this was my president ~

confessions of a sore loser ~

Today is inauguration day ~ I wish I were happy. I chose not to watch the coverage of the inauguration of our newly elected president Barak Obama. I would love to be a witness to this historic event, but I just cannot bring myself to watch.

I have really wrestled with the outcome of this election and I wish I could say that my wrestling has been noble. But is has not..it has been mostly the heart of, for lack of a better word, a sore loser. I have been just that...and I gave myself until today to sulk and pout, to kick and scream, to whine and complain, telling myself that until January 20, he was not my president, but today, January 20th, he is just that...my president, my commander and chief...and the man my children will grow to know as the president of their youth.(sigh)

As I swallow hard and pray for the obedience to pray, I accept this man as my leader...like taking a big cumbersome vitamin, I choke this day down and accept the sovereignty in this affair. I have no more words, no more tantrums, and hopefully no more tears, (yes there have been tears)...I am resolved to give up my poor sportsmanship as of today.

So,as this historic day takes place, I look back at the last eight years with a grateful, endearing sigh and say, Thanks you President George W. Bush...thank you for keeping us safe, thank you for your fortitude and unwavering resolve in the face of extreme criticism, and thank you for your obvious love of The living God. And I look forward to the next 4+ years with a hope that comes only through my head's knowledge of God's provisional truth, and I pray that the hope trickles down form my head's knowledge to my heart's peace.

The only words left to say are that of the Apostle Paul ~ "Let us be subject to governing authorities for there is no authority except by God’s appointment, and the authorities that exist are instituted by God." ~ Romans 13:1.

inestimable ~ nice word choice

The following is a letter I found in my inbox today My husband is good with words, and he blesses me  with that from time to time.  But today's letter is perhaps the nicest letter I have ever received     from him.  Not because it is long and deep, but    because he compliments me for the very things that I am striving to do successfully and his letter    gives me hope that in some small way that success is measured and noticed, maybe not by many, but the    person who matters most to me.  Love that man!
letter below~

Angel,

You are the greatest blessing that the Lord has given me.  I am both thrilled and  humbled by His gift of you to me. Your passion for our family is inspiring and  makes me     want to be a better husband and father. I love your      heart and sweet  spirit. I love the time we spend         together as friends and lovers. You bring me  great joy, and knowing how well you manage your household is a       comfort to me. I  love the life and family we have and           know that the years ahead will be full of  love and joy with you as wife and mother. Thank you for the        sacrifices you make  for us, and thank you for being        patient with your stubborn husband.  Your worth to me      is inestimable.  You are altogether beautiful         my darling, and there is no blemish in you. My  beloved is mine and I am hers.  I love you, 

Yours

25 random things ~

My friend tagged me to write this on facebook, but I thought it would be fun to post here too...here it is...

25 Random Things ~ by Laura

1. My alarm goes off every morning at 4:45 ~ from 5 - 7 is one of my favorite times of the day.

2. I love to wear pearls...with anything...a t-shirt and jeans to Wal-mart, and I still feel "girly" in my pearls.

3. I love where I live, I never want to move, and I want to grow old and die right here in my house an old woman (might need to move the master down)

4. I used to want to grow up to be the first lady, and deep down inside I envy them.

5. I sang in a band in college – we sang in bars and at Greek functions, and made good money – two guys and me ~ our name was “We’re Not Dating”

6. I have been in love with my husband since I was 15...seriously...can hardly remember my past without him. He says he married me because I laughed at him, and I say I married him because he made me laugh....still does.

7. I am a ridiculous creature of habit, ritual and routine! I park in the same parking spot at the grocery store, I will only buy my daughter purple crocs, I sit in the same seats at church, I will only clean my house on Monday’s, wine at 5:00, I won’t make my bed on Sunday’s, errands on Wednesdays...the list goes on and on and on and on...seriously...on and on.

8. I love to study and research just about anything...Someday I would love to teach/share the stuff I am learning... mostly history, scripture, and random unknown things...like why they put the word FISH in big letters on the back of trucks, or why our teeth chatter when it is cold.

9. I MUST laugh several times a day...laughter is medicinal, and necessary... life is funny and should be laughed at much and often lest one become cantankerous, judgmental and captious!!! (Refer to #6)

10. I have a love affair with coffee...and I think that a sonic diet coke and a trip to Target can cure almost any mood.

11. Commercials, movies, or sitcoms with any form of gratuitous physical comedy makes me laugh until I cry and my stomach aches...then I rewind it and do it all again...

12. I think Jesus of Nazareth is the original maverick, and just truly the most amazing person that ever lived and I can’t learn enough about him, but I hope to live my life trying. I love Him. (Phil 3:10)

13. I broke my collar bone falling into a handicapped toilet side rail in a department store. (I tell no lie.)

14. I love my kids in ways I could never pen....having them makes me feel like I have won the lottery...every day...

15. I would like to work on listening more and talking less...I am HORRIBLE at interrupting...I even interrupt myself sometimes, and who knows how much wisdom I have missed because I hardly let people finish their thoughts.

16. I resist the temptation to run everywhere...into the grocery store, into the pre-school, through parking lots, I tell myself “Don’t run, Laura, that is weird”

17. In 2006, Jeff left a family business and sold cars for a living while looking for another job, it was the hardest year of our lives, but also the sweetest and one of the most meaningful.

18. My family is deeply rooted in Texas history...My Grandfather ran for governor of Texas and lost to Wilbert Lee O’Daniel, in 1938, and he went on in polotics to retire as the Assistant Attorney General of Texas, and my grandmother is a Fannin as in Colonel James Fannin's from the battle at Goliad.

19. I have taught my kids to repeat to me on command “mom, you are so cool, you are cooler than cool, you are the origin of all coolness.” It comes in handy when they really want something they don’t deserve...I just say... “What do you say????”

20.I know every word to Alanis Morissette’s album “Jagged Little Pill” and I “might” have been known to lip-sync it on numerous occasions, using a cordless phone as a microphone.

21.My least favorite personality trait in a person is pretentiousness, and I teach my kids that “Everyone’s workin’ on something.”

22. I have a thing about nostalgic smells and as a result, I will never switch perfume...so that when my children smell it they think of me, and always will.

23. I get the hiccups every time I eat rice...every...single...time...

24. I was a high school cheerleader, and I can still do the KHS school song, and “may” have been known to put on my cheerleading uniform and perform it for my children.

25. I love clip boards ~ I’m just sayin’

investments ~

A couple of years ago I studied about the relationship between Paul and Timothy. I learned that what attracted Paul to Timothy in the first place was his knowledge of the scriptures, in combination with his sincere faith, and he was so impressed that he called Timothy into service with him. So, I did a little research on Jewish culture and found, “It was the glory of the Jews that their children from their earliest days were trained in the law. They claimed that their children learned the law from their swaddling clothes and drank it in with their mother’s milk…the law was so imprinted on their heart and mind of a Jewish child that he would sooner forget his own name that he would forget the law…” Then I began to think of myself… I have spent so much time, energy and money getting my children "ready." Before school started this year, I took my son shopping and we bought him new “cool” clothes and new “awesome” tennis shoes...Tennis shoes that he currently wears to his weekly tennis lessons...so that he will be able and "ready" to play as an adult...gotta have the option...right...I tell myself it is an investment for his future. I bought him a new racquet and some tennis balls, and I pray that he sticks with the drills long enough to learn how to play. Little Adeline, same thing...I am currently teaching her all the letters and their sounds...she's gotta be "ready"...right? Just last week I signed her up for ballet, and she just finished a semester of gymnastics...that is just what you do ...right..to get the "ready."

Being sure my children are "ready" for things…like school, sports, a social life, college, a career is fine and necessary…but, I wonder, am I as focused on equipping them for their higher calling…in fact, their highest calling? Am is focused on them knowing the scriptures, knowing God and His attributes, knowing what we believe in light of what others would love for them to believe, knowing Christ as Lord of their life!

As I think of Paul and Timothy I wonder…who will be attracted to my children’s character and faith, and understanding of spiritually deep things...who will be impressed enough to remember them and call upon them…what qualities and knowledge am I instilling in them that will draw people to them…people like Paul was drawn to Timothy… drawn into their lives because of their spiritual character…to minister to them and lead them deeper into life’s journey...deeper into what they are being equipped for...deeper into their calling.

Sooo....do we quit tennis and dance? Do we drop letter memorization...do we forget about the school clothes??? I don’t think so, not now, that is not the point...but I am convicted to rise up in my children another kind of "ready"...spiritual readiness!!! I am convicted to equip them with knowledge and a love for the scriptures like Timothy’s mother did for him. Last month my children and I are memorized Psalm 23... and now we are going to learn about what God says true love is, and we will understand the stories of the patriarchs...and we will imprint the greatest commandment on our hearts...I am challenged to show them what a treasure their faith is and I will pray with all my heart that they truly own if for themselves...and be "ready" to live it out in such a way that as others cross their paths, they will be more “attracted” to that genuine faith in their hearts, than their game of tennis!