Post Mother's Day Confession

Mother's Day began with an electrical outage.

In the movies women wake up looking gorgeous. That's not my reality.


Determined to get my grandson and myself to church, I fumbled for my morning battle gear in the dark, windowless bathroom. 

             Toothbrush.
                           Face wash.
                                       Deodorant
                                                   Makeup. Lots of make-up.

Horrifying, no make-up upon awakening picture

No electricity equaled no curling iron. The front of my hair resembled an electrocuted sparrow; the back, a hairy brunette pancake.

I pictured our church family enjoying the gourmet Mother's Day breakfast while I ate cold leftover eggs from my grandson's plate.

Without electricity to lift the door, our garage became Alcatraz. I yanked the emergency release cord like a crazed prisoner attacking cell bars. The door remained as unmovable as a Cool Hand Luke prison guard.

My husband Jake, the go-to guy, was already at church serving the other mothers their breakfast feast.

Our normally helpful grandson Asher offered his observation, "Wow Grandma, you look kinda crazy."

Frustration Level: Rising

Mother Day Joy: Decreasing

What example would this granny set? 

Normally helpful grandson doing AuthorFest promo.

A) Cry and kick the garage door down with my 3" spiked heels (my personal choice).
B) Use biblical wisdom.

. . . when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. James 2-3 NLT


God's Word put things in perspective. Besides, my situation was too puny even for the "light and momentary affliction" category.

I chose to thank God for His overflowing blessings throughout the rest of the day.

 

• My genteel British neighbor, a mom herself, used her martial arts muscles to free us from our garage.

My gorgeous mom and daughter taking center stage

• Friends at church tamed my Vampira make-up and hair.

• I spent time with my beautiful mother and daughter.

• The men at our church, Bible Truth Ministries designed a special Mother's Day service for us, and gave roses and hand-signed cards to each lady. 

• My grandson presented me with a special Mother's Day edification in front of our church family. 

• I spent time with my incredible husband who normally wouldn't let me lift a finger on Mother's Day.

Super hubby Jake, normally Mother's Day Task Do-er.

That day I fought down the urge to whine, and continued thanking God while I mowed the lawn (what a blessing to have a lovely, grassy yard), grocery shopped, cooked dinner, and washed dishes (thank you Lord for money to buy food, a way to get it home, and electricity to cook it.)



Even though my Mother's Day provided definite growth opportunities, I felt blessed.
What do you do when your special days aren't so special?


If yours felt a bit rocky, try this encouragement. Ecclesiastes 3:4 (NLT) reminds us of,

A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance. 

 

Let's choose the laughter and dancing whenever possible. 

 

Message to laugh and dance endorsed by my superstar mother.

Lost in (Cyber) Space

In the 1960's series, "Lost In Space," the Robinson family's spaceship is sabotaged. They spend the next several TV seasons cruising the galaxy. Whichever planet they're on, every week danger arises.

At the point of greatest peril an actor in a hokey tin robot suit entered the scene with his accordion arms flapping wildly to warn, "Danger Will Robinson! Danger!"

                                                         

I started this blog last September by admitting I felt like Little Red Riding Hood wandering cyberspace with the Big Bad Blogging Wolf hot on my trail.

I'll be honest even though it's embarrassing. That wolf is still breathing down my neck.

I need to set up an email sign-up form so nice people like you have access to my newsletters and fun insider stuff. It should be so easy to create, but I keep getting arrested by the techno-police.

At this moment I'm lost in cyber space on Planet MailChimp.

Danger Jeanie Jacobson! Danger!

 

 

MailChimp is owned by a conglomerate of out-of-work flying monkeys, bitter because the Wizard Of Oz was their last gig.

To me their tutorials read something like:        

"Link the snarfbladt with the poofathon utilizing the source code. However, if you plan to use a RSS feed, copy the 1st line of HTML into your rebakalator before dancing a jig in your pajamas. If that doesn't work paste the last 3478 lines of code into the fizzmutter after pulling the flying giraffes from your doughnut maker."
 

I expect a flailing-armed robot to roll into my office shrieking, "Danger Jeanie Jacobson! Danger! Clicking any link will release flying monkeys and plunge humankind into utter Planet-of-the-Apes type chaos."

 

I get frustrated, stop working, and orbit Planet Craigslist instead.

"Danger Jeanie Jacobson! Danger!"

 

 

Can you relate? Do you want to pursue your dreams, but the flying monkeys of life keep sideswiping you? Please stop beating yourself up if you haven't accomplished everything you'd planned...or even started toward your goals.

 

 

You matter to God so much that He planned good things for your life:

I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord. They are plans for peace and not disaster, plans to give you a future filled with hope. Jer 29:11 God's Word Translation.

                                                                          

                                                    

Author Angela D. Meyer told me she made a list of her yearly accomplishments. When she felt she wasn't progressing, she'd look back at what she'd already done. It encouraged her to keep going, and her book, "Where Hope Starts," was published last fall.

 

 

What direction do you want to go? What's your dream? I'd love to hear it.

Remember, it's never too late to start.

 

Let's move forward together.

I'll even send the robot to keep the flying monkeys at bay.

 

Art courtesy of theyui @ http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/ (monkey) and

Dan @ http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/ (spaceship)

Calgon, take me away!

 

Years ago a TV commercial showed a frantic woman scrambling to simultaneously deal with a ringing phone, screaming children, barking dog, and a delivery person at her door.    

Finally in desperation she throws her hands up and cries, "Calgon, take me away!" Immediately she's luxuriating in her bathroom tub, discreetly covered in bubbles from the neck down.

Evidently behind the scenes in Happy Commercial Land the dog stops barking to answer the phone, the delivery person baby-sits the children, and Betty Crocker and the Keebler Elves have dinner under control.

How about you? Do you feel overwhelmed? Could you use a Calgon moment? I'm pretty sure the Fed-Ex man and Marie Callender won't show up to help any time soon, but there's some good news.

There's a God who love you. He wants to help you.

Here's what He says:

           "And call for help when you’re in trouble—

               I’ll help you, and you’ll honor me.” Psalm 50:15 The Message

So the next time life buries you in a multi-tasking avalanche, don't crumble under it. Call to God for help. He's available 24/7.

 

Betty Crocker and the Keebler Elves are already busy in my kitchen.

Photo courtesy of stockimages @ http://www.freedigitalphotos.net