Oklahoma Wedding & Centennial Art Exhibit

The week before school ended when life was crazy busy with recitals, Mother's Day, birthdays, Grandparents' Day, AAU basketball, end-of school-year field trips and parties, awards ceremonies, a graduation ceremony (I tutored four seniors this year, so I had to watch them graduate and was moved as always by the caliber of speeches delivered with a maturity in faith I never had until after college or ever), new projects at work, and so forth, we flew to Oklahoma for my husband's brother's wedding.

(PSA for whomever it may concern: May and December are the busiest months for any parent of school-aged children, so please try to avoid big events during those months.)

 My husband is the oldest of his brothers, but this brother is like his Irish twin, just 12 months apart. At age 42, he was a confirmed bachelor, but we always hoped he would settle down.  The wedding was gorgeous, and I think this trip was one of the best ever for me.  After writing the devotion on inner beauty and putting some thought and prayer into why I feel so insecure when I go out there. The the fact that the other brothers' wives are drop dead gorgeous - models who take such great care of themselves when I don't know how to put on makeup or style my hair and mostly just wear yoga pants and t-shirts - may have something to do with it, but if outward appearances meant so much to me, I would be spending the big bucks to to hire a stylist, dress more fashionably, don fake eyelashes, get botox injections, have my nails done more than once every 25 years and so forth.  If it doesn't matter to me when I'm anywhere else but Oklahoma, why does it bother me there?  Then the insecurity issues just seemed like a terribly dumb waste of energy and joy thief, so I kept myself busy helping out where I could and trying to connect with people at the wedding who looked lost or felt out of place and I never had time to feel insecure about anything.  The other brother's wives looked great, and their family photos were perfect, but life is too short to waste fretting over outfits, make-up and hair, and besides, I'm between 4 and 15 years older than all of them, so what do you expect?  It really was a great time.  Photos from our trip follow.

We woke at 5am, took Uber to the airport, and arrived at our first stopover in time for our favorite bagels for brunch.

The groom wanted gourmet burgers, friends, and apple cobbler for the rehearsal dinner. It was the best burger ever!

The couple's youngest daughter was the runaway flower girl.

The groom's oldest daughter was a bridesmaid.

Gorgeous outdoor wedding on an exclusive golf course

Her Family

Happy Couple & Daughter with Mother and Father of the Groom

 

I was supposed to man the registry, but the book was inside, so I just nagged people throughout the reception to sign it.

The wedding was held on Armed Forces Day, and the groom is a veteran of the Marine Corps, so the colors for the wedding were red, black, gold, and white.  I was told the colors were champagne only, so I bought a champagne dress which is a very unflattering color on me.  My favorite dress in my closet is black and red, so I'm bummed I missed the memo on that one, but at least I had an excuse to buy a new dress, stressful as it was.  My mother-in-law made both cakes and did an AMAZING job as always!

We got a good laugh when our daughter jumped through and over all the single ladies of marrying age to catch the bridal bouquet.  She went into basketball player mode, kept her eye on the "ball" (of flowers), and dove for the interception.  She's in no hurry to get married, but she was proud of herself for using her new court skills so effectively.

Our boy snoozed on the way to/from the wedding, and both kids napped after our museum tour on Monday.

After church the next morning, I was tasked with keeping the baby awake in the SUV until after lunch. She was started to nod off, and all I had with me was a CVS receipt, so I had to get creative. I made hair bows, airplanes, Miss Baby USA sashes, bonnets, earphone, arms casts, necklaces, belts, scarves, and bracelets, and she was wide awake by the time we got back to the house.

Then my husband and I took turns feeding her, but she does not like dark haired men at all. She cracked us up with the way she treated her three dark haired uncles.  She would not even look at them.  When I would leave her in a room with my husband for even a moment, she would look away from him and storm off in my direction. When I fed her pieces of berry her eyes lit up with joy, but when my husband gave her anything, she refused.  When she saw me give my husband a piece from my plate which he then gave to her, she took it reluctantly, but she still would not look at him.  He even tried cheating by giving her something he thought she would like better than fruit, Cheetos, but she refused him again.  She is so funny, and I love her bunches.

She loves me!

She loves him NOT!

I don't want anything from you, not even Cheetos!

On Sunday night, the family came over to celebrate three of the four boy's birthdays. My MIL usually prepares a special birthday meal and dessert for each of her sons and grandchildren (she now has 10) with a family get-together at her house.  We usually miss these celebrations as the only son to live out of state.  They all live within 15 minutes of each other.  We are a 22 hour drive (or a $400-$600 plane ticket) away. While waiting for the rest of the family to arrive, our daughter went four-wheeling with Grandpa according to tradition.  He's an D.O., but never offers a helmet to his passengers even though pediatricians always ask me if the kids wear helmets when biking.  Anything goes when you live outside of town on many acres of land, I guess.

After dinner, my husband and I visited the raccoons and owls Grandma was rehabilitating at the time.  One of the owls was ready to be released and flew right out over our heads when we stepped into their habitat.  My husband helped build the raccoon habitat. It was a lot of work, and the materials are not cheap. Most people probably think licensed wildlife rescue and rehab specialists get paid to do what they do, but they do not get paid at all and most spend quite a lot of money out of their own pockets to do this work. 

 

Grandma also rescued a kestrel while we were there while playing hostess to this migrant geese who come there every year.

Monday was our museum day.  We drove over an hour to Five Tribes Museum to view the 2nd phase of the museum exhibit featuring my husband's grandfather's artwork as well as pieces submitted by family members to commemorate what would have been his 100th birthday. The exhibit began in the Oklahoma Hall of Fame and ran for 3 months, but other museums have asked to present the show as well.  The display was split between the Five Tribes Museum and a small exhibition center at Bacone College where my MIL attended and where her father attended for specialized art training as a young teen.

Visitng Bacone College (left) & Five Tribes Museum (right)

This piece picture at top in the scrapbook page below is called "Balance of Power", and it could not be more appropriate for our generation, even though he carved it several generations before us.  Most of his socio-political pieces have powerful and timely messages for us today.  

BALANCE OF POWER, Sassafras, 1977
"Over 200 years ago, democracy was born - the best form of government ever conceived by man for the overall good of we, the people. However, there is danger of losing it if we are not careful. The two heads on the snake represent the Federal and State governments. The hands represent the people. If either of the two heads is turned loose, it becomes too strong. Its base can be bit and destroyed. And we the people can ask too much from our own government and choke it to death. We can have a good government as long as we keep it balanced." - Willard Stone

Note the pictures of Bob Hope receiving a carving commissioned for him by Stone.  He also carved a piece for Reagan.  Pat Nixon is also featured in the photos with him shown above.

Another amazing story behind his work is that he wanted to be a painter as a boy but lost most of his thumb and parts of his index finger and middle finger in a blasting cap accident. He was devastated initially, but he overcame by finding another form of artistic expression, carving, which he could do with his remaining fingers. In this piece, he sketched and carved his own hand so you can see what his hands were like as he carved each work of art.

 

We purchased a bronze of this piece, "Boots and Feathers" for our home and to help pay for nursing home care and rent for Stone's wife (my husband's grandmother).  My MIL is the child represented in this piece which represents the blending of cultures as the native Americans adapted to the new cowboy/western cultural around them. Holding on to the old traditions while adapting to the ever changing world around us is a never ending balancing act - upon which absolute truth must be our foundation to hold us steady and on the narrow road. Since my husband is a descendant of native Americans, and my mom is a direct descendant of Wild Bill Cody, it seemed a fitting representation of our family as well. :-)

"Something to Believe In" is one of the family's favorites. The young Indian brave talking to his turtle friend depicts his own struggle to hold on to his dreams of becoming an artist after the accident left him with only seven full fingers.

Trail of Tears Trilogy (commissioned by the Cherokee Nation)

Uprooted

The Exodus

I wish I could have gotten a better picture of this pencil drawing by Grandpa Stone called John 3:16. The symbolism and message are awesome. There is a poem that goes with it that Jeff's mom is going to try to locate for me for a fuller explanation. You can see the hand of God reaching down to man and man reaching up to God with Mary and Jesus and the red blood line flowing from God into her womb and interestingly, wrapped around Mary's head), for Jesus is both God and man. Mary and Jesus are holding a cross and resting in the hand of God. The foundation is the earth ("For God so loved the world") and hatching out of each egg beneath them is a face representing different races, nations, and tongues with the words, "WITHOUT REGARD TO RACE CREED OR COLOR" written on the block beneath the egg. The 3 points to the flame represent the Trinity, and a flame is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. I'm sure there is much more to it than what I just grasped during my initial examination, but it sure is lovely. And consider that he drew this without most of his thumb, index and middle fingers.

His daughter Evelyn wrote the poem, "River of Life", to go with it.

This corner featured family pieces. The pieces in front were carved by Willard's son based on Willard's drawings

This blue patina carving by Jason is one of my favorites.

My husband's mom had a number of pieces chosen for the exhibit.  I love her mixed media 3D paintings.  She also submitted a gorgeous stained glass mosaic.  The prettiest glass art she's ever done IMO is the window in her master bath shower.

Our daughter submitted a piece (thanks to some art coaching from a professional artist friend of mine who offered to teach her pro-bono).  Our friend never touched a brush, but I could see her influence in the impressionistic style our daughter used. Her great grandfather typically carved images from nature, so she chose to do a self portrait of herself holding her bunny.

Each time I get to view Willard Stone's work (Jeff's grandfather), I marvel at both his talent and his message. As we walked through museum exhibits honoring his centennial (an extension of the original exhibit hosted by the Oklahoma Hall of Fame) yesterday, I considered how extremely divided America has become over crimes of the past.
Stone understood racial oppression. His family was uprooted from their land by white men and forced to travel the Trail of Tears until they settled in the Arkansas/Oklahoma area. He had every reason to be angry and bitter. But his people did not dwell on past grievances or seek revenge, for vengeance is the Lord's to repay. Instead, they poured their heart and energy into building a new home for themselves and found joy and strength in their resilience and in their faith. They chose an attitude of gratitude which lifts up and prospers instead of planting seeds of bitterness which destroy.

Many of Stone's sons and grandsons (including my husband and his brother) served in the armed forces, and their family supports freedom and democracy with a reverence and degree of patriotism that entitled, spoiled, embittered Americans cannot comprehend. Why do we continue to hold grudges based on skin color or crimes of the past? If Stone could forgive white men who so mistreated his people, why can't blacks and whites forgive each other for crimes committed hundreds of years ago by people with whom that person may have no relation?

Inspired by the Bible, white men led the abolition movement. Inspired by the writings of mostly Jewish people and the perfect life of a Jew named Jesus, blacks found the courage to help their brothers escape to freedom. Whoever we are at war with right now could be the descendants of a civil rights heroes. And even if the person we call our enemy is related to a chief KKK leader, I know that God's purposes on earth are all about redemption. He doesn't just clean up dirty hearts; he gives us new hearts washed in His righteousness.

PLEASE, for the love of all that is good and right, let us follow Stone's example by laying down our hatred and exchanging it for forgiveness, love, and respect. The one who suffers most is always, regardless of who oppresses whom, the one who refuses to forgive!

Fine Arts and Forever Friendships

I have over a month of blog catch-up to do, so this post reverts back to the middle of May, and I'll try to post chronologically since then. 

Speaking of posting late and out of order....it's nearing the end of June, and I still haven't blogged about our family trip to Israel in January. I'm giving myself permission to skip it completely unless I get suddenly inspired and find supernatural energy to share about it here. I drove myself crazy and stayed up all night long last weekend trying to finish all the scrapbook pages from our trip to Israel in January.  It was the hardest scrapbook project ever, and I am burned out.  I waited too long after the trip to do the scrapbook, so my memory failed me, and I had to keep doing research to identify each photo.  It was maddening, but my shiny orange package containing an extra large scrapbook from our trip should arrive on my doorstep tomorrow.  To learn more about our trip, come visit us.  We can so some porch sittin' while I share all about it as you thumb through my scrapbook.  I'll serve you tea or lemonade out on the porch and enjoy your company more than any adventure story I could share.


Authenticity in Friendships
Friendships come in all forms, styles, seasons, and situations, but the friendships I value most are the most authentic ones. There is no pretense with these types of friends. When they knock on your door after years have gone by since you last saw each other, you greet them in standard workout clothes, no makeup, and uncombed hair because that's the real you, and they accept you just as you are. As you show them around the new house, you don't mind if they peek into the junkiest closets because they've already seen the messiest corners of your heart and still love you anyway. If you forget your southern manners and forget to serve fresh sweet tea (because you are too focused on them and what they have to say), it's okay because they know they can help themselves to anything in your home because what's yours is theirs and we're all family here. 

"To love without condition, to talk without intention, to give without reason, and to care without expectation. That is the heart of a true friend. " -Author unknown

Kids' First Contemporary Christian Concert
They say all of our senses fade as we grow older, so why is that as a vibrant young college student, I thoroughly enjoyed music concerts, but now that I am over the hill, I can't even sit through a contemporary church service without the highest rated forms of hearing protection?  In college, I would push myself hard all week to free up a few hours to attend a concert with people I barely knew. But now that I'm in my 40s, I spent an entire month dreading the decibel levels I would experience at the Big Daddy Weave concert.  Who pays over $100 to go deaf, anyway?  That would me....because I love my husband and attending this concert with his wife and kids is what my dear hubby wanted for his birthday present.  

Perhaps my problem isn't so much "crabby old woman syndrome" as it is the superhero hearing powers we women get when we become mothers. This superpower enables us to hear our kids' every movement, every breath, every text stroke, every whisper behind our backs, every tear that falls upon their cheeks, and every sneaky step toward our secret chocolate stash. :-)

Lucky for me, we arrived "late", which was still an half hour before the show was scheduled to begin, but too late to get seats up close, we sat up high on the very back row in the center. I had a perfect line of sight without once needing my earplugs.  YAY!

 

The music was fabulous. Plumb has just enough 80's electronic sounds to soothe this girl's soul...like comfort food might soothe a foodie, and I'm loving the thoughtful lyrics and melodious sounds coming from newbie Jordan Felix. Big Daddy Weave, whose last name is Weaver and who is on one of the largest dads I've ever seen with at least three kids, has such a BIG heart for ministry and strong worship oriented vocals, but my favorite part of the evening was watching our two kiddos rock out with all their hearts....well until the 3rd grader fell asleep in my arms.

Plumb was awesome and her personal story behind her song "Need You Now" which she co-wrote with a resident of our small community of residence whose last name is the same as my maiden name was especially moving.  I was so intrigued by the personal stories she shared at the concert to provide the context for her songs that I read all about her online after the concert.  I love artists who sing about their own personal battles without sugar coating the Christian life, yet always ending with God's truth and a message of His saving grace and redemption through any storm.

I think my favorite song from the concert was "Beloved" by Jordan Feliz (who looks just like Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean), which he wrote for his baby girl. My daughter and I cried like babies through it. It would have made a great theme song for our PK group as it assures young women of their worth and how immensely loved they are.  The lyrics begin with the following:

Head full of questions, how can you measure up?
To deserve affection to ever be enough
For this existence
When did it get so hard?
Your heart is beating, alive and breathing
And there's a reason why
You are essential, not accidental
And you should realize
You are beloved
I wanted you to know
You are beloved
Let it soak into your soul
Oh, forget the lies you heard
Rise above the hurt
And listen to these words
You are beloved

Click here to read all the song lyrics.

School's Weekend Art Festival

I may complain about improvements needed in STEM subjects at our school, but the school's fine arts programs are top notch. We have the most amazing band director (who also patiently endures the job of teaching recorder to middle school students while also serving as facilities maintenance director) ever, but I really wish we had a marching band. Marching band brings with it so many wonderful experiences, valuable life lessons, and significant memories from my childhood days.

The concert choir travels around the country.  I love to hear them practicing during 7th period. It sounds like a chorus of angels echoing lightly through the halls across the gym from the auditorium. 

Our daughter's middle school drama team took home more awards and the highest awards of any other team in the state at the NCTC competition.  They were also the only team to stay at the event all day long simply to encourage the other schools as they performed.  Many of our high school theater students receiving acting scholarships and admittance to the NC School of the Arts where their light for Jesus shines ever so brightly.

Each class of art students (required in K-5) submitted pieces into the festival. Below are some unique and downright funny art pieces by our kids.  The third graders created the tree mural shown below. Our boy's decorated plate is on the right edge of the tree to the far right in the picture.

Our boys' plate

Given my left-brained logical, realistic mindset and STEM background (I can't even suspend my disbelief long enough to get through a cheesy movie), imagine my confusion when I saw this piece by my wildly imaginative, extremely right-brained daughter.

It's called "Wall of Banana", and the assignment was "Hidden Faces" using surrealism . I could not wrap my brain around the concept of a banana with a face sticking to a wall, but the 12th graders loved it (or were amused by it) so much they gave her the "Seniors' Choice Award" and took a photo with her in front of it.  Looking up the definition of surrealism at least helped me understand why I did not understand the piece. "Surrealism style uses visual imagery from the subconscious mind to create art without the intention of logical comprehensibility."

I'm glad this American Gothic drawing my son drew of his dad and me did not get finished in time for the art festival. He brought it home on the last day of school, and I could not stop laughing.  I had trouble with drawing facial features to the correct proportions at his age, too. What a fun assignment for the kids.

Our son performed in another piano recital at a local assisted living center in May.  Both kids passed out handmade greeting cards to the residents after the show.  They really seemed to enjoy having the students perform for their and immediately asked the students to come back for more recitals.  (The facility where the recital was held last year is much more exclusive and about 5-10 times more expensive, so when they got a brand new high dollar grand piano, recitals were no longer allowed.)

He is at the point now where piano has become fun for him, especially when he gets to play songs he likes.  He did not deliver his best performance after not having much time to practice the week before, but considering he played some of the most difficult pieces at the recital, he recovered well and put on a nice little show.

I especially enjoyed listening to a duet performed by a piano student and her grandfather. I sure hope I get to play piano duets with my own grandchildren some day.

He enjoyed goofing off with his piano teacher's sons (who were in his class his first year at school but who returned to homeschooling the following year).

Parenting Tips, Encouragement, Resources, and Ridiculousness

PSA: If you instruct a 9-year-old boy (whose love language is not words of affirmation) to make cards for the residents at the assisted living center where he will be visiting and playing piano music for them, give him very detailed instructions on what to say in those cards. Otherwise, you may end up with a stack of cards that say, "Hope you get to live longer" and/or "Please don't die!" 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Melissa, of Your Mom Has a Blog challenges and encourages parents in her post, "What #GiveElsaAGirlfriend Really Means" with these words:

 "Everything about this culture is lined up in direct opposition to what the Bible teaches. ...
Things have changed, dear parents. The way we live has to change. Christianity is about to become the most radical mission we were ever a part of, if we’re doing it right. We aren’t culture warriors anymore–the culture is lost and we aren’t getting it back. But, our children are still ours. And, I propose that it’s going to take some radical reform in our homes in order to lead them in Christ’s way."

Satan has a stronghold in America, and he is ramming his lies down our throats while disguised as an angel of light.  His lies spew from pulpits, billboards, school textbooks, political powers, mainstream media, teachers, and social media like a fire hose.

To counter it, parents have to walk their talk and live out their faith moment by moment in the home, love others extravagantly with the grace of Christ, and teach theology daily. We've lost the battle with our culture, but we cannot let them have our kids.  Fight daily for their hearts.  Teach them, ground them, protect them. Teach them how to think critically and challenge them to own the faith for themselves and to defend it with every fiber of their being.  Cling to the truth, and anchor your family to the Word of God.  Never stop praying, loving, fighting. The culture may be enslaved to the prince of darkness, but no one can separate our kids from the love of God! (Romans 8:38-39)

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel–which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse! Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Galatians 1:6-10)

You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. (Matthew 10:22

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The world is wicked, but there is a cure:

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:21)

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This parenting article is a handy reference:  What Screen Time Really Does to Kids' Brains

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FYI:  I may have perfected this face:

Encouragement During the Most Depressing Political/Social Era of my Life

Now that the Indiana results are in, we know who will be on the ballot in November, and I find it extremely ironic (and utterly depressing) that the two candidates chosen to represent each opposing party are actually more alike than candidates within their own parties, even with regard to many political issues. Both are only matched by each other in terms of life long corruption, loose and careless tongues, impropriety, narcissism, greed, deceit, scandals and cover-ups, unfaithfulness, fear mongering, hatred spewing, anger escalating, and utter contempt for the Constitution or anyone who holds them accountable to any standard except their own. Does anyone sense that this upcoming election will be like choosing between the dragon and the beast - in that both are put there to usher in judgment?

These are sad, sorry days in America, but perhaps we should follow the example of a wise old Jewish rabbi and keep stress from the outside world at bay by keeping those within our inside world (loved ones, family, neighbors, friends, students, etc.) close at hand. One person may not be able to undo the mistakes of years of failed leadership, but one person can make a powerful and lasting difference in the lives of those around them.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My sweet little boy recently hugged/held me as I grieved over:

1. The stronghold of evil in America evidenced by media headlines and blasphemous comments posted to these articles
2. The fact that by doing the right thing in exercising my freedom to vote, I would be forced to do the wrong thing, that is approve of evil (Romans 1:32)
3. The POTUS's threats to withhold education funding for the very children HB2 seeks to protect if NC does not repeal it.

Then the following morning, my son asked me the most profound question:

He asked, "If life was truly fair, would the world be a better place?"
No, I replied, "For then there would be no mercy or grace."

And just like that, through an innocent child's inquiry and an unintentional rhyme, God gave me perspective. Reading Romans 1 and Jude 1 helps, too.

"But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.

But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh." (Jude 1: 17-23)

See also this post on Romans 1:

But Why, God? (Perspectives on America's Sorry, Sordid Demise)

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If God is our king and this world is not our home and given that American culture has become so blasphemous and morally bankrupt, should Christians isolate themselves or engage themselves in social issues and government affairs?

Imagine how different history would have unfolded were it not for the faithful and courageous engagement in pagan politics by Mordecai & Esther, Joseph, and Daniel.

"Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” (Jeremiah 29:7)

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

The conservative leadership in North Carolina is also a source of encouragement for me right now.  They are standing strong for their commonsense bathroom bill (HB2) which protects women, children, and victims of abuse from PTSD triggers, further abuse, humiliation, pedophilia, rape, victimization, voyeurism, indecent exposure, or worse.  There is nothing discriminatory or illegal with this bill which was passed as an emergency measure to stop a Charlotte ordinance from putting the majority of their citizens in great danger through broad, gender neutral, bathroom and shower facility mandates.  The state's bill is logical and necessary to protect basic privacy rights, but modern progressives have ZERO TOLERANCE (oh the irony) for anything that is reasonable, helpful, and good. Since passing this bill, the governor's office and the state in general have faced constant attacks, some of which include:

1. Massive assaults by the mainstream media which is pushing false information and emotional propaganda
2. Refusal by Bruce Springsteen and others popular musicians to perform concerts in the state 
3. Complaints by big businesses threatening not to set up business operations there (or pull out), which is especially ironic given that HB2 is much like their own business policies in place at their places of business and given that the bill gives businesses freedom to accommodate transgenders in accordance to the businesses' own values. Economic freedom is huge with NC's current governor and congress, and that is apparent in this bill.
4. Multiple law-suits by lobby groups, one of which is fueling all the propaganda
5. Federal law suits brought by the Department of Justice claiming the bill violates Title IX with threats to withhold all federal educational funding if the bill is not repealed.  Federal education funding amounts to $1.4 billion dollars in federal funding for North Carolina’s universities, approximately $800 million dollars in federal financial aid to North Carolina’s students, and federal funding provided to all elementary, middle, and high schools throughout the state.  That's a LOT of cash, but if it effectively kicks out all federal manipulation, mandates, and excessive testing requirements, and returns local control to NC schools, perhaps it would be a bargain.

The Department of Justice is grossly overstepping it's reach under the thumb of the king of overreach himself, Obama.  It is also using the very laws "from the 1960s and 70s that were enacted to combat sexual harassment and discrimination by men against women are now being used against women, specifically by letting men use women’s showers and locker rooms against their will.”  More on this subject can be found here.

This video is a must see for anyone thoughtful enough to consider that there could be other ramifications.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
But as Bonhoeffer suggested long ago, you can't argue against stupid and win.  Stupidity is a much bigger threat than evil intent, and liberal progressives are full of both.

But North Carolina is not backing down. That takes courage.

North Carolina is also shining as an example of great outcomes that result from conservative economics.  One of the first moves North Carolina's new conservative leadership made was to cut taxes, both on resident income and on businesses, with the goal of growing the economy, providing more jobs, higher incomes, and more prosperity for everyone even while dealing with recession and all of Obama's fiscal blunders at recovery.  North Carolina cut taxes immediately, but still balanced their budget in the black.  Soon there was enough money to finally increase teacher wages. Granted, oodles more is needed, and it will come as economic liberty attracts business and residents to North Carolina.  As the economy grows, more money is available for education and for everyone.  It's common sense economics 101.


When the government takes a smaller slice of the pie, the pie grows, so EVERYONE, including the government, gets more pie.
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Update as of 5/19/16:
I never imagined I would share an article from the N&O, liberal rat that it is, but this article actually shares some good news. Teacher pay raises will never be enough, but this administration is at least pushing pay in the right direction. 

"NC House backs budget with teacher raises, income tax cut"

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article78496697.html

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Liberal socialists like Bernie or Hillary would say that North Carolina is greedy to support tax cuts for actual tax payers and businesses.  Over 50% of my paychecks is taken by the government.  The biggest chunk of my pay check goes toward wasteful federal spending, giving weapons and funding to terrorists, and supporting illegals.  While I am in favor of ministering to refugees, I am not in favor of being overrun by terrorists, gangs, and drug dealers who take home more money that I do by not working or obeying the law. Some of my money goes toward an illegal (for everyone except the government as usual) pyramid scheme called "Social Security" and "Medicaid".  Thankfully, some of my retired loved ones are getting a piece of that, but when it comes to primary roles of the federal government, national defense, they have punted and surrendered to ISIS.  What a waste.

But by reducing taxes and helping businesses grow, almost everyone wins.  Those businesses invest in state infrastructure, purchase supplies and equipment, pay taxes, create jobs, pay taxes on those jobs, provide income for more people to spend more money in North Carolina.  Even entitlement coffers benefit from business growth because this growth provides more tax income to fuel government programs.  It's a win/win for everyone.

But everyone loses under a progressive socialist economy fueled by greed and laziness. I could argue that point all day long, but liberals do not engage in thinking exercises.  They only feel.  They are headless hearts, stuffed with carnal desires that will never ever satisfy.  They may call me names, use expletives, and dismiss all points as irrelevant while casting me off as an intolerant fundamentalist lacking any compassion, but I dare one of them to compare the time and money donated to help the needy by those who hold Christian conservative principles to any liberal out there.  Look at the most effective organizations meeting practical, life saving needs around the world.  They are predominately faith-based and evangelically funded while refusing a dime from the federal government so they can maintain control over their core values and eliminate all the waste infused by federal fingers.  Sorry, but I refuse to disconnect my brain from my heart as the liberals want me to do because God created mankind in His own image with the ability to think, reason, and make choices out of love for others or love for oneself.  Both must work together to make right choices and to fulfill the purpose God has for each of us.

North Carolina gets this simple principle, and it's working as evidenced by the following:

North Carolina Joins the Magnificent Seven  (and helps lead despite lacking natural advantages other states possess)

CEOS give North Carolina High Marks for Business Climate

Ranked No. 3 consecutively for America's Best States for Business

Thanks To Gov. McCrory, North Carolina Pays Off $2.75 Billion Debt, Saving Taxpayers $280 Million

Update as of 5/26/16:
After flying to Oklahoma and back for a wedding, the following analogy occurred to me.

Over the past 12 years of parenting, we've taken our children on approximately 100 flights, and ~100 times, a flight attendant has told us that in case of cabin depressurization, we should place an oxygen mask on ourselves first and then place a mask on our children.

When my son actually listened to what the attendant was saying for the first time, he said, "That's not right. You should serve us first so we can survive, live longer, and prosper." And yes, God's word is clear that we should put the interests of others, especially the poor and weak, before ourselves. But parents know that the odds of the child surviving are much greater if both the parent and the child survive, so by putting our mask on first, we can better serve the child, not just at that moment but for the rest of our lives.

So when people first hear the principles of capitalism (and democracy) pitted against socialism without any frame of reference, historical data, or big picture understanding of implications and long term outcomes, they respond just like my son did, "That (capitalism) is not right. Let the old, rich, taxpayers die (via taxation or business crippling legislation) so we poor young people can live and prosper." 

But America has proven to the entire world that by serving those who work hard, pay taxes, provide jobs, grow GDP, and build the economy, the odds of both the young and old, the weak and strong, and the poor and rich prospering is greater. But if we raise minimum wages, tax burdens, & entitlement programs to unsustainable levels, everyone will perish. 

The key is finding the right balance. If the parent only puts his mask on first and never puts one on the child, the child will die by suffocation, and the parent will die of guilt and heartache. The greatest outcome is when love for another, not greed or self interest, is what motivates us to work hard, survive, and thrive so we may better serve and more extravagantly and joyfully give to others.

Update as of 5/14/16: 
Shortly after the Obama administration threatened to remove millions of dollars in education and road funding, Obama issued another executive order requiring all public education facilities in America to not only allow transgenders in the bathrooms of their choice but also in locker rooms, shower facilities, and even hotel rooms during school field trips.

For more information, read " Obama’s transgender bathroom mandate is worse than you think"

I loved Lieutenant Governor Dan Forest's statement in response to President Obama's bathroom policy directive:

"North Carolina will not stand by and let our locker rooms and high school showers be used for social experimentation at the expense of the privacy and protection of our young boys and girls. I do not think it is appropriate for teenage boys and girls to share the same bathroom. I don't think it appropriate for teenage boys and girls to shower next to each other. I don't think it is appropriate for male coaches and male teachers to have access to girls' locker rooms and showers while the young girls are naked and exposed. I feel confident, the vast majority of North Carolina parents feel the same.

The President needs a reminder that the United States Constitution grants education decision authority to the states and localities not to the President of the United States. Our current state policy protects our children by maintaining bathrooms and restrooms consistent with the biological sex of the child and already gives schools, should special circumstances arise, the freedom to grant private single stall - single shower bathroom accommodations to individuals who might not otherwise be comfortable using the bathroom of their biological sex or a bathroom shared with other people. This is the only reasonable response to the situation that exists today. Opening all showers and all restrooms to all sexes at all times as the President is suggesting, is not a reasonable solution, but an invitation for violations of privacy and personal safety.

North Carolina public schools in receipt of the President's letter are reminded that there is a binding state law on the books governing bathroom policy and the President's non-binding directive is merely his attempt to push his version of a social policy on our state with no Constitutional authority to do so. It should be rejected as a matter of principle and policy."

Finally and unlike most other states in America, North Carolina has government leaders possessing common sense, virtue, courage, integrity, and a good dose of much needed chutzpah.

I'm SUPER PROUD of North Carolina leadership for standing strong when most would back down after the first instance of bullying or name calling.  Call them "homophobic bigots" all you like, enemies of the God. Nothing you can say can redefine HB2, Title IX, terms like "marriage", or who they are as individuals. The Creator is the definer. Liberal powers are merely manipulators and twisters of words to serve their own selfish motives. Those of us who refuse to separate our heads from our hearts know who we are in Him.  We are Children of God, and nothing can separate us from His love or snatch us out of His hand.  We are His and in Him we will forever stand.

 Update 6/24/2016

I'm so proud of our state's Governor & Lt. Governor, yet again, for their courage, conviction, and integrity as they have repeatedly stood against federal overreaches that are clearly in direct violation of the U.S. Constitution. It is always reassuring (though increasingly rare) when the balance of powers functions as it should. Kudos to the most courageous and Constitution loving leaders we've had in a long time on a job well done. Now let's see more states (and our weak AG) follow their lead! No matter where you stand on the issue of immigration, and I empathize to some extent with either side, the law must be enforced and the US Constitution respected, especially by our country's top leaders!
~~~~~~~ 

Lt. Governor Dan Forest issues the following statement on today's Supreme Court ruling:

“Having authored an Amicus Brief challenging the President's actions, I applaud the Supreme Court's action today affirming what we in North Carolina knew all along... that the President has a Constitutional duty to enforce Federal Immigration law whether he wants to or not. Today's Court action shows that our Governor, along with three other Governors and 23 states around the country were right to challenge the President's affront to the Constitution. This is a victory for those of us who believe in the rule of law and the security of our US borders. I hope today's court action equally reminds the general public which Governors and Attorneys General failed to live up to their oaths of office and defend the Constitution, as there were many. I would like to thank Governor Pat McCrory for his leadership to ensure North Carolina did its part in standing against illegal immigration."

The Amicus Brief Lt. Governor Forest provided in the Supreme Court case: http://www.scotusblog.com/…/final.ltgov_.nc_.amicus.USvTexa…

Spring Outing 2016

On Mother's Day weekend, our son's Y Guides tribe and most of the boys from his 3rd grade class who are all in a different tribe together headed to the coast for their fall outing.  It had rained all week and was cold when they left, but the clouds cleared on Saturday for a great weekend together.

They started the first morning off with some fishing.  His best friend from school was in the cabin next door, so they fished together along with his best friend from church, Samuel.

Samuel

Apparently, the secret to catching big fish is to attract them by wearing bright, clashing colors. My son's stylish combination of neon yellow socks, blue and orange shorts, and bright red sweatshirt worked like a charm. (FYI:  I haven't packed his lunches or his suitcases since I started teaching, not that you could tell. Ha!)

He loved starting his mornings off with hot cocoa.

 

Mother's Day Weekend 2016 & Landscaping Updates

We had an unusual Mother's Day weekend this year.  On Friday, the 3rd-5th graders at our school hosted Grandparents' Day (earlier than the date Hallmark recognizes but before school lets out for the summer). My parents wanted to attend our son's assembly this year, but 3rd graders started at 8:30, which was much too early for them to get here given rush-hour traffic. So I went in their place and ate enough fruit and chocolate goodies for both of them. :-)

Our son's class presented a United States geography (states and capitals) sound-off followed by a recorder concert which was surprisingly pleasant given the shrillness of the instrument and the age of the performers.  Our band director is such a humorous, fun-loving guy that he makes every concert enjoyable.  They played several classic hymns and "This Old Man" for the grandfathers.  Ha!

My parents arrived later that morning and took both my son and my daughter out to lunch.  What a treat that was for them.While they were at lunch, our landscaper finished up all the landscaping projects he had been working on for the past five weeks to address our water run-off issues, to add instant gratification privacy landscaping, and to build us a patio for our fire pit.

In the picture below, there is a large catch basin under all that rock attached to a 150' underground drain that runs under the porch around the house and down the length of the other side of our house.  He added two dry creeks, this new mulched natural area, and a Rose of Sharon.  Mom gave me the hanging plant and stand shown above for Mother's Day. We have two climbing roses and trellises for each side that we still need plant.  Then we'll add some liriope, Hostas, and possibly Indian Hawthorne whenever we find the time.

He planted a 15'-20' Nelly Stevens Holly next to my fitness room window to block the unsightly view out that window of the neighbor's shed, added 50/50 to raise the soil up to level of basketball court and laid new sod all along this side where the ran run off had washed it away last year.

His crew added fresh mulch all around the house, lawn perimeter, and at the base of scattered lawn trees.

Our next project will be a stone stacked, tiered retaining along this front side.

Along the fence, he planted two Nelly Stevens Holly (4-6'), Muskogee Lavernder, three enormous Crepe Myrtle, six Osmanthus (4'), and three Loropetalum.  He also replaced our wimpier wax myrtles with newer, heartier ones and  moved our crepe myrtle from the side yard to this back corner and expanded the natural areas closing off back yard.

The patio construction was fun to watch.

You know you are getting impatient for the construction to be finished when a (random) picture (of WIP taken to test out your new iPhone) is worth a thousand words (from movie quotes and song titles).

"If you build it, they will come." (Field of Dreams)
"Road to Nowhere" (Talking Heads)
"We're Half Way There." (Bon Jovi, Livin' on a Prayer)
"Bless the Broken Road" (Rascal Flatts)
"He's Not Finished With Me Yet" (Brandon Heath)
etc.

After the kids' lunch outing with Nana and Pops, my husband and son packed and left for the spring outing at the coast with the Y Guides while I waited on hold for over an hour to speak with an IRS agent over exorbitant, bogus charges I ended up having to pay anyway.  As often as we get audited for our charitable contributions (doesn't anyone tithe and support missions and charities anymore?), I sometimes wonder if we are being targeted for our Christian views.

Saturday wasn't as eventful as my daughter would like because her mom is a teacher, and teachers must do lesson planning over the weekends. And I had to clean bathrooms plus other chores, meet a golf client at the new swap stop, and get in a much needed trail ride after a week of steady rain.  I did make time to buy her swim suits, take her out to eat, treat her to ice-cream and play card games (and stayed up past 2am getting my lesson plans done as a result), but compared to the fun her brother was having on the retreat (she knows, because she's already enjoyed three years of Indian Princesses...well it's now called "Y-guides" for boys and girls because so few people are willing to admit that one's gender is determined biologically, not emotionally, and apparently both "Indian" and "Princess" are banned words in this new progressive world of utter lunacy).  She beat me in every game of Set we played, and I never ever let her win on purpose.

I also earned some much needed "fun mom" points by pulling pranks on our pets.  Did we rescue a cat, elephant, or anteater?

On Sunday, we drove to my hometown to spend Mother's Day with my parents and my brother's family, but it wasn't the same without our guys. At least they sent me this picture from camp with some early morning Mother's Day greetings.

I got to see some high school friends at my parents' church including Craig, who brought my husband and I together.  (He and I were good friends in high school, and he and my husband sang together in the USNA Glee Club.) I also Rodney, a friend since kindergarten, at the restaurant he manages after church.  It was a nice visit, but my daughter was out of sorts. She missed her dad and her brother.  She was probably feeling jealous, and she was apparently tired because she doesn't sleep well when her dad isn't here.  At least she perked up after lunch and had fun posing for pictures with Nana.

When Nana's glasses darken in the sun, our drama queens starts having some fun.

One of the best gifts on Mother's day was driving home to find my husband and son already home. They had driven back early to be with me on Mother's Day and were outside washing the van by hand.  They were exhausted, so we didn't get the planting projects done I had hoped, but they were home, and that was enough for me.

After my son had written in my birthday card, "Mom, thank you for..." and then left the rest of the page blank, I was thrilled to receive a handmade Mother's day card from him with real sentences in it.  He used big words, proper spelling, and neat handwriting.  His grammar isn't perfect, yet, but for a third grader, he really tried. This boy almost always signs cards by simply writing Love, [His name], so this card that he put effort into was a keeper.  He also drew flowers which he knows I like.

 My daughter usually writes a sweet note, and she did not disappoint this time either.

During March 2015, we began meeting with contractors to figure out what to do with our our virtually useless lot which had started out flat and surrounded by trees when we selected it but ended up treeless and severely sloped by the time the builder finished our house. Work finally began a few weeks before Christmas. After adding a porch, deck, walkway, patio (aka bunny exercise ring, soccer drill chamber, "volley-dodge ball" court, deserted island), fire pit, three french drains wrapping around our house, a few dry creeks, dozens of trees, numerous shrubs, mounds of mulch, hidden dams, new natural areas, truckloads of soil and sod, and whatever else I'm forgetting to keep the yard from washing down the hill again, we finally got to use our backyard to the fullest on Mother's Day. The kids "commissioned" our long awaited fire pit patio tonight by serving me S'mores for Mother's Day dessert. They even saved me an extra 5oz European gourmet dark chocolate bar because  they know I like my chocolate hits dark, straight, and smooth. :-)

Hopefully the grass will turn green and the new shrubs/plants will bloom in the next few weeks.

Tough and Tender Moments...all for His Glory

Tough Times
Life is hard, but it's through the valleys that we learn the most about life and grow more mature.  Speaking of valleys...some of our landscaping projects in process have had me thinking about mountaintops and valleys.

This area wrapped in rock is part of ongoing projects to control run-off problems in our yard. We now have two french drains carrying water around our house, a massive dry creek, and a catch basin hidden under all those rocks attached to an impressive 150' underground drainage system. We keep building up our soil and replanting sod, and we're planting like crazy to soak up some of the run-off, but it will probably never be enough to give us the lawn we want because we live on a hill, and water will always flow down, taking rich minerals and costly sod with it.

Our yard situation reminds me of how we too often approach life. We love the view from the top. We go to great effort and expense to cling to the mountaintops in life as if we were meant to stay there. But we can't really appreciate the high points in life until we've walked through the low points. We can't grow in knowledge, wisdom, compassion, generosity, or faith if we're always clinging to the top and looking down at others. Instead of cursing the rain and trying to resist the downward pull into the valley, maybe we should instead hop on a raft and make the most of the ride down, gleaning every life lesson we can until the sun comes out and the hill is dry enough to climb back up again. ‪#‎MommyMetaphors‬

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hillary Scott, a country singer who is the frontwoman for the band, Lady Antebellum (a band I had never listened to before as I don't prefer country music, and this band's secular music has themes I don't find edifying at all) recently produced a very personal solo project rooted in Biblical faith.  The song, Thy Will, from the album especially touched me as a sincere prayer to God as she wrestles with pain and suffering while acknowledging and trusting in His goodness and sovereignty even when His plans don't make sense at the time, for she knows she can't see the big picture as He can. The melody is beautiful in and of itself, but the lyrics blow me away with their raw honesty and simple faith.  The church needs more realness in worship, fellowship, and presentation, not to make each other feel better about their shortcomings, but rather, to illustrate the truth.  Life is hard.  Life doesn't make sense.  Yes, the church is filled with fallen people who make mistakes, but God doesn't leave us in the ditch.  He restores and renews us and gives us hope.  We can trust in that which we can't see because He reveals just enough of Himself to prove that He is always good and always faithful without providing so much evidence that faith is not required at all.  Given some of the music videos Hillary has produced, I will admit that the judge in me is surprised at the depth of faith and Biblical truth revealed in this song.  God's truths really aren't that complex, and there is great beauty in the simplicity, yet trust can be so difficult at times.  To read the lyrics or listen, click here:  http://tasteofcountry.com/hillary-scott-thy-will/.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our daughter's first season of AAU basketball has delivered some tough times and great teaching moments.  The last AAU tournament taught my daughter how to handle disappointment after 12 hours of driving that weekend for tournament games only to have her team forfeit the final championship game due to unfair circumstances. This weekend's tournament taught her another valuable life lesson, and that is how to get back up after being pommeled by people over twice her size (literally). When she chased a loose ball, she grabbed it right before a gigantic opponent tried to take it while she was still holding it. The opponent threw the ball with our little bit still clinging and flinging with it. She landed hard and has bruises all over, jammed fingers, a sore back, and who knows what else the doctors will find tomorrow.

But worse than taking that beating was learning that the opposing team (the host team) was comprised of 7th and 8th graders who were pretending to be 5th & 6th graders so they could play against younger teams with an unfair advantage. That explains why they didn't check birth certificates at the door as is customary. Not only did this coach allow his players to put girls half their size at risk of great physical harm, but he also taught them that the only way to win is by cheating.

When my daughter was younger, she hated to lose, throwing fits if she lost something even as insignificant as a board game against her brother. But today, she assured me that she would rather lose honestly any day and every day than win by deceit. She's maturing and learning a lot about life. I sure do feel sorry for the opposing team & that dishonest coach, though.

Tender Moments
Yesterday I received a tender & tangible reminder of how much the Almighty God of the universe cares about the tiniest concerns of the least of these.

When I teach a new STEM, Stats, Math, etc. lesson, I try to incorporate a related Biblical theme or metaphor for life application because no matter what subject we study, if we don't see God's hand in it or if we can't see how that bit of knowledge fits into the bigger picture of His sovereign plan, then our learning seems woefully incomplete.

For the first time in two years, the related Biblical context for my next two lessons on free fall and rebounding just weren't coming to me. Any scriptures I tried to apply seemed forced, so I prayed the Lord would give me something related to complete the lesson by teaching my students about life and pointing it all back to Him for His glory.

The following morning, I had to drive my daughter a long way to see a sports injury specialist, and my book-on-tape finished right as I picked her up. So, without looking, I loaded a random sermon CD my mom had given me from my childhood home church. It was the start of new series on "Rebounding". The message was a perfect application for my physics lesson on rebounding. It was a great series, so as I was preparing to drive back home, I loaded part 2 in the series, but the van screen read, "Bad Disc." Frustrated, I tried loading part 3, and again it read, "Bad Disc". I cleaned both discs (neither were scratched or dirty), but neither would play. So I dug through the sack and pulled another one out at random without looking at the title. The pastor immediately opened by saying the message will address those times when life throws us into free fall. I knew at that moment God had just given me the answer to my prayer the night before. These two sermons would help me tie my two academic lessons to practical Biblical truth.

Y'all...God planted those CDs in my van months ago. There is no way I could have randomly pulled out those two discs right before my classes on those subjects. It was all a direct answer to my prayer last night. Had those perfectly clean discs for parts 2 and 3 not given me "bad disc" errors, I never would have stumbled upon the lesson on free fall. God cares about our little requests, and He wants whatever we teach to point students back to Him. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Way back when I was a kid, we didn't have baby gender reveal parties or graduation ceremonies for every single grade in school. We didn't have digital or high resolution photography (much less portable camera phones) so we only took a few pictures. We didn't celebrate every minor developmental milestone or the 100th day of school. We also did not celebrate Gotcha Day or even know what that term meant. Perhaps, starting today, I should begin making up for lost time because I need another excuse to eat cake and ice cream and remember that I am blessed. They tell me my Gotcha Day was May 3. The only picture I have from that day is this one of my brother ignoring me. Classic! Thank you, Lord, for opening this family's arms and hearts enough to say, "Don't worry, little one, we gotcha. We will love you unconditionally, provide for you extravagantly, and support you sacrificially all our days."

As for my brother, he already had a dog, so he didn't need one. What he needed as a sister to teach him to share and to be patient when annoying kids were around.  :-)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My MIL is a wildlife rescue/rehab specialist, and we all think the work she does is really cool. I thought some of my FB friends' kids would enjoy these pics of some owls she rescued before they hatched.  She writes, "I had two barred owl eggs brought to me in Feb. I put them in my incubator, and 27 days later these two little guys hatched. They are a month old today and I moved them out to my aviary for the next step in their life. Feather out, learn to fly, and finally learn how to catch their own food...then release!"  Here are some pics she shared to close this post with some cuteness.