Tonight we were watching a documentary about the inmates of Alcatraz, the famed island-prison situated in the middle of San Francisco Bay in the state of California.  It operated as a maximum-security federal penitentiary for serious bad guys for a period of about 29 years until 1963.  It’s now a national landmark, accessible by ferry for public tours. If you think about visiting, check well in advance as it sells out often.  Take it from one who knows – I’ve tried twice to go and both times it was completely booked!  (Used to be guys would die trying to get off the island, now folks pay big bucks to get on the island…HA.)

Several former inmates were interviewed during the program.  They recalled the grim conditions of their tiny, stark, isolated cells.  Some who ‘misbehaved’ were kept in completely dark cubicles – stripped of everything but a pair of boxer shorts – for 2-week stretches of time.  Cold, alone and desolate, 24/7.  I shudder to think.

When the program was ending I felt restless, threw on my sweats and ran around the block a couple times. 

I couldn’t imagine living in a 4 or 5-foot cement block.  

And yet, there are times I feel like I do.  Know what I mean?  There are times I’ve felt STUCK.  Controlled by my circumstances.  Incapable of getting out. Unable to make changes I feel are necessary.  Doomed to endure unpleasant conditions.  ‘Behind the bars’ of life’s ugly restraints.  And although my theology won’t allow me to believe it, for a period of time I feel like a victim of my circumstances…

You might feel stuck in a relationship, stuck in a neighborhood, stuck in regrets, stuck in a bad habit, stuck in debt,  stuck in a sin pattern, stuck in a rut.  But it’s not true.  John Mason says, “the devil wants you to think there’s nothing more permanent than your temporary situation.” Read that again.

I like that.  He goes on to say, “obstacles reveal what we truly believe and who we really are.  They introduce you to yourself.  Your struggle may be lasting, but it is not everlasting.” You might have to say “ouch” to that. 

Remember, I said the men interviewed tonight were ‘former’ prisoners.  I’ll bet they got to know themselves pretty well during their incarceration and I bet they often felt like they would spend their entire lives on Alcatraz.  But Alcatraz closed their prison doors 46 years ago – that’s a whole lot of life those men have continued to live outside the walls of Alcatraz.  Alcatraz was temporary.

Your trials and circumstances can be temporary too.  Believe God for change, for movement, for progress, for freedom, for divine intervention! You might need to run around your block and shout out loud “I’m not on Alcatraz!  I’m NOT STUCK!  God help me to see as You see!”

(more to come…I’m stuck doing taxes – but I’ll be out soon )

This was the ugly scene about an hour ago…yep, 4 days and still working.  Actually it’s been a proooooooocess….I never claimed to be a numbers gal.  I’ve been pulling my hair out and gaining weight too.  Gaining weight? Well, when I can’t take another minute of looking at little scraps of paper and pencil scrawling and receipts and sticky notes and trying to decipher categories…I walk over to the pantry and look for something yummy-emphasis on yummy- to munch.  (or I do a mindless chore, but eating is so much more fun!) This afternoon I dug some multi-grain tortilla chips into some guacamole, finished off one of the kid’s leftover pasta portions, washed it down with a Hansen’s soda (cherry vanilla creme) and sat down again at the torture chamber, uh, makeshift tax desk and crunched some more numbers.  Of course I had to take breaks over the last couple of days to power-walk(yeah, right) with hubby, dig into the Breyers Rocky Road container, go to church, do laundry, make meals, get the mail, and hug children.  So yes, I have left the kitchen since Friday (in case you were worried!) Done tonight or BUST!

Hmm…that leftover roast beef gravy over mashed potatoes with corn is sounding really good about now…

…a self-proclaimed prisoner in my own kitchen until I hand the completed documents to my organized, ever-ready man who is always early, never late with anything, including tax preparation.  Hoping I’ll be up for air soon!

I was really highly streamlined and super-organized and technically advanced like some chicks.  I saw this gal today who had her cell phone earpiece on and it was connected so she could have a real, relaxed and casual conversation in her tidy little jog suit while she seamlessly unloaded her stuff from her Walmart cart into her clean and shiny SUV with both hands.  (Her children were probably in the back seat quietly nibbling their yummy snacks Mom had remembered to pack for them in those little Ziplocks.  At home her files are probably perfect and her floors spotless and her children go to bed on time  and when she says dinner will be at 6 it’s served at 5:55.  Arghghg.)  Unlike me who’s ‘hands-free’ driving style is to hand the ringing phone to my hungry son so he can  take and give messages while I drive home where dinner will be served ‘asap’.  Arghghg. I’ve tried the earpiece thing and basically, no one can ever hear me clearly due to…whatever? Thus I have to repeat myself so many times  it makes everything awkward, so I give up, especially because I have to remember to charge the earpiece…along with remembering to create lesson plans and correct math and address character issues and check the chore charts and…it’s victory just to remember to plug in my cell phone every night.  Instead of trendy togs, I had just finished my power walk   so I was wearing these longish, dorky jog shorts with a shrunken, stained white top and a ball cap and no make-up and a stringy little pony tail, carrying my huge brown feed-bag purse through two grocery stores plus Walmart.  Enough to embarrass my children, I’m sure!  I got home and found my son was overjoyed to have been offered a job at a local smoothie shop…but he needed a ‘work permit’ (his father and I permit him to work, ok?  Apparently not good enough in the state of California).  Hmm…I know I just saw that permit form yesterday in one of my zillion file folders, just give me ‘a minute’ to dig…dinner will simply have to wait…Double arghghgh.  Where is that perfect woman when I need her?

(Here’s my precious girl buzzing about the neighborhood this morning.)

 Their jet just took off for Seattle after a glorious week of fun in the sun here in Sacramento with Popper and Mommer and the younger brothers.  (You might have wondered why there was a pause on the Blog-now you know!). This morning began with JOY – literally – as our precious friend Joy rang the doorbell at 8:15 this morning, orange juice in hand – we worked together on a huge feast of scrambled eggs and cheese with salsa, warm buttered pancakes and syrup, fried potatoes and onions, hash browns, two kinds of breakfast sausage, orange juice and fresh coffee with Joy’s special hazelnut creamer, lots of laughter and camaraderie…Then Popper washed the pots and everyone joined in to get the kitchen shining and then we all took off on a long and leisurely walk in the sun to Starbucks  for coffee and long chats. (Here’s my firstborn enjoying the Razor too!) What more could a momma ask for?  Her big kids (who actually like to come visit mom and dad YEAH!), sunshine, laughter,  good food and friendship? (and my hunk of burnin’ love, Gregory?!)  Yes, I am a very rich woman indeed.  We’ve had a glorious time of yummy eats, togetherness, doing nothing and doing everything, seeing new stuff and watching fun stuff…family is precious.  Thank you Jesus! 

Natasha Richardson age 45, award-winning actress, loving mother of two sons and wife of actor Liam Neeson since 1994, daughter of Vanessa Redgrave, sister of popular actress Joely Richardson,  died this week of a head injury that occurred during a ski lesson in Canada.  Her body is being laid to rest as I type this.  A simple search reveals over 11,000 articles on the web surrounding the details of her injury and death. 

What a charmed life she apparently led, with her unusual happy celebrity marriage, proverbial country home just 90 miles north of New York City and second residence in a Manhattan apartment complex near Central Park.  In the prime of her life, her husband’s career soaring, plenty of money, friends in high places and opportunities abounding while the rest of the world pinches pennies and wrings their hands over the state of the economy.  A simple, sudden, freak fall on a bunny hill in the snow and – poof - a few hours later she’s slipping into eternity.  All the money and influence known to man could not save her.  A jarring gong reminding us all of the fragility of life.

So many frivolous things people will wish for as they go about their business today, and yet this tragic story reminds us of the true treasure of our relationships and the reality of an afterlife.  Just want to keep, and perhaps remind you to keep, an eternal perspective through all of life’s crazy shakings at the moment. Food for thought. 

Remember I told ya’ll I had a sick boy at my house a couple weeks ago? (see February 27th post)  Well, we’d hosted a couple of kids from church that week and one of them happened to have a nasty bug he was trying to kick, but unfortunately, I think it kicked my little basketball player instead!  Suddenly and without warning, he came down with a fever and sore throat-flat on his back Thursday night after BBall practice.  Here he is, about to go to practice that night (I took a photo because his outfit was such a kick!) – he looks o.k. to me!?  Anyhoo…later that night I was sitting in a leadership meeting and received this text, which led to more mom/son interaction with my  instructions (oh, the 21st Century!). When I got home to my little patient, I could tell that this was one of those ’several days to recovery’ illnesses, after being a mom for a while…

I groaned because I was thinking about his championship playoff games set to take place on Saturday.  I knew there was no way he was going to be able to play and I also knew there was no way his team could win without him…he tends to score a good number of points and is strong defensively as well.  I kept saying “short of a miracle, Seth won’t be able to play” and I knew the coach would be really bummed…I put off phoning him, hoping for healing…or hoping to pass off the phone call to some other willing person!

24 hours later his big-brother-highschool-basketball coach from Washington called him.  He began to tell Seth about the time Michael Jordan (THE Michael Jordan FYI) was terribly sick with a flu bug or something and had a major playoff game.  He played his heart out by sheer gut and determination and scored 40 points in the game and was carried off the court by his teammates.  (“No pressure, Seth but hey – here’s some inspiration and a viable option for you!”  You won’t get the million dollar check or the Nike endorsements, but what the heck?!)

His wheels began to turn.  Someone had spoken ‘faith’ into his heart.  He hadn’t even considered going to play the games until his brother brought the ‘revelation’ of what could be.  He suddenly decided this was going to be his story, too.  I gave him a hot ginger bath and put him to bed.  When he woke the next morning he asked for some medicine and declared he was going for it!  His brother instructed him to drink plenty of Gatorade and we stocked up.  He nailed both games, scoring the winning points at the end in each one and was declared privately, by his mother, MVP of the day! It was tooooo much fun to see him attack the challenge, put his faith in God for strength and see it to the end.  There’s a lesson in there somewhere…

He came home pretty wilted, went back to bed for 2 or 3 more days and seems to finally be just about over the bug.  It was a mean one…but created an opportunity for a really cool story!

My  Heather Michelle texted me this photo from Washington just now – unreal – especially so since I just shot this photo below while I was on a walk yesterday…

 Wherever you live and whatever the weather, enjoy your day!

This is my favorite photo of the happy couple – it captures perfectly the glorious joy of what God is doing for these two – and for all of us who know and love them. It’s a busy season as Trevor and Cindy will be married in April.  You might recognize Cindy, my faithful and longtime assistant, friend, sister, daughter, aunt to my children, close confidant, ally and traveling partner.  You might even have met her at a conference, private school or church event where I’ve been speaking.  If so, you know what a treasure she is!!!  Yes, my dear friend has met her perfect match – the answer to many prayers over the years as she has patiently waited for God’s best for her life partner.  Was it worth the wait?  This picture says it all.  A resounding YES!

This is my favorite photo of the happy couple – it captures perfectly the glorious joy of what God is doing for these two – and for all of us who know and love them. It’s a busy season as Trevor and Cindy will be married in April.  You might recognize Cindy, my faithful and longtime assistant, friend, sister, daughter, aunt to my children, close confidant, ally and traveling partner.  You might even have met her at a conference, private school or church event where I’ve been speaking.  If so, you know what a treasure she is!!!  Yes, my dear friend has met her perfect match – the answer to many prayers over the years as she has patiently waited for God’s best for her life partner.  Was it worth the wait?  This picture says it all.  A resounding YES!