Do you wanna build a Snowman?

Today is my "little" sister's birthday.  Cynthia Faye Huffingham was born on this day.  'no need to give you the year.

In the Holiday Classic, WHITE CHRISTMAS, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen sing a great song about Sisters - and what we share.  Cindy and I don't share much when it comes to material things.  If you know us you know that she is tall and I am not.  She still likes to make dinner.  I like to make reservations.  She likes babies.  I prefer the elderly.  We both like the beach, rock and roll music and because of the love instilled in us by our father ...the Florida Gators.

One of my earliest memories is a ride in an ambulance, across the Main Street Bridge on a crisp January day when we were "bringing Cindy home."  Isn't that odd - bringing her home in an ambulance?

Another memory is the time she came running in the house after a fall from her bicycle.

"Pray, Paula, pray," she cried.  "I just know it's broken."

It was.

There have been many times in our lives as sisters that we have had to do just that...

Pray, pray, pray.

We have shared happy times - marriage, the birth of babies, our parents 50th anniversary, and our mother's 90th birthday.  And one of the happiest was the day I married Rich Suhey.

We have shared sad times - miscarriages, the end of my marriages (one by divorce; one by death) the passing of our daddy and of course, when she lost her precious grandbaby, Blakelie.

There were two prints that hung in family kitchen for many years.  One was a blonde peeling an apple, one a brunette with a pencil over her ear.  My mother said that was a perfect description of the two of us.  She was always working and I was always thinking. 

When my second child, Renee, was born, one of the first things I reaIized was that Becca now had what I have loved...a little sister.  My daughters
have carried on that same "you laugh, I laugh; you cry, I cry" attitude. And now I have two sets of grand-daughters - Abbie and her little sister, Allie and Grace and Reagan.

When we were sharing some information about a friend who had lost her little sister, Grace was quick to say- "Reagan gets on my nerves, but I would not want her to not be here."

That's exactly right - "Having a sister is like having a best friend you can’t get rid of. You know whatever you do, they’ll still be there. 

PS Don't have a sister?  Well, I'm not giving you mine.  But I would encourage you to find a friend who accepts you as you are, who prays for you, who shares what they have ...and no matter what you do - will still be there".   Cindy and I both have a few of those and for them - we are truly grateful.

How do you like your eggs?

Johnny Montgomery was my best friend in high school.  I promise, promise, promise that he was NEVER my boyfriend.

However, one of the things that we could do for hours - was talk - on the phone or in our family kitchen -- sometimes until late at night.

One night stays in my memory.  Everyone in my family was asleep - upstairs.  We just kept talking - maybe about the Bible or what our plans were for our Youth for Christ Club or probably about my love life,

Suddenly, or so it seemed to me, my daddy was walking over to the kitchen cabinet and leaning down to pull out a frying pan -

"How do you like your eggs, Johnny?"

We still laugh about that moment.  I can assure you that Johnny left straight away. And many years later when my daddy lay dying, Johnny visited him, prayed for him, and they both remembered how special my friendship with him had been.

So, how do you like your eggs?

I love an omelet. I thought of that this week when I read "You cannot have an omelet unless you break the eggs." I'm not sure who to credit for those words.  I do know that I "get it".

It is the last day of 2016.  As i reflect on these 365 days that are now in my rear view mirror, I know there have been times when my eggs have been broken.

Our church was beginning a "shepherding program".  Would I participate?  Of course.  I love to hep others.  And then I realized that I have shepherding responsibilities in my own family.  I am my mother's shepherd.  HUM.  That decision freed me up to do something else - lead a Bible study for women.  We named the Bible study "Wonder Women" with a tag line - "Have you ever wondered what the Bible has to say to you?"  Those women have added so much to my life! They are like the combination of all the ingredients that would go into an omelet: a little ham, green pepper, onion, and lots of cheese.

The eggs got broken for me when I got a call that my services would no longer be needed at the home builder where I was working as a sales assistant.  I was most disappointed, for that position had been not only been fun, but it was what I thought to be my ticket to financial freedom.  Yeah right.  What in the world is "financial freedom"?

That news led me to the bank that holds my mortgage.  Friends had encouraged me to investigate refinancing at that same bank.  I thought there was no way. However, after many weeks and lots of work, this week my new loan was closed,

And in the meantime, the home builder called me.  Would I come back? Were they kidding?  I absolutely love the time I spend assisting the realtors, watching houses being built and then being there when families are given the keys to their new homes.

Neither of my examples is earth shattering.  I know that.  I've not lost anyone dear to me.  My financial status is acceptable for my lifestyle, my health is good.  I don't know what 2017 holds.  I do know that it is my prayer that whenever any of the eggs in my life get broken, I'll endeavor to know that those eggs can make an omelet.

"Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.  You will increase my honor and comfort me once more".  Isaiah 71:20-21

May your life be filled with enough sunshine

to make you appreciate the shadows

Doing what they always did

As Advent approached, I decided that I wanted to participate in some sort of daily meditation as a means to embrace the significance of this time in Christendom really.  I made a trip to my local Christian bookstore (Lifeway) and purchased A 28 Day Advent Devotional From Heaven, by A. W. Tozer.

I will be truthful.  I didn't really like it.  However, I read the appointed passage each day and when I was thinking of what I want to say I scanned the pages and found at least one sentence that I had underlined.   He wrote "how easy it might have been for God to have never shown us that He loved us" which is certainly what He did when He gave us His only Son.

That said, when I wasn't enjoying the aforementioned book, I found another.  And every day I have read from Waiting here for you, An Advent Journey of Hope, by Louie Giglio.   Fortunately, this one spoke to me.

Especially what I read today.

"On this night, shepherds were doing what they always did, keeping an eye on Bethlehems's sheep."

These ordinary men were most likely on the bottom line of an org. chart.  Maybe some had dreams of becoming a master shepherd but for the most part they were just tending sheep.  Not a very glamourous job for sure.  And Giglio points out that because of their profession, they were ceremoniously unclean - they couldn't go to the temple, even if they wanted to.

And yet, as they stood watch, something glorious happened.  An angel spoke - and then others sang - and then they went to Bethlehem.

They didn't need permission to go to the manger and they were privileged to see the Baby who had been born that night.If Jesus had been born in a mansion, they would not have been welcomed.

Sometimes my life seems very mundane.  It seems that others are having more fun, completing projects that have great value, being recognized.  Truth be told, I'd rather be one of the wise men.  I like bringing gifts.  Or I wouldn't have minded being an angel - or even the innkeeper.

Who wants to be a shepherd?

And yet when I look at the shepherds, recognizing that they were doing what they always did, I realize that what is important for me is to keep doing what I always do.  That's my plan for 2017.

May your life be filled with enough sunshine

to make you appreciate the shadows

The best gift

"You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving."

                                                                                            Amy Carmichael 

 (12/16/1867 - 1/18/1951)

We all have one - or two or three -

Favorite gifts I mean.

In the words of a song - "the best gift that I ever got, didn't really weigh a lot...the gift that drove me wild was a tiny newborn child".  That would have been true in my life in 1971 and in 1974.  Both of my girls were born just a few weeks before Christmas.  And then in 2002 - the alphabet blocks that Tray and Kristen presented our family with - B A B Y - spelled out another incredible gift.  My third grandchild would be born that next year.

Tray has always had a knack for giving.

When he was a little boy, he earned money to buy a waffle iron at a yard sale. When he was in college, he chose this train - something he knew I wanted when he was growing up, but never felt I could afford.  That was 20 years ago.

In 2014,  just before Christmas, I had a little "fender bender" that meant I was going to have a purchase another vehicle.  I remember that I remarked to Tray - "well, there goes your Christmas present".  I have taken the easy way out and given a monetary gift to Tray and his sisters for many years.  I did draw from my daddy's playbook however and found another pocket from which to get my children's gifts which I proudly put into three Christmas cards.  All the presents had been opened when Tray (as the family spokesperson)  gave me an envelope filled with the same bills that I had just given them.

We are approaching the fourth Sunday of Advent.

Which brings me back to the Amy Carmichael quote at the beginning of this blog. Born and raised in Ireland, Amy was the eldest of seven children who were brought up to love God and enjoy Him forever. When she was 22, she heard  Hudson Taylor, who founded the China Inland Mission speak about missionary life and determined that to be what God would have for her.  After a short time in Japan and Sri Lanka, she went to Bangalore, India where she ministered for the rest of her life. I have read that she spent 55 years in India without a furlough (the antiquated word used to describe "a time away from one's mission").  Her faith and love for God are in my mind beyond admirable.   When an injury confined her, she never quit ministering. With pen in hand, she shared challenging thoughts of the importance of serving the God she loved. The quote about loving and giving is one of my favorites.

As someone who likes to put my thoughts into words, sentences, paragraphs, etc, I can so identify and appreciate this "woman of faith."

And when I think of  "best gifts," they are the ones that come...with love.  After all, that's what God did.  He loved the world and gave His Son. . ." which makes the Christmas story as much about a cross as it is a manger.

May your life be filled with enough sunshine

to make you appreciate the shadows

I'm not lost

......I just don't know where I am.

Some of my friends don't like to go on adventures with me because when I am not sure where I am or how I am going to get to where we are going, I don't get upset.

At least that's the way it was until the last couple of days.

I was spending the day with my Naples family, relaxing some and taking care of a few errands.  One special task was to find a mail center and send four boxes of Letters for Luv canvases that my granddaughter Allie, had created.

Easy...except...I had a very difficult time finding a UPS store and I missed more than one turn.  Now I had thought this through.  I had done the research.  I knew where I was going.  Right.  Everything looked the same. And finally, though I didn't want to - I had to call my guru, my son in law, Wally.  He's a city planner.  He knows everything about highways.

By and by I found the place and although it was more expensive than we hoped, the packages are on their way.

You would think I learned my lesson.

My friend Deborah will not travel without an Atlas.  Did I need one?  Of course not.

The time for my return trip arrived.

I left Naples, made the first appropriate turn and then made a wrong one.  I needed gas, so I drove on. I wondered if there are gas stations in that part of the world. Once that was done, I thought I must be close to the Interstate, so I kept going.  The car's compass read north.  I just assumed I would run into Interstate 75,

An hour and 10 minutes later, I finally reached I75 in Ft Myers.  This part of my journey should have taken about 30 minutes.

Yes, I have directions on my phone.  I even have the ability to verbally ask for help and get a nice response.  But of course, as I finally realized I was asking for I95,  GRRRR,

And yes, I did stop for directions - and at all three places I was met by language barriers.

You have no idea how happy I was when I saw a sign that said I75 North.

With great relief, I made my way onto the highway and then I started thinking about what I had done.

I wondered did I learn anything?

I'll get an Atlas before I take another trip.  I'll also print a map of the area I am going to visit.

And do I find any spiritual truth in what happened?

John Newton said it best "I once was lost, but now I'm found, was blind but now I see."  I'm pretty sure (and very grateful) that it was God's "grace that brought me safe thus far. . ." and that same grace led me home.

I've known about that grace my whole life and it's been real to me since I was a first grader and realized that although I was a good little girl (at least in my mind I was), I still needed to have a personal relationship with the reason we celebrate Christmas (and more than that Easter).  He is "the way, the truth and the life" and so I'm never really lost.

May your life be filled with enough sunshine

to make you appreciate the shadow

Thanks for the Memories

It is Thanksgiving Eve, 2016.

Tomorrow the most common question one might hear is "what are you thankful for?"

We are just supposed to be thankful on Thanksgiving Day?  Of course not.  But it is a good time to take a moment to reflect.

My friend, Wendy, was very complimentary as she spoke to another friend about me.

"She has an incredible memory."

Yeah, I do have quite the memory.

And on this morning I am rememboring so many Thanksgivings . . .

When I was a little girl, my grandma Pauline Mercer Nesmith and her sisters often celebrated Thanksgiving together.  She had four sisters who lived in the area, and their children were my parents' friends as well as cousins. Their children and I went to the same church and school.  We shared in the joy and sadness.  I guess you might say that one of the things I am still thankful for is that incredibly large family of Mercer cousins.

College and marriage prevented me from being in Jacksonville for many years. That didn't prevent me from celebrating Thanksgiving with my family.  They came to me.

One special time they came was in 1979.  For the first time since 1965, the plan was for my little family to be in Jacksonville for Thanksgiving. However, an unfortunate accident prevented that.  I was heartsick as I called to say that Tray had been burned and we would be in the hospital for the next few days.  Not to worry - my family just packed up Thanksgiving and came to us.

The first Thanksgiving that Ray Parker and I had separated, our family traveled to Florence, South Carolina and enjoyed Thanksgiving with the Capps.  That's a sad memory, one I choose not to dwell on.  Except my dear North Carolina friends. Ronald and Julia Queen came to see us, and I'll always remember a sweet time of fellowship and Ronald's precious prayer for me.

In 1986, Ray's mother, Margaret, was near death.  So the children and I (with my parents) traveled to Winston-Salem, North Carolina to say goodbye.  We took a small turkey breast and some of the trimmings and had a Thanksgiving picnic in a Georgia State Park and we all remember that as a fun time.  We even have a video of us singing "Come, ye thankful people come".

18 years later, I had married Rich Suhey that spring, and he was already gone.  A massive coronary took him just eight months into our marriage.  It was a devastating time - especially since we had planned to be in San Francisco to celebrate Thanksgiving, so no one had made plans for me to be a part of Thanksgiving.  In a very dear gesture, Renee, Wally, and Tray suggested we go out for Thanksgiving.  We had done that once when my children were teenagers.  We could do that again.

And so we did - only this time we went to Cracker Barrel.  We had gone to the Hilltop many years before.

This year, Thanksgiving is a little different once more.  Thankfully, no one has died, no marriages are in dire straights.  Things are really quite good.

And I am going to make a new memory with Iva Lou.  We are going to share Thanksgiving with some of the people who are her new table mates at Brookdale Mandarin.  If she were writing this she would surely say that is what she is thankful for - and so do I.

It is our mother who taught us one of her favorite scriptures - one she lives by.

We don't have to wait until Thanksgiving Day to say thanks!

But I prayed . . .

Election Day

The first time I voted was in 1968.  That was back in the dark ages when one needed to be 21 to vote.

I remember that it was the middle of the day on Wednesday, November 9 before we knew that Richard Nixon had been elected.  That had been such a turbulent time. Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy had been assassinated.  George Wallace had been crippled in an attempt on his life Viet Nam was a huge issue and both Ray Parker and I had lost friends in the that conflict

48 years and 12 elections later we hopefully will go to bed on Tuesday night knowing the results. We surely will know when we awaken the next morning.

About half of my friend will be distraught - while the other half are elated.

And what I keep thinking about is that many of them are fervently praying that their candidate will win or in some cases simply that the other candidate will lose.

Either way,  I think I'll hear "But I prayed. . .".-

Which brings me to a memory of my daddy.

My granddaughter, Allie has a life-altering illness, an immune disorder that prevents her blood from making the proper number of platelets. She was three years into the diagnosis in 2009 when my daddy was nearing the end of his life.  He spent most of his time in the bed or a recliner.  He prayed a lot.

One day he wanted to talk with me about something important.

He asked about Allie.  And when I said that the tests were still showing that she didn't have enough platelets, he puddled up.

"But I've prayed that God would make her well," he said through his tears.

Well, daddy, we can pray, and we can believe - but what we pray for doesn't always happen.  In fact, Allie is now 13 and a half and low platelets is still an issue.  She has been poked and prodded, medicated and even had surgery to remove her spleen (the residing place of the virus that is believed to be the culprit of this disease).

So do we stop praying?

Not in my book.

OR Alfred Lord Tennyson's.  He said, "More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of."

And the Apostle Paul tells us to "Pray without ceasing."

So if your candidate doesn't win, please don't think God did not answer your prayer.

Just pray more - for our country and those who lead us.  Democrat, Independent, Republican.

May your life be filled with enough sunshine

to make you appreciate the shadow