Holy and Steadfast

Quote of the Day:  

Psalm 15

A psalm of David.

1 Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent?
    Who may live on your holy mountain?

2 The one whose walk is blameless,
    who does what is righteous,
    who speaks the truth from their heart;
3 whose tongue utters no slander,
    who does no wrong to a neighbor,
    and casts no slur on others;
4 who despises a vile person
    but honors those who fear the Lord;
who keeps an oath even when it hurts,
    and does not change their mind;
5 who lends money to the poor without interest;
    who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.

Whoever does these things
    will never be shaken.

Mary at the Medicine Wheel, in the Big Horn Mountains.

Sacred Ground

The Advent Photo A Day word for Dec. 10 was Holy. I had thought of skipping that one because Holy seems like a word to describe God or Heaven. I thought of church hymns like Holy, Holy, Holy. If you grew up in a Lutheran Church you might be singing that song in your head right now. Then, I thought of another song from the Psalm I quoted above with the line Who shall dwell on that holy mountain. That got me thinking about holy, or sacred, ground, and our bike trip last year to the Medicine Wheel. When the Biker Chef started the walk up and around the wheel, always to the left first, the wind swept up and over the mountain, blowing steadfastly over the sacred ground, carving the path, bringing fresh air. I thought of the people who have walked that path before us. I looked at the tokens they left behind. I felt the solemnity of their prayers, their grief, and their hope.

Hope is what keeps us steadfast in our journey to the Holy place. May your path blow with new life today.

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  Have you ever been to a place that felt holy, or sacred?

Review of Wizard of Oz at The Ordway in St. Paul, MN

Quote of the Day:  Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore. a favorite quote from The Wizard of Oz.

Krista, I've a feeling we're not in Minnesota anymore. In fact, we were transported to the merry old land of Oz at the Ordway Performing Arts Center, Friday night, Dec. 6, 2013. The magical winds of a fantastic theatrical production swept us out of the cold and away from our troubles that melted like lemon drops despite the subzero temperatures outside. 

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Wizard of Oz. Description: Company in The Land of Oz. Original Toronto Cast. Photo Credit: Cylla Von Tiedemann

Danielle Wade is a delightful Dorothy. When she sang, "Somewhere over the Rainbow," chills ran down by arms, and her final note of why, oh why can't I... floated up into the rafters and hung there until Christmas. I had tears in my eyes from the beauty and emotional electricity of the performance. The Wizard of Oz stage production gives us exactly what we came to see and hear - the beloved characters, the scary witch, flying monkeys, exciting dancers, heartfelt lines, the journey, the music, the visual effects. I could go on and on. With the use of scrims, film, technology and phenomenal actors, I felt like we were part of the show, blending the old movie into the new theatrical production. During the tornado scene the projection seemed to be in 3D as we were pulled into the whirlwind and landed with a flash of light in Oz. The little girls in front of me weren't the only ones to gasp and say, "Oh, look at that!" I found myself tapping Krista on the shoulder and whispering that I had goosebumps, sighing at the amazing music and theatrics to wondering how many times the dancers whacked each other the head while rehearsing the dance with the sticks. I loved that number, the rhythm and dancing set my heart racing.

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Wizard of Oz. Description: Jamie McKnight as Scarecrow. Original Toronto Cast. Photo Credit: Cylla Von Tiedemann

Watching this beloved film classic come to life on stage is a fantastical experience. It's like you could step inside the film itself and become part of the show. The way they used the projection and scrims created the effect of walking through the woods, twirling in the tornado, interacting with the story, and journeying along with Dorothy and her pals. 

The most impressive actor on stage was Toto. He got his own standing ovation. How does the trainer, William Berloni, get him to bark on cue, enter and exit, and be such a steady part of the show? I looked at his website, Theatrical Animals, and learned that he uses rescue dogs. For more information on him, his talented furry superstars, and his efforts to help rescue animals, check out his site.

The Wizard of Oz is on its North America Tour. Check to see if they'll be in your neighborhood. This is the best show I've ever seen, and what makes it even more amazing is how they could bring the classic film to life and give us even more of the magic as we journey to Oz and back with Dorothy and Toto. 

I have fun photos and more to tell you about our freezing cold day in our state's capital. I'll save that for a later post. Bring the kids to Wizard of Oz at the Ordway, Dec. 4-29, 2013, or go with a great date. Thank you, Ordway, for bringing this fantastic show to St. Paul. Thank you, cast, crew, and creative team of this production. Your talents are "somewhere over the rainbow."

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  What are your favorite lines, characters, or scenes from The Wizard of Oz?

2012 Graduates Honored at Lord of Life

Quote of the Day:  from Quote of the Day Archives

If you can give your son or daughter only one gift, let it be enthusiasm.-- Bruce Barton

Don't limit a child to your own learning, for he or she was born in another time.-- Rabbinical Saying

It's easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.-- Frederick Douglass

Good parents give their children roots and wings. Roots to know where home is, wings to fly away and exercise what's been taught them. -- Jonas Salk

From little pumpkin

to

Graduate

in 18 fast years.

High School grads were honored this past Sunday at Lord of Life church. They shared memories, gave them blankets, and blessed them as they go on the next road of life's journey.

I didn't cry. I am amazed at my grown son and how willing he is to spread his wings and venture out into the world. He knows he needs to carve his own path and is doing so with enthusiasm. That's nothing to cry about. I feel blessed.

Thank you, God, for my strong and daring son. May he always have the courage to...

Go. Create. Inspire!

Amen.

Journaling Prompt:  Are you feeling brave enough to journey down a new road? I hope so.

Pilgrims Trail

Quote of the Day:  We are all pilgrims on the same journey...but some pilgrims have better road maps. - Nelson De Mille, American Writer

I'm always thinking about the journey. I am a journey girl. One of my students once described me that way. We are pilgrims, setting off on our own adventures, finding the path that is right for us, hitting snags and washed out roadways, needing to find new direction when the place we thought we were heading doesn't exist anymore. I believe that some of us are spiritually connected to another time. Some people have visions of the future. They are the scientists and science fiction writers. What some have dreamed, others have invented or discovered.

Some people are connected to a time in history. They can't get enough of the stories, pictures, images, and culture. For me, that's the 1940's, the stories of World War II, not the battles, but the people trying to survive on the homefront here in America, and the people who were driven out of their homes, especially the Jewish people. I have written a couple of stories, had strong images of characters from that time, and had dreams of being a held prisoner and fearing for my life. Another character came to me this past weekend. Her name is Zelda Christine Blum Anderson. She wants me to tell her story.

Candace Simar seems to be filled with spirits of the settlers and native people in Minnesota and the Dakota territories of the 1800's. She has three books in her Abercrombie Trail Series, and told me she had dreams and visions of what will be a fourth installment. Candace has lived in this time through her research, writing, and speaking. She makes this time come alive through characters who are as real as any of your own neighbors.  Candace has a way of using all those details of pioneer life, the Sioux uprising, and survival in the early years of settlement in this area, and yet, her books never read like a history text. The details are natural, the dialogue realistic, and the characters are lively and interesting.

Candace is a local author. I bought her books are our local, independent bookstore, Turtle Town Books in Nisswa. I chatted with the owners. I picked up some items that a friend had called in and had set aside. I felt a sense of community. My mission this holiday season has been to support the arts and shop local and independent as much as possible. The interactions I've had with the owners and artists have been part of the spirit of giving.

Go. Create. Inspire!

And, support the arts and shop local and independent!

Journaling Prompt:  Do you feel a connection to another time and place? What is it? When is it? If it's the here and now, what is it that makes you glad to be alive in this particular moment in time?

Sore in the Saddle

Quote of the Day: This is a quote from Kittie Howard's comment from the previous post.  She had written about the Tuskagee Airmen and poverty and sharecroppers in the early 1900's.  You can read that here.  I asked if life in the USA had really improved.  

Thanks for stopping by, Mary. About your question, yes, I think our country is much better off. People live longer; have access to better nutrition; have greater opportunity to go to college; have improved mobility, communication and so on. But with all these improvements come negatives that have to be dealt with - pollution, clogged highways, a larger and better educated workforce and so on...and we're in the midst of a technological revolution - with the same upheaval as the Industrial Revolution - In 1898, a major concern in the U.S. was women riding bicycles. It was seriously thought that this would hinder reproduction. Family advocates feared women would ride bikes so much homelife would suffer, ie, they wouldn't have the time to cook for families as they should. You can google and read some of the articles - mind boggling! I came upon this by accident and just kept clicking and clicking - The more things change, the more they stay the same...speaking of which, I've got dishes to stack in the dishwasher - hmmm....

The timing of that comment is remarkable because I just completed my second annual Tour of Lakes ride, here in the Brainerd lakes area of Minnesota.  Here's what the club posted on their facebook page:

‎22nd annual Tour Of Lakes was today. 1100+ riders. Great weather. Wonderful volunteers. A few flat tires and probably some sunburn. Beautiful roads in the Pequot Lakes, Nisswa, Crosslake area north of Brainerd. Some little hills. We made them smaller just for this ride. They're back to full size by this evening. You're welcome!

Plan for next year. Always the first Saturday in June. A different route every time.

(They lied about the hills. They were killers, especially the ones they saved for the end!)
 
Here's a close-up of the map.
 

It's true, what those folks thought back in the olden days, that women wouldn't want to reproduce and do dishes once they learned to ride bike.  I can honestly say that I had NO thoughts of reproducing OR doing dishes as I was pushing the pedal over and over, up and up the hills, until I couldn't press it down one more time and had to get off the bike and walk the rest of the way.

I'll have to confess that I was cursing out my friend Marina for ever talking me into the ride in the first place.  I was angry with the club for choosing this route, and I was questioning my own sanity and stamina, filled with regret, as I trudged forward.  A couple, older than me, biked by and asked, "How's it going?"

I said, "It's tough."

"We get to go downhill here."

"That's great," I said, barely able to talk.  "I'll be fine if the rest of the ride is all downhill."

It wasn't.  I forgot all domestic responsibilities and started singing my song for Sunday's service:  I lift my eyes unto the mountain, from where my help will surely come, For my help comes from the Creator, who made the Earth, the stars, and sun....and when the road is long and weary, and if you tire beneath the sun, You join with those who share the journey: bring them home when day is done. The Lord will keep me safe and holy.  The Lord's a shade when day is bright; the sun won't burn me with its glory, nor will the moon in dark of night.

I pedaled and walked and sang, and commiserated with the other bikers, ate snacks at the rest stops with my son, Bobby, and friend Denise, and when the road became too weary, I focused on the rootbeer floats at the end of the journey.  Oh, ya, I thought of the journey of life, of the creative life, of our spirits.  I thought of how when it gets really hard, someone comes along to lift you up.  That you make friends along the way, and through their encouragement, you reach the top. And, yes, as you coast down, feeling the wind whip over your sunburned shoulders, you know that another hill is coming, that it will test your power, but in the end, you'll reach the top, and celebrate when day is done.

After a soothing shower and a rest while watching a movie (The Majestic with Jim Carrey was on tv, and I enjoyed it. The first time I saw it, several years ago, I thought it was a little slow, but I got the meaning this time, and liked it.)  And, Marina invited me and my boys over for supper, and I totally forgave her for "making" me ride uphill all day when I ate her delicious turkey burgers (where did you get them?), pasta salad, wine, and her daughter's cute cake decorated with a bike!

Thanks!

Ride on!

Just keep pedaling, just keep pedaling...

As we finished our cake on Saturday night, the question was: So, who's in for next year?

I think I'll bring both Bobby and Zach next year, and Charlie and Eric if they feel up to it.  I saw other kids on the trail.  One dad had two boys riding tandem with him, and Marina road tandem with her 11-year-old daughter.

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  Have you ever been on a long journey, or met a physical challenge, that made you stronger?

Justice Journey

Quote of the Day:  Psalm 40, verses 4-6, from The Message Bible
4-5 Blessed are you who give yourselves over to God,

turn your backs on the world's "sure thing,"
ignore what the world worships;
The world's a huge stockpile
of God-wonders and God-thoughts.
Nothing and no one
comes close to you!
I start talking about you, telling what I know,
and quickly run out of words.
Neither numbers nor words account for you.
6 Doing something for you, bringing something to you—
that's not what you're after.
Being religious, acting pious—
that's not what you're asking for.
You've opened my ears
so I can listen.

A listening ear and an open heart are the offerings you seek.

Have you ever wondered what it feels like to be homeless?  Last Wednesday, my son Zach and I, along with Pastor Erika and 17 seventh graders and another mom went on a Justice Journey in our community.  We walked the path that a family might take if they found themselves in a tough situation, probably due to lost jobs, loss of a home, and not having the resources or family to survive on their own. 

Our first stop was Bridges of Hope, an organization that links people to the services that they need in this community. Jana asked the kids what they might be feeling if they found themselves without work and no home or family to turn to?  What if you had kids to take care of?

Hands went up, "Desperate," someone said. "Sad, scared, lonely, hopeless," the kids understood.  They'd need to go some place that offered hope.  Jana said they are here to help people, to build a bridge between needs and services, a place where local church leaders can send the people who walk through their doors.  Someone is there to listen to their stories.

A social worker friend of mine said, "It's in telling our stories and sharing them with each other that we develop relationships."

Jana said "We're about spreading God's love."

We heard and felt that message again when we stopped at the Salvation Army to see their food shelf.

The need is great.

Our community has an Interfaith Hospitality Network.  Families stay overnight in one of the local churches.  Pastor Mark said those wonderful words again, "It's about showing God's love."  Area church members of many different faiths work together to provide a place for families to stay when they're homeless.  The temperature in Minnesota will be - O degrees Fahrenheit tonight. There are kids who have used these services who go to school with kids from this youth group, but they might never know it.  They also learned that our community has an organization that specifically helps teens who are homeless, usually from running away from a home where they don't feel safe.

My son woke up that morning and said, "So we're going to different places around town that help people, and we'll be helping people, too."  We did, by finding out what services are out there, becoming aware of the need for them, and doing a bit of work at one of them, like cleaning, sorting, moving things. It all makes a difference.

I've often marveled at people who can go off to another country to help people.  They need time, money, resources, immunizations, and connections.  What does it take to help the people on the streets of your own home town?

Our verse for the day:  Do justice, love kindness, walk humbly with our Lord.  from Micah 6:8

Journaling Prompt:   What services do you have in your community that help those in need?  What have you done, or would like to do to help?  Were you ever in need?

Journey vs. Arrival

Quote of the Day:

You Are There

by

Erica Jong

You are there.

You have always been

there.

Even when you thought

you were climbing

you had already arrived.

Even when you were breathing hard,

you were at rest.

Even then it was clear

you were there.

Not in our nature

to know what

is journey and what

arrival.

Even if we knew

we would not admit.

Even if we lived

we would think

we were just

germinating.

To live is to be

uncertain.

Certainty comes

at the end.

I discovered this poem on The Writer's Almanac last week.  I recommend a daily dose of Garrison Keillor reading poems, telling us about events in history that happen on this day, and highlighting birthdays of famous authors and artists.

To hear Ms. Jong read some of her poetry out loud, and watch a great book trailer, click on her name, above.  I like what she says about the internet giving poetry a new voice.

I think of poetry as the highest art form of writing.  I have written a few poems, but don't consider it my strength.  I do love reading poems.  My favorite book is The Music Lover's Poetry Anthology.  I call it my comfort book. I read nearly every night before going to sleep, and some nights I have only enough eyeball strength for a poem.

What I like about You Are There is the message that we are exactly where we are supposed to be.  It's all part of the journey. 

Haven't you arrived once you've written a sentence that turned into a paragraph that turned into a story that you shared with even one person?

Haven't you arrived when you've learned to play or sing a new song, and then shared it?

Haven't you arrived when the green sprouts of your garden pop their heads above the soil, which you might enjoy as flowers or food to share with someone?

Haven't you arrived when you hang your artwork in a local coffee shop where people are drawn in, fingers outstretched, gently touching, having a tactile conversation with your work?

My artist friend JeMA and I were having dinner at the restaurant where her art is hanging.  I noticed people were looking at it and moving closer.  I told JeMA to watch.  The woman was touching the texture of her art.

Here's JeMA in front of her seaside pictures that hang in my favorite writing spot, the Coco Moon coffee shop.

Looks to me like she has arrived, AND is on the journey.  It is so much fun to sit there, writing, and watch people move in closer to the painting, to examine it, and feel it.

Journaling Prompt:  Describe where you are on your journey.  How have you arrived?

Tripping the Light Fantastic

Quote of the Day:  I could have danced all night! And still have begged for more.  I could have spread my wings, and done a thousand things I've never done before. - from I Could Have Danced All Night from the musical My Fair Lady

This past week I was in Portland, OR visiting my little sister, Joy.  There she is cuttin' a rug with her friend.  Our cousin Angie and I traveled together from Minnesota to see Joy and have a West Coast experience.  She took us out dancing where we were stretched out of our comfort zone learning dance steps and being led around the dance floor with new partners.  We were taught the East Coast Swing at the lesson, so when the guy asked me to dance the Rumba, I said, "I don't know that one."  That didn't stop him.  He said, "I'll teach you," and off I went whirling and twirling, slow-slow-fast, or something like that. (I did not step on his foot.)

The first thing she did was make us eat with our hands off the same plate at a Moroccan restaurant.  It was delicious and messy, but they wash your hands.

We sang show tunes together, like I Could have Danced all Night and The Music of the Night where Joy hit that amazing B.  I still have goosebumps.

I found myself noticing feet.  These red suede shoes belong to a waiter at a lovely French bistro where we had lunch.

Nordlys dancers at the Midsummer Festival - Scandinavian festival to celebrate the longest day of the year, and our heritage.

Our toes in the sand on the Oregon coast at Lincoln City.  Beautiful, but cool, and full of shadow and light.

These feet have taken me out of Minnesota, out of my comfort zone, and into a new light.  This is just the first glimpse, folks.  Look for more of this fantastic trip, the food, the journey - inward and outward, the books, and the fun.

Journaling Prompt: Where have your feet taken you lately?  Where would you like them to go?

Train - Calling All Angels

Quote of the Day:  I need a sign. from Calling All Angels by Train

I was part of a discussion the other day on seeing signs that a Higher Power is at work in our lives.  People say that they pray that they will see a sign, maybe a ray of sunshine on a gloomy day, or a phone call, or that they'll get an affirmation for their work or art.  I've often said, It would be helpful if God would just send me an email. (If you have God's email, please forward it to me, thanks!)

Signs happen every day.  The problem is we aren't always open to seeing them and experiencing them for what they are.  Whatever it is that you are hoping for, dreaming about, working towards, put it out to the universe.  Write it down.  Name it. Claim it.  Then, be open for the signs that it CAN happen.  People will walk into your life who can help you.  Ideas will flow.  The words of affirmation will come from supportive friends.

My artist date this week is two-fold.  I sent in an application to a writer's workshop held by Highlights Foundation (remember Highlights for Children with the hidden pictures).  They put on workshops for aspiring writers.  I signed up for the one on writing novels for young adults.  Here's the link if you're feeling inspired to spend a long weekend with your novel and a nurturing teacher.  They have other workshops, too, just browse around.  I'm living in a small-ish town that doesn't have a traditional city center/post office.  So, I made a trip to the gas station which is also the post office, and sent off my app.  (applause!)

Here's the second part of my artist date.  I made a new journal for myself.  I started with a composition book, covered it, and voila!

Front cover

back cover

Choose a pen and dig in!

It will be quiet here at Play off the Page for about a week.  Time for me to Play off the Page in real life and spend some time with family and enjoy all that summer has to offer.

Journey on!

Journaling Prompt:  As you're watching for "signs" this week, jot them down.  See what amazing power is working in your life to make all things possible.

Miles to go before I Sleep

Quote of the Day:  from Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening By Robert Frost

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

Like a good farmer's daughter, here I am out standing in a field.  This one happens to be a field of daisies, part of the gorgeous scenery I've enjoyed in the Brainerd lakes area as I've been biking the trails and roads.  On Memorial Day, I rode 35 miles with my oldest son, his friend, a couple moms and their daughters.  On Sat. June 5, I rode 42 miles on the Paul Bunyan Tour of Lakes with over 1200 other people.  On Wed. I rode 16 miles with kids from my church and a few adults.  Including a few shorter rides, I have biked over 100 miles in less than two weeks.  I didn't add up all the training miles since the beginning of April.

As with any journey, it helps to have great travel companions who encourage you, talk you through the steep hills, and help you read the map.

Rest is important, as well as good snacks and plenty of water.  Take time to smell the roses, and photograph the droplets of water that rest on them.

Stay focused on the sweet rewards at the end of your journey.  Savor them.  Then, get back on and ride some more.  You have miles to go before you sleep.  Enjoy every push and pedal towards your destination!

Journaling Prompt:  Write a road map for your personal journey.  What is your destination?  What route do you need to take?  Where will you find rest and support?  Who is there to cheer you on?

Summer School

Mary, climbing the creative ladder!

Quote of the Day:  You're not gonna get it cuz you want it; you're gonna get it cuz you planned it. Mr. Taj Mahal, blues-rock musician (His website is full of rhythm.)

School's out for summer for my boys.  School is in session for their Mama.  I applied for and was accepted to a class through the Five Wings Arts Council called The Work of Art:  Business Skills for Artists.  This class is provided free of charge to me, the artist, through a grant. (The Artist Development Project is provided by the Minnesota State Arts Board, in partnership with the Forum of Regional Arts Councils of Minnesota, Springboard for the Arts and Creative Capital. This activity is made possible, in part, by funding from the the Minnesota State Arts Board, through an appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008.)

The instructor got us thinking about our five year plan in our business as artists.  If you plan your goals the same way you plan for a trip - routes, estimated times of departure and arrival, stops along the way, clear about the destination - you will reach that goal, and you'll be able to stay focused.  She had us visualize our ideal day as an artist, and start filling out charts and plans.  I couldn't answer them all that night.  I need to think about a few of them.  Plus, I was too interested in the discussion and all the great new artists I met!  I'm fulfilling my longing to be part of an artist community.

Who's climbing that ladder with me?

Journaling Prompt:  What's your five year plan?  Write down five things you can do in the next six months to get you further along your journey. (We did this, signed it, and sealed it in a envelope.  I imagine it will come back to me in six months so I can assess my progress.)

I Left my Bra in Omaha

Quote of the Day:  So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline.  Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.  Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ - the Message - have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives - words, actions, whatever - be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way. from The Message, Colossians 3:12-17

I wore that uncomfortable bra all the way from Brainerd to Omaha.  The under wire was poking near my underarm.  It was rubbing me the wrong way!  I needed to discard that old thing. Although no one else really sees it, I'd know that what was underneath the outer covering needed to feel and look right.  Purge out the old, put on something new!

I accompanied my friend on an inward-outward journey to Omaha because what's inside of her has been rubbing her the wrong way for years.  She suffers from depression, grew up in an alcoholic home, and is working very hard at getting healthy and living an authentic life.  She was willing to go alone and meet with a highly skilled therapist who lives there.  I thought about how hard that would be, to face your inner demons, then go to a hotel room all alone at night.  I offered to be her travel companion. I gave her the gift of a loving friend.

While she counseled for two days for inner healing, to shed the old nettles that poked and prodded her life, I went shopping.  Yes, I experienced retail therapy.  Nothing like getting a new bra to lift your spirits.  But, I also took time for myself - read a book, took a nap.  Something many moms neglect to do.  I hadn't made myself so unavailable to my kids in years.  Their Dad had to make arrangements to be "on call" for them.  As you know, we tend to have an emergency now and then!

What's underneath your outer appearance has everything to do with the way you feel.  If it's ugly and broken, purge it, and try on something new.  If you need a professional to help you figure it out, don't be afraid to ask for help.  You deserve to have a life filled with good people, healthy living, comfort and peace.

On a related subject, Jeannie Campbell is a writer/therapist whose blog The Character Therapist is filled with great insight into people's/character's psyches.  A recent post is on the top 10 reason's characters stay in abusive relationships.  Please read it and share the info with someone who needs it. Thanks.

Journaling Prompt:  Is there something in your life that's rubbing you the wrong way?  What can you do for yourself today?  What can you do to show love to a friend?

Driver's License

Quote of the Day:  Life is a highway, and I want to ride it all night long. - Rascal Flatts

(Click Here for the YouTube video from the movie Cars.)

First Born turned 16 on Friday, Feb. 26. 
First Born had friends over to celebrate - junk food and video game fest.  (I'm so lucky that he has really nice friends.) 
First Born had his last behind-the-wheel driving instruction on Sunday.
First Born took his driver's test AND PASSED today!

Holy Smokes!

I'll have to say that teaching First Born to drive has been the hardest parenting task, yet! Not that he's terrible.  He does pretty well.  It's an exercise in letting go, as is the entire journey of parenting.  And, when you're sitting in the passenger's seat, you realize just how little control you have over the journey, the driver, and your reactions.  I didn't want to be the kind of mom who holds her breath the minute he steps on the gas, or over-correct, or get a little excited.  But, when he was backing out of the drive-way on Thanksgiving morning for the three hour trip to Grandma's house, I said, "Put on the brake.  Stop.  You need to..." Bang! he hit the mailbox.  The van was fine.  The mailbox lay lifeless on the ground.  I consider it a break-away mailbox.  It came that way when we moved into our current house. The snowplow knocked it off.

I knit prayer shawls.  When I'm the driving instructor/parent on trips to Grandma's house, I knit, and pray.

When First Born pulled away from the curb with Driving Tester in the passenger seat, I said a little prayer, "Dear Jesus, be the co-pilot."  I sang another good journey song in my head, The River by Garth Brooks. In that song, he's sailing a vessel, not driving a car, but I like the line, There's bound to be rough waters, and I know I'll take some falls, but as the Good Lord as my captain, I can make it through them all.

The day you get your driver's license is a memorable day.  It's the birthday of your independence.  You are licensed to drive.  You have newly born freedoms, newly born responsibilities. You can really go places.  Now, if you can just afford the gas.

Journaling Prompt:  Do you remember the day you got your driver's license?  Write about it, or a memorable driving experience, like the first time you got the car on your own and went out with friends.