Liz's Letters

Relocation has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. When I was a child I lived in 6 different homes...and these do not include the ones before my memory begins. Then, as a married adult, I have made 8 different moves in 27 years. All of these moves in my adulthood were to different cities and four of these have been cross country relocations. No, my husband is not in the military (nor was my father) but it seems that God has a plan for me that frequently requires a move. As a forty something year old woman, this most recent move has been different. In the past, I was able to make friends quite quickly. I have found that having young children creates a bond between women - sometimes in a matter of seconds, so friends were easy to find. Now that my children are grown and older, I find myself with no "excuse" to get together with other women, no play dates, no field trips or birthday parties. So, friendship building has become much more purposeful. Having lived in...

I have many scars. There is one from my childhood that remains on my forehead today. My younger brother was angry with me and hit me over the head with his toy machine gun. It was one of those plastic ones that makes a shooting sound when you hold the trigger. Unfortunately, the gun broke in half when it made contact with my hard head. I will never forget it. That is how it is when we get angry and try to hurt others. In our anger, we lash out at the person who hurt us, but often times something precious to us gets broken in the process. And we don't apologize to the person we hurt, but focus on our own injury or loss. And the one who gets hit...well, they focus on the scar. I know I did. I was quick to show my injury to my mom and even as the skin healed, I focused on the scar it was leaving. I worried because it was on my forehead, for all the world to see. As I grew older, I spent time being concerned about whether my make-up would cover it accurately and whether others were as ...

Back in June, I posted a blog entry about my daughter and two of her best friends. I was watching them together at the end of school year band concert and realized what a beautiful picture of friendship, acceptance, and diversity these girls are. It was my hope to get a photograph of the three girls to capture their beauty as young ladies, but also to capture the bigger picture of love. Last night I was finally able to assemble the three of them for a photograph since they had a sleep over at our home before the start of school next week. My heart soars with joy when I watch them together, each of them so very different, not only in appearance, but also in culture. As they spend time together they learn more and more that not everyone is exactly the same, but it is ok, even good to be different. They learn from one another. They enjoy one another. What a blessing for them to have such a great friendship! They are each beautiful girls, ethnically different, and absolutely beautiful. As ...

Direct my steps by Your word, and let no iniquity have dominion over me. Psalm 119:133 NKJV Direct my footsteps according to Your word; let no sin rule over me. Psalm 119:133 NIV Steady my steps with your Word of promise so nothing malign gets the better of me. Psalm 119:133 The Message Keep your promise and don't let me stumble or let sin control my life. Psalm 119:133 CEV

I go to the coolest church...Fellowship Church in Grapevine, Texas. My pastor is beginning a new series in a couple of weeks. Check this out, it is really neat! (plus the customer service gal in here is my friend!) I have posted my change....what's yours?

I love the beach. I lived in Hampton Roads, Virginia for over 10 years and while I was there, I found a part of myself that I didn't know I existed...Beach Bum. There is something about the beach that became part of me. I love it. I am amazed by the vast space that the ocean takes up and that for as far as I can see is water. I love to day dream about the people and places on the other side and the creatures that are living in an entirely different world below. My heart is captured by the way the water calls me to play. She beckons me with words like, "See my waves? Don't you want to jump and yell for joy at the way my water tosses and turns with you?" And then she says, "Sit. Relax. My sounds will calm you, will settle you. I will dance for you. Enjoy the way the sunlight glistens on my surface for you, the way the waves bubble for you. Get lost in the gentle rocking that I provide as my tide moves in and moves out." I love the sights, the sounds, and the g...

This is a revised post. It seems that my earlier comments were received as unforgiving, in a post about forgiveness. Not unforgiving but part of the process, yes. My process. Out of respect, (for my good friend) I have revised this blog. And I continue to pray that God will bless the ones who judge me and talk about me instead of to me. This blog is mine, to post what is on my heart. Sometimes what I write is unedited and from my heart. Read at your own risk. If you are going to judge me and talk about me, please find somewhere else to spend your free time. ********************************************************************************** I have many "drafts" in the "Manage blog" section of this web site that have to do with the topic of forgiveness. It seems I start to write them and don't ever finish. I realize it is much like the way I forgive, I start to do it, have the intention and the desire to do it, and can't quite seem to do the final step. In b...

It has been a wonderful summer. Adam was here for two and a half months, Aaron and his girlfriend, Amy, were around quite a bit, and Rebecca enjoyed being at home too. Fred's classes ended in June, so we got to spend a good deal of family time. Among the favorite things to do was poker. Adam got a poker game for his birthday, and challenged us every time he had the chance. Some of us got pretty good, and some of us hung in there, but we had a blast playing family poker games. Rebecca and I spent hours upon hours at the pool. Countless afternoons were spent on air mattresses, talking about boys, life, family, school, and many other things. It was a wonderful way to develop a deeper relationship with my daughter. Summer nears it's end now being the middle of August. We have made school clothes purchases, school supplies are waiting for the trip to the locker, band practice begins this week and boxes of college books have arrived in the mail. Routine begins. Bedtimes and alarm clo...

My son recently transferred all of his on-line journaling from Xanga to blog spot. I laughed when I saw it because he selected the name "Adam's brain dump" to describe his writings. Here is how it looks: "Adam's Brain Dump A spot for my sporadic and seldom yet sometimes sizable scrawls. I spill these streams of consciousness not to satisfy an audience but instead to soothe my own strident senses." I was talking to him earlier on the phone and shared with him how I laughed when I read the title. The conversation went on to blogging, why we blog, etc. I told him I hadn't posted in a week because I usually need to be inspired to write something. He responded that he posts when he has "too much on his mind and needs to put it somewhere else." And of course I laughed again and said, "Hence the name Brain Dump". He replied, "yeah....