Childlike Faith

       
         I had a wonderful, unexpected surprise today! Actually, it didn't seem so wonderful at 1:30 am, it was a little frightening, more for my husband, than myself since I had a little fair warning. My son & his family drove in from out of town & arrived in the middle of the night, setting off the alarm as they came in the back door. I had an idea they were coming, but I thought it would be during normal visiting hours, not cat burglar's, and in Texas we shoot first, ask questions later.  By breakfast, after my husband's heart rate went back to normal, we were very excited to have them here.

           Since my daughter-in-law will also be running in the Disney Princess Half Marathon with us in only 95 days, I thought this would be a great opportunity for us to run in the park together. So, we loaded up the 2 kids, after the men went to work, and headed out to run. Well, that was my intention, anyway. We started out a little slow, pushing the double stroller up & down the gently rolling terrain. ("Gently rolling" wasn't really the first thought that came to mind as I struggled to push them up what felt like Mt Everest). And, in spite of my vigorous training ritual, we only lasted for a mile and a half. My granddaughter had a much better plan for staying physically fit, after feeding the ducks, she coerced us onto the playground!

            I will admit, sliding down the slide and swinging was a lot more appealing than pushing them uphill at a slow jog. But her physical prowess was soon overshadowed by her daring feats of bravery! Leaping up the steps to careen down the slide was one thing, but when she pulled me toward the "monkey bars", I was sure it was too much for this girl, not quite two and a half to manage!!! But, she proved me wrong! She had a plan; if I would just be there with her, for her to lean on & show her the way, she was more than able to make it up and over what many would have considered an insurmountable task. Over & over she conquered the bars & flew down the slide. so young, so brave & so trusting!

        What a great lesson for so many of us! We are encouraged by the Word of God, to come as little children, with the same childlike faith. What if we did? What if we relied on God to be there, like He said He would, to show us the way, and if we leaned on Him to give us the strength to conquer our insurmountable tasks??? Maybe, just maybe, we would conquer them over & over and encourage others to have the same childlike faith!
           
love,

Pazazdance

Before The Clock Strikes 12

     This time of year always seems to turn into a rush, then a blur! I start to relate to Cinderella rushing away from the Ball, trying to beat the clock before her dream turns into a pumpkin. Is it just me? Or does this happen to everyone??? A quick trip to any major retail store on Black Friday would lend support to the latter!

      What is it about the holiday season that makes us go frantically crazy? Isn't this the time of year we should really slow down & enjoy friends and family more? Every year I promise I will, and yet it starts out exactly the same as I skid into mid-November realizing that Thanksgiving is this week! Already??? (Granted, it is the earliest it could possibly be this year!) And, I don't know about you, but  I somehow lost 2 days this week. They're probably with that dang glass slipper! So. Here we go again, take a deep breath, exhale slowly.... What would you do if you had an extra hour every day for the next month? Bake more? Decorate a REAL tree? Make your own Christmas cards or gifts?  Watch "It's A Wonderful Life"? Maybe relive a favorite holiday memory with your mom or kids?  (I'm thinking Gingerbread Men)

     Fairy Godmother to the rescue, your wish is granted!

              Since Thanksgiving is earlier, that gives us more time before Christmas!!!
 Redeem the time, don't go rushing away from the Ball leaving things undone, with important people not knowing how much you really care about them.  After all, it isn't the season to see how many great sales we can make.
       
        So, just imagine the clock striking 1 instead of 12! And if your carriage turns into a pumpkin,  make a pie! ;-)

Have A Blessed Holiday Season!

Love,

Pazazdance
   

The Ties That Bind

         I take friendship very seriously, probably too much. There is a huge gap between "aquaintance" and "friend" with me. I can count the number of close friends I've had on my hands. Which totally disavows the list I have accumulated on Facebook!
     I mentioned before that I need accountability, but I am more than willing to "cheer on" someone else to help them fulfill their goals and dreams. Like I said, I take this seriously. But that is the fun part, what about the times "when life happens"? When things get tough and subjects get sticky? When pain is involved and the risk of tears? What happens then?
 A friend once said in frustration that I promised her "Tea Parties". Actually, I distinctly remember saying that we were moving across the country to "go undercover" for God. And going undercover in itself implies there is an enemy involved, and if there is an enemy involved there will probably be trouble & I am drawn to trouble like Nancy Drew (You have been forewarned if you were thinking of being my friend), so I wasnt sure where the misunderstanding came from???
    My take on friendship comes from Ecclesiastes 4:12, where it states that a person alone can be defeated, but if two are standing together they can withstand the enemy, and if God is with them...well then, that could be an indestructable bond!
    

   I hope you take friendships seriously, not just for what you get, but also for what you can give. Life does happen, it is not all tea parties and fairy tales, and when it does you are going to want the kind of friend that stands beside you no matter what, so be that kind of friend to someone now!

"And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken." (ESV)

Love,

Pazazdance

100 Days!

     Everyone is posting # Days of Thanksgiving, and I decided to join them in a different way and for a different reason ... I need accountability! I am thankful for SO many things & for SO many reasons, that I couldn't possibly stop listing them next week anyway!
     But the real reason is that I have tried many times to start this Blog & never followed through. It doesn't help that I think of creative things to say at the most in opportune time (driving down the interstate) & then forget them when I'm home. But I am embarking on a new challenging adventure, I am running in the Disney Princess Half Marathon to raise $ for Abolition International, 100 days from now.
   I want to share the lessons learned & struggles overcome as I count down the days. Maybe we can all benefit from a little accountability going into the holidays!

I am thankful to live in a country where I can run for freedom & wear a crown while doing it!

Free To Run

Love,
Pazazdance