Jesus walked on water, He didn't swim through it.

    Our first swim meet of the year was the other day.  It really wasn't a meet though, it was time trials.  These times serve as a baseline and the swimmers work to improve upon them during the season.  So...
    It had been a long day for this mom.  Not unlike every other mom there.  However, my patience was dwindling.  After telling my  kids to sign in, my son asked his 1001 question of the day.  True, his limit is 5001, but my limit had surpassed said number five hours before this.  I snapped at him, telling him to just go sign in. 
     I gritted my teeth as I set our things out on a lounger, we'd found one of the good ones, miracle of miracles.  I glanced up to see two tweenage girls eyeballing me.  "Yes," I wanted to say, "I am the mean mom.  So how wise is it for you to be eyeballin' me?"  They must have gotten the message because they dropped their gaze.  (I'd like to thank the Academy for acknowledging my talent and my mother for showing me the path to winning a staring contest.  See mom, you thought it was all attitude.  Which it is, but I did take careful notes of your vast talents.)
     My kids brought back their sheets showing what events they would be swimming.  I can never make heads or tails of these.  I look at the number for the event and listen for it to be announced.  I also prayed for my husband to get there soon and take over.  He was running late.  I know, goes with the day...
     Then the time most parents, except the sainted ones, dread.  The calling for volunteers to watch over the kids in the bullpen or to keep time.  My girlfriend and I made eye contact with the cement and prayed for the saints to step up.  She spotted my oldest daughter-a legal adult no less-before I did.  "Oh, look!  There's your ever responsible daughter!  I bet she'd be a timer!"  So, I asked my daughter to help us out.  Mean mom disappeared as I asked her and called her honey and told her how much we'd appreciate it.  Bless her, with a smile on her face she said, "Sure, mom."  Thank you God for her.  She's the girl I should try to be but give up ten seconds in. 
     Time for the events to begin.  Finally.  My son did fine getting in position.  My middle daughter did too, but had some problems getting out of the pool because of a pulled muscle in her shoulder and no leverage for her feet in the deep end.  My husband had arrived and stood and watched as two of our friends gave her a boost.  (When we were first married another couple called him "The Absent Minded Professor".  This used to really annoy me.  But sometimes, it is true.) 
     So, my annoyed tone transferred to him.  I asked him to please go over and help if our daughter needed anything again.  He sauntered over.  SAUNTERED...  And yes, I could have helped too.  If my back wouldn't have been out.  Which he was aware of since I'd nearly overdosed on Advil the night before.  God bless this daughter too.  She had decided to quickly slip over to the ladder to exit the pool.  I stand in awe of her problem solving skills.  Obviously so would have the professor if he'd been paying attention...
     My son returned to the "golden" lounger after his trial for backstroke and I could tell something was wrong.  He was trying very hard not to get upset.  He didn't want to tell me what happened because crying in public at his age is ostracism in the severest degree.  He finally told me he'd hit his head on the side of the pool.  I went to get some ice and was given a trash bag full.  He does not have a pumpkin head, so this fit him like a sombero.  Almost as humiliating as a public display of pain...
     Now, remember when I said the event sheet was confusing?  Since the professor was busy talking while Dr. Mom made a run to the snack shop aka ER for a trash bag sized swelling repellant, I'd lost track of who was on first.  The next thing I know, they are calling my middle daughter by name for her event.  'Cause that's not embarrassing at all for either one of us. 
     The coach came over to get her for the next event because we all know clueless mom needs as much help as can be given.  Actually, the absent mindedness of her husband has rubbed off on her because she can't remember everything for everybody.  Absent mindedness or crazytown, you pick...
     The silver lining?  My son and daughter shaved tons of seconds off their old records!  And my daughter has the confidence to think out a solution on her own.  
     The lesson learned?  Don't try to wade through your bad mood alone.  Remember, Jesus can walk on water, but momma sinks like Peter when her eyes leave the Savior's trustworthy face.       

This Ain't Your Daughter's Momma's Prom

     Ah, Prom. My daughter had her Senior prom a couple of weeks ago.  I was more nervous than she was.  With hair straightened, she not only looked beautiful, but let me help with makeup and her dress.  I can't even begin to remember when this happened last!
     My daughter met up with her friends at a scenic spot in town for pictures.  What fun they had.  A few of them had dates.  Those boys stood by the side avoiding the girls and the pictures as though they carried the plague.  Hilarious!
     On to prom then for a very nice dinner and dance.  Prom ended at 11pm and my husband picked her up and brought her home.  She still looked beautiful.  She had had a wonderful time and told me all about it.  I was so happy for her. 
     Of course all of this made me feel nostalgic.  But my prom experience and that of my friends was very different.  Let's just leave it at that.
     I began to realize a few things about my daughter.  She is the total opposite of me. 
    She skipped prom last year to go to my dad's 70th birthday party.  His health is failing and we wanted to do something special for him.  I didn't even know it was prom weekend until she told me during the party--I asked.  Stunned, I told her we could have worked it out for her to go.  She said, "No Mom, grandpa's birthday is more important."
     Because of this selfless attitude, I wanted prom to be perfect for her this year.  We bought THE dress, THE shoes, THE jewelry.  Then, I asked about "after parties".  She said she hadn't been asked.  I told her she could have one here.  She said no, she was sure she'd be tired and ready to come home after the main event. 
     No boy asked her to prom and she wasn't phased by this at all.  She didn't want to ask anyone herself, even just as "friends".  She was happy going with her girlfriends.  And, she didn't come home in a condition that would have included unhappy or forgotten memories of her senior prom.
     I do not know how I ended up with a daughter that is so full of self-confidence and an unselfish attitude.  She is kind and caring.  She is intelligent.  She realizes there will be time enough for boyfriends in the future.  She's focused on her education right now.  And, she is really responsible.  Turn those attributes around, and you had me at 18.
     I look back on the growning up years.  I look ahead to the future.  My daughter isn't perfect and we may have problems ahead.  There's a lot of advice I can give, but more I shouldn't.  I was far from the perfect mom...please.
     When younger moms comment on a girl's behavior and want to know how to raise their little daughter's to be Christ-centered, I could tell them many things.  Let her be who God meant her to be, pray for her daily and then some, patience really is a virtue, especially before you speak.  But if you want to be a Christ centered parent and raise a Christ-centered child then it's easy.  
     Keep Christ in the center.  

God's School

   I'm back...Though hesitant to write this blog, it kept coming back to me.  So here we go. 

     I sometimes, if not a lot of the time, grow unhappy with the press.  Having a degree in Journalism, they tend to get under my skin on a regular basis.  So, I am not trying to dredge up something terrible.  I think some things need to be pointed out, however.
     It has been over a month since the tragedy of Newtown occurred.  People are up in arms about many different issues.  I'd like to look at what is really important, in my opinion anyway.
     Security differs in every school.  Some have none.  Some teachers have to plug in a code to simply enter their room.  Why not  pass some consistent laws concerning our children's safety at school?  Instead, gun laws are in the forefront.  Hmm...one of the worst tragedies in our nation killed thousands of innocent people.  Sadly, children were victims on this day too.  And the people responsible took them down with box cutters and planes.  No guns.
     What if there were federal mandates arming teachers with tazors?  What if two armed guards were required by law at every entrance of every school?  What if every window in every school was legally required to be bullet proof? 
     What if all insurance was regulated to include the same coverage for mental illness as any physical ailment?  And what if, folks were honest with themselves about a loved ones' diagnosis and acted responsibly with the firearms in their home?
     Many people have brought up this subject.  If prayer was still allowed in our public schools, this never would have happened, or something to that affect.  Let's consider this one for a minute. 
     If God is who He says He is, then he is always with us, He knows every thing that will happen to us, and He is all powerful.  So, a law prohibiting prayer in public schools will keep Him out of said school.  This is one of the most ludicrous things I have ever heard in my life. 
     He's God, folks.  And He's in charge.  Believe me, He goes wherever He wants.  And He wants to be with all of us.  We're His children and He loves us.  We may have trouble accepting this because we don't think we deserve that love.  But we aren't God and we don't understand  He loves us regardless.  I wish people would believe that.
     Of course, then comes the age old question.  If God loves us, why would He let those innocent adults and children die in Newtown?  Where was He? 
     As my mother-in-law says, God is in control.  Where do you think He was that day in Newtown?  He was right there taking His sweet children, no matter their age, home with Him.  It was only time for 26 of them to go, though.  He led the rest of His precious kids out of the building safely. 
     Things could have been a lot worse that day.  And we will never know how many mentally ill folks are dissuaded by God every day to curtail their violent actions.  We don't know.  We aren't God. 
     Gun control, mental illness and even school security aside, God really is in control.  Its acceptable to exhale now.