A New Reason for Therapy

Hello, my name is Donna, and I am a box-aholic. I wasn't born this way, it's my choice. I call it an "alternative lifestyle".
Selling things on Ebay can lead you to this type of lifestyle. It starts out small, saving a box here and there for shipping. Before you know it, you're scanning for "good" boxes everywhere. Suddenly, everything in your house that was once in a box is without one. You get a gift in the mail, and you say, "That's nice, but look at this great box!"
At first, you may try to hide the boxes. But after a while, it's useless, and you know it. You've passed the point of no return. You'll think, "Yes, it may look like I'm getting ready to move cross-country. You may even think I'm crazy. But I don't care! I just love boxes!"
This can also lead to other related lifestyles, such as obsessions dealing with the United States Postal Service, but I'll save that discussion for another day.

My New Personal Assistant & Bathroom Entertainment

Originally Posted 7/29/07
Before I tell my story, I have put in a quick plug for my favorite radio station-KLTY. If you're not close, you can listen at http://www.klty.com/. It is hands down the best radio station around, and you absolutely can't be in a bad mood for very long while listening.
Anyway..............on to the story. Gideon has made himself my personal assistant. He follows me everywhere, and is never quiet. If I am moving, there is a steady stream of chatter behind me. If I am still, the chatter moves into my lap. The chatter consists of many questions, stories & songs.
A few days ago, I was discussing with Brandon how Satan lies to people. He constantly whispers in your ear-"You're no good. You've done this & that, you might as well give up, blah, blah, blah." If you don't have the voice of Truth to counteract Satan's lies, they can grow distracting, annoying, and in some cases, literally drive you insane. Anyway, Gideon was listening to this conversation. He made it his job for the rest of the day to climb in my lap and whisper "I love you" in my ear. God is so good.
Another of my assistant's jobs is bathroom entertainment. Since he is past the age where he can accompany me to the bathroom, he makes it his job to stand outside the door. He sings, tells stories, and generally does all he can to make sure that (a) I'm still there, (b) I haven't forgotten he's there, and (c) make sure I don't stay in the bathroom too long. Sometimes I can see his little fingers (or toes) under the door, and sometimes he passes toys under the door, just to make sure I don't get bored.
Best of all is song time. Here is the song he made up for me today. "My beautiful Mommy, she is so beautiful, and I love her. Ketchup man, ketchup man, ketchup man, ketchup man!" I kid you not, the last note (complete with jazz hands), was a full 8 measures. That's my boy!
I know this fascination with Mommy will pass, so I'm trying to take it for all it's worth. God has granted me precious time with these little guys, and I don't want to waste a minute. It reminded me of a song I dearly love. Here are the lyrics-
Remember me In a Bible cracked and faded by the years Remember me In a santuary filled with silent prayers
CHORUS:And age to age And heart to heart Bound by grace and peace Child of wonder, Child of God I'll remember you Remember Me
Remember me When the color of the sunset fills the sky Remember me When you pray and the tears of joy fall from your eyes
CHORUS
Remember me When the children leave their Sunday school with smiles Remember me When they're old enough to teach Old enough to preach Old enough to leave
CHORUS
Age to age and heart to heart Child of wonder child of God
Remember me
Age to age and heart to heart Child of wonder child of God

Fireworks and A Hired Soldier

Originally Posted 7/4/07
Earlier this week, Brandon had promised to take all the kids to the fireworks store after they finished their chores.
As is usually the case when rooms have to be cleaned in a hurry, Hannah bribed Samuel to help her clean her room. The payment is usually something grand from Hannah's secret stash of candy, rights to future allowance earnings, or promises of game board playing.
Anyway, the room got cleaned, and they came out of Hannah's room. Hannah said, "Thank you so much, Samuel!" Samuel rolled over on her like a mafia informant. He walked past me in the hall and said, "She stuffed everything under the bed", and kept walking. Hannah was furious.
In Samuel's defense, he has to endure a lot helping Hannah. She can be a cruel taskmaster when she wants to be, earning her the title of "Drill Sargeant Daughter" around the house.
For some reason, this episode made me think of Desert Storm. When the American soldiers approached the Iraqis in battle, they would fall all over themselves to surrender. You just can't buy loyalty. It must be inspired.
Epilogue-everyone came back from the store with enough fireworks to start our own war. Moral of the story-never send a pyromaniac to the fireworks store unsupervised.

Public Service Announcement

Originally Posted 6/27/07
Let me offer some advice to couples looking at starting a family-have your children while you are young. Otherwise, you may end up like Family X. This poor family is suffering from a Mom in menopause, a Dad in mid-life crisis, and two girls in puberty. You could measure the hormone levels in that house with a seismograph. Oh the humanity!
Don't let this happen to you! Avoid excessive hormone levels, and plan your family accordingly.
Thank you.

What God Is Teaching Me

Originally Posted 5/28/07
Let me see if I can explain this in a way that makes sense. God has given me talents. I'm not saying this to brag, because God gives talents to everyone, liberally. What I am saying is that now, at the age of 33, I have learned what these talents are for! Amazing, right?
Most of my life I used my talents in what the Bible calls "selfish ambition". Ambition to be famous (or whatever) for my own gain. I call this the Diva Phase.
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves." Phil. 2:3
This can lead you to all sorts of trouble. If you don't believe me, look at the celebrity articles in the news.
"For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice." James 3:16
Then there was a time when I buried my talents. This is equally non-productive. It is called the Ostrich Phase.
"Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.' "His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. " 'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' Matthew 25:24-30
Through various lessons from several people (including Veggie Tales-Lord of the Beans-great story!), all orchestrated by the Master, I have discovered that these gifts all have a purpose! I am to use all of them to serve Him and others. Like everything else in life, when you find purpose, it is liberating. And as the rest of the story in Matthew reads, when you use your talents, God gives you more! Amazing God we serve.
I can now sing with abandon, act and paint with purpose. Not only that, but it brings great joy and peace to know that God finds me worthy of teaching. He thinks I can still learn things, despite my past record of stupidity.
What should this phase be called? Any ideas?

People Are Like Cars

Originally Posted 5/11/07
My van is growing a personality.
For instance, if we take two trips to Fort Worth, I know it will need a quart of transmission fluid. This is its way of saying, "These are long trips, and my joints are aching. How about some relief here?"
On occasion, it likes to stop on the freeway to rest. This is its way of saying, "Look-I have been carrying you people around for weeks. It's time to rest now." So we stop to rest for an hour or two, and its ready to go again.
Sometimes when we turn the corner, it makes strange noises. Sort of like me on the exercise bike. You see, all these quirks don't make a van (or a person) useless. Sometimes they both just need a little extra attention.
Sometimes we don't take the time to get to know someone, because they're too young, too old, too high maintenance. Slow down and take the time. You may find the trip more rewarding.