Poeima

     For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.  ~Ephesians 2:10

    For we are God’s handiwork, His workmanship, and His masterpiece.  The original word is poiema; which means “made, crafted, or composed.
      Poiema is where our English word poem came from.  Poems are paintings with words using rhyme and rhythm.  The poet carefully chooses each word for it’s meaning and cadence to tell a story or convey an emotion.
    When I was in fourth grade our class was given the assignment to write an original rhyming poem about a state that we would like to visit.  I still remember the first stanza.

Florida is the land I’d like to see.
Where oranges grow upon a tree.
Where oceans make a lot of noise.
And little children play with toys.
That’s why,
Florida is the land I’d like to see.

     I was quite proud of it at the time.  My teacher was not so impressed.  She gave me a C.  Perhaps if she had known that it would have a public recitation almost 50 years later, I would have done better.
     God, unlike me, is a poet.  He is the Master Poet.  God, who paints the sunset and calls the stars by name, wants to compose a poem out of your life.  You are the subject of God’s poem.  His work of art.  His masterpiece.  It may be that our life is tattered with imperfections and confusion.  We may feel like an unfinished work.  Other’s may even believe that we rate a C.  But we are in the hands of the Master Poet.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!  ~2 Corinthians 5:17.

     Jesus looks at you, and at me, and He doesn't see us just for what we are. He sees us for what we are in Him. We see a lump of clay; God sees a beautiful vessel. We see a blank canvas; God sees a finished painting. We see problems; God sees solutions. We see failures; God sees a finished work.  We see a Jacob; God sees an Israel.

But now, this is what the Lord says—
    he who created you, Jacob,
    he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
    I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters,
    I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
    they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
    you will not be burned;
    the flames will not set you ablaze.
For I am the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;  ~Isaiah 43:1-3a

    God picks up the pieces of our lives to display His beauty and creativity.  We are His masterpiece.  We bear His signature.  We are His poeima.

Brave Grace

     God uses people to accomplish His purposes.  Plain, old,  ordinary people.  Like you and me.  Isn't that amazingly scary?
     The idea of being used by God was so astounding to Moses that he suggested that God use someone else.  Moses thought that his story was one of failure and shame.  He hesitated to let God use him.  Of course, Pharaoh was reluctant to listen to Moses to let the Israelites go.  And now that the Israelites were free, Moses was leading them into even more peril.  What did God expect?  Moses had killed an Egyptian and then spent forty years on the back side of the desert.  God could have picked someone else.
     Moses knew that rescuing the people of God was an undertaking fraught with difficulty.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon. Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.’  And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” So the Israelites did this.  ~Exodus 14:1-4

     God deliberately placed the Israelites between the sea and the Egyptian army.  Through Moses, God gave them specific, step-by-step instructions.  Instructions that were leading them down a path to apparent ruin. Turn  around and camp. Camp there. On that particular spot of sand. Right there, before the entrapping sea. Yes, right there in that impossible place.

     The Lord occasionally does the same with us, leading us into hardship, bringing us to a particular point or allowing us to be in a circumstance not of our choosing. Our initial reaction may be panic and alarm.  (When I was diagnosed with cancer 5 years ago, I lay on the couch for three days.)  God gently reveals the depth of our faith to us.  He teaches us wisdom and shows us His ways.  And then we learn to lean into Him.  To rest securely on the only One who could ever save us anyway.  The One who holds us gently in His arms.
     Moses and the Israelites learned that the same God who led them in, would lead them out.  The problem was not left to Moses.  It was God’s dilemma to solve which He chose to do through Moses inadequate hands.  Moses stretched out his arm over the sea.  The waters parted and the Israelites were brought through to safety.
     Sometimes, like Moses, we think that our story is one of shame, failure, and inadequacy.  But you know, it doesn’t have to be.  Our story can be a story of grace.
     It is a brave grace that saves.  A grace that fixes broken lives.  A grace that heals broken hearts and restores sinners.  It is a brave grace that looks beyond what we have done and sees what we can be.  God does not count our sin against us.
     God exhibits grace and mercy so that we might experience forgiveness and healing.  So that, like Moses, we can see that we are capable of being used to further His glory.   Thank God for His brave grace.
     This post is part of a series on Exodus.  I have been joining the Good Morning Girls at Women Living Well.  My other Exodus posts may be found here.
Exodus 1-5  The Burning Bush
Exodus 6-10  Great Lengths
     This weeks assignment Exodus, chapters 16-20.

Bedford Gray

    Pat left me in the paint department at Home Depot while he picked up the other widgets and supplies he needed for one or more of the dozen’s of projects going on in our house.  My task was to choose the perfect paint color for our kitchen and family room which form a long rectangle.  It had to be a color that I would love and Pat would like.  I wanted a grayish taupe.  The color had to be neutral, but not boring.  Up to date, but not too trendy.  It had to say this place is home, sit stay awhile, and be comfortable, but not be a snooze-fest.  It had to look good when the sun was streaming through the window and when the day was cloudy.  It had to coordinate with the floor tile, the cabinets, and the brick on the fireplace.  It had to be perfect.
     I arrived at Home Depot armed with a list of about ten different colors in several paint brands.  I had notes that I had diligently copied from websites and Pinterest.  Colors with names like Agreeable Gray, Balboa Mist, Mineral, Edgecomb Gray, Woodrow Wilson Putty, Gallery Buff, and Sandy Hook.  I could picture the color in my imagination.  The question was, could I find it among the paint displays.  Slowly I searched, pausing over likely colors.  I checked my list.  I lay paint chips across the gleaming stainless steel counter.  I held each chip up to a white piece of trim to check out the contrast.  Pat stopped in now and then to check my progress.  Finally, I  settled on Martha Stewart’s Bedford Gray.  The very color that Martha Stewart has in her own kitchen!
     The bottom of the walls in our kitchen/family room are white beadboard.  The top of the walls had been freshly sheet rocked, puttied, and sanded.  Pat and I were excited to see the gray sheetrock covered by my beautiful new perfect color.  The big moment had arrived.  The paint included the primer, so it wasn’t necessary to prime the wall first.  I poured the paint into the tray.  I had great expectations for this color.  Holding my breath, I rolled the paint onto the wall, and it promptly blended right in to the gray color of the sheetrock!

    “There are thousands of colors and you choose sheetrock gray, Donna.  I wouldn’t have picked that one,” stated my beloved husband as he left to work on one of the other projects.
     Feeling more than a little disappointed in my color choice, I nevertheless rolled it up on the wall.  It was hard to tell where I had been, because wet, Bedford Gray really is the color of sheetrock.  Pat shook his head each time he walked through the room.  Patty came home from work, sat in the kitchen where the paint smell lingered in the air and thought I had repainted the trim, while she was looking at my freshly painted walls.
     But fortunately for me, paint dries darker than it looks wet.  The Bedford Gray dried overnight to a really wonderful warm gray that met all of my expectations.  Pat is even pleased with the color.  Martha Stewart really does know her way around a kitchen.

     I had a long list of expectations and requirements for so simple a thing as a can of  paint.  Were I to be asked to make a list of expectations that God would require of me, I would have a document containing bullet points and details for behavior and thoughts in all manner of situations. I would have separate sections for marriage, parenting, words of wisdom, and relating to others.  There would be pages of “Must Do’s,” “Should Do’s,” and “Don’t You Dare Do’s.”
     It helps me to shed these unrealistic expectations when I read what the prophet Micah wrote.
     He has showed you O man, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God  ~Micah 6:8
     Not a long list.  Love mercy.  Be just.  And walk in a humble relationship with God.  Walking in a relationship with God, is not a matter of performance.  It’s a matter of love.  God loves us, even when we mess up.  Even when others think, “I wouldn’t have picked that one.”  God does not accept you after you become good enough, He loves you just as you are.
     God’s expectations are perfect because He knows us perfectly and loves us completely.  He knows exactly what we are, and are not, capable of.
     Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you;  I have called you by name, you are mine.  You are precious in my eyes, because you are honored and I love you…the mountains may depart, the hills be shaken, but my love for you will never leave you and my covenant of peace with you will never be shaken.  ~Isaiah 43:1,4; 54:10
     Our worth and value are not in our possessions, talents, esteem, income, or reputation.  We are His Beloved, and that is expectation enough.

Shame Free

     A few weeks ago, I was sitting in a faculty meeting and admittedly, not paying attention.  Now lots of people don’t pay attention in meetings, but this meeting was about getting our students to pay attention.  A colleague was sharing an example of a technique called a “Whip Around” to get students engaged in her lesson.
    Then she said, “Quick, name a country in Europe.  Joan?”
     “Spain,” Joan stated.
     “Donna.”  I quickly replayed what I had almost heard.  “London.”  I responded with false confidence.  Polite laughter filled the room.  Still oblivious, I reviewed my response and decided that I had correctly answered the question.
     The teacher did not correct me, there may or may not have been eye rolling.  She moved on to her next victim, “Ellen?”
     Ellen had been paying attention, but was confused by my brilliance.  After a moment, she called out “Sweden.”  That was when I realized that I had named a city in Europe and not a country.
     Yup.  During a lesson on paying attention,  my mind was out to lunch.  My cheeks burned flaming red.  I wanted to hide under the table.
     Can you recall a time when you opened your mouth and inserted your foot?  It’s not fun to feel inadequate, embarrassed, and ashamed.
     The world tells us to be perfect.  The perfect teacher, the perfect student, the perfect spouse, the perfect child, the perfect parent, the perfect employee, the perfect employer, the perfect Christian. Evidence is gathered in a neat little binder.  There is no room for error.  We must measure up and if we don’t, there are consequences.  Often, we feel guilty or ashamed.
     There is a difference between guilt and shame.  Guilt is the result of our doing something that we should not have done.  Shame results when we are not the person we think that we should be. Guilt says, “What I did was not good.”  Shame says, “I am no good.”  Guilt says, “I did something wrong.”  Shame says, “There is something wrong with me.” Guilt says, “I’ve made a mistake.”  Shame says, “I am a mistake.”
     God does not create mistakes.  We are people in need of forgiveness and grace.
     Guilt moves us to ask for forgiveness.  Shame immobilizes us and weighs us down.  Shame convinces us that our sin is worse than the sin of others.  We have trouble believing that God can use us.  How can I serve?  I can’t do that.  I can’t do anything significant.  I’m not enough.
     People burdened by shame are who Jesus had in mind when he invited the “weary and heavy laden” to take His yoke and find rest.
     Jesus sought me with love and mercy.  He sees who I am and what I have done, and He loves me anyway.  Jesus takes away my shame.

     I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears.  Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.  ~Psalm 34:4-5

     God made a way for our wounded hearts to be restored.  He freely gives us peace, love, forgiveness, hope, and grace.  He heals our shame.

     The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.  As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”   ~Romans 10:8-11

     Jesus meets us where we are, just as we are.  He knows what lurks in the corners of our hearts and mind.  He loves us individually and personally.  Leave your shame with Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith.

Leaving LoDebar

A figure from the fountain at the Bronx Zoo

     Mephibosheth was a grandson of the first King of Israel - King Saul.  King Saul had died and David, of David and Goliath fame, had become the new king.  It was very common for ancient rulers to kill the relatives of a previous king in order to further establish their own claim to the throne and eliminate any competitors.  Mephibosheth was five years old when the news came that both his father and grandfather had died.  His nurse picked him up and fled to save his life.  Unfortunately, in the chaotic turmoil, Mephibosheth was dropped and his legs were permanently damaged.
     Fifteen years passed.  Mephibosheth grew to be a man, still dreading the knock on the door, hidden away in a town called  “the place of no pasture,” LoDebar.   LoDebar was barren and desolate, a place without nourishing green grass.  Mephibosheth went from prince to servant, from the lushness of the palace to a land of desolation, from wholeness to cripple, from security to fear.  Mephibosheth expected to die on the sword of the king, instead he received a blessing

     David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?’  Now there was a servant of Saul’s household named Ziba.  They called him to appear before David.  The king asked, “Is there no one still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?”  Ziba answered the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in both feet.”  He is in Lo Debar.”  So King David had him brought from LoDebar.  When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor.  David said, “Mephibosheth!”
     “Your Servant.”
      “Don’t be afraid for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan.  I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”
     Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?”
     Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family.  You and your sons and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops, so that your master’s grandson may be provided for.
     So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table like one of the king’s sons.  Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica, and Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table and he was crippled in both feet.  ~2 Samuel 9:1-13  Edited for length, but not meaning.  Please read this in your Bible for the complete text.

     When Mephibosheth met David, he fell flat on his face in submission and recognition of his tenuous situation.  He confessed that he had the worth of a dead dog, back when a dog was just a dog. Crippled Mephibosheth was restored by the anointed king.  He was invited to dine at the king’s table, to share the king’s bread, and to sit in the place of the king’s sons.  Instead of living in the place of no pasture, Mephibosheth lived in Jersualem, the king’s city, the city of peace.  He was no longer a helpless and poor cripple hiding in fear.  He was a wealthy and powerful man who enjoyed daily access to the king.
     Mephibosheth is a picture of you and of me.  An unhappy sinner hiding and running from God; exiled in LoDebar.  We have been made lame, dropped while running for our lives.  We do not walk the way that we should.  We know that someday we, too, will have to face the King.
     But the merciful Father rescued us through His Son.  Thanks to Jesus; His life, His death and His resurrection, we are suddenly taken out of LoDebar and invited to the city of peace.  We are brought to the banquet table in the household of the King. We are no longer orphaned and lonely.  We are made rich in Jesus and through Him have direct access to the King of Kings.
     Jesus says:

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.  ~Revelations 3:20

     Mephibosheth continued to be lame in both feet, but now those feet were under the king’s table.  I invite you today, to leave LoDebar and place your crippled feet under the King’s table.

A Baby Dedication for Violet

     This story about gifts can be found in the “Streams in the Desert” devotional on January 7, but I thought that it would be appropriate for the dedication of baby Violet.
     A story is told of a king who went to his garden one morning, only to find everything withered and dying.  He asked the oak tree that stood near the gate what the trouble was. The oak said it was tired of life because it was not tall and beautiful like the pine tree. The pine was troubled because it could not bear grapes like the grapevine. The grapevine was determined to throw its life away because it could not stand erect and produce fruit as large as peaches. The geranium was fretting because it was not tall and fragrant like the lilac.
     And so it went throughout the garden. Yet coming to a violet, the king found it’s face as bright and happy as ever and said, “Well, Violet, I’m glad to find one brave little flower in the midst of this discouragement. You don’t seem to be the least disheartened.” The violet responded, “No, I’m not. I know I’m small, yet I thought if you wanted an oak or a pine or a peach tree or even a lilac, you would have planted one. Since I knew you wanted a violet, I’m determined to be the best little violet I can be.
     People who are God’s without reservation “have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”  God’s will becomes their will, and they desire to do for Him whatever He desires them to do. They strip themselves of everything, and in their nakedness find everything restored a hundredfold.
     A few months ago, baby Violet played the part of Jesus in the manger in our Night at Bethlehem Event.  Her tiny hands and feet represented the hands and feet of Jesus.  May that be said of her all the days of her life.  Violet, was created by God to be just who she is.  A daughter, a little sister, a granddaughter, and a child of the King.  May she always walk with Jesus and seek to do His will.

 
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago. ~ Ephesians 2:10

Book Review: Unbroken

Source

     When I was in high school, I had a math teacher who had survived the attack at Pearl Harbor.  I remember him telling us about that awful day with tears streaming down his face.  He shared with us the sorrowful loss of friends, the terrible shock, and the overwhelming confusion.  As a self absorbed teen, I did not understand what a gift he gave us.  I could not imagine anything like that ever happening in my lifetime.  Now, of course, I can.
     The amazing story of the life of Louis Zamperini is expertly shared in the book Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand.   Zamperini was a boy with a knack for trouble.  He led a life of juvenile delinquency, frequently stealing anything that could be eaten.  He played elaborate pranks and was well known by the local police.
     Louis’ brother introduced him to running.  He could run like the wind.  Louis competed in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.  Incredibly, he met Hitler and stole a German flag off of the Reich Chancellery.
     When World War 2 began, Louis gave up preparing for the 1940 Olympics and enlisted in the Army Air Corp, becoming a bombardier.  On a May afternoon in 1943, Louis was on a routine search mission for a lost plane when his plane went down into the Pacific.  What happens over the next years, would require every skill that Louis has to survive.
     I read this incredible story with our library book club.  The members all agreed, and believe me that does not always happen, that Unbroken was wonderfully written, meticulously researched, and inspiring.  Unbroken draws you in and won’t let you go.
     It is soon to be released as a movie.
     Have you read Unbroken?


PS:  I did not receive payment to review Unbroken.  I purchased it on Amazon.  If you should click from my page to Amazon to purchase it, you will not pay more.  I might make a small amount through your purchase.

Say What?

A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.  ~Proverbs 25:11 

     Pat told me that this is a story that I must share with you.  If you know my husband, and his sense of humor, you know that I did something incredibly not smart or I put my foot in my mouth.  In this case, it was both.

     First, let me say that I love all our music ministers.  They are fabulous.  Their songs minister to my heart.  They are talented people and I appreciate them very much.  There are several people involved, but in this story I will only mention Pastor Mike, Eric, and Dan.

     A few weeks ago, as we were leaving church, I stopped to talk to Eric about a song that I thought would be a great church song.  The song is by Ellie Holcomb and is called Anchor of Hope.  It is linked below.

     And because it is always more run to be humiliated in front of several people, Pastor Mike and Dan were also present - so half of our church's worship team.

     “What kind of song is it, Donna?”  Eric asked.

     “Well, it has great lyrics and I think it would be good for church.”  Realizing that my description was remarkably unspecific,  I continued with complete sincerity, ”Eric, I love when you sing.  When you sing, you make everyone else sound better.”  Everyone, but Captain Obvious here, laughed.

     Did my husband leave my statement alone?  No!  He jumped in and stirred the pot.  “Wow, Eric, I think she just said that you must be pretty bad if when you sing you make everyone else sound better.”  The guys roared, and always the fast thinker, I realized that my statement could possibly be taken as an insult, which it completely was not in my mind.

     I desperately tried to explain myself.  “No, Eric, it’s just that your voice is so good that it helps to make even someone like me sound better.”  Yup, I was digging the hole deeper.  While everyone else was laughing at the great compliment I had given Eric, I quickly told him that I would email him a link to the song and hurried off, hoping that Eric had understood.  Of course, he didn’t.  Eric went home and asked his lovely wife, Katie, “I know Donna meant it to be nice, but exactly how could that be a good thing?”

     I have the privilege of working in the same school as Eric, so on Monday morning, I found Eric in his classroom.  The poor man is never safe from me.

     I apologized and tried again to explain.  So here is what I meant and I hope it isn’t insulting again.  Eric has a beautiful voice that is easy to listen to and easy to follow.  There are lots of musicians that I enjoy listening to, but I would never attempt to sing with them, like Pavorati. Eric’s voice fills in the squeaks and squeals of even my singing.  I think that Eric’s voice holds the group together somehow and compliments it.  His voice is like grace poured out.    

     Katie explained to me that Eric sings tenor.  So...my unmusical self looked that up on Wikepedia - so you know that it has to be true.  “The name "tenor" derives from the Latin word tenere, which means "to hold".  The tenor is the structurally fundamental (or 'holding') vocal. All other voices are normally calculated in relation to the tenor...”  

     Which goes to prove my point...Eric does have a voice that makes everyone else sound better.

“The LORD your God is with you, 

he is mighty to save. 

He will take great delight in you, 

he will quiet you with his love, 

he will rejoice over you with singing." Zeph.3:17 (NIV)

Soul For Sale

He restores my soul;  He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.  ~Psalm 23:3     

     This is a real advertisement from Craigslist for the Hudson Valley that I came across last August.  It reads:  Authentic human soul,  $800,  I am offering my genuine human soul on loan for 1 year in exchange for $800 cash.  Legitimate offers.  Serious buyers/investors only.  Will type up contract.

      I came across the advertisement, saved it, because I wondered about it, and then in the press of returning to school with the kids,  I completely forgot about it until I found it on my computer while looking for something else.  I wish I could tell you more about the advertisement, like why someone would decide to sell their soul at 3:00 in the morning, or how they decided their soul had a market value of eight hundred dollars for one year, or even, if there were any takers.
     This is not the first time a soul has been offered for sale.  A man from Ontario, Canada attempted to auction his soul on eBay. His listing was cancelled under a longstanding eBay policy that specifically forbids selling your soul.  Bidding had reached $20.50.
     What is the price of a soul after all?  Jesus came “at just the right time,” for the purpose of redeeming us.  He came to purchase us off of the auction block of sin.  He didn’t casually disregard us, or forget about us because He had other things to do.  He knew the cost.  He was the cost.  We were bought with a price.

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life ...,  but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.  ~1 Peter 1:18-19     

      Jesus willingly paid the complete debt for our soul on Calvary’s cross two thousand years ago.    With love, He ransomed us, redeemed us, and restored us.  He gave us value, and it is far greater than $800 a year.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ~ John 3:16

     While we were bought with a price, we are offered the precious gift of salvation freely.  We can not pay for it, work for it, or be good enough for it.  It is ours as a gift, freely given from a loving Father.   We are all just one breath, one heartbeat, one illness, or accident away from eternity.  There is no greater gift than to have been redeemed by the blood of the lamb of God.  Not for one hour, not for one year, but for all eternity.

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy   ~Psalms 107:1-2 

     Have you given Him your soul?

The Gate Called Beautiful

One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon.  Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts.  When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money.  Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!”  So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.
    Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”  Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong.  He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.  When all the people saw him walking and praising God,  they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.  ~Acts 3:1-10

     I have read this amazing passage of scripture many times, but what stood out to me this time was that the name of the gate where this lame and broken man was placed was “Beautiful.”

     Beautiful.

     Sometimes I forget that God finds beauty in our lameness and brokeness.  When we are just not good enough, when we are sick, or in despair, when we find ourselves in the same wretched place we have been before.  Then we turn to God with a beggar’s expectation, knowing that we don’t have enough on our own to make it through another day.  And the God of miracles and grace causes us to rise up and walk with Him past the place where we have laid so long.  With His great compassion and love, He finds us beautiful.
     Remember the woman with the albaster box of precious spikenard with which she annointed Jesus.  Consider, Jesus was not anointed until the box was broken.
      We should not feel ashamed to be broken.  God loves the broken heart and the contrite spirit.  Brokeness is just a beautiful gate, a sweet perfume, where Jesus meets us, heals us, and walks us through.

Praise the Lord.
How good it is to sing praises to our God,
    how pleasant and fitting to praise him!
The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
    he gathers the exiles of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted
    and binds up their wounds.
He determines the number of the stars
    and calls them each by name.
Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
    his understanding has no limit.                    ~Psalm 147:1-5

Day 19: The Looking Glass

     Pat will tell you that I have a difficult time in the mornings.  I do not wake up feeling refreshed and ready to greet the world.  It's more like trying to claw my way out of a deep pit.  Still, my alarm goes off each weekday morning at 5:00 and after hitting the snooze alarm once, I roll out of bed, stagger down the stairs and exercise.  I confess that I sometimes sleep in my exercise clothes so that I am more motivated to exercise if I am already dressed for it.  My poor husband.  I also know that getting up at 5:30 is not any easier than getting up at 5:00.
     I exercise with a dvd for about half an hour.  When I am finished, I am, for the most part, finally awake.  I head back upstairs to take a shower.  While the water is running to warm up, I brush my hair and glance in the mirror.  Oh, baby!  It is not a pretty sight.  I'm red and sweaty from exercise.  My hair is sticking out like straw in a haystack.  There is a smudge of mascara that didn't get washed off from the night before.  I am a mess.  I climb into the shower and begin the transformation into a person that people would be willing to entrust their precious children to.
     I am reminded of this verse from James.

     Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.  Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror  and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.  But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.   ~James 1:22-25

     It is important to listen to what God's word says, but it is much more important to obey it.  To do what the Bible says.  The person who hears, but fails to act upon what he hears, is like "a man, or woman, who looks at his face in a mirror and goes away and forgets what he looks like."
     The mirror is God's infallible Word, a true mirror of the soul.  Sometimes we look into the mirror and see ourselves as the sinners we are in God's holy presence.  Then we look away and live for ourselves. If we are honest with what the mirror reveals and obey the light, then there comes a transformation of our heart and life.
     Second Corinthians says "we who reflect the Lord's glory are being transformed into His likeness."
     Are you being transformed today?
     This post is Day 19, yes, this messy girl is behind,  in the 31 Day Series: Welcome to My Mess.  You can read the other posts here.

Day 18: Wedding Supper

     Pat and I attended the summer wedding of a friend's daughter a few years ago.  It was lovely.  The bride was radiant and the groom, handsome and sweet.
     Pat and I arrived at the reception a little late.  It was completely my fault.  I had thought that the wedding and reception, which were being held at the same place, would be in a chilly, over air-conditioned room.  I had worn a dress with long sleeves.  The wedding was held outside in a huge tent. The temperature hovered at 95 degrees.  Pat had simply shrugged off his jacket and tie.  Between the wedding and the reception, I, already melting, had insisted we run to a nearby mall so that I could buy a more comfortable dress.  That was the fastest dress decision I have ever made!
     There we were, late and I was looking decidedly rumpled.  We found our place cards and seated ourselves at Table #9.  There were about 100 guests.  We did not know anyone, with the exception of the parents of the bride and their five lovely adult children.
     After the grand introduction and entrances were made and the happy couple had danced their first dance, our friends found us.  They laughed at my dress dilemma, then invited us to sit with them at Table #1 with their family.
   So we enjoyed the wedding in a place of honor with the family.  We laughed with the bride's brothers and listened to Grandma tell family stories.  It was a wonderful day.
     I was reminded of God's grace and how in Luke where Jesus tells the parable of sitting yourself at the lowest place at a banquet so that the host will invite you to sit at a better place, a place of honor.

When Jesus noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable:  “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place.  But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests.  For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”  ~Luke 14:7-11

     Pat and I had done nothing to deserve the "better" seat, all we did was accept it.  A gift freely given.
     Soon we will be going to the wedding feast of the Lamb of God.  There the highest place will be lying low at our Redeemer's feet.  Jesus will sweetly lift us up and seat us.
     This post is Day 18 in the 31 Day Series: Welcome to My Mess.  You can read the other posts here.

Day 13: Joy Comes in the Morning

     About thirty years ago, I heard a wonderful speaker share her moving testimony about how the Lord had taken her through some extremely difficult trials in her life.  During the course of her testimony, she related an account of something that had happened in her Bronx neighborhood.  The story touched me and I would like to share it with you.
     An unfortunate young woman found herself pregnant.  She was hardly more than a child herself.  She was unmarried and frightened.  She couldn’t care for a baby.  She could scarcely care for herself.  She gave birth alone, in a wooded park late at night.  She tenderly wrapped her daughter in a tattered bath towel, pinned a quick note on it and pushed her baby deep under a large bush.  The night air felt warm.  The young mother left and never was seen again.
     The night became darker and colder.  The air temperature dropped.  The newborn awoke.  She began to cry and to wave her small fists.  The branches of the bush scratched her tiny arms, sparking even more wailing.  She kicked the towel off of her legs.  Her legs, too, were scratched by those sharp branches.  She was cold, wet, hungry, and abandoned.  The night air and the damp ground seeped the warmth out of her small body.  Her cries became weaker and weaker.
     Dawn broke on the new day.  A man was walking his dog.  The dog, as dogs do, was investigating every bush in the park.  In fact, the dog was trying to push into one particular bush.  That was when the man heard the sound of a tiny kitten mewing.  He was shocked when bending over to rescue a kitten, he discovered, instead, a baby.  The man tucked the infant inside his jacket to warm her and hurriedly called the police.
     The baby was whisked to a nearby hospital.  At the hospital she was treated for dehydration and exposure.  She had many scratches and a few deep cuts from the branches.  These, too, were tended.
     The story was on the news and in the papers.  When the doctors were asked how such a tiny newborn could survive the cold night air without any real protection, the doctors stated that it was a miracle, but also it was because of the branches.  The branches scratched and poked the infant’s tender skin, causing her to cry.  The crying and movement helped to raise her body temperature.  Had she been comfortable and sleeping, she would have died.
     Jesus says in John 14:18, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”  And He does.
     Some of us think that, if we believe life will always be sunshine and roses.  But life is not like that.  There are times in our lives when we are poked and scratched.  There are times when we are persecuted.  We suffer loss.  We watch our child struggle with pain and illness.  We get sick ourselves.  We want to say, “Enough!  God, I just can’t handle anymore.  Aren’t you picking on me a little much this week?  How much can I handle?  How much do I have to handle?  This hurts.”
     But during that time God is still holding us securely in the palm of His hand.

In the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
He will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.
Hear my voice when I call, O Lord;  be merciful to me and answer me.
My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”  Your face, Lord, I will seek.
Though my father and mother forsake me,  the Lord will receive me.
I am still confident of this:  I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord.    ~Psalm 27:5-14

    This post is Day 13 in the 31 Day Series: Welcome to My Mess.  You can read the other posts here.

Day 12: What Kind of Character are You?

Brothers, on an ordinary day, revealing their character.

“Who despises the day of small things? Men will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.”    ~Zech. 4:10 

     I’ve been in school for most of my life, as a student and as a teacher.  I’ve seen the Dick and Jane McGuffey Readers, the nightmare of ITA in the 60’s, whole-language, phonics, No Child Left Behind, Reading First and balanced literacy, and now Common Core with literacy blocks and differentiation.

      During the literacy blocks, our children are frequently asked to complete graphic organizers like this one.  (This is a link to This Reading Mama which is a wonderful resource for homeschoolers and teachers.  She offers free printables.)  The students need to list the character, recount the setting - which is where everything takes place, state the problem, and finally explain how the problem was resolved.
     I was working with a group of fifth graders this week discussing character.  Character is not simply writing the name of the person in the correct spot on the graphic organizer. The word character is also used to describe a persons traits, attributes and abilities. The famous character, Dumbledore in the Harry Potter Series said, “It is not our abilities that show what we truly are.  It is our choices.”  The character of a books’ character is revealed through their actions and words over time.
      My character and yours is revealed in the same way.  Our life and character are not usually defined by great heroics, but rather by the ordinary decisions we make as we go through our ordinary day.  Our smallest actions, our choices, our attitude, tell the story of our life.
     In John 10:25, Jesus answered the religious leaders of His day,  “I told you, but you don’t believe. Everything I have done has been authorized by my Father, actions that speak louder than words.”  (The Message)
     Jesus said, what I say and what I do, reveal who I am.
     As we seek to clothe ourselves in the character of Christ, our daily actions, no matter how small, should serve to validate what our heart values.  Our actions may be baking cookies for fellowship after church, planning a children’s service, honoring our parents, or washing the dishes at the kitchen sink.  God can do a lot with a little and multiply our faithful actions for His kingdom.      
     And if our actions have been less than they ought, take comfort in this.

     Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.   ~Carl Bard

     What do our choices tell others about our character?
     This post is Day 12 in the 31 Day Series: Welcome to My Mess.  You can read the other posts here.
http://holimess.blogspot.com/2013/09/31-days-welcome-to-my-mess.html

Day 10: Losing My Mind

My son, Anthony, has lost his mind, too!  Don't try this at home, folks.  This can be dangerous.

    I lost my mind a long time ago.  My children will tell you that this is true.  My husband of thirty-three years can certainly verify it.  My parents, who have known me the longest, have said on more than one occasion, "Donna, are you out of your mind?!!!!"
     That I have lost my mind does not come as a surprise to me.  About thirty years ago, shortly after the birth of my first child, I made a cross stitch sampler that read, "Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most."  Some might say that I was going through a phase, like adolescence or the chicken pox, or even brainlessness induced by sleep deprivation.  But I know better.
     At school, I have a small poster hanging by my desk.  It says, "I've lost my mind.  I think the kids took it."  My first graders don't understand it.  The fifth graders want to know "Which kids?"  Parents, on the other hand, understand the sentiment and smile.
     The truth is, that most of you have lost your mind, too.  It's scriptural.
     Paul lost his mind on the road to Damascus.  He had lots to say about it, too.

     If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.  For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.  ~ Corinthians 5:13-14

     Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.   ~Romans 12:1-2 

     When I lost my mind, it wasn't just misplaced, and for sure the kids didn't take it.  Jesus did.  When we become believers we exchange far more than our sin for robes of righteousness.

     First Corinthians 2:16 tells us that we have the mind of Christ.  We can renew our minds by reading God's word and meditating on it.

     And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.  Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice.  Ant the God of peace will be with you.  Philippians 4:7-9

       I may have lost my mind, but really, it was no great loss compared with what I have gained.  Have you lost YOUR mind?
     This post is Day 10 of my 31 Day series, Welcome to My Mess.  You can read the other posts here.

Day 8: Royal Crowns

     Each September I have the pleasure of screening about fifty kindergarten students.    They love to show me their new shoes, clothes and haircuts.  On the screening time, I am the one to evaluate their motor skills - which is how well they are able to catch, hop, skip, and jump, and use a pencil and scissors.  They giggle when I can’t catch the bean bag they throw wildly over my head and they laugh at me when I show them how I skip.
     One little girly-girl wore a pink tutu type skirt, sparkly shoes, and a tiara on top of her curls.  She was not in costume, this was her going to school outfit, and she could carry it off.  I leaned over and said, “I love your tiara.”  She shared that her mommy gave it to her.
     “I have a tiara, too,” I confided.
     The little girl's eyes opened wide, “Really?”
     “Yes,” I nodded, “I wear mine at home when I’m vacuuming.”
      My little friend needed some time to think that over, but wouldn’t you like to hear the conversation when she told her mom about her day at school?
     Our Bible tells us about crowns.   It says that God will bestow upon the grieving a crown of beauty instead of ashes.  It also says that, “Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life.” (Proverbs 16:31)
     Tiara’s and crowns represent royalty, valor, and even, prestige. Our media symbolically crown’s people for their success, achievement, wealth, and beauty.
     Paul writes this in 1 Corinthians about athletic games, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize.  Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.  They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” (1 Corinthians 9:24-25)
    1 Peter 2:9 tells us we “are a chosen people, a ROYAL priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God,..."
     As Christians, we are – quite literally – Kings and Queens.  Each night at the dinner table, you are seated beside royalty.  Look around, that boy stirring peas into his mashed potatoes,  a prince.  That girl wearing sauce on her face, a princess.  Even your spouse has a regal bearing because Jesus made it so.
     You see, we are working royalty.  We have responsibilities.  We teach.  We wash dishes.  We vacuum.  We were created in Christ Jesus to do good works.  So I ask myself: Where is my attention focused?  Am I putting effort into the places in my life that will make a lasting impact, a heavenly impact?
     Jesus too, wore a crown.  The One most worthy to be crowned King of Kings had a crown of thorns placed on His head in cruel mockery.
     I love the crown that Jesus wore.  I love it for it's power to bring this poor soul into heaven.  I love it for it's redemptive power.  I love it because it represents the depth of His love for me and the sacrifice He lovingly made.

Revelation 19
The Rider on the White Horse
 11:  I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. 12His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. ... 13He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. ...16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
       KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

      When do you wear your tiara?

Day 6: Details

     Ever had one of those days?  Ever had one of those weeks?  You know where your prayers are more like “Honey do lists,” flung up to God. “Lord, let my car start.”  “Father, can I just make that traffic light, I’m already late.”  “Lord, please let this child sleep through the night, I’m so tired.”  “God help my son understand his fraction homework.”  "Oh Lord, please help me to straighten out this mess."  I’m sure that you’ve prayed one or more of these prayers on occasion.
     Not all of the time, but sometimes, my prayers are just about me, my life, my family, my home, and what I deem to be important at that very moment.  I know that there are much bigger problems in this world than the minutia of my day, but I feel better when I tell God what I need, even when it’s silly or trivial.
     I am not saying that we can skate by on missing worship, sitting in God’s presence, fellowship, or Bible reading.  I’m just sharing that I often have a conversation with God in my head which is not necessarily spiritual.
     I was reading in 2 Kings recently and came across the passage about a floating iron axe head. This takes place right after Elisha has healed Naaman of leprosy and right before Israel’s army is delivered from the Arameans.  Elisha and Naaman were important men and the war was certainly an important event.  But the floating axe was really only important to one unnamed man who found himself in a bit of a mess.

     The men who were following Elisha were cutting trees by the Jordan River to build larger quarters to accommodate their growing numbers. One of the men broke the top of his axe handle and the iron axe head fell into the river. He couldn’t work and to make matters even worse, the axe had been borrowed. When Elisha heard the man cry out he asked him where the axe head had fallen into the river.  The man showed Elisha the place. Elisha cut a stick, threw it into the water, and the iron axe head floated right up to the top where the man could reach down and pick it up.
     The man was obviously not a big, important person like Naaman, after all we don’t even know his name.  He didn’t even have enough money to buy his own ax, but had to borrow one. He also wasn’t performing some big, important task like fighting in Israel’s army.  But he was doing what God had called him to do – building a home so that God’s Word and work could be furthered.
     As we go about our every day lives in our kitchens, going to work and school, we sometimes don’t feel we are important or that we are accomplishing anything important.  But we are. We are building God’s kingdom in our little corner of the world.  And God cares about the details. He wants to hear our little prayers. He cares about our worries and concerns.

 Cast the whole of your care, all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.     ~ 1 Peter 5:7 (The Amplified Bible)

     Many times God will use our trivial little prayers and the answers He gives us to teach us about Himself and His purposes for us. All we need to do is ask for the lesson in the midst of the mess we find ourselves.  God will use our everyday life circumstances to draw us to Him, to build our faith and ultimately change us into His likeness.
     The next time you feel your prayer or need is silly or unimportant; remember the floating axe head and that God cares about the details of your life.

Day 5: Midnight

     This post is part of my 31 Day Series: Welcome to My Mess.  You can read the previous posts here.  Actually, you need to read Day 3: Embracing the Cinderella in Me and Day 4:  The Ball to understand the post below.  If you haven't read them, go ahead.  It is worth it.

Midnight:
     The Beauty Pageant competition was over.  We girls had done all that we could.  Now it was up to the judges.  TheJones Brothers and Jack whispered heatedly back and forth heads together.  They erased.  They called for more lemonade.  Then the big moment arrived.
     The elder of the Jones Brothers stood to proclaim the winners.  The fourth runner up was... Suzie.  Suzie gasped and began crying.  A little slow on the uptake, I thought Suzie had won, in my confusion I began to clap.  Suzie wailed the louder.  The Jones Brother continued...the third runner up was...Cathy.
     What a mess!  Cathy and Suzie began shouting at each other and at the judges.  That is how the Jones Brothers, Anne, and I learned about the basis for the whole pageant.  Jack jumped into the argument.  Jack shouted the girls down.  He revealed how he had reached his decision.  Jack  explained that while his sister's were mean to him all of the time, Anne had given him freshly baked chocolate chip cookies and lemonade, not to mention a comfortable lawn chair in the shade.  The Jones Brothers, not to be left out,  complained that they would not have agreed to be judges if they had known it was to see which sister was prettier than the other.  Their decision was also going to stand.  Suzie left sobbing. Cathy stood glaring at the rest of us.  She was not going anywhere.  Cathy would see it through.
     The judging continued.  The second runner up was... Anne.  The boys hadn't liked the violin, but they had given her extra points for the chocolate chip cookies and the lemonade.  Cathy complained that refreshments were not part of the competition and so awarding points for them, was just not fair.  The judges disagreed.  One of the Jones Brothers correctly pointed out that cookie baking is indeed a talent.

The Pageant Dress and my youngest brother.  Adorable wasn't he?

     That made me - the stunned winner of the pageant.  Apparently, the tap dancing had won the day.  The judges hadn't even noticed the old dress, the flip flops, or the crazy hair.  I was presented with the bouquet and the silk flower for my hair.  Cathy was outraged.  She shouted for a few minutes longer, then like her sister stormed off down the road.  The Jones Brothers left in disgust.  They were angry that they had been used and then hollered at.
     Jack sat on the shady patio with Anne and I.  Together we finished off the cookies and the lemonade.  Jack grumbled about having to put up with his sisters.  Anne and I sympathized with him, after all, he had to live with the diabolical duo.  We praised him for outwitting them.  Obviously, Jack had saved the day for Anne and I.  He was our hero.  Eventually, I gathered my flowers and like Cinderella after the Ball, walked home.
     Isn't it amazing how imaginative children can be when there are only five TV stations?
     Nearly everyone wants to be thought of as beautiful whatever age they might be.  The Bible says in Ecclesiates 3:11 that "God makes everything beautiful in His time."  In Isaiah 61, scripture reads that "God will give us beauty for ashes."
     In Bible times, it was the custom for people in times of great mourning or difficulty, to sit in the ashes of the fire, rather like Cinderella.  Consider that for a moment.  Life has so overwhelmed you that you just sit in a pile of ashes.  But the scripture says that God will take your difficult, depressing situation and give you beauty.  He will pick you up out of the messy ash pile of life and make something beautiful out of you.
     It is not always glamorous to be a woman.  There are crazy hair days and days when your shoes just don't fit.  You worry that you are not pretty enough, busy enough, or talented enough for the competition you are in.  Being a woman is hard work.  Being a mother, really complicates things. There are days when the perfume we wear smells more like eau de diaper pail than Heaven Scent.  But, being a woman of God allows Him to reveal the true beauty He has placed within each of us.
     So this month, as I talk about messes, I pray for you a true fairytale ending.  May you marry the Son of the King.  I looking forward to seeing you at the banquet.

Day 4: The Ball

     Yesterday I shared the first part of this story in Embracing the Cinderella in Me, the third day of my 31 Day Series:  Welcome to My Mess.  You can go ahead and read it.  I'll wait.
     The story continues:
     I was so excited about the Beauty Pageant.  I spent the afternoon busily planning my outfits.  I decided to wear what I thought was a beautiful white dress I had gotten for my First Communion at age seven.  Five years later, I am embarrassed to say, it still fit.  The dress had just become fashionably shorter.  Looking back, it certainly did not fit the ball gown idea.  For the swim suit competition, I went with my favorite bathing suit.  As for the talent portion, I had that nailed.  I had just completed my dance recital.  I planned to tap dance.  I even had a pink fringe flapper style costume to wear.  I am sure that whatever you can imagine does not begin to touch the reality of that costume.  The crowning glory of my preparations was added by my mother.  She tied my pin straight hair up in knotted rags to make spit curls.  No really, SPIT curls.  That night, I barely slept.  I just hoped I wouldn't be awful.  I had knots on my head and knots in my stomach.
     The day of the pageant was beautiful and sunny.  I nervously dabbed my mother's Heaven Scent perfume behind my ears and walked down the block to Anne's house.
     Anne had decorated the patio with crepe paper streamers.  Her mother had given her permission to cut some roses.  The roses were nestled in water but tied together with a ribbon for the lucky winner.  Her backyard looked wonderful.  I surveyed it with a tremulous sigh.
     Anne and I were surprised when we heard that there were to be only four competitors.    Cathy and Suzie told us that all of the other girls in the neighborhood were busy.  Anne and I remained clueless.  The three judges took their places in lawn chairs.  Thanks to Anne, they even had a side table to put their lemonade on and a large plate of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies.  Finally the big moment had arrived.
     The first competition was the swim suit competition.  We had all worn our bathing suits under our clothes, so we were ready.  Cathy and Suzie were in it to win it.  They had thought to bring fancy sandals.  Anne quickly grabbed a pair from her closet.  I had foolishly not considered my feet.  I reluctantly slipped into the rubbery elegance of my flip flops.  Each of us strolled down the wooden ramp, spun and walked as gracefully as we could.  The other girls shoes musically click, click, clicked. Mine feet squashed flip, flip, flip.
     Next came the talent competition.  Cathy and Suzie sang.  I did not get to hear Cathy, but I heard Suzie.  Suzie wasn't as good a singer as she thought she was.  Anne on the other hand, played the violin.  I was pretty impressed.  Violins can be screechy, but Anne managed to play something recognizable.  Then it was my turn.  I didn't have music, but I flew through my recital routine.  My tap shoes rang out on the flagstone.  There may even have been a few sparks.  I made a few false steps but I was hopeful that in all of the noise, they wouldn't be noticed.
     The judges nodded appreciatively at each act, made notes, drank their lemonade and crunched on the cookies.  They whispered back and forth a few times.

My brother's and I.  That is THE dress I wore for the Pageant.

     Finally, we were ready for the ball gowns.  Cathy and Suzie had long dresses from a wedding they had attended.  They looked beautiful.  Anne had on a pretty easter dress.  I wore my old white dress.  My hair was crazy looking from all of the tap dancing.  Once again, we walked down the wooden runway.  This time each of us answered a question.  Time has completely erased the question from my mind, but I am sure that our responses involved world peace and getting along with others.
     We, girls, had done all that we could.  Cathy and Suzie smiled smugly at each other.  It was now up to the judges.
     A mess was about to ensue.  Only one of us could see what would happen next..  Join me tomorrow, as I share the conclusion of Embracing the Cinderella in Me.
    Updated:  Here is the conclusion:  Midnight