Thanks, Mama...

Jim and Anna, Dec. 19, 1955

Sometimes the full impact of a thing does not hit me right away. I had one of those moments this morning. For some reason, I remembered something that my mother told me years ago during a time of reminiscence, something about a hard decision she had been faced with. And this morning, finally, I think I fully comprehended the effect of that decision on my own life.

Mama and Daddy were married in December, 1955. They were really young, but in love, and were pleased to learn that Mama was expecting not too many months after their first anniversary. As the pregnancy progressed, her doctor discovered that Mama had some sort of heart problem. A serious heart problem, so serious that he was concerned about her body's ability to carry and deliver the baby. In fact, his medical advice to her was, "You need to abort this baby, and you should not have any children." What a decision for a still-newlywed 21-year-old to face. I wonder who, beyond my father, she might have confided in or sought counsel from. Her own mother had died years before; perhaps her sisters or my father's mother?

Ultimately, she had a decision to make. She decided to take the risk and carry the baby, rather than sacrifice that life within her so that she might live. She was on bedrest for a time, and hospitalized for observation before the due date, but she did deliver a healthy little girl. How she must have cherished that tiny infant girl, knowing what might have been.

Mama made another decision, as well. She wanted a family. Raised by her aunts and older siblings, moved from place to place, I wonder if she wanted to opportunity to create a strong family unit, building in so many things that she knew she had missed out on. I do know that she loved the Lord and wanted to share that love with her family.

So two years later, a boy was born. Four years later, I came along... and after a break of five years, another baby girl.

I'm certain that doctor believed he was advising the right things -- this was a good 16 years before Roe v Wade, so I don't have any reason to believe that he took the situation lightly. And yet, I am so thankful that my mother had a firm hold on the rightness and wrongness the options before her, and a faith in the God who had created this little life within her. I wonder, did she yet recognize that more than one life was at stake?

Anna, with AnnaKate, 1996

Because one baby was allowed to live (and my mother lived, in spite of her condition), three more were also born. Because those four children were born, they went on to have a total of twelve more children, my mother's grandchildren. Those grandchildren have gone on to have three great-grandchildren, with one more on the way. What lives within our family have been impacted... what lives beyond our family have been impacted.

All because a young wife and mother-to-be decided, "It's not about me."

While I'd love to be able to hug my mother today and tell her thank you for all of this, I can't. But she's with the Lord, and I know that she has a greater realization of His plan and His glory now than she ever had on earth.

Oh, that we might all seek to glimpse that here on earth.

Gotta love a giveaway!

The only problem is that, should I win, I would have to compete with AnnaKate to use this!

Win Silhouette at Shabby Chic Cottage!

What was the best thing about... yesterday?

I love to write, but I'm not very disciplined about it. Other things just seem to take priority. But even I should be able to write one line each day -- and what a great exercise in brevity! That's one of the things I love about this DIY project. Well, it's also very cute. And it would make a great gift for a friend, as well as a helpful mini-journaling tool for a child who is a new or reluctant writer. It would also be nice for anyone who is starting a new adventure...

I hope you enjoy the best of my days notepad from Under the Sycamore.

The Ardent Sparrow just gives and gives!

Another cute giveaway at The Ardent Sparrow!

Rosemary Fest!

I love going to the Dekalb Farmer's Market -- I just wish it was closer to my house! I was able to justify going there recently because it was close enough to the Carlos Museum at Emory University (a great field trip when studying Ancients). As we pulled into the parking lot, I rolled down the windows so we could inhale the scents -- exotic spices seem to emanate from the building!

After lunching on samplings from various culture's cuisines, the serious shopping started. I find my weakness is in the dry spices section... and the produce... including fresh herbs. Shopping at a farmer's market is kind of like Forest Gump's box of chocolates: you never know what you're going to get. But I almost always come away with fresh herbs (and very little idea of what I'm going to do with them).

Here's what I did with some of the fresh rosemary that I bought:

First, the pork chops. I'd bought a whole pork tenderloin (I'm talking the huge one now, the one that could be a lethal weapon if you can heft it) at Sam's and sliced part of it as chops. I seasoned some with just kosher salt and coarse-ground pepper, belted each with a slice of quality bacon, tucked in a rosemary sprig, and added a toothpick for security -- then double-bagged and froze them. These can be grilled, but they are also good cooked in a skillet with a little olive oil, like this:

I also wedged some new potatoes and shook them in a ziploc bag with a little olive oil, kosher salt, coarse ground pepper, and chopped fresh rosemary. You can also add pressed or minced garlic (I forgot). Shake well, then spread on an oiled jelly-roll pan and roast at 400 degrees for about 40-45 minutes, stirring at least once:

I was on a roll, so I opened a small can of mandarin oranges and mixed in a little chopped rosemary, as well:

This was later added to mixed greens and topped with craisins, toasted sliced almonds, and Ken's Steakhouse Sweet Vidalia Onion Dressing:

This meal seemed fancy without being fussy -- and it was good! Hope your family will enjoy it, too!




I shared this on:

I linked up over at Eat at Home's Ingredient Spotlight: Fresh Herbs! 

Christmas Traditions

 

For the past 15 years or more, our family has sought out and cut down our Christmas tree. Somewhere along the way, it became a tradition. When we lived in California, the tree farm was in Fillmore, an hour from our Newhall apartment, but we went anyway. And we added a new activity to the tradition... after cutting the tree, we would visit our favorite Mexican restaurant. This year, we did have to adjust that part of the tradition and eat yummy hometown Italian instead (still don't have a favorite Mexican place in Cartersville), and we also watched the Christmas parade.

Once we have the tree set up with lights and garland, and I've unpacked all the ornaments, we fulfill another tradition -- this one started by my mother. Each year, she handmade or carefully purchased an ornament for each grandchild.  When we began thinking about our tree in 2006, it suddenly hit me that there would be no ornaments from Mam-ma (she went to be with her Lord that past Christmas morning). I knew that this tradition was too good to let go, so I've continued it for our children. Over the years, each child has collected many beautiful ornaments -- this year, Christopher's are boxed up waiting for him in case he puts up a tree in his condo.

Each Christmas Eve, we allow the children to open one present -- something my parents allowed each year. While we were allowed to choose any gift under the tree, Jeff and I always select the gift our kids get to open. Sometimes it's a book they can read in bed for a bit, sometimes new pajamas or slippers, sometimes a game we can play that night. 

I can remember that, as a young child, my older siblings usually woke me up in the wee hours to try to sneak out and see what Santa had left (that, apparently, was their tradition). One year, my father laid a trap -- a swivel rocker blocking the end of the hallway, with metal mixing bowls and a few marbles to sound the alarm. I believe my crafty brother disabled the trap and we made it through anyway! Jeff and I have tried various foils over the years, but we finally just resorted to either putting out the Santa gifts early Christmas morning, or wrapping them but putting them out after the children went to bed. Our kids have always known that we are Santa (although I "believed" into teenage years because he kept bringing me things!), and we all enjoy the fun.

My father, who was not normally one to set tradition, did bring one important thing to our childhood Christmases. After the dust cleared from the Santa gift excitement, but before we tore into our other gifts, we all sat down together and listened to him read the Christmas story, the real Luke 2 Christmas story. It set the tone for our day, for our whole celebration. And that was a tradition worth keeping. 

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when  Quirinius was governor of Syria.  And all went to be registered, each to his own town.  And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,  to be registered with Mary, his betrothed,  who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.  And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.  And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”  And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

                                                                                                       Luke 2:1-20, ESV

Merry Christmas!

On being still...

"Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"

Psalm 46:10 ESV

When our daughter was a a preschooler, Jeff was preparing for the pastorate. Knowing that we would likely be in a small church with no nursery, we began training her to sit in the service by giving her "still and quiet lessons" at home. This involved sitting her on the couch, first for just a few minutes, then up to 20 minutes, just being still and quiet. Occasionally she could quietly look at a book or hold a doll, but she had to be reasonably still and very quiet. This was a challenge for my verbal-from-birth girl, as well as for her active brother who came up behind her. (We never needed to do this with our oldest, but that's another story.) 

It was amazing to see that these children, who were never still and quiet unless they were asleep, could be trained to be obedient in this way. We began to see the benefit of these lessons -- they could be still and quiet in church, but also in the doctor's office, the theatre, while visiting the elderly, even when we were driving through hectic traffic (not to mention during homeschooling!). And I began to notice other benefits... they were more focused during those still and quiet times.

Sometimes I think I need still and quiet lessons. I'm such a Martha; there's always something to be done. It's fine to pray unceasingly as I go about my day; I even listen to spiritual things on my iPod as I work. But there is a certain benefit to being still and knowing that God is God, just meditating on that reality. Perhaps that's what I need in order to realize the opening verses of this same Psalm:

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way; though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling." (Psalm 46:1-3 ESV)

 Be still, and know...