Showers of Blessing

And I will make them and the places all around my hill a blessing, and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing. Ezekiel 34:26











Yes you are right!  One simply cannot describe what it feels like to be a grandmother.  I knew it would be better than I imagined but I was still totally off - by a distance that cannot be measured.

Sweet Baby One is perfect.

But along this 39 week journey something else has happened that simply will never be forgotten.

If you know me you know "how I am".  I wrote the book on controlling and overbearing.  Really - I should be the author.  I sometimes try to not be but that usually requires way to much control and effort and I give up rather quickly and revert back to the "Mama Bear" as my family so lovingly calls me!

Daughter One grew up in Graham but I never knew her until she started dating my Son One.  And since we all do not live in the same town - I have managed to not know Daughter One very well at all.  She's quiet - she doesn't force her thoughts on others - you know pretty much the opposite of me!

And if I am completely - lay it all out there - honest.......... their courtship and marriage hasn't always been easy for me. And I know I have been less than the ideal mother and mother in law.  Oh nothing major - just far from Leave It To Beaver and sometimes farther from where God wants me to be.

But our God works in ways we cannot imagine.

Our God showers us with a blessing when we least expect it and certainly when we never deserve it!

Son One with Daughter One and Sweet Baby One

So when she said "I want my mom and you with Lance to be in the delivery room" - I was honored - surprised - and I simply have no idea why in the world she would offer me that opportunity.  Then we had several more weeks to wait and my heart just became softer and softer until last Thursday - January 8th - my heart was exactly where Jesus has needed it to be.

Our view outside the labor & delivery room was the "Heart Clinic" - I wonder if the people looking out those windows into 4413 saw the same words on the wall.  That's where the "Heart Clinic" was that day - 

My heart finally understood.

The tears started when the doctor came into the room and I took my place next to my son and honestly they just haven't stopped.  I am really not sure when they will.  I know that Daughter One and I will not always get along - I know she will definitely not appreciate that "Mama Bear" (why should she?) - but she forever has my heart.  As I have shared with others about Sweet Baby One's arrival - the astonishment on their faces when I say "I was in the delivery room" - helps me to understand really just how special that was.

Now 2 baby girls have my heart.  One is a woman, mother, and my Daughter One and the other is her daughter and his daughter - my Sweet Baby One.  

Son One shared a devotional as we were waiting ... the scripture from Ezekiel 34:26 ~ 

And I will make them and the places all around my hill a blessing, and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing.

Son Two told me a while back.... "you thought this baby was going to change others but I think it is changing you."

So true...

In so many ways...

The showers are here and the blessing is more than I ever imagined.  

I have 2 beautiful girls to love - two beautiful girls to share this boy world with me.  

Side Note - best piece of advice I could ever give:  

Girls.... If you want to have a relationship with your mother in law that is simply the best in all the world - then ask her to stand by her son while his baby is being born. She will love you - she will forever be grateful.   

Always, May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Corinthians 13:14.

Come on Tide!

It doesn't really make any sense.

But I think when we start trying to figure out God's plans and his timing - it never will make sense.  That statement is true from beginnings to endings and everything in the middle.

In June of 2013 I shared with you my connection to Cheryl.  That connection was simply the coolest growing up - I loved knowing someone else with the name Cheryl.  Finding out that the adult
Cheryl loved Alabama was just another cool connection.  More on Cheryl in just a moment...

I know you simply don't get why I like Alabama.

It doesn't make any sense.  After all it was in the National Championship in 2010 that Alabama beat Texas and I loved Texas during that time.  Those seasons of watching Colt as the quarterback were so much fun and that is really where my love for college football began.  But about that game... if Colt doesn't get hurt - Texas wins - really - he had studied the Tide and he knew what they were going to do.  Colt getting hurt and not getting to play is another thing that simply doesn't make sense ... but let's never forget Colt's post game interview

Colt's Interview

I will never tire from hearing those words.... 

I love this game... I always give God the glory.  I never question why things happen the way they do.  God is in control of my life and if nothing else I'm standing on the rock.

I latched on to The Tide bandwagon over the next few years.  I went to Alabama several times after that National Championship game and even tried to be an Auburn fan but in the end it was Son One who shared the Alabama Crimson Tide tradition with me and I decided to join him in this quest to love that Alabama football team.

I know you remember that Son One lived in Montgomery for a year.  He made many friends - and most of them were on the side of The Tide.  In Alabama one must pick - you either love The Tide or you love the War Eagle.  I remember weekends in Montgomery - basically in the middle of the 2 towns (Tuscaloosa and Auburn) - the cars and people would be decorated with the school colors.  That's something we don't see here in Texas - maybe if you are in College Station, Waco, or Austin - but not in cities in between.

Another aspect of it all that really doesn't make sense.

But for me - it is about cheering for a team that I can just love and I don't have to personally hurt when the game or season doesn't go as planned.  That's where it started.  I just found a storied, southern football team that has tradition beyond tradition and quite frankly I love the colors and the houndstooth!

So I cheer for Alabama.  But I also cheer for Ohio (I loved watching JT Barrett) - I cheer for Clemson - I cheer for Georgia - I cheer for Texas (mostly when McCoys were at QB) - I cheer for college football - it is truly a game I love.

So it doesn't make sense - I realize that - but just love that I love because that same love for college football goes far beyond a game and into the lives of others.

Which brings me back to Cheryl.

You must follow her blog...

Cheryl's Blog

Particularly - follow the link to her entry about The Benny Books - but specifically notice what she has to say about love.

Why is it that we in the "Christian" world truly forget to love?  Or maybe we don't know how "to love".  

I think I Corinthians 13 has become so popular that perhaps we forget to read it - internalize it - and live it.   I know I almost avoid that chapter because everyone references it....

But love is the only way to make sense of all of this life.

But if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

That speaks volumes.

So it really doesn't matter now much faith in Jesus we think we have - if we leave out the love part - we are nothing.

Ouch.

That hurts much worse than losing a National Championship, or losing the first ever semi final college playoff game.

In this game I must love others with that same kind of love football passion -

Perhaps it is about being a fan of loving others.

Now back to God's plans & timing not making sense....

When is Sweet Baby One going to arrive????

This family is ready (pictured.... Daughter One, Son One, Nephew Three, Grandpa, Son Two, Grandma, and Grandson One)! There has been more than one night that I have thought my phone was going to ring.  Oh don't get me wrong - it has rang plenty of times.... Mom - what temperature should I cook _____, Mom we are all sick (yes Son One and family have been sick), Mom did you see that play?

But I haven't heard ....

Roll Tide

Because when I hear Roll Tide - it means our Sweet Baby One is ready to be in the game!

Always, May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Corinthians 13:14.