Tag Archives: sister

Pencil marks on a wall

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For a long time there were gray lines on our brightly colored, floral kitchen wallpaper.  My brother, sister and I were always eager to compare the measurements dad had made the year before and see that we had grown. Sometimes we couldn’t wait a year and asked him to check us more often, hoping to see a change.  We’d check to make sure everyone had their heels on the floor and stretched our necks up as straight and high as we could.  Just having that little pencil-line proof gave us a little boost of confidence and made us smile proudly.  Of course, inside we hoped to end up taller than the other two siblings. Continue reading →

The joy of no plans

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My sister arrived today from Phoenix to visit for a few days.  I was able to take those days off of work and so now we can do whatever our little hearts desire.  We have no big set agenda and we love it that way.  Well, Five Guys is definitely going to happen somewhere in the mix.  We might take a walk or two or three, might sit by the lake and watch the sun reflect on the water while we visit, might eat some ice cream, might just drive around through the open countryside and listen to music, will most definitely have some good laughs and heart-to-hearts.

She’s not much of a shopper so I asked her if she would still enjoy walking around the downtown square of Noblesville sometime this weekend.  She asked me, “Will you be there?”  I said, “Well yeah!”  She said, “Then I want to do that.”

I love my sister.

WTDWYDKWTD #2

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When I was in the sixth grade, my dad pastored a church in Lake Wales, Florida.  One Saturday there was supposed to be a work day so my brother, sister and I got our old clothes on and got ready to go help out at the church.  That was the plan.  My parents piled us in the big, light green, Chevy impala we owned and started off down the road.   Dad drove right past the church.  We looked at each other and asked him what was up.  He said we were going to McDonald’s first for breakfast.  Cool!

mcdonalds_cropped_by_daquella_maneraHe drove by the McDonald’s.  What?  Jodi, Jon and I looked at each other again and asked him, “Dad, where are you going?”

“Oh, there’s another McDonald’s down the road a ways.”

“Okay,” we thought, puzzled.

Dad passed the next McDonald’s.  Okay, something is weird here!  “Dad, we’re going to be late for the work day!” we cried, “We’re way down the road now.”

He smiled and said, “There’s another McDonald’s a little farther on.”  In fact he and mom started singing a silly impromptu song, “Ohhhhhh there’s a McDonald’s in Lake Wales, there’s a McDonald’s in Winter Haven…”  We realized our parents had officially lost it.  Continue reading →

Another chance

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As we sat outside Starbucks on the patio, enjoying the sunshine and cool breeze, we laughed and laughed.  Rather than feeling awkward like I feared it might be, I was actually completely at ease and felt like I did the last time I got to be with these friends.  “How long has it been?” we asked each other.  “16 years?  That doesn’t seem possible!”   We took turns catching each other up, going back to 16 years ago and giving the nutshell version of life for us since then.  So much has happened since we lost touch with each other – much blessing, much hurt and growing.

I actually didn’t think this day would ever happen.  The friends I’m talking about were very close and dear friends to John and I when we were first married.  We shared community and prayer like never before with them and several other couples in our first small group experience.  We spent lots of time together, talking, laughing, walking, praying, sharing.  A few years into this great friendship, John and I moved to Florida to work in a church there.  Coming back to visit one summer was fun, but already felt a little different.  You know how things change in a relationship when you’re not able to spend much time together.  You tell yourself that it will probably never be quite like it was.

God began leading us different ways, as if I saw my special friend and her husband walking farther and farther away from me until I couldn’t see them at all.   Life has a way of becoming so busy that unless we’re really intentional about staying in touch with people, it just doesn’t happen.  We lost touch.  Continue reading →

Getaway

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n660523893_2373225_3532784Time away with my sister and her family, in sunny Arizona, was like the wonderful rush of “ahhhh” after a strenuous workout, when the endorphins kick in.

n660523893_2373204_6163129There was much conversation and diet coke (of course!), much laughter, watching movies, sitting in the sun, walking through beautifully manicured, landscaped southwestern neighborhoods with cactus and brilliant fuchsia bougainvillea vines growing everywhere, shopping at n660523893_2373211_6705Ikea for the first time, tutoring my sis on facebook, driving around town in the little pick-up truck with my nephew Curtis, playing with their two sweet doggies, singing at the piano and visiting with my older nephew TJ, playing guitar hero, holding the snake, Vinnie (!) and just plain ol’ heart-warming love.

I always come away from time with my sister a little more enlightened and at peace.   We have a special relationship of openness and trust.

One of her sons, my nephew, yielded to temptations last year and made some choices that led him to time in probation, juvenile detention and now a rehab group home facility where he lives and is working his way through a program of healing and help.  He’s hoping to graduate this year, move out and back home with the rest of his family soon – maybe this summer!  He and his brother got to see each other for the first time in 9 months the Thursday night I was there.  Getting to spend time with both of them was precious to me.

n660523893_2373200_1385522I sat down at the piano to play a little the afternoon he was home with us and he came into the room.  He started singing a praise song I was playing, so I sang, too.  Continue reading →

Harmony…but at what cost?

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It’s interesting to see how God leads me along this path.  There is order and purpose to the steps even when I don’t see it at first.  In the last few weeks he’s been revealing some things to me about myself that I need to own up to.  I need his healing hand at work on some dysfunctions.

I had a conversation with a good friend recently in which he told me to be careful not protect people I love from their weaknesses…that it is actually a disservice and not a loving or helpful behavior.  I was a little confused but took it to the Lord.  “What is he talking about?” I asked God, “Specifically how do I do that, try to protect my loved one in their weakness.”  I also immediately wished I could sit down and have a heart to heart with my sister, Jodi, who is very perceptive and good at analyzing people’s behaviors and the reasons why they probably behave a certain way.

Well, I finally got my wish.  My sis sent me a buddy pass to come see her and I did that this week, flying out to sunny Arizona for a blissful 4 days with her and her sweet family.  We had much time to just sit and talk, walk and talk, drive around and talk.  It was exactly what we both needed.  We often find, in our visits, that we are learning similar lessons from God or dealing with things in similar fashion.  I shared my conversation with her and asked her what she thought my friend meant by me not protecting a loved one in their weakness.  She helped me to see that shielding someone from facing natural consequences of their behavior is not really a help.  It actually enables them to continue in their weakness and not be motivated to change and grow.    A light started coming on….ohhhhhhh. Continue reading →