Storm in the Night

Life begins so innocent, naive, sweet.

Trusting is easy and loving is free.

Our idols are sure, steadfast, brave.

They don't disappoint thru rose colored shades.

Life gets tougher with age.

Some disappointments and realities made.

But rainbows we see, so dreams and plans pave the way.

More love is found and successes made.

Life is good for all on display.

Until one day, like a storm in the night, stuck in the muck and the mire.

Innocence is torn. Trust is no longer easy or free.

The rain of sorrow showering, then flooding.

The debris rising like the tides.

Idols have fallen and wounds run deep.

Betrayal rings in the heart and mind freely.

Sharp like a knife, bruised, battered and bleeding.

Trust lost, hope lost, love lost, innocence lost.

Where to turn? All are torn and wounded in the storm.

Alas I see Him, like a flower springing out of a desert.

I see the one bleeding and dieing while saving me.

His wounds deeper--suffering betrayal and denial by those both near and far.

His storm was a terrifying night of beating, mocking, spitting, hanging, bleeding, suffering, dieing.

Dieing while saving me from my storm, myself, my hurt, my pain, my regret, my shame.

Just as He resurrected after that night's storm,

I too have somehow attained a resurrection.

And life begins again so innocent, sweet.

Trusting is easy and loving is free.

Phi. 3:10 "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead."

Rock Moms

Karen is my rockin' friend. When we lived on the same street, she was always beckoning me outside, whether it was to the bus stop, the park, the pool, on a fast walk, or to the cul-de-sac for a doggy birthday party. She's one of those 5:30a runners with unwavering determination. She runs marathons, has done a long distance two day bike ride, boot camp classes, etc. I, on the other hand, love to sleep as late as possible and wilt when I walk more than 3 miles an hour. Needless to say, Karen pushes me beyond my physical abilities.

At an annual summer family camp our families attend together, I once, and only once, found myself on a very hilly six mile bike ride with her and some other more experienced riders in East Texas. I can do six miles on a bike, no problem! But I didn't account for the hills, gear changes, building speed, and pumping my legs. That was the year I discovered the only physcially active thing that is somewhat daunting to Karen, is riding a horse (some fear resulting from a childhood incident). So I secretly took pleasure in watching her squirm on a trail ride.

Even though Karen and family have moved an hour away, we still vacation together at family camps and this year we tent camped at Enchanted Rock (E-Rock). We hiked two days with our families a few hours each day but on the last day, Karen and I took the kids on a "little" hike while our kind hubbies did all the packing. I should've known better, going off alone with Karen. Her husband is her dare devil stabling force when he's around. So I should've heeded the warning signs when we didn't take a marked hiking path and started forging our own that danger lie ahead.

The top picture shows us posing like we're climbing a rock. We could actually stand there at a severe angle but to get to that point on our "hike" was somewhat treacherous and fearful for me and the well-fare of our children. All the while though, Karen kept saying, "You can do this," "Just don't look down", "Piece of cake"..... I just prayed "out loud."

While on this treacherous hike, my youngest son brushed up against a cactus and ended up with about a hundered spines in his pants. I, being the practical mom that I am, was just going to have him take his pants off, tie his jacket around his waist, and hike the rest of the way in his boxers. But no, Karen, sat and tideously removed every spine while my son patiently waited.

Not only is Karen my rockin' outside friend but she's a most unwavering, encouraging friend and mother. She's not daunted by tough circumstances, in fact she thrives on them and goes after them with gusto (except for the horse, of course), all the while not allowing people to give up, speaking words of hope and fearlessness. Even with her kids, she's not afraid to let them try new adventurous things.

One of Karen's family rules is, "You have to at least try something adventurous once." I think that's an unspoken rule for hanging out with Karen too. I've had a few only once adventures with Karen and I certainly look forward to more. But don't tell her I said that!

Happy Birthday, Karen! You Rock Mom!