Did She Listen?

Last Big Date In Redding 

Tim ships out to boot camp in a week and time go speed a week with his family.

Bye Bye Abbie and Tim

Listen…

Did she listen when I said, "Always separate the whites and colors..."

Did she listen when I said, " Wear sun screen..."

Did she listen when I said, "Always use your please and thank yous..."

YES!

She was listening.

More important she was watching.

She reads her Bible and listens...

She prays, cries, laughs and listens...

Now she leaves for her first big job interview and she will act from example and practice.

She already has the job. 

Her friend was "listening" to the boss who said, "A new girl, Abigail... is joining us."

She is moving away from home....2nd born, 2nd to leave the nest...

Dear Lord, keep her close and keep her listening.

~Amen~

Featured Five Minute Friday:

And every week I’ll pick a post that caught my eye and share it down there in my side bar – see where it says “Featured Five Minute Friday”? Yea -that could be you! Hop on over and visit some folk who make fireworks in just five minutes. They inspire me.

So, now be brave, set your timer, clear your head, for five minutes of free writing without worrying about getting it right.

OK, are you ready? Please give us your best five minutes on the word:::

Listen…

- See more at: http://new.thegypsymama.com/#sthash.u42vBNd1.dpuf

Because, as we all know, the most important rule of Five Minute Friday is leaving an encouraging comment for the person who linked up before you. So getting to feature one of your fine posts is like frosting as far as I’m concerned.

So, set your timer, clear your head, for five minutes of free writing without worrying about getting it right.

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..

OK, are you ready? Please give me your best five minutes on:::

Imagine…

:GO

20 years ago I never imagined this day.

Abbie and Johanna at Shasta College Graduation

Last Friday night my two younger girls graduated from college together.

"They grew up so fast."

People always say that, but it seems like it has been 20 years of hurry up and wait.

Sigh....................

The adventure we went through to get this photo will fad through the years,

But the grin on Abbie's face and the wonder in Johanna's is timeless.

Proudly they walked into the stadium...

(I must be honest...I stopped the clock for a hug.)

As they go on to imaginings that are far beyond my own,

As I encourage them off to University,

One thing I do not dwell on imagining...

No hugs in the morning.

STOP!

The Sister Song

♫ Sisters Sisters there were never such devoted sisters...♫

A week from today the tears will be bitter sweet.

My little girls have grown into such amazing young women.

You are invited to attend the Shasta College Graduation of:

Johanna and Abigail Burnham

May  24th, 2012 

8:00 p.m.

Soon Abbie the Archaeologist will be off to Sacramento State University....

...Johanna the Photographer and Child Development student,

will be headed for Humboldt State University.

 The ♫ Sister Song ♫ will be closing it's daily performance and my eyes feel with tears at the though of them leaving. 

♫ There will be other songs to sing,...♫

♫My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus Blood and Righteousness♫

♫He's got the whole world in His hands♫

♫Sleep my child and peace attend thee all through the night,

guardian angels God will send thee all through the night,

soft the drowsy hours are creeping....

....God my loved ones watches and keeps thee,

all through the night,♫

1. Write for 5 minutes flat for pure unedited love of the written word.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. Be generous and leave an encouraging comment for the person who linked up before you. That’s the best part about this community.

And if you don’t have a blog, feel free to leave your five minutes of writing as a comment. And we’ll love on you there.

Today’s prompt is:

Song….

..

Mother's Day 2013

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.

2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..

OK, are you ready? Please give us your best five minutes on:::

All on one word: Comfort

GO:

Fresh washed children in sleepers.

I remembered this week...

 I have a vivid memory of each my children on my lap

in their sleepers

freshly washed

asleep on my lap

in my rocking chair.

My old rocking chair that has lasted 22 years.

The comfort to me that rocking chair has brought...

22 years of "Happy Mother's Day" from their little faces.

That chubby little hand of my son with the dirt under his nails...

"good clean dirt" (How does that work?)

His chubby little hand full of dandy lions and a smile saying,

"Happy Mother's Day"

The comfort upon all comforts, to know that each of my children has trusted their lives to Jesus

and HE holds them in the palm of HIS hand...

That is my true comfort.

STOP

Them who calls me MOM

Happy "Cinco de Mayo"

Happy Birthday Ian Wesley Burnham

Streets

There is a cake on the table with 17 candles.

There is a man voice in my shower

And size 13 shoes in the living room.

The baritone "Good Morning" I hear

Is a far cry from the " 'ello" of yester-year.

This mysterious fellow I take to school each day

Has grown into a man size body while I wasn't looking.

So, many adventure with Ralphie and Cats in the past

 (thankfully some I didn't know about at the time)

And many,  many more adventure to be had.

I thank God daily for my 4 children and pray for protection

Each child on their own way to the plans set before them

I am so thankful "HE" knew them before they were formed 

HE has a purpose and a plan...

I laugh, I cry, I smile and not to often use, "The mother voice"

   ("Don't make me use my Mother Voice")

Lord help me to be the support in the storm

Help me to continue to lead them back to YOU in times of distress

Help us to remember you in time or pleasure as well as pain.

Thank you Lord for the man voice that sings praises to YOU this day,

Sunday, May 5th, 2013.

May Day bouquet 2013 

My Title isn't "BRAVE", but the brother of 4 older sister doesn't need the title, he has the scares.

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.

2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..

OK, are you ready? Please give us your best five minutes on:::

Brave…

Jump into Spring

Tim and Abbie's Easter photo shoot

I am taking a "5 Minute Friday" break this lovely spring morning before preparing for our Mother/Daughter Brunch at church. We used to have a Mother/Daughter Tea in May, but we live in Cottonwood, CA and some cowboy with a very odd sense of humor created the "Mother's Day Rodeo" and that includes parade and the "whole nine yards". So, through the years our brunch/tea has gotten farther and farther into April.

1. Write for 5 minutes flat on the prompt “After” with no editing, tweaking or self critiquing.

2. Link back here and invite others to join in {you can grab the button code in my blog’s footer}.

3. Go and tell the person who linked up before you what their words meant to you. Every writer longs to feel heard.

OK, are you ready? Give me your best five minutes for the prompt:

Jump…

GO!

As Abbie and Tim jumped into the puddle, no bones were broken in the making of this photo,it is time to do some serious spring cleaning.

Today the window coverings, tomorrow the world.

Mary is 22 years old

Mary was 22 on Wednesday  Her second birthday away from home. She came by on Sunday for a "photo shoot" and cake. (It is nice to have an in house photographer.)

Johanna's new home

Last Friday Johanna and Abbie went to Humbolt and saw her "New Home".

Many changes are in store for our family in the next few months.

Time to jump into the program for the day with both feet.

Abbie went to Archaeology today with Tim for  BLM.

Ian went to hike a Shasta Bally with his friends.

Mary is in a pit crew for the Drag Races for Cool April Nights.

Johanna and I will be going to a Tea.

Spring at Humbolt State U

Poor little JR just has to stay home and watch every one come and go.

Even JR gets photo shots

STOP!

Air1 verse of the day
Grace, mercy, and peace, which come from God the Father and from Jesus Christ-the Son of the Father - will continue to be with us who live in truth and love.(2 John 1:3 NLT)

Teachable Moments

As my children were growing up I always wanted to give them "teachable moments". For 22 years now I have been looking for "teachable moments". I realize that I was not the One who chose the Teachable Moments, I only recognized them. Now that they are beyond the age of me "creating" teachable moments HE is completely, The One, Jesus Christ who created and orchestras their teachable moments.

This week I finished reading:

Laughing in the Darkness

...Laughing in the Darkness, by Chonda Pierce. We all know her as the Christian Comedianne who makes us laugh and cry about our Baptist roots. I knew every person she talked about in her books. I was a deacon's kids (DK) and we went to church Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night. I was born on a Sunday and use to joke that was the only Sunday I didn't go to church until I was 19 years old.

   So, when I read a couple of weeks ago that she had written a book on overcoming depression as a Christian Celebratory, I had to take a peak. She had read my mail when she wrote the book. The woman raised in the 1960's and 70's to serve everyone and "do" it all. Meanwhile, holding in all the pains of life until the 40's hit and that dreaded "Perimenopause" send our mental, emotional and physical system into a tail spin. Added to that is usually the time our kids hit the teen years.

  She called it a "gray hotel with talking lights".  I just had a gray world, like High Desert Country in Winter. I don't remember when I noticed the definition in color between the trees and sky, but it still amazes me when I see the difference.

It makes me think of an old hymn from my childhood:

The Light of the World Is Jesus

Philip P. Bliss, 1875

1. The whole world was lost in the darkness of sin,
   The Light of the world is Jesus!
   Like sunshine at noonday, His glory shone in;
   The Light of the world is Jesus!
   • Refrain:
     Come to the light, ’tis shining for thee;
     Sweetly the light has dawned upon me;
     Once I was blind, but now I can see:
     The Light of the world is Jesus!
2. No darkness have we who in Jesus abide;
   The Light of the world is Jesus!
   We walk in the light when we follow our Guide!
   The Light of the world is Jesus!
3. Ye dwellers in darkness with sin-blinded eyes,
   The Light of the world is Jesus!
   Go, wash at His bidding, and light will arise;
   The Light of the world is Jesus!
4. No need of the sunlight in Heaven we’re told;
   The Light of the world is Jesus!
   The Lamb is the Light in the city of gold,
   The Light of the world is Jesus!

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

  To is April 6th and Spring has sprung in Northern California. For Easter my youngest daughter took a picture of her rabbit for me. Our real Easter Bunny.

Bubbles

Reminder: 1 year ago I began my GIS Butterfly adventure

GOD is not Dead!

The family Easter 2013