2013- Eagle football!

Me in an auto parts store

I went on a real adventure Saturday afternoon.  My husband sent me on an errand.  The objective was simple.  I was given a spark plug and told to get another spark plug just like it at the auto parts store. 

Auto parts stores on Saturday afternoon are very busy.  On this particular day, there were local townsfolk shopping for batteries and such, but there were also several people just passing through town who encountered trouble and needed help. 

There were two men in need of a carburetor.  Luckily, the gentleman at the counter had the exact carburetor they needed; however, there was evidently nobody in town to replace the old one.  The men got busy on their phones and tried to find the closest place that could help them.  They decided on Madisonville and set out as advised, without their air turned off and their fingers crossed, to hopefully make it to their destination. Another woman was stranded I guess because a tow truck came and towed her out of the parking lot.

My task seemed simple compared to all of theirs.  The kind lady looked at my spark plug and quickly searched for a match on her computer.  She found one and sent me on my way. 

When I got home and proudly showed it to my husband, he immediately knew it was the wrong one.  I could have given up at that point and let him go to town like he offered, but I did not.  I accepted the challenge, hopped back in the car, and headed back to town. 

Round two:  Upon closer inspection, the spark plug that had been used in our old Chevy was an after-market one.  There was not an exact match, but I got one that would work. 

I laughed as usual at the fiasco I found myself in.  I mean…me at the auto parts store, two times, talking spark plugs, yet not having a clue what I was talking about.  I obviously did not have any background knowledge of spark plugs to use as a reference point. I did not even know if I was on the right track or not.  I was clueless!  All I could do was laugh and “act” the part.

There are obviously things in life that are more important and crucial to me than spark plugs.  I can fully accept not knowing random truck parts.  I don’t even want to know about truck parts.  However, there are things I cannot accept knowing nothing about, such as having a good marriage, raising decent children, how to make my school better, how to help my community, etc. 

Most of all though, I want to know more about living a life that pleases the LORD and points others in the right direction, in HIS direction.  Even if I openly admit that life as a Christian is not perfect and that sin sure can get the best of me, I know without a doubt that walking hand in hand with Jesus Christ is the only way to go.  Jesus is peace, joy, and an abundance of everything good!  He is life.

If I want to know more about living a life pleasing to God, I will have to intentionally study the Word, listen to Christian music, pray, and spend time with the Lord.  Nothing good is going to come to me via osmosis.  My walk with the Lord does not just affect me either.  It is a ripple effect that touches my husband, children, students, and others in my community.   

In Acts 4:13 Luke writes about Peter and John “they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” 

My goal this week is to be with Jesus.  Join me. 

truck full of junk!

The Monico crew is beginning round two of baseball and softball this week.  Sadly, both of my high school players are finished.  I mourned the end of their seasons and caught myself thinking…what now?  Even though my daughter will play softball for most of the summer and my son will individually work here on his baseball skills, there is nothing like supporting your kids and their high school teammates. 

Round two begins for us officially though because the younger two Monicos play their first games this week.  There has been some fierce instruction the past few days in the backyard.  Luckily, my only job is to fetch stray balls.  The dogs and I stay busy trying to keep up with Blaise and her pitching. 

Yesterday, I had a date with just Bosque and Blaise.  We spent the afternoon in Dallas getting Bosque outfitted and ready for the year.  It was a quick, successful, and expensive trip to his favorite store, Dick’s Sporting Goods.  We made a pit stop at Starbucks on the way home, so my day was complete! 

At one point when we were barreling south down I-45, we came upon a pick-up truck packed completely full of mattresses and boxes.  The truck bed was jam-packed and moving slowly with its hazards on.  A smaller car followed closely behind it with its hazards on as well. 

I thought to myself, as we zoomed past them, that I sure was glad they were cautiously creeping along, because if they lost their load, it would be a mess!  The construction along I-45 is already is a fiasco.  I cannot even imagine what kind of a delay travelers might face with mattresses and home goods everywhere.

The thought occurred to me as we passed the truck that we all move slower when we are bogged down.  Carrying a heavy load always means more labored movement.  That is true for vehicles and it is true for us.  In Psalm 38:4 David says “For my iniquities are gone over my head; As a heavy burden they weigh too much for me.” 

Sin always makes me feel YUCK!  It zaps my energy, creativity, and joy.  I move slower and think slower when I get myself in a bind.  I feel weighed down and like I am carrying a heavier load than normal when I am out of fellowship with the LORD and living in disobedience.  I also feel alone!

Luckily, the truck had another vehicle traveling right behind it.  The driver of that car had two jobs I assume.  The first job was to operate her own car.  Her second job was to watch the load that was in front of her and make sure that it did not shift or start to move.  The shifting of just one box could have been disastrous.  It was important that everything remained strapped on stayed put. 

That is NOT true for us and sin.  We need NOT keep old junk strapped on and carry it around like a heavy burden.  Sin does not need to stay put!  Sin needs to go!  

Psalm 38 gets worse as it goes on.  David is violently troubled by his own sin, but cries out to the LORD at the end.  Verse 21 and 22 say “LORD, do not forsake me; do not be far from me, my God.  Come quickly to help me, my Lord and my Savior.” 

Just like David, we can ask the LORD to help us this week.  Call out to your Lord and Savior. Forgiveness begins with Him.  Why carry such a load? 

If you give a mouse a cookie...

I read one of my favorite books to a group of kids last week at reading camp.  I absolutely love watching the eyes of little ones light up when they hear a story for the first time.  They usually lean in to get closer to the book to seemingly absorb every detail possible.   Storytime is the main reason I love working in a library. 

I still  believe in the power of storytelling. By that I mean… a real story told by a real human being, not a computer or phone.  It may sound cliché, but books can come to life! 

Last week we journeyed through several genres and made sure we had fun along the way.  “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” by Laura Numeroff was one of our top picks.  One thing leads to another with the mouse in this circular tale.  

The mouse gets a cookie, then he wants milk, then a straw, then a mirror to check for a milk mustache. The story goes on and on until it circles back to him wanting a cookie.  In another version, there is a mouse who wants a muffin.  This leads to apple juice, his Grandmother’s sweater, and so on. I saw several eyes roll at the ridiculousness of the characters not controling their own thinking, desires, and actions.

I laughed with my group last week, but I also wanted to cry!  I realized as I read “If You Give a Pig a Pancake” that I was somewhat like the character in the book.   One thing has led to another, as it typically does in the spring with my family!  My thoughts and actions have been moving quickly…leaving me a bit dizzy from so much going on and finally desperately in need of rest. 

Therefore, I planned a day of NOTHING!  By this I mean an intentional, guilt-free day of rest.

My rest began yesterday morning.  I dropped off my son and work at 7:00 and snuck by the donut store to buy an apple fritter.  A warm apple fritter and a cold glass of milk have always been among my favorite indulgences.  Something about the apple flavor, texture, and the sweetness of it all combined puts a smile on my face and puts me in a carbohydrate coma. 

My plan worked. I rested and slept. I sat in my husband’s chair and sipped my coffee. I relaxed more.  I did absolutely nothing until early afternoon.  Then I was ready to get up, and I l felt so much better.   I was back! 

I looked back over the blur of the past few months.  High school softball lead to high school baseball, which lead to prom, homework, and standardized tests.  More school work led to Project Graduation, which led to numerous end of the year activities and awards ceremonies.  Little league softball and baseball began, the school year ended, and that took us right into the county fair.  We closed out the fair with Father’s Day, and I started reading camp. 

By the time reading camp concluded, I was tired!  I do not regret a single second I spent in bleachers, the car, the library, or at the fairgrounds; however, every season has an end.  My spring is complete. I now am officially in slow, summer mode. 

Mark 6 tells the story of Jesus going, going, and going.  After feeding the five thousand, Jesus told his disciples in verse 31 “Come with me by yourself to a quiet place and get some rest.” 

I believe in living life to the fullest. I also believe in rest!  Join me this week and do both. 

FCA

Friday mornings are one of my favorite times of the week.  I hang out with a bunch of junior high kids at Fellowship of Christian Athletes, otherwise known as F.C.A.  We gather in the gym at 7:30 for a few minutes.

 Kids volunteer most of the time and share what the LORD has laid on their heart.  They typically pair up and lead as a team. It is quite amazing to sit there on the gym floor and listen as they minister to their peers.  Their courage impresses me to say the least.  I do sit on the floor with the students, Indian style, as we used to call it when I was in grade school.  The proper term now is “criss-cross apple sauce.”  It takes me a few minutes to get up off of the gym floor, but I usually can count on a kid or two to grab my hand and pull me up. 

Something happens in school buildings a few weeks after Spring Break…and that “something” is bad!  Nearly everyone gets lazy and starts acting like the year is over, when it is not over at all!  We as educators and students still have a lot to accomplish. 

Our F.C.A. attendance has even been down. On a particular week in late March, I went into the girl’s locker room and started pulling girls out.  The “regulars” were not even being regular!  I let them know real quickly that I was not afraid to hunt them down. 

I happened to be teaching this particular day and the Lord totally took me in a direction I had not planned.  I gave the kids and adults in the room a good, old fashioned pep talk about how we still had to come together and meet!  I pleaded with them to keep on coming, keep on working, and that every single one of them mattered to Jesus and to our group.  Teenagers often feel invisible.  I wanted them to know that without a doubt each and every one of them was significant. 

I thought of the parable in Luke 15:4 when Jesus poses the question “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them.  Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?” 

I sent one kiddo over to the corner isolated from the group.  I left the group and walked towards her, showing them how Jesus will search us out individually like the parable teaches.  I brought the young lady back with me, illustrating how Jesus will even bring us back when we go astray. 

I took it to another level and sent Michelle, my volunteer, out through the middle of the crowd, across the gym from where I was.  Again, I walked towards her.  This time, totally led by the Lord, I explained to the kids that one sheep had drifted again; however, Jesus was going to get her.  When I got to Michelle, I asked her to fall down.  She did, but I picked her up.  At this point, she had drifted, fallen down, and needed help to get back to the group.  I assumed the role of Jesus and did just what He does so often.  I picked her up and carried her back to the crowd on my back.  That sure does resonate with me.

Today, being Easter, and I woke up thinking how grateful I was that Jesus died for an unworthy person like me.  Without Him, I would be such a mess!  He came to seek and save what was lost. That includes me.  That includes you. 

County fair lambs

Our family increased by three the week after Spring Break when the lambs for the county fair moved in.  The kids named them Butch, Festus, and Winchester.

I showed lambs and heifers when I was a kid too.  I remember well the walking, feeding, and one fight in particular I had with my brother over who was going to carry the bucket of water out to the pen.  We both got spankings.

The county fair and camping out at the Emmons camp was the highlight of my year.  One of the reasons we loved it was the animal judging.  The real reason we loved the fair though was the meeting and mingling that took place over the five days and five nights. 

You see, boys and girls from all over the county came together dolled up and cleaned up in their best western attire.  Everyone tended to collide right in front of the Ferris wheel or over by the show pen, and it was fun!

Back to present tense…our kids work hard with their projects.  One may feed in the morning and one may feed at night, but they all individually walk and work with their lambs.  There is no substitute for knowing and nurturing your own animal. 

Brazos, the oldest one involved here, really has developed a knack for setting up his lamb and showmanship. He coaches his younger siblings and sometimes even takes their lambs into his own hands to “show” them what to do.

He demonstrates and then passes the lamb back to its rightful owner. My job is usually includes standing outside of the pen, keeping my shoes free of poop, and offering encouragement. 

We had a hiccup this week.  Blaise, the youngest of our fair participants, was as sick as a dog.  She spent three days in her Dad’s chair sipping on Ginger Ale, taking medicine, and trying to hold down crackers.  Obviously, she did not work with her lamb because of her illness.

Last night when Blaise was well enough to get back to business, her lamb acted like a fool! After three work sessions, we are nearly back to the point that Blaise can control her animal.  The time away from her sheep made a difference….and not a positive one.    

Her lamb does not responding to her like it did last week, and it is not just the lamb.  Blaise feels more frustration than joy and excitement.  It is going to take time!  Thank God we have a few more days until show time. 

This county fair project relates to most “projects” in life.  Anything that we want to do good in takes time, dedication, and work!  When we neglect our assignment, there will be consequences.  Often too…others can help out, but nothing can substitute for us personally connecting with our task and our own hard work. 

This is true for our relationship with the LORD too.  Others can pray for us and teach us, but the time we spend alone in Word and with our heavenly Father must be done personally. We must show up, there are substitutions or a way to pass the buck to someone else.    

In John 3:3, Jesus said “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”  Much like with the lamb, nothing can take the place of you personally connecting with your Father. Spend time with Him this week.  

Are you born again?  If so, spend some time this week with your Father.  If not, call on the name of Jesus, you will be saved; however, no one can do it for you.  You must call out to Him. 

Dodge pick-ups

This is an old journal entry I found from 2012.  It proves to be very significant now that Brazos has his driving permit and will get his license next year.

Brazos just turned 11.  He loves George Jones, Tom T. Hall, and his Dad's old pick-ups. The green Dodge is a 1990 model. Braz has big plans to drive it to high school. He said this week that he will never sell his Dad's old trucks. He even went so far as to say that HIS kids better not sell them! He wants the trucks to be here forever. "Can I take them to heaven, Mom?" he asked me yesterday.

I had to break it to him that he can't take anything to heaven. Then I changed my anything to...there is one thing we CAN take with us to heaven I believe: the people we have told about Jesus. We can take them.

When we share the love of Jesus with others and they too invite Him into their hearts, we are in a way taking them with us to heaven. Our relationships with people are the only thing that really will outlast this earth.

John 15:16 says "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit- fruit that will last."

Share something with someone today that will last! A smile, a word of encouragement, a verse, an invitation to a CHRISTmas celebration, an apology, a second chance, a bit of your time to show you care. Show someone Jesus today. Be Jesus today to someone! That is guaranteed to last!

Oh, and if God is making a room in heaven right now for my son, I believe it will be full of old pick-ups; however, the trucks will MEET Brazos there. He will not take them with him!

It is now 2017 and a lot has changed around here.  I have changed a lot, some positive and some negative if I am completely honest.  My kids have grown up.  They are bigger and stronger than me, both physically and mentally in some areas. 

One of the things that has remained the same is how Brazos loves his Dad’s old Dodge.  When he gets his license in the Fall, the green Dodge will be his first vehicle.  We run our errands in it now.  I used to drive him around.  Now…he drives me.

I still remind him and my other kids about the truths I wrote many years ago in this journal entry.  We are active and more in the community than ever.  Just for old time’s sake, I will repeat them again.

Share something with someone today that will last! A smile, a word of encouragement, a verse, an invitation to a CHRISTmas celebration or a church service, an apology, a second chance, a bit of your time to show you care. Show someone Jesus today. Be Jesus today to someone! That is guaranteed to last! 

I pray this week that we all will bear fruit that will last and show someone else the LOVE of Jesus Christ.  Time sure is passing quickly…be blessed this week and be a blessing!