What a Good Day Looks Like

I was thinking about good days, and I thought about how my idea of a good day has changed over the years. So here is my list:

In Tyler: I don't recall much about Tyler except bits and pieces. (I left there when I was 4). But I do recall sitting on a neighbor's front porch, drinking some lemonade, and playing with the little doll she gave me (It cried when you squeezed her tummy.)

In California: A good day was either a day at the beach (Tunafish sandwiches, tortilla strips, walks on the peer, being out in the water ALL DAY!) or 4th of July (swimming all day at the house across the street then setting off fireworks, sitting in chairs on the lawn watching the rest of the neighbors set off their fireworks).

In Liberty Hill: A day with Glow Girl, my horse. Riding all day into town, tying her off at the store to get a Dr. Pepper and a Butterfinger, then riding her all the way back, letting her walk through streams.

In Springfield: Before I was married it would have to be a day off from school, laying out at a local lake or on a rooftop, hanging out with friends and listening to the Gaither Vocal Band. After I was married it had to be a snow day, off from work, sitting in a warm house, a walk to the store in a blizzard.

In Florida: A day with the kids, working around the house, usually outside (I hated the inside work!) or just letting them play "Walker Texas Ranger" on the trampoline, or swimming at Gramma's house, watching the kiddos learn how to swim and dive and jump in the water.

In Thailand: A good day was a trip to the mountains, watching the elephants, playing in the waterfall.

In China: A day with water, and electricity, and sunshine. It meant I could do laundry. :) Oh, and the day we had snow. Watching them hit the neighbors with snowballs was too funny.

In Weatherford: Hanging out with Bo and Vuji, walking around the "block" (which was 4 miles long)

In Taiwan: Typhoon days. Huddled in the house, listening to the wind howl, safe inside, playing games and entertaining each other.

In Texas and Florida: Just about every day, because we were with family!

Now: For me, it has to be seeing the kids playing with friends, thriving, enjoying the day. And a hazelnut latte from Starbucks.

I wonder what a good day will be like in 5, 10, 40 years from now.

"911"

Before our son Timothy turned 2, I took him to the doctor for his regular check up. As I was waiting, I saw a sign for a pageant for children at the local mall. I wasn't sure if Timothy was pageant material. He was a boy's boy: started walking when he was 8 months old, had this sort of "hit and roll" thing he did when he fell, and he loved his firetrucks. He called them "911."

I decided I would do it. Besides, I thought it would be a fun day to meet other parents, a day out where Timothy would do his thing, then we would spend the rest of the time at the mall people watching, eating our typical cookie and coke snack, looking at toys, visiting the bookstore, etc. I couldn't have been more wrong.

First, if you are someone who does the baby pageant thing, I don't mean to offend. But it wasn't for me. I had dressed Timothy in a pair of shorts, a t-shirt and little sweater vest (which I thought was so cute because, well, I'm mom!) and his little work boots. Everyone else was in little suits, black shoes, their hair was fixed just so. Worse was the little girls pageant. Women were walking around holding these frilly dresses, not wanting their little girls to get soiled. Personally, I'd like to see a soiled dress up there every now and then. Reality is good.

So we get to Timothy's age bracket, waited in line for him to do the walk in front of the judges, then it was our turn. He held my hand, walked to the judges table with a little firetruck in hand, looked up at them and said, "911." We walked back down the stairs and did our usual mall thing. We could. He was dressed like a little boy. It didn't matter if he got coke on his shorts or smeared chocolate chip cookie on his vest.

I decided to wait around for a little while, just for closure's sake. And you know what? He got 2nd place in his division. Not because he was the most handsome one out there, (which is a crazy thing to do...really. That's in the eye of the beholder.) but because he was a little boy doing what little boys do, and on that day, that's what stood out.

I've never been to another pageant. I'm sure there are some good things about them. I personally thought it would just be a fun day, and the trophy would end up going to the most behaved child up there. After all, they were 2. I was very disappointed in what I saw, and what it brought out in people. One woman was very upset that the 2nd place winners got to stand on the stage with the 1st place winners. To me, that was disgraceful. However, I was happy that Timothy received 2nd place for just being 2. He received a trophy. It's somewhere in storage, not sure where. I personally like his award from his classmates best. The one where they voted him most kind, most giving, most honest.... I'll hang those on my walls any day!

Home and Hearth

I decided to post this picture, even though it is a little blurry. This picture brings back some good memories, and causes me to reflect more on my thoughts about Dignity.

As I stated before, Dignity does not require status or nice things. It can be found in the most humble circumstances. This insight came to me when visiting villages, when dignity found it's way into the home in the most simple tasks: cooking, showing hospitality, doing a job and doing it well. We were strangers in these homes, but we were given a great meal, a solid mat to sleep on, and lots of great conversation. Daily life consisted of taking care of the livestock, making meals, and taking on those chores that were dictated by the season. But these people showed confidence in doing this job, and were happy to open their homes and share their wealth. I guess dignity goes hand in hand with contentment. And maybe some confidence thrown in for good measure.

I think we could learn a lot from folks like these. The west has lost it's sense of dignity in many respects. It is a world that enjoys confrontation and find any excuse to do so, and I'm sure there are those who become wealthy from this type of thinking. But I'm learning to value those who possess this quality, and who encourage it in me and those I love. I find I have always enjoyed having these people in my life, and I am enjoying coming in contact with new friends who possess it.

Here's to dignity.

New Book Review:

A STUNNING CONCLUSION
TO DIANN MILLS' TEXAS LEGACY

(NASHVILLE, TN) DiAnn Mills concludes her Texas Legacy series with Lightning and Lace, a gritty novel that is part thriller and part romance. The year is 1898 when Travis Whitworth steps onto the train platform in Kahlerville, Texas. As he has a good look at the small dusty town, he is determined to face life again and return to preaching. Having lost his last church because of a scandal involving a brothel, he is equally determined to avoid women altogether. But within an hour of his arrival, he finds himself caught in the affairs of Bonnie Kahler, an attractive, young widow whose unruly son is headed for a future of crime unless someone can reach him.

Like Travis, Bonnie also intends to face life again by rising from her grief and returning to her responsibilities. Staring over is proving hard though. Her oldest son has already been arrested once and is now living with the new preacher, and the married banker who supplied her with wine during her mourning "to help her sleep at night," is now threatening to reveal that she's been drinking if she crosses him. When she refuses the banker's advances, she ignites a storm of wrath that engulfs her and her family in rumors that threaten to destroy them. Her strongest ally becomes the new preacher who is hiding secrets of his own.

"DiAnn Mills has done it again-only better!" -Diane Noble, author of The Butterfly Farm, a Harriet MacIver Mystery

Author Bio: DiAnn Mills has sold over a million copies of her combined seventeen novels, fourteen novellas, and non-fiction book. Six of her anthologies have appeared on the CBA Best Seller List. Three of her books have won the distinction of Best Historical of the Year by Heartsong Presents, and two of her books have won short historical of the year by American Christian Romance Writers 2003 and 2004. She is the recipient of the Inspirational Reader's Choice award for 2005 in the long contemporary and novella category. DiAnn is a founding board member for American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Inspirational Writers Alive, Chi Libris, and Advanced Writers and Speakers Association.

Genuineness

There's something I've noticed over the past year or so in people, and it's been so refreshing. I'm sure you know it when you see it. Have you ever been around someone and come away feeling comfortable and centered? Not in how you were treated, but rather in just having been exposed to someone who is genuine. I have been lucky this year in particular to be around people who are genuine, and it's been a long time coming. No pretenses, no manipulation, no agendas or ambitions to deal with, just the person sitting before me, spending time, talking, thinking out loud, praying together. Being real. Sharing testimonies without there being some sort of competition as to who is more spiritual. I think this element of friendship is a real rarity today. People wear so many masks: who they are and how they deal with others in public and private, public images. But if we are to truly live out who God wants us to be, then that would mean warts and all, wouldn't it? Because how can others know what God has truly done in our lives if we are not the person that God created and has since worked and molded in us His nature and His will for our lives? How can we truly live out our testimonies of all that God has done for us if we are busy wearing masks to our different social gatherings?

The Eyes of a Child

That is T crossing the Yangze on a cornstalk raft. One of his cool stories.

T in a village. He always made sure he had lots of candy. :)

We've had many adventures through the years, but T takes the cake in that realm. He has traveled to many places and has done some really cool things. He is a major backpacker, and has this stamina that always amazes me. So when he would come home from his trips, he would put his things down in the doorway and immediately the smells in the house would transform our home to a house in a village, with the smell of campfires, backpacking stuff laying all over... it was a good time. Then we would all sit around the living room, no matter the time of day or night, and listen to his stories. He has some great stories.

I have never realized the effect these stories would have on our youngest son, San (short for Nathaniel...it's a long story). I've listened to him talk about his dad lately, and it seems that in his eyes, there is nothing his dad can't do. We tend to watch the Adventure Chanel on Saturdays, and any time there is a skydiver, iditarod racer, scuba diver or any other adventurer, San asks, "Dad, have you done that?" I guess he figures it's easier to eliminate what he hasn't done than to list the things he has done. Police officer, car fixer, furniture builder, backpacker, fisherman, hunter, microbiologist, mountain climber, mischievious child.... the list goes on.

Such is the view from the eyes of a child. And the neat thing is that we get our first views of what God is like through our Fathers. I'm sure for San, God is an adventurer, lover of nature, and a great story teller. I think that's a good place to start.

Dignity vs. Pride

I’ve had a dialogue going on in my head for quite some time. It involves the comparison of two qualities. Both qualities are represented in people I have known through the years, and both have provided opportunities for growth and improvement. This is why I believe it is not necessarily a bad thing to have negative people in our lives. While it is important to note when to stop allowing influence, it is also important to learn from them.

So the dialogue that has been taking place has been about the qualities of dignity versus the quality of pride. Both are similar, in that they involve a place of elevation. Where they differ, though, is in who gives them that elevation. With dignity, there is a strong sense of self respect which doesn’t come from a position, or place in life. It comes from the knowledge of
“who's I am and how I got here.” Of course Christ is central to that equation. The one with dignity possesses a sense of calm and contentment that goes beyond their circumstances or lot in life. I have seen dignity in villages under the poorest conditions, as well as in the vilest of times in someone’s life. It speaks volumes.

Pride, on the other hand, is content only when it stands on the shoulders of others. It has to put someone else down so that it can lift itself up. Pride is not content, and is dependent on others for it’s elevation. Pride needs position in order survive. It cannot exist outside of position. It doesn’t speak volumes, but works to squelch those who threaten it.

Dignity. It should be honored in others, developed in ourselves, and modeled for those who don’t possess it.