Older!? Me!?

Recently my beautiful niece, Stacey posted something on her Facebook page that gave me a laugh. She shared how she had gone to church that Sunday morning where they were announcing a young girls 16th birthday. Stacey shared that she could help but feel 'old' when she realized that she had taught this girl in Sunday School when this now 16 yr old was 11. Old? Stacey is a mere 25 yrs old.  She has so much to learn about 'feeling' old.

I will share with you what I shared with Stacey...Having our first child at 18 years old, I was always the youngest mother, the youngest wife and the youngest it seemed, at any event I attended. I remember not enjoying it at the time because the 'Older' women always had some sort of words of wisdom for me. It was as if they felt I didn't know anything about life. At the time, it was very irritating. Now the child I had at 18 yrs old is thirty and there have been six children added to our family since her birth. I haven't been able to figure out if it was Me that was older or my children getting older....Until recently.

I have been helping out at our church babysitting for the MOPS group in our area. For those that don't know, MOPS stands for 'Mothers of Pre-Schoolers'. They are a national group of Moms that meet once a month to share and compare notes about their lives, loves and children. Recently, a friend came to me and asked me to be a mentor to these Moms of Pre-Schoolers. What you need to know is, a couple of these 'young' mothers are actually my friends. So, that being said, I thought to myself, "Wow! What a great idea!" I figured I could hang with my 'girlfriends' and really enjoy the time spent. WELL! I really need to stop talking to myself and shutting out the things that people are trying to tell me because I seem to have missed one important part of this friends sentence. What I was actually asked was "We would like you to be a mentor to the MOPS. I think you would be a great addition. (patting myself on the back) They really need OLDER WOMEN that have had life experiences like you." WHAT?! WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME?!?!?! DID YOU JUST USE THE WORDS 'OLDER WOMAN' TO DESCRIBE ME?! In my head......I heard the brakes of a cartoon bus going off. An alarm started ringing in my head and suddenly, I felt the need to drink a bottle of Geritol! Me....an Older Woman? When did that happen?

I have always been told that I don't act my age and I have always taken it as a compliment. I am always the person that the 20 something crowd navigates to and thought it was just because I was so young at heart. Now though, since this eye opening event, I realize that it isn't my young at heart attitude and the fact that I relate to them,that the Young One's come to me, it's because they see me as an Older Woman! Someone with Experience! Someone that can share events in her life that may be able to direct these people of the YOUNGER GENERATION down the right path! LOL When did this happen and why didn't anyone tell me?!?!?!

I'm looking at turning 50 this next year. It doesn't bother me in the least. I have actually been looking forward to it. I feel that after everything I have been through in the last last several years, I deserve 50! 50, for me, says that I have a right to be just who I am with no excuses needed. I may be 50 chronologically but mentally, I still felt 30. Yes, I said FELT, LOL I was fine up until the point that it was made painfully obvious that I was OLD. I ask again....WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?!

I will admit, I have seen the deeper lines along my eyes. I have chalked them up to having a happy life. The gray hair, well, It has been something inherited from my fathers side of the family. Not being able to keep up with my kids just meant that they were growing and getting faster. Looks like now, I have been trying to ignore the fact that I have been getting older! 'Yes Lynn, the aging fairy has pounded you with her old age wand and there is no going back' LOL

Well, I guess I'm not the only one in this boat. In fact, if I am not mistaken, I have a Facebook page full of friends that will all be turning 50 this next year and correct me if I am wrong, but I think there are a couple that are already there! The things is, I don't see any of them as old! There are a few that I wish I could squeeze the staying young gene out of them and mix it in my coffee every morning.I'm just thankful I'm not the only one in this boat. I'm happy to see that there are those among me that feel 30 but are hitting 50. It also comforts me to know that I do have friends that are considered 'Older' and what a blessing it is to be able to become wiser, more experienced and happier as the years go on, together.

test

Does the battle sport a such contour?

What time is the Right time?

When I first started writing my blog, I imagined it being a way for me to share our families antics with loved ones. I never thought it would be a place to share my heart but recently, my heart is all I seem to be able write about. My heart, today, is heavy, for many reasons. Not all I wish to share. There is one burden in particular, that I feel led to write about. I guess you could say it is something that the Lord has asked me to write on His behalf. So, as you read, know that this is not from me but from the the Father who loves us all, more than could ever be imagined. Only He knows who it is written for...

 

We put God off saying "I still have time" but your time is in HIS Hands. You have no control over 'your time'. Imagine this being the last day of the rest of your life...Where would your eternity be spent? Would you be celebrating in Heaven with your loved ones that have gone on before you? Why jeopardize that celebration? Make today, the start of a new life in HIM.

Where is your grace?

Lately, I have seen a post on Facebook making the rounds that has really offended me. Not because it related to me or that it affected me in any way but it does show just how small minded some people can be. The post reads as follows:

Regarding the mosque near ground zero, I say let them build it. But across the street, we should put a topless bar, called "You Mecca Me Hot", Next to that, a gay bar called "The Turban Cowboy" and next to that, a pork-rib restaurant called "Iraq o' Ribs?" And a check cashing center called ..."Iran out of money" Lets see who's ......really tolerant! Repost if you agree !!!


I understand the controversy about ground zero and the building of the mosque but what I don't understand is why we have all seemed to forget that the whole idea that people flock to the U.S. from other countries is because we are a free nation & we have always been a nation tolerant of one an others differences. This post, for me at least reads, 'Hey! I'm an ignorant American who believes that everyone that is of the Muslim Faith is a terrorist'.
 
One of my dearest friends is Muslim. She is one of the most generous, sweet and upfront women you will ever meet. She and her husband have an amazing marriage and their children are an example of two completely different backgrounds becoming one. So, when I see the news and hear the remarks that people make about those of the Muslim Faith, it truly saddens me.
 
My family and I are of the Southern Baptist Faith. We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, coming to this world to die for our sins. We believe in a Lord that sat and ate with those coming from different faiths, walks of life and honestly, those who lived down right sinful lives. These, are the people He loved and reached out to. The Lord showed a heart of tolerance and grace. He listened with an open heart and He gave as much love to those who turned their backs on Him as He showed to His disciples. While He may have not agreed with their beliefs, He loved them all the same. He prayed for their souls in hopes that they would turn from their sins and follow Him. Is this not the example that we should be showing now? I understand the fear. I understand the pain but what I don't understand is lumping all these people into one group.
 
The ground that they want to build this mosque on is said to be 'Hallowed Ground'. Why? Because it is near the site of the bombing? What makes that hallowed ground? Hallowed ground, for me, would be where the bombing happened or where a war was fought, lost or won. Where a Christian Man stood for a group of people in hopes to find them equal rights or better yet, where a mother selfishly gave birth to an innocent child that would she knew would some day give His life for you and I. That is Hallowed Ground. That is a placed that should be protected.
 
I don't begin to understand those of the Muslim faith. What I do know about it, I don't agree. As I said before, I am a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. He came to this world to die for our sins and there is and never was another God before Him. I have one book that I read, the Bible, and believe it to be true. I don't need to read another book in order to interpret the Bible. The Bible is the pure word of the Lord. That being said, I am also of the belief that I am not to shut out those of other faiths. How am I, as a child of God, going to bring other's to Him if I run off anyone that doesn't believe as I do? What example are we setting if we 'terrorize' these people with our protests or refuse to let them build their place of worship? After all, isn't this exactly why people come to America? Aren't we in the land of the free?  If so, then someone explain to me what the problem is, in building this mosque?
 
Yes, there are Muslims that are terrorists but there are Irish terrorists, there are American terrorists, and so on and so on. Yes, there are terrorists that want to hurt the United States but honestly people, is every Muslim in the U.S. a terrorist? NO! Please, let's stop placing posts on Social Networks that group all of these people into one group. I believe, if you truly search your heart, you too will find that you know someone of the Muslim faith that you know, is not and will never be a terrorist's and deserves to live and worship freely as we all do.

Hello!?!? I can hear you!!!!

As I sat in a crowded Doctor's office today, I was privileged(?) to be a part of three different conversations. Not that I was IN the conversations but I was allowed to HEAR one side of three different conversations. Not only was I given this opportunity but the entire room was given the chance to experience all the drama going on in these people lives. Yes, as you guessed, three individual people, on their cell phones, all at the same time.

I think what really puzzled me is, not one of these people whispered! I mean, come one! Why in the world would you allow the entire office to hear how 'Andrae needs to take care of his' or 'You just drive that to show off' or 'Are you not listening to me? I just said she needs to kick her out'. It's not that I wasn't entertained but honestly, do they not care how crazy we all thought they sounded? Hello? Have you not heard of TEXTING?

I pretty much get irritated when anyone is on their cell in a public place talking as if they are sitting on their sofa at home talking to their friends. I was in the grocery store, standing behind a gal who was on her cell, obviously upset with her boyfriend and was sharing it not only with the person on the other end of the phone but with the entire line. As it became her turn to have her groceries checked out, she didn't even have the courtesy of hanging up her phone or at least acknowledge the gal ringing up her groceries. She paid, gathered up her bags and continued to talk about her 'Man' never saying thank you or at least grunting the fact that someone had just said to her 'Thank you and have a nice day'. Have these phones sucked our manners out of our ears?

Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE my cell phone. I am an avid 'texter'. I know all the cute little symbols, the LOL's, the BRB's, the TTYL's but there is a limit to where I am going to talk, how loud or how long. I want to scream at these people "Use the manners your mama taught you!" There has to be a rule book out there somewhere like, 'Cell Phone Manner's for Dummies'. 

So, the next time you're on a cell in a quiet doctor's office, standing in line somewhere with people in front and behind you or walking around a store having a conversation on your cell, please I beg you, remember that you are not the only person in the room. Lower your voice, text them instead, hang up the phone or just acknowledge that there is a world around you having to listen. While sharing is nice, some things don't need to be shared.