Beware of the Stinging Nettle

Y'all ever heard of these things? I think it's something I may have heard of but didn't really know what they were. They're plants. They look like mint and they grow like mint - taking over and recreating wherever they are. Except the major difference is that they have tiny little thorns all over them that appear as "texture". These thorns immediately release some strange chemical into your fingers. We went hiking today and kept seeing these along the path and I was curious.. is it mint? (the ones we saw were much prettier than the picture) So I went to pluck a leaf and immediately pulled back my hand! It BIT ME! Weird thing is there were no thorns actually stuck in my fingers. It just felt like it. I thought it would go away after a few hours and the sensation has changed, but not diminished much. It feels like the ends of my left finger and thumb are asleep. When something touches them I get that strange waking-up-pins-and-needles sensation. Anyway. I just thought I would share so that you can avoid them too. It's not nice.

I Am the Church

I came across this video. It's really, really neat. SO amazing to see that there are so many around the world who say the same thing we do. 

I Can't Remember

I can't remember the last time that I've written with abandon. Written something for myself because I need to, because I want the release of seeing all of it typed in front of me instead of floating around in my head in unorganized, wandering thoughts. I think that's part of what my blog is for. Not always these lofty philosophical theologies and revelations. Not that those are bad. And I do want to write about that. The things that God has been revealing, the way He's been changing have been monumental. But what about the past few months? The months in which this blog has lay dormant. I feel a silent question from the readers - especially those who may not know me as well. What's happened?

 

A line from a Sara Groves song is circling my mind right now. "It's been a hard year, I'm climbing out of the rubble. These lessons are hard, healing changes are subtle. But every day.. It's less like scars... And more like character" I admit. I haven't much of a life to reflect on yet. But this has been one of the hardest years I've ever encountered. So difficult, so painful, but so gloriously victorious. Lets go backwards.

 

Start with December. My dad was admitted to the hospital at the beginning of the month, losing blood in places you don't want to lose blood. He lost so much at one point that he passed out and ended up in the ICU for days. They discovered a cancerous tumor in his colon. There was never an opportunity to be fearful. Immediately the body of Christ surrounded us on all sides. God gave us peace through every circumstance we faced. He brought our family together and gave us the comfort of HIS family. I had an entire month to simply cherish the LIFE of my dad. He was in and out of the ICU a couple times, but we got through it after 2 exhausting weeks. Gods timing was amazing! They removed the cancer and doctors now say that he is 95% CURED - something they rarely say to anyone. The chances of the cancer coming back are little to none.

 

Back up a little more. We had a week off of work and school due to a major Hurricane in September. Gustav hit Baton Rouge with more force than any hurricane for several years. Weird part is, the hurricane was great! We played in it and spent an inordinate amount of time with our family - the body of Christ (who, incidentally had power back after 2 days, while we had to wait a week!). But during that time the Lord was dealing with me emotionally. That was very weird to me. For so long I didn't think that He had anything to do with emotion. I've learned not to base my spiritual status on how I "feel".. In fact I think that's rather dumb and selfish. But there was years worth of anger and hurt built up in me that I had to deal with. The alternative to dealing with it was a heart hardened by bitterness. And I could see myself on that pathway very quickly. God gave me a major revelation on this passage from Hebrews 11:15, "Looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled." But.. That's a blog post in itself.. He's still working on me to keep my heart clear.

 

In July we moved out. That was such a bittersweet experience! I think we were ecstatic to finally be on our own. Everything that happened leading up to moving out was difficult. But I knew that God had me in that season for a purpose and I was determined not to waste that time! Being surrendered to Him paid off in a big way. He changed me and my attitude.. And taught me some very valuable things during those 6 months. Like how to keep my mouth shut when it's difficult. How to serve and love when everything in your flesh says they don't deserve it.

 

“We shall draw nearer to God, not by trying to avoid the sufferings inherent in all loves, but by accepting them and offering them to Him; throwing away all defensive armor.  If our hearts need to be broken, and if He chooses this as a way in which they should break, so be it.”

 

I've put that quote on my blog before. But I think that now it sums up the last year for me. There has been love through suffering. And I can't remember a time when I've ever felt nearer to Him. Even when it seems He is the one doing the breaking. He has taught me to throw away the defenses and let myself be wounded. And He is healing deeper than I dreamed was possible.

Testing for Deanna

Y'all tell me if you see a picture.

****Edit: Okay it worked, Thanks!

I'm Still Here

For those of you who actually check this blog I just thought I'd drop you a note to say that I'm still here. I've thought of many various blog posts in the past month but before I get the chance to blog them, I discuss them with most of the people who care to know what I'm thinking - and by that time, what's the point it writing it down? It'd be a bit redundant.

It occurred to me last night that when I say, "I've been busy" it really isn't made up.. I really am. I realized that I have my weeknights scheduled Tuesday through Friday and usually Saturday. Monday nights are my only truly "open" nights! The time in between is spent cooking, cleaning, running errands, and more recently developing the hobbies usually ascribed to elderly women.. Jordan learned to knit, so I wanted to and taught myself from a YouTube Video. Yet further proof that this is the "digital age". And we are putting together our first puzzle in years.

Another point of interest: I am currently engrossed in reading a little piece of Baton Rouge history. It's a hand-written log book from a Hippie Crisis Call Center/Charity of sorts called "The Genesis House". It was recorded over 35 years ago! My dad actually used to work there and knew many of the people who wrote in it. My American History teacher was a crock so I'm learning all these things about that era as a whole right now - about the Vietnam War, Roe V. Wade, and so on and so forth. Reading this book is like reading a bunch of random diary entries. Some are really funny but others are genuinely heartbreaking.

I hope to do some writing about it. I want to take some pictures of it and post them too.. Some of the entries are really funny. I'm trying to do some research about the things going on in Baton Rouge during that time frame (June through September of '71) but this is one instance where Google doesn't prove to be very useful. I'm grateful for the privilege of having access to the State Library.

Who's on First??!!??

Open Letter to Whole Foods Guy

Dear Whole Foods Guy,

Tonight I entered your store on a mission. At the restaurant next door one of my best friends sat leaning over a table looking sick with the pain consuming her head. This, from the girl who bikes into the woods for fun, emerging bruised, scratched and exhausted but grinning. So I was highly concerned, and as I said, on a mission. Discouraged after scanning over aisles and seeing only labels for vitamins, herbs, homeopathic remedies and essential oils, I approached you. Yes, you. With your hair longer than mine, square wire rimmed glasses, and crooked apron. Great, I thought. One of these. 

My face began to flush while I stared at the organic remedies in on the shelf in front of me. I stammered with an urgency, "Look, I know y'all have all this all natural stuff, but I have a friend with a severe headache and I need something - Ibuprofen, Excedrin, Tylenol, Anything!" I looked up to see you shaking your head emphatically before I even finished the words. Oh great, here it comes. I was officially embarrassed and blushed to prove it. What was I thinking that I would find real medicine in Whole Foods??? You walked down the aisle a few steps and crouched in front of the bottom shelf to show us a few things. I thought surely you were avoiding showing me where the things I wanted were located because you couldn't let me "poison" my friend with such items. The first thing you showed us was some sort of Bark. Willow Bark I believe. Very similar to the ingredients in aspirin. Then there was some sort of herbal remedy, and lastly the essential oil version of "Head On". I couldn't believe I was standing there wasting my time this way, and stared at the floor behind you thinking, "Now what??" Meanwhile my sister gawked at the digital price tag - $21.99 for Bark? Are you JOKING? You explained that you couldn't carry the items I asked for because of chemicals in the coatings. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

I think you saw that I wasn't buying it - the product or your sales pitch. You stood upright then and lowered your voice a notch saying, "Well, there's a gas station about a block that way, and a grocery store about a minute further that direction.." You hesitated when I shook my head and told you that we didn't drive, but walked over from the restaurant next door. "Oh, you're on foot..." We sort of stood there all staring at each other while I tried to come up with something we could do. It's New Orleans. I wasn't walking a block away at 8:00 at night. I think we must have looked awfully worried because the next thing you said was something like, "You know what? Don't worry about it. I'll find something. I'll have someone look in the back, and I'll get something for you. Would you prefer something specific?" Shocked, but hopeful I told you ibuprofen would be good, but we'd take anything. I couldn't say thank you enough! You went to have someone take care of it.

While we lingered in the aisle staring aimlessly at items we knew nothing about you went about helping other customers. You paused to assure us that you were available if we needed you and that someone would be returning soon. I saw you answer a telephone and from a distance could tell that you were discussing us. I heard you say, "No, Just get whatever you can find, as much as you can get!" You looked to us to confirm that there was no allergy to aspirin. After hanging up you told us it would only be a few more minutes. 

The minutes crawled by and as they did I was replaying in my mind my friends reaction when I asked her what kind of medicine she wanted. Her eyes grew as big as saucers when she asked with surprised relief, "You have something??!" I told her no, but that I was going to get it. From that point all I got out of her were mumblings that she would be fine and other such incoherent nonsense. I knew better. 

Shortly though a bearded employee came down the aisle in your direction with something in his hand. We smiled and watched him pass. Before he interrupted you with your customer he turned back to us and asked, "Are you the ones with the friend...?" My relief was palpable as I said yes and he reached to place two small packets of medicine in my hand. I tried to press a couple of bills into his hand in return, thanking him profusely and insisting he take it for all his trouble. It was more than obvious that it required a wild goose chase to track down any real medicine in that place! He refused though after several attempts and finally told me, "Give it to him!"

You were still helping a customer further down the aisle but I saw you were keeping an eye on the interchange. I took the bills back regretfully and tried to come up with a way to give them to you without making your customer aware of what was going on. As I approached you I decided that the easiest way to make you accept it was to slip it into the large pocket of your hopelessly skewed apron. I did just that, without pausing to say anything so you would have no opportunity to return it. By the time you realized what happened I was too far away for you to give it back easily, but still you called after me, "No, you don't have to do this!" I turned around and said, "Thank you SO MUCH! You don't know how much we appreciate it!!" but kept walking towards the door, clutching my prize. My sister, who was several feet behind me caught on when you turned around to look for her, but she dashed around to the next aisle before you could reach her either. I looked back again in time to hear you exhale exasperatedly and see you blush to your hairline, but smile nonetheless. All I could do was grin unrepentantly and wave while I walked out of sight. 

Yes, in the beginning I stereotyped you very erroneously. I think you taught me a lesson in that regard. I believe I experienced a Random Act of Kindness tonight. The kind that makes me wonder if you are a child of The Way, or simply someone who was raised in the generous atmosphere that seems to permeate native New Orleanians. You did something that you did not have to do. You went to a great effort to help us, though no one asked you to. And you expected nothing in return, which made it all the more precious. And I want you to know that it made a very distinct impression on me. As silly as it is to say it again... thank you.