TIME TO GET ORGANIZED

Today is the day.  I've put it off long enough!  Honeybuns bought me a new filing cabinet and in returned I vowed to get my home office in order.

What was I thinking???  Who needs this kind of stress?

For hours I have been sorting, pitching and filing.  This type of work has NEVER been my forte.  In fact, ONE TIME, YEARS AGO,  I volunteered to help Honeybuns out at his office and together we went to work on a Saturday.  My job was to FILE! 

That job lasted ONE hour before I told him to "take this job and shove it."  Too tedious, too time consuming and I really didn't care if a work order got into the right little pocket of that massive alphabetized cabinet anyway. Now really, is there any eternal value in that?? I quit before he had time to sign a pink slip!

Details are beyond my comprehension.  I can see the FOREST but not the TREES.  A person that loves to file can see the LEAVES!

There's probably a right-brain, left-brain scientific reason for this type of vision. 

Just give me the big picture any day! 

Since no filing fairy has appeared at the house today, I have to do this whether I like it or not.

In the process of digging though old baskets, boxes and upright desk filers, I have tripped down memory lane.  I've discovered old stories half written, genealogy charts, grand children's drawings and guests lists for wedding rehearsal dinners!  (Never mind that the last wedding was nine years ago!)

Tons of paper has been pitched and only the necessities of life are filed in brightly colored hanging folders.  Maybe I'll actually use this system if it's pretty, right? 

I now have drawers for current issues, writing ideas and assignments, and historical items that are useless but hold too much sentiment to throw away.  One day I'll need that information!

My future goal now is to go PAPERLESS!   I've seen it advertised on the TV.  A device can be purchased that automatically scans, sorts, and files on the computer any piece of paper you need to keep.  GREAT!  

HHHhhhmmmm.....wonder how many hours THAT'S going to take!

I'd much rather be visiting with a family member or  friend, or better yet, a grandchild!   This organizational stuff is for the obsessive compulsory type. 

Just call me Mrs. Magoo, Honeybuns does!

TEMPORARY OR ETERNAL GOODBYES

I hate goodbyes!  Even temporary separations are sad for me, the eternal ones are horrific.  Lately that has been my experience with one man and two ladies.

Two wonderful godly women left this side of life recently.  April and Margaret were Teaching Leaders for Bible Study Fellowship years ago and that is how we met.  April taught in Little Rock,  Margaret in Dallas.

(FYI:  When a person decides to become a teacher of God's Word an INVISIBLE t-shirt is placed upon them.  It's white with a huge red bulls eye target printed on the front and back!   That's why ministers, pastors, Sunday School teachers, religious leaders of all kinds etc. are called "men of the cloth."  My opinion and experience, of course.  No scientific data to prove my theory.)

Margaret and April were "women of the cloth."  They taught it and lived it daily.

 I recall  sitting in meetings with them being profoundly impressed by their gentle but very strong natures. Both were loving and kind and yet stood courageously as they spoke the truth of God's Word.  Steel magnolias would describe these two.

 Both had suffered much through the years, cancer was a constant and lengthy battle, but they lived life large in spite of it.  Their families and thousands of others were blessed by their perseverance and bravery.

I heard about their deaths through mutual friends and was not close enough for  audible goodbyes.  My silent farewells are saddened by thoughts of their chairs being empty at future family holiday tables, their phones silent when their children long to hear their voices, their communities struggling to fill the gaping hole where they used to serve.  Yes, goodbyes are very hard.

BUT......the separation is TEMPORARY!  My friends are right now, without a doubt,  viewing sights unknown to this world, enveloped in unconditional supernatural love and  sensing a contentment beyond our wildest imaginations.  They are looking in to the all knowing, all loving eyes of Jesus Himself.  That is the promise of the scriptures they personified.  They truly are alive in a better world.

I will see them again one day! Eventually they will again hug their children and grandchildren and rejoice with their husbands.

Our gentleman friend's death is another story.  His family and friends are not sure they can look forward to a future reunion and that uncertainty is cause of much heartache.

His life was lived without a verbal acknowledgement or desire for  his eternal destination, or a love for the God that lives there.   Even though it is earthly impossible to view the inner spiritual status of a human heart, by all outward signs this goodbye MIGHT be eternal.  And that is almost unbearable .  Those that loved him and left behind are now grappling with that possibility.  The thought of never again seeing him smile, hearing his soft voice or feeling his tender touch is almost too much to bear.

 Comfort for them comes only through clinging to the ONE that sees and knows all and still speaks with a still small voice.

There is much discussion in Christian communities these days about life in the hereafter and who goes there. Books are written and conferences are highly attended. Scholars and  wanna-be scholars are having a hey-day.  It's recreation to rehash this theology in the daylight but it becomes critical for families that are suffering the dark night of grief.  It is extremely important for them to know whether the farewells are temporary or eternal. 
It's a discussion that must happen BEFORE goodbyes become necessary.   Why are we so fearful of initiating that conversation?

CONCRETE SPAGHETTI

This afternoon a couple of friends and I are headed to the land of concrete spaghetti!  Yep, the big D is once again calling my name.

This time the purpose of the trip is not to visit friends or family but to speak at an event concerning Human Trafficking.  Our final destination is Southlake, TX  a beautiful neighborhood snuggled between Dallas and Fort Worth. The Dynamic Women's Connection there is throwing out the red carpet.

I LOVE concrete spaghetti.  This picture conjures up happy memories. This interchange has taken me to fabulous places and sites that most folks only dream about.  It's the path to concerts,  the Canton flea market, houses of friends, the Dallas Arboretum, family, great churches, Houston, the West End, the 6th floor Museum, and did I mention Grandchildren?  Much can be experienced once the concrete maze is conquered.

Even if you detest metroplex traffic you've got to admit this thing is brilliant!

In fact, when this $261 million dollar architectural highway was being constructed I actually knew and interacted frequently with one of the engineers of the project.  I loved her pink hard hat!  Her brilliant mind and gracious manner was a blessing to behold.

These roads bring happiness to my heart.  At the same time these roads are frightful places for men, women and children that are being carried inside panel vans, black SUV's and 18-wheelers.   I have the freedom to travel by choice while thousands of innocents travel because they are held against their will.  They are carried from place to place for profit and have no means of escape.

That vision that is running through my mind today. 

I simply cannot be silent while little girls are being held as inventory for profit and  at the same time realize that one frumpy grandmother has little power.   The size and evilness of Human Trafficking sometimes knots my thoughts  up into "brain spaghetti."

It's going to take a grass roots movement the size of the Civil Rights Movement of the 60's to stop this billion dollar enterprise.

BUT....if mankind can design and build concrete spaghetti, who knows?  Maybe I'll have a little hope today and do what I CAN do!

THANK YEEW BRENDA LEIGH JOHNSON

Last night was the  final show of THE CLOSER!  It was a good one!

 In the closing seconds Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson was faced with the reality that her whole career was about to become a case study of  how NOT to run the major crimes division of the LAPD. An aggressive lawyer vowed to bring charges against HER for numerous tactics and  past behavior!  The show closed as she tried to imagine her life unraveling, her career over.

 She has spent years tracking down the bad guys and then administering justice on her own terms.   Week after week I watched her lie, skirt the law, direct her team to do slightly illegal activities and then face down the establishment as well as the criminals. She'd justified her behavior and played the crooks like pawns. In her opinion, anything she did was o.k!  She performed her own brand of police work wearing fabulous clothes, carrying a huge black bag and sporting smeared nightmarish lipstick! She was flawed in many ways, yet she always got her man! 

Her bumbling team of officers provided the comic relief! She taught them to lie and ignore the law as well. They loved and respected her so much they gladly obeyed.   The end always justified the means. Her outrageous demands were followed by a phony southern smile and "THANK YEEEW."

The series provided a GREAT STORY!

I loved it!  Go figure!  Honeybuns knew not to talk, ask a question or need anything between 8-9 p.m. on Monday nights.  Often he would come home to find me standing directly in front of the TV watching intently to be sure I didn't miss any clues that would be critical in solving the crime.  They were usually revealed in the first few minutes of each episode, you know! I refused to cook, answer the phone, run errands or socialize in any way during that time period.  Talk about an obsession!

Half of my addiction  to this show was trying to see if I could solve the problem of "who dun it" before she did.  That rarely happened. Most of the time there was a weird twist at the end that no one saw coming!  The relationships that developed and Brenda Leighs confusion and obsession with "ding dongs" provided the other half of the entertainment.

TODAY I'M IN GRIEF AND WITHDRAWAL.

BUT....I've learned that every episode of THE CLOSER can be purchased and reviewed over and over again!  Yep, the set of DVD's is on my Christmas List!  Perhaps being snow bound this next winter won't be as boring as long as Brenda Leigh is available on my  TV screen anytime I please. It'll be a good change of pace from my typical Monday night routine!

I used to laugh at women that watched soap operas!  How could ANYONE be that SILLY  as to become attached to TV,  FICTIONAL characters?  Only the illiterate  or boring get wrapped up in sit-coms?  RIGHT?  RIGHT!?    hhhmmmmnnnn! 

Brenda Leigh and I have been humbled.

D-I-V-O-R-C-E

It has happened again!  Twice in this week alone.  News has come to me that two couples that long ago promised to love, honor and try to get along in life,  have filed for divorce.  In both cases these friends we know have lived together for a LONG time.

 One ditched bride confessed that she had just celebrated her 70th birthday, and it was this week that her husband of 50 years decided to walk out of their home, their shared memories, and their golden years.   The other couple had also survived the years of the strain of raising children, career challenges and a bout or two of cancer. If any folks had reason to stay together at this point it should have been these!

For whatever reasons they all decided to throw in the towel, wave the white flag and split the sheets.

As the details unraveled it, and as clearly as I can understand it, both husbands had found the "love of their life" just recently! Evidently the magic of their first love had dwindled and as time ticked on more rapidly as they aged, these men decided they needed to throw caution to the wind and experience the electric spark of infidelity.   Perhaps both denied that they would  ever get caught or maybe didn't care.  Evidently the thrill of the moment (or two or three) was worth the risk.

Perhaps now, in hindsight, the realization has hit that their "final big fling" was not worth the cost. They are paying a heavy price!

It seems that this story repeats itself way too often these days.  The women and men  that have experienced the same  type of betrayal  and SURVIVED,  bruised but intact,  are not as common.  Maybe I don't hear  enough tales about the many couples that patched it up and stayed together. Perhaps the pain and embarrassment over-shadows the willingness to tell.  That would be very difficult.

BUT,  it's weeks like these that I remind myself of friends that have overcome! They went through the very long process of grief, anger, sadness and FORGIVENESS.  Time and hard work at rebuilding trust paid off and their love grew back and flourished.  It's encouraging to know that it's possible!  And I love to focus on those friends.  They have a new freshness on their faces where once there was only gloom and doom.  I think they've surprised themselves! 

A resurrection of a dead marriage IS possible,  IF both husband and wife want it bad enough.   I think that's the key.  It truly does take TWO to tango, and TWO to forgive, TWO to pick up the pieces and put them back together again.

Honeybuns and I have not faced this type of challenge yet!  Hopefully we never will.  BUT, if this awfulness should happen, I hope I will have the grace and strength to forgive.

If not, I will buy a gun.   I think he knows that!  He still looks at me with very WISE and loving eyes!

ZERO TO SIXTY IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE

This is my first memory of Honeybuns.  We met in the first grade.  I knew ALL the kids in the room except this one, he'd been bussed in from the country.  I remember this shirt, it was PINK,  and I remember this strange boy being a little mischievous.  (Yep, we met in first grade! Wow, that seems 100 years ago, actually it was ONLY 53.)

TODAY this little kid is SIXTY YEARS OLD!  Those years passed by in a blink of an eye.  He's still a cutie,  now refuses to wear pink shirts and can still be mischievous.  AND he's hilariously funny when he wants to be.  He's achieved great things professionally,  raised two fabulous sons,  now adores two daughters-in-law and thoroughly enjoys nine grandchildren.  (One granddaughter calls him,  "our greatest treasure!")

He's mellowed much and this could be the best season of life.   Sixty IS the new forty, right? 

He's got some great ideas for our future and retirement is not in his vocabulary.   He's earned every gray hair and refuses GRECIAN FORMULA.  He is this family's strength and stability, a voice of reason and calm in every situation. He is highly respected in the marketplace and community and has friends all across the country.   He's spent those fleeting years wisely!

I look forward to another 20 or 30 years of adventure with this "country boy," savoring every day!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY,  HONEYBUNS!

You truly are..... OUR GREATEST TREASURE!