more.

funny! because lately, that's been on my heart too! (so glad we're talking here today).

perhaps it's because i have five of them, and somedays praying for (or with) five kids takes an awful long time -- we have a boatload of issues and needs to address in our household ... but, truly, i think it's mostly just a parenthood thing. doesn't really matter if you have two children or twenty, you probably would like to be better about bringing them before God's throne. because regardless of the number of children in your home, they all pretty much need to be prayed for. now, if you do happen to have 20 children shuffling around under your roof and calling you mom, please let me know, and sister i will add YOU to my prayer list for sure!

so, i have an idea:  (that phrase always worries my children) how about we do that! how about we join together and pray for our kids?

we are about to flip the calendar to a brand new month -- october! (my personal favorite). what if we all virtually come together, bow our heads, kneel before Him and cover our kids in prayer.

what if we even call it something special like a 31 day prayer challenge?

what if we make a commitment and even put our name on it? i don't want to stress you out, but maybe we even write it down! make it real ... draw our line in the dirt ... stake Christ's claim on our kids.

what if?

now before you slam your laptop shut and run away shrieking ...  just think about it.

consider joining with me this month and committing to a focused 31 days of prayer for our kiddos. i know commitment is hard. i get it. lately, i have a hard time committing myself to a one-a-day vitamin. i understand. but it really won't be between you and me ... it's between you and God. and it's for your kids ... and what's more, it works!

i mean, i don't know about you, but i could use a little revival in my house this month. i've got some kids (and they've got a mother) who need a little bit of prayer intervention. you know what i'm saying?  i'm hearing the grumbling, i'm watching the resistance, i'm aware of the attitude and i'm sensing the self-centeredness ... and i'm talking about me as much as i'm talking about them.

bottom line: i'm looking for God to do a holy work in this home. and i wouldn't mind some company if your'e willing to come along. whether you have a three year old or a 43 year old, i bet you still want to pray for your child.

i'll say it again, i am looking for God to do a holy work in this home. and after 18 years of parenting, i am more convinced than ever it doesn't begin with me and my mother-power, it begins with prayer and God's power.

many years ago, i read stormie omartian's book, the power of a praying parent. it's definitely up in the top of five of my must-reads for parenthood. half my book is underlined from my time spent in its pages. this gal may have a crazy kind of name, but, believe me, she's got some really good stuff to share ... she writes:

I believe that being a parent is becoming more and more difficult each year because of what our children are exposed to and bombarded with everywhere they turn. But we don't have to be worried sick, dreading what is around the corner, or fearing the worst. We don't have to be tossed to and fro by every new stage and age and trend and fad. We have the power to make a big difference in our children's lives through prayer. That doesn't mean we abdicate our responsibilities as parents. It means we partner with God to raise our children as we pray for every aspect of their lives.

Praying for our children doesn't mean that nothing will ever go wrong in their lives. But when it does, we don't have to beat ourselves up for not being perfect parents. Besides, it's not being a perfect parent that makes the difference in a child's life, for there are no perfect parents. It's being a praying parent that makes a big difference. And that's something we can all be."

so, would you join me?

i know somedays we are all so busy "doing" for our kids, we forget to stop and pray for them. if you asked me which is more important, i would surely answer you: prayer! but, even knowing (and believing) that text book answer, doesn't mean i am good at it.

i kneel every day to empty the washing machine or to tie a shoelace or scratch something sticky off my kitchen floor but do i truly remember to kneel every day on behalf of my children?

is it more important for them to be covered in clean clothes or to be covered in holy prayer? we all know the answer ... but somedays it's hard to put down the chores and rise up to the challenge. it's as choice. but i know how it works (at least in my home):   somedays we choose to handle it ourselves instead of handing it over to Him.

my plan is simple ...

each day i will post a PRAYER WORD on my even the sparrow facebook page  (please join me there if you haven't already). i will post one word and a scripture verse to go along with it. i'm sure that word might mean something different for each of you ... or even for each of your children. it's just a prompt. that's all. i am not promising anything here except a simple and committed prompt to pray ... God takes care of the rest. that's His department, not mine. (a-men)!

i'd love to hear from you. leave a comment. leave your favorite verse on prayer. let me know how it's going ... or just leave your name and a smiley face or a cute emoji and i'll pray for you as you pray for your kids. and feel free to pass this along to a friend or two.  let's see what happens in this harvest month of october when we choose daily to pray MORE.

"devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” ~ colossians 4:2

october prayer topics for our kids ....  heart * gratitude * character * gentleness *   peace * self-control * friendships * dreams *  health * generosity * patience * attitude * purity * confidence * boldness *  wisdom * unity * perseverance * joy * righteousness * future *  compassion * truth * willingness * humility *  love * prayer * passion * rest * contentment *  excellence

"and this is the confidence that we have toward Him, 

that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us.

 ~ 1 john 5:14 

again, here's the link to my facebook page where i'll be posting daily prayer prompts in this month of october. join me there or click on the following link which will also be updated daily with the prompts from my blog. 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jody-McNatt-even-the-sparrow/182617438580535

a family field trip to the lice ladies of alpharetta

sarah would like me to point out that she isn't making an inappropriate
 gesture with her finger in the picture on the left. it only looks that way.

it's easy to be unaware.

we're busy.

distracted.

we go through the day scratching our heads a little more than usual, but we don't stop and think about it. 

let's be honest, we don't want to think about it.

we just want to keep doing what we're doing
... and scratching our heads.

but, as in most things, there does come a time of seeing.

a time when the blinders are ripped from our eyes and the realization is etched in our brains and the fear is manifested in our ... well ... in our everything. in our entire being.

WE HAVE LICE.

(or our daughter does).

and if she has it, probably we have it and probably the entire family has it and probably the dog has it and the cat has it and everyone that's come into our home has it ... and if that's the case, than it truly is time to panic.

anyone ever been there before?

the time when the woman of reason runs right out of the room and the maniacal-mom moves in?

like the other night when i got an email from a mother in sarah's friend group who said she'd found lice in her daughter's hair and we had better check our girls and i did and i found it in sarah's head and i about fell down on the floor in the fetal position of my fear and began, immediately, to crave dark chocolate pudding, red wine and (being totally honest) the open road ...

yeah. that.

i didn't give in to the cravings, but i did give in to the crazy-mother mode. you know ...
where i completely lost of sight of the big picture and the little louse and decided i was going to eradicate this insidious issue by the power of my own strength, determination and the sanitary settings of my laundry machines.

the kids began to cringe and cower as they watched their out of control mama prepare her family for lice-lockdown.

we never know what a wednesday night might bring.

starting with lining up everyone on the deck.  no one allowed or wanting, for that matter, to touch each other. except bella. she didn't know the drill. she hasn't had the pleasure of this particular experience in our family before. so she continued to try to curl up with her siblings.

BELLA STOP TOUCHING YOUR SISTER! SIT STILL IN YOUR OWN LITTLE CORNER OF THE DECK UNTIL MAMA CAN CHECK YOU.

the children tried to explain to her:

"we have lice, bella."

"what's lice?"

"a bug that lays eggs."

"huh?"

"in the hair."

"what?"

"bugs in the hair."

"bugs? huh? what?"

NO MORE TALKING. MOMMY HAS TO CONCENTRATE.

i moved from hair-checking to brush-boiling to bed-clothes gathering. i rummaged and rifled through all my under the sink products to find lice combs and shower caps and whatever leftover potions i could round up. i promptly soaked sarah's head with listerine -- because i remember that working once. the measly shower cap wouldn't hold her soaked hair and so i wrapped her head in a target bag and sent tyler quickly to the store for several more large jugs of mouthwash and a half dozen heavy duty shower caps. (most 17 year old boys might resist this kind of shopping errand, but he grabbed his keys and pretty much bolted out the back door, thankful, i'm sure, to escape my madness).

i'm not sure i can begin to describe what happens to a home when a lice-alert occurs. especially in the home of a large family. maniac mother starts to see everything in her line of vision as suspect. all soft surfaces become potential pest places. 

large trash bags are handed out, "YOU, bag all throw pillows. YOU, bag all stuffed animals. YOU, bag bedding."

BELLA STOP TOUCHING YOUR SISTER!

speaking of sisters, the oldest was never so happy to be away at college and safely across state lines.

i called a friend about a prescription. (for my daughter with lice, not for me. though i'm sure a little something for me might have been a valid idea at this point). she started to talk me off the ledge and said "jody, call the lice ladies. they worked for us. they're awesome ... worth the money ... and they even calmed me down."

i needed to be calmed down. desperately. and so i called. and at 9pm someone answered.

"get that listerine off your daughter's head," they told me, "and don't do anything more until tomorrow when you come in. bring the entire family. we'll check everyone." i looked around at the war zone that had quickly become my home. "nothing more? really? nothing?"
my daughter, with her listerine-soaked-target-bag-wrapped head walked into the room. 

"honey. sweetie. we have to wash that out of your hair now."

she stopped and stared at me. mouth and eyes open in disbelief. her look said it all.

look at the date on this picture!
we were at the lice lady six years later -- to the very date!
unbelievable.

you see, we've been here before. in fact it was exactly --and i mean, exactly -- six years ago on september 18th, 2008, when we were treated for lice the first time. we had an outbreak in our school which continued to recirculate for ... well ... for-ever. it recurred so many times in our family that i even included it in my christmas letter.  i'm not kidding: "the year of the louse." 

i know ... who begins their christmas letter with the announcement of a lice epidemic? for that matter, who blogs about it? 

i'm writing this at 4am because i woke up and had all these words spilling out of my (lice-free) head. i'm writing it at 4 am knowing it might never get blog-published because it will need the absolute approval of a certain 14 year old girl. and 14 year old girls can be kind of funny about things like lice proclamations. in fact,  if you're reading this, than you know sarah said yes. i won't pressure her, but i think she might. because she's the kind of kid who can handle this -- waaaayy better than her cra-cra mother.

even yesterday at the lice ladies establishment, she posed -- willingly -- for the picture up above. though the situation was far from the funny, we couldn't help but be amused with the waiting room all decked out in sparkly, hot pink and zebra print accessories -- and a leather {obviously} couch.  i assure you, there were no throw pillows. my kids were especially fascinated with WHO exactly IS a lice lady and HOW exactly did they end up in that particular line of work. 

but just for the record, THE LICE LADIES ROCKED.

they did check us all. one piece of hair at a time. all the while calmly murmuring reasonable words of instruction and comforting us with their capable hands and trusty little lice combs. i know only God knows the exact number of hairs on our heads, but the lice ladies are probably next in that line of knowledge. 

i mean, my boys were pretty much mortified in the hot pink capes and mousse covered heads, but hey ... we can all benefit from a walk down the humble road, right? not only did they have to subject themselves to the hot-pink-and-zebra-print-lice-salon, but their little sister got to pick out the movie for everyone to watch: "princess-barbie-something-or-other." just for the record, someone really should make a "barbie gets lice" movie.

anyway, by the end of the afternoon, the professional de-lousers were able to deliver some good news. no one else in the family had it and sarah's case was mild and caught early. my children, by the way, would all like me to highlight that fact: NO. ONE. ELSE. IN. THE. FAMILY. HAD. IT.

driving home, we were all pretty relieved.
and, of course, i couldn't help but think about how the whole experience had something more to teach us ... scratch that ... ME.
you see, discovering lice is a lot like seeing your sin.
it's there.
we keep scratching at it.
sometimes even pretending it will go away on its own.

but it doesn't.
nope.
it can't.

it will, in fact, quickly become "an empire." (lice lady's words).
she went on to tell us a few worse-case scenarios.
and oh my gosh, that alone was worth the trip.

lice cannot be ignored.

i hate it. really. like when i get to heaven, it's at the top of my list ... why lice, God? why? i mean i know there's lots of stuff that is way, way, WAY worse ... this doesn't come close to comparing to some of the things others are dealing with, but it's a pain and it's disgusting. and even though it caused me to go all kookie-ba-lookie, i did (after the calming presence of the lovely lice ladies) realize it's truly not the end of the world.

but it does have to be addressed. completely.

and, like our sin, it has to be removed.  it can't just be handed a band-aid and a pep talk. that won't work. it might temporarily soothe, but it won't solve.

nope. there are certain things in life, like lice and sin ... which call for full deliverance. complete eradication. total redemption.

whether it's the lice ladies or Jesus, someone needs to pick through and wash it away for us. ever try "nit-picking" your own head? it's impossible.

i'm not glad we walked this particular road this week. it was a pain. and i'm sure it doesn't do a whole lot for our social status. in fact, feel free to avoid us. i won't be offended if you don't want to come over anytime soon for a cup of coffee or a cuddly little convo ... really. i get it.
i get it because we got it.
but there is something to be said for when you see something clearly and realize, you are in over your head. (yes, pun intended). there's a freedom found when our filth is finally uncovered.

because, truly, it is only at that point when we pause from our distractions, stop scratching our heads, see our sin and surrender ourselves, that we find the chance to be calmed, to be cleared and, ultimately, to be declared clean.

reclaimed: from trash to treasure

driving home saturday evening, i had imagined the look on rick's face.
and i was right.

what's a husband to say when his wife leaves in the morning and returns home 9 hours later with an SUV full of old wooden boxes.

the husband.
the son.
the other son.
they all just stared.
"mom, whatcha gonna do with all those boxes?" asked connor.

he asked. but before i could answer, he pedaled away on his bike leaving husband and oldest son to empty the truck and continue the questions.

"you paid money for these?"
"seriously, mom?"
"honey, where exactly were you today?"

boxes, branches, and botanical prints  ... that's what i came home with.

there's not a lot of places you can go to shop for interesting jewelry, reclaimed wood, rusty metal, botanical prints and door knobs all under one roof.
girlfriends, the mall just isn't the same thing.

my shopping sister, karen, and i had spent the entire day down at scott's antiques and flea market. it's a once a month event. and let me tell y'all ---- it IS an EVENT.

if you've never spent a saturday meandering through a flea market and picking through piles of interesting items  ---  i'd encourage you to do so. it's an experiment in finding things you never knew you needed. heck, it's just a plain old experiment! like i said, we were gone almost 9 hours ... and only covered one of the two gigantic buildings.

not everyone would have the stamina (i.e. patience) to roam like karen and i roamed. we moved fluidly from stacks of reclaimed wood to vintage-looking clothing and jewelry. stopping only to for a few minutes to wolf-down greek salad and baklava. oh, the baklava ... it's worth going just for the baklava.

can you think of a better saturday? --- i think not.

and the people. the p e o p l e.
it's a fabulous place to take in people.

jam packed, but jovial. no one -- and i repeat, no one -- comes to this kind of place to hurry in and out. seriously, you've got to buy a ticket to even drive into the parking lot. this is not a place for the running, rushing, quick-errand-woman. no mam. leave her behind in the aisles of target, this is a place for slow southern shopping.
it is about wandering and wondering. browsing and bargaining. it's about stopping and considering and contemplating the purchase.
a little of this and a little of that.

like, "what could i doooo with a collection of colorful faucet handles?"

one of my favorite purchases was a large bunch of boxwood branches - the perfect brown. yes, branches. (special from north carolina)! what for, you ask?
well ... for my coffee table, of course.

we met nice person after nice person. chris was one of those nice guys. he helped us with the aforementioned 25 wooden boxes,  working to get us a deal. when i told him they were going to be used for an adoption event which is raising money to help bring home kids, chris didn't ride off on his bike (like my youngest son) but listened and said, "aww, really?... i have a soft place in my heart for kids who need families." he worked between us and the owner on the price. i know chris would have just given us those boxes for free, but the owner - on the phone - wasn't quite as moved about our orphans coming home event.  still ... there they were. waiting for us. we needed 25 -- the exact amount on the cart in the midst of piles and piles of other crazy stuff.

those boxes are old. really old. they came from madison, new york and were once used to hold nuts and bolts. (we asked). reclaimed wood.
aren't they beautiful?
i know, however, that even if you like the look of them, most of us aren't in the market for 25. but i'm working on an adoption/foster care event for next month and they are going to be filled with fall treasures and turned into centerpieces. yes, they are! pictures will follow!

i love the idea of "reclaimed" as it relates to adoption ... as it relates to all of us.

[reclaim]: retrieve or recover(something previously lost, given or paid);  obtain the return of.

reclaimed. recovered. repurposed.
maybe that's part of what attracts me to an event like scott's. another place to find beauty in something broken. something dismantled or discarded.

and maybe, just maybe, that's why this flea-market was overflowing with people ---
it's not just about going to buy something.
it's about going to be a part of something.

it's finding treasure in the midst of what might look, to some, like trash. there's an energy and emotion and experience involved in that. i realize not every person there would consider this from a spiritual angle. (though we DID happen to find a booth selling these t-shirts).
clearly, people ... it's spiritual! lol!

seriously though, whether we started life as orphans or not, we all know the feeling of being at some point "previously lost" ... or not good enough ... abandoned. discarded. rejected.

and Jesus ... well ... regardless of what your t-shirt says, He is the ultimate Reclaimer of all things previously lost. can't you just picture Jesus walking the dusty aisles of our world and seeing the opportunity, possibility and beauty in His created. whatever pile of junk we find ourselves in, He knows our true value ... we are precious in the sight of the One who recovers ... the One who reclaims. 

"it was fitting to celebrate and be glad,

for this your brother was dead, and is alive;

he was lost, and is found." ~ luke 15:32

home and her dad's hug

200+ facebook "likes."
that's a lot for me. an awful lot for one picture. okay, two -- i collaged (morphed) two pictures into one. more bang for my buck. or maybe just an indecisive post-er.
whatever. 200+ likes made me wonder.

why?

what facebook logarithm clicked?
what exactly was it about this picture which made people push that elusive "like" button?

the element of surprise?
the event of a birthday?
the enthusiasm of a college girl?

or maybe it's just the plain encouragement we all get from one who returns home.

she's only been one state over.
and it's only been for two full weeks.

but something about emily coming home and surprising her dad out on the deck for his 46th birthday felt ... precious. the rest of us kind of knew no matter what we wrapped up in our boxes or wrote in our cards --- she had trumped us all with the gift of her return.

and that was okay.

all of us. perfectly okay with this particular trumping.

because we were all just as excited about seeing our sister-daughter back where she belonged. home in time for dinner. a birthday dinner which i, by the way, happened to ruin. (adding sherry vinegar to homemade chicken marsala is not the same thing as adding plain, old sherry -- sigh). rick's favorite dish a disaster. i've been making this for years -- could make it in my sleep -- except i guess i was a wee bit distracted watching out the window for her car.

but even the ruined birthday feast was wonderful with oldest girl back at the table. 

sometimes that's all it takes. 

everyone home.

and i kept thinking ... all this rejoicing. it's so much fun. so much fun to watch the middle girl come barreling through the door and hop up into her big sister's arms. so much fun to hear emily say to her 11 year old brother, "connor, give me a real hug." so much fun to hear her talk and tell us about all those things she hasn't had time to fit into phone conversations or text messages.  

so much fun to just see her. sitting there. her. here. home.

even after only two weeks.

and that hug between emily and her dad. out on the deck. crazy cute, right? especially the monogrammed hat. but really --- that's what we are all "liking." isn't it? the little girl back in the big arms of her dad. that's what we all want out of life. to be welcomed home. to be held.

to be rejoiced over.

surprise or birthday or college or whatever. it's about how it feels to be back where we belong; to be home.

and if we felt like this on a friday night in september, just think of God's rejoicing when He welcomes home each of His children. think of that embrace. think of that enthusiasm. think of the hold in that kind of hug.

a girl home for her dad's birthday -- a glimpse of God's embrace when we return home.

and, one picture or two,  that's a lot to "like."

this is her: i did it! i-surprised-my-dad-dance!

underwear and other issues

like it or not, somedays just start with your panties falling down.

we were walking in the doors of the school (only the tiniest bit late) when she grabbed my arm and said, "uh-oh, mama, my undies are falling down."

my little girl in her little dress.
knee socks high and knickers creeping low.

my first grader continued on, "um, mom ... i think i'm going to need some help here."

"some help here" required me (after a quick upward tug of her undies) jumping back in the car. heading home. retrieving a "new pair." texting her teacher about the issue (while fully and safely stopped at a stop light) and racing back to school for the great switch-a-roo.

i know ... you are still stuck on the "panties falling down" thing.
me too.
i mean, like who has this problem? i had a pair of jeans be too loose -- once. when i was 7 -- but i'm pretty sure i've never had a problem with baggy undergarments.

perhaps i'm being too personal.

i apologize.

but it kinda made me stop and think.

it made me think about the blessing it is to have someone in whom to confide; 
to have someone to share with the really personal stuff.

i mean, you can't just tell any old person about your underwear issues, right?
there's some protocol required.
some need for discernment.
some awareness of what's appropriate.

let's face it, boundaries are kind of important when it comes to sharing certain things.

but if that was me (and be assured, it won't EVER be me) who would i tell?

there is something to be said for having someone to talk to ... about any thing. about every thing. even the most personal. the most embarrassing. the most awful.
even the stuff way more awkward than our underwear.

but that's exactly who Jesus wants to be --- that someone.

that someone who can hear and handle absolutely everything. anything. all things. yes, even our underwear issues.

what would i do if i didn't have Jesus to talk to? 
to vent to?
to cry to?
to cling to?

seriously, what would life look like?
i can't imagine.

psalm 62 tells us to, "pour out our hearts to God ..."  i think that means to let loose; to hold back nothing. to share the whole kit and caboodle. i suppose we can't (and really shouldn't) have that same freedom with the people shopping for shoes at target (that happened to me once -- while picking out sandals for bella, a stranger began to pour out her life's story to me -- my kids say i invite this kind of over-communication with strangers. that's another blog post).
no, we can't pour out everything like that with everyone, but we can pour out like that with God.

because as bella said, "um ... i'm going to need a little help here."

and she's right.

we all have our awkward issues.
loose undies or loose screws or what-not, we've all got our stuff. and sometimes we just need someone to tell.

it's not just a kid thing, it's a parent thing ... a people thing.

God created us and cares.
God redeemed us and rescues.
God sent His son and saves.

it's what He does, what He's doing, and what He has already done.

this was excitement over the first day of school a few weeks ago ... not an underwear issue!

s l o w d o w n

sometimes God gives us the most simple reminders. like a snail on a step.

i'm writing this month in series on worry --- posting these each day on my facebook page (jody mcnatt - eventhesparrow) as well as linking them together in a blog post. (worrier or warrior) .  thought i'd highlight this one today here though. not because i have a thing for snails, but mostly because i know me. i know my friends. i know us. i know how busy we all like to be. 

~ august 27 ~ 
i almost stepped on him.
i was rushing out the door, late for an appointment, arms full of items, head full of stress, and i just missed obliterating the slow life of this little guy.

and though i was late and rushing, i put down my load and looked at him for less than a minute. sat and stared. (and photographed).

there he was mocking me in my mayhem.

it was no accident.
that day, in particular, i needed the reminder: slow down!
s l o o o o o w    d o o o o o w n    j o o o o o d y ...

i've no plans to start a "save the snails" campaign,
but i have been convicted to save the slower pace.

all this rushing ...
all this running ...

psalm 39 deems it "in vain."
to what purpose? to what end? to what benefit?

i'm not sure there is any benefit to us being too busy.
in fact, i know that extreme busy-ness, brings burden.

it brings worry.
how will i get it all done?
how will i make it all work?
how will i keep it all afloat?

rushing and running and spinning and sprinting ...
and coming so very close to obliterating life
in the swift footsteps of our frenzy.

an increase in anxiety often goes hand in hand with an increase in activity.

s l o w d o w n.

be still.
be still(er).
i say (er) because i know it's hard.
it's almost inconceivable to be fully still. i have five kids -- are you kidding me? utter stillness is next to impossible. but God isn't suggesting we sit on our sofas and not move our muscles.
that isn't at all what He's asking.
but maybe it is about saying "yes" to less, "no" to more.
it's about carving out and quieting down and taking my time.

(preaching to myself) ...
release the rush and increase the rest.
let go of the push and embrace the peace.

s l o w d o w n.

folks, we've got us a college girl!

we got home on the late side last night ... and i'm kind of glad. i was, pretty much, able to climb right into bed. i guess that would have been majorly weird had we arrived back at 4pm and i put on pajamas and pulled the covers over my head then. but at 9 o'clock, it was at least somewhat acceptable.

because that's about all i felt like doing last night. 

after a day of moving our oldest into her dorm room ... that's all i had left in me.

sleep.

too physically taxing a day? no, not really.

but that emotional build up in saying good-bye while trying to keep some level of composure for my college girls' sake ... well ... that about did this mama in. it's not easy to let go. no surprise here. and we really wanted to at least try and honor her request ... "please, mom and dad, no tears ... please." (she knows her mother well).

and so after a day of arranging bedding, hanging drapes and organizing desk items ...
we said our quick good-byes on a campus sidewalk.

we headed for our car and she headed for her college.

and that was that. 

and really, tired and spent and emotionally wrecked as i felt making my way back to atlanta last night, i am so happy for her. thrilled, in fact.
and even if she had turned around and chased down me saying, "mom, i've changed my mind about this college thing and i'd rather just come back home with y'all." even if she had said those words ... begged ... pleaded ...  and clung. i would have turned her tall body right back toward her dorm room and given her a little push. "no, emily, this is where you belong. it's time to go."

(and just for the record, there was no way in heck that she would have said that to me ...
she could not have been more excited and ready and wanting to be there). 

and (really, truly) i want her there. and i rejoice this morning. a good night's sleep has restored my mother equilibrium -- at least for the moment. i'm sure the waves of abrupt change are going to hit me again at some point. i'll notice her place empty at the table or see that her room will be too clean ... i'll need her opinion on an outfit ... and that lump in my throat and those tears on my cheeks might very well show up again.

but that doesn't change my wanting her right where she is. right where she should be.

i told a friend this morning, i've yet to look into her room. i didn't dare do it last night. nope. could. not. do. it. but maybe soon, sometime today, i'll work up the courage to go in and change her sheets, straighten the items left abandoned on her desk, windex her mirror and all the while whisper words of praise for God's glory and grace in this going ... and in this gift -- being her mom.

on a slightly lighter note:  yesterday, while sitting in the closing assembly and listening to the college president address the class of 2018 ... sarah (our 14 year old) sat up quickly and whispered, "you know what this really means, mom? emily's going to college really means that i'm left alone to do all the dishes and help out with all the laundry - alone!" a look of total horror crossed the face of my 14 year old. i assured her she had brothers and a younger sister!

no doubt, we will all feel the hole of her going. but more than anything, we are all choosing to cheer her on and give thanks for her chance to go.

yes, it's kind of sad.
but it's really exactly as it should be.

i've already thought of three things which she might need me to run over to her next weekend. three things. THREE THINGS. that's a lot, isn't it? you are probably shaking your head and thinking, "oh yes, jody, you really should run those three things right over to her. as soon as possible, in fact. she needs them. she needs YOU!" 

nah. i know you're not really thinking that. and, truly, neither am i. though i will look forward to the time when we can go visit ... or the times when she'll pop on home ... i know, right now, she doesn't need three things from me or any-thing from me. only my prayers and encouragement. (and maybe an occasional care package with cookies).  three things or not, my girl has what she needs most -- One Thing -- Jesus.

so, i guess it's time to go tidy her room ... take in the emptiness and fill it with prayers for my ready-to-go college girl.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

and speaking of rooms, here's a few pictures of "move in day!"

packed and ready to gooooo!

meet em's darling roommate - caroline!

 a running start is needed to jump into their beds!

in case you weren't sure which side of the room belonged to emily

emily's personal design team

sister love! before sarah's increase-in-chores epiphany.

ordering her text books -- oh yeah, it's not just about decorating a dorm room!

emily's dorm - "vail"