Sally

I attended the funeral and graveside service today of Sally Legg.  She was the mother of my brother-in-law, Larry.  Larry married my sister, Linlee.

As I was sitting at the service today, I was reminded once again of God Almighty's loving hand in strategically placing people in my life, all at various time, but always when I needed them most -- the names that automatically come to mind are Don and Sally Legg, Bobby and Gloria Hudgins.  Steve and Julie Tingle, Mr. and Mrs. Silvers, Don and Ginny Balfour, Buddy and Jody Hoffman, Dale and Donna Rector, who might I add, forced Scott to ask me out a 2nd time.  He wasn't forced the first time, but I acted so awful he had no interest in asking me again.  I'm forever and ever indebted to Dale and Donna!  :)

It was my late teens, my Senior year of High School my parents divorced.  As a result I dropped out of High School (I was at a boarding school in Alberta), and moved back to the Atlanta area.

To say I was floundering would be an understatement.  I was lost.

After a few months Linlee found me a place to live, and it was then that I experienced first-hand, the deep heart of Don and Sally Legg.  They gave me a car.  And that was the beginning of their constant presence in my life.  It was 1990.

Christmas Day evening 2015 I was back at Don and Sally's house.  With Scott, Max and Jenna. You see me, then, Scott and I, followed by Scott, Max, Jenna and I being at the Legg's on any given holiday was not out of the norm.  In fact, after we moved back to Gwinnett in 2005, Scott would often say, "are we going to end up at Don and Sally's, have you heard from Linlee?"  Inevitably Linlee and I would be texting or chatting and she'd tell us their plans and invite us along.  It was only a very few times we would not join in.

In those 25 years I was loved well by Don and Sally.  There are countless memories and conversations.  Pictures in my head.  That Christmas evening 2015 my kids ran in and straight back to the playroom where the Christmas village is set up.   Max and Jenna also knew where the other toys were.  You see, they felt welcomed and loved 25 years after their mom first encountered the same love and open arms.

I sat at their home today and cried.  I'm so sad I won't see Sally there again.  Standing in her kitchen, hugging hello and immediately pointing to the cookies making sure Max and Jenna, and Scott :), knew where they were.

Thank you Sally.  And thank you Don.  You both have made an incredible impression on my life.  And thank you sweet Father, I'm deeply grateful and I thank You.

Is 2014 Your Year?

Since someone near-and-dear to me enlisted my help with making better choices with their food, I feel very compelled to blog!  Plus I read an article on people.com about women who are now half their size.  It's a yearly publication for People Mag.  And I was commenting away as I become almost obsessed with trying to help others.  Seriously, I can get a lump in my throat when I see someone who is overweight or obese...man-o-man do I get it!!

Okay, so I'm just going to unload on this post, things I do or don't do that have, when done together, changed my life.  Such a dramatic statement, "changed my life" because honestly, Jesus Christ changed my life, then way way way way way down the list, making lifestyle changes concerning food and exercise, changed my life.  I needed to clarify.  (My extreme black & white personality.  Geez.)

Exercise.  Here's the deal.  I still "just" walk.  But I walk as fast as I can.  Though I have been known, on crazy weeks where my kids school inhabits all my waking hours, to get on the treadmill, put the incline to 6 or 8% and run for 10-15 min.  This is done out of pure time necessity.

So, if you are looking at 2014 as your year to get healthy.  Get on your tennis shoes and go for a walk.

When it comes to the initial food changes, read this blog I wrote last year.  What I'm about to list now is specific menu items and how I handle them.

*  Don't order combo meals.  You won't be breaking any laws.  But your ass will get smaller. WIN!

*  You can, I PROMISE, enjoy Moe's, Chipotle, or Subway without eating sour cream, cheese, guacamole, ranch, or mayo.

*  And guess what, if I eat a waffle (typically gluten-free) I don't put butter.  Just maple syrup.  Yes, it's still edible.  Is it as good? Hell no.  But fills my stomach and I feel amazing.  Not happy still?  Add 1/2 a banana cut up on top.  Or strawberries.

*  I don't put half & half in my coffee.  I put fat free milk, unsweetened almond milk or soy milk.  Plus about 1/2 tsp sugar.  Yes, real, processed to death, white sugar.  Do I at times miss half & half - absolutely.

If you're thinking that what I eat is not fun, you are correct.  I eat food to fuel my body, not have a love affair with.  I had to fall out of love with food

*  I don't eat biscuits, doughnuts, bagels or cinnamon rolls, and I love all these items.  I did have a cinnamon roll on Christmas morning.  It was a gift to me.  You think I'm joking, I'm not.  This is not to brag, but to show you, you CAN enjoy life with out these killer food items.  Stop loving, looking forward too and day-dreaming about them.  They are not going to give you a smaller waist.  Fall out of love with food. 

*  When I am PMSing, I want 2 things:  Doritos and Twix.  So I now go to QuikTrip and get the lunch size bag of Doritos and 1 Twix.  Don't get the "Giant Grab" bag of Doritos, get the teeny bag.  And don't tell your husband to go get you a Twix.  He will go to Publix and get the big bag of "mini's", then things just go downhill from there.

* If the word "Giant" is written on a food item -- walk away.  Immediately.

* I drink water and unsweetened tea "with a splash of sweet tea".  That's it.  So boring I know.  But I'm a size 4 or 6 now, was a tight 16.  And my iced tea is just when I go out to eat.  I don't make tea at home because "the splash of sweet" adds up FAST.  (I'm shaking in my fake Uggs right now that I said my clothes size.  This is not to self promote but to encourage.  For serious.)

*  On that note.  Artificial sweeteners are a detriment to a woman's hormonal balance, mood and metabolism.  I didn't dream this but actually heard it from a nutritionist mouth.  (I don't need anything else beside life itself to upset my mood or hormones.  Hello.)

I will finish with this.  Pray.  It's hard I know.  But pray.  Invite our sweet Lord into your battle.  He loves you so...

A Journey (revisited)

This blog is worth repeating.  I posted it 2 years ago as I was sending Max to Kindergarten.  Now I am sending Jenna.

Yesterday at Open House, I had the same continual peace from the Father about this school and that, without a doubt, this is where our children are suppose to be.

I am also incredibly thankful for my husband and his leadership in our home.

Praying for a great 2013-14 year!!

Proverbs 3:5-6 (The Message) Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track. Don't assume that you know it all.

I was just going through my boys backpack, checking the daily folder, and was, once again, reminded of the Father's faithfulness to me as He took me on quite a journey in where we would send him to Kindergarten. I was raised in private schools and have always thought that my kids would attend a private school. My husband, is the opposite, hmm... :)

Ephesians 5:22-24 (The Message)

Wives, understand and support your husbands in ways that show your support for Christ. The husband provides leadership to his wife the way Christ does to his church, not by domineering but by cherishing. So just as the church submits to Christ as he exercises such leadership, wives should likewise submit to their husbands.

After yet, another conversation with my husband about choice of school, and he, again, stating that he really believed the district elementary school is best for our son, I told the Lord that He had to help me get happy about it, to please have me drop that boy off on his first day and have tears of joy and excitement, not dread and concern.

The day I took him to registration, then many weeks later to orientation, each time I had a continual lump in my throat for so many reasons.

First, the Father was so faithful to get me to a place of pure excitement! "Trust God from the bottom of your heart, don't try and figure everything out on your own", then further down the passage, "don't assume that you know it all (Lisa)"...oops.

Second, that the Father did not make a mistake (not possible for Him) in setting up the family the way he did. There is a reason he has the husband "provides leadership to his wife the way Christ does to his church". I am so glad (though honestly not loving that I was not getting my way) that I took my concerns to the Lord and asked Him to please take over my running-on-high-emotion heart and not only get me on the same page of my husband, but have me be at peace.

And of course, He did. Like He always does.

Color View

I am covering my gray.

I have told friends, that today, I'm striving to embrace...

I could not embrace.

They annoyed me.

There is a verse in Proverbs about gray hair being a crown...

But as a wise :) friend said, "we aren't born with color on our toenails, but we polish"...

Here's the thing, I am 41 and I am seeing some changes.

Some I have no choice but to embrace, because they are not fixable.

(what's with the loose skin under the neck? gobble gobble)

As my children have gotten older and I've also settled into the safety and ease of my marriage, these things have given me breathing room to acknowledge Lisa outside of wife and mother.

This happens to women at my age...

And I do like it.  Very much.

There is a confidence of who I am as a woman.  A settling comfortably into my own skin.  And being good here.  So good.

But along they way things, like gray hairs, have to be studied, and I have to decide what I'm going to do with them.

I think at times how silly it is to study such a thing.  But I do.

Because this is where I am.  And if feels very good to be here.

The Summer of...

I am blessed to have 2 older sisters, both of them, great mothers.  I have most definitely learned so much from watching them throughout the years.  All of their children are now pre-teen or teen.

When my oldest sister's children were around the age of my two, she started "The Summer of..." as she witnessed, as the year went on and life became busier and busier, that she needed to reign in some behaviors, and what better time then Summer?

I'll never forget one Summer, her kids were older, and sighed greatly when she established in late-May,  "The Summer of Acknowledgement" as they had seemed to master the art of tuning her out.  They lost that one!  :-)

This Summer for the Inlow's is "The Summer of Self Control".  I've already sat the kids down and given them situations specific to them, teaching how with some self-control things would have been better and notes home from the teacher, lost tablet privileges, early bed time or other disciplinary actions would not have taken place.

I've thought a few times how I miss my first Summer implementing this brilliance with "The Summer of Yes-Ma'am".  Wow, that was so much easier then self-control.  Mercy me.

Funny as I've shared this with other mothers, they immediately jump on this bandwagon and leave knowing exactly what their Summer will be focused on.

I do believe one of the most important things in Motherhood is learning and sharing with other Mothers as we have this most amazing job of training and rearing children.

Because y'all know this...Proverbs 22:6 Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.

I'm clinging to that in Jesus' name!!

Happy Summer!

Big World

Max can see a small white Lego piece and be able to tell me to what Lego creation it goes too.  "Oh, this goes to my Star Wars X Wing Fighter", so obviously this kids mind is a steel trap of information.

Hmm, I need to put some stuff in there.

In the quietness of early morning, Scott on his way to work, Jenna still sacked out in her bed, Max eating breakfast, I said, "hey buddy, when you are older and want to get married, it's very important that you marry a girl who loves Jesus more than she loves you..."  He was quiet, then looked at me with those almond shaped eyes and said, "ok mom, I will".

Will he remember?

I've been noticing how his sphere of influence is expanding at a speed I'm not really comfortable with, but know this is part of growing up...and motherhood.

Letting go.

"Lord, they are not mine, they are Yours..."

As they go out in the world...

Then I re-direct, guide, discipline, love.

And then there's Jenna.  Kindergarten.  My baby.

I am seeing my children's world getting bigger.  No longer am I the center of it.  Oh sometimes I am...

Letting go.

I don't want the, what feels like losses, I am experiencing make me hold them tighter.

For me personally, it's trusting Him with them.

This is me, watching them go.

Then as I walk home I whisper to Him, "please take care of them".

Through The Healing

For the past 8-10 months, there has been a couple walking through our neighborhood.

When I first started seeing them, the husband, they are in their early-60's, was pushing his wife in a wheelchair, she barely able to hold her head up.

After a number of weeks, he would push the wheelchair, and she would ever so slowly, walk beside him holding his arm.

And then in the weeks following, she would push her wheelchair, but still walking slowly, her husband so close, you were not able to see where his arm ended, and hers began.

I would see these folks many times a week, always moving slowly.  Him, her steadiness.  You saw it in her eyes, how much she depended on him.

Soon, they were walking together.  She started looking up and around while walking, instead of looking down, making sure her footing was steady.

Today, I saw them again.  Hand in hand, both of them stopping here and there, pointing at a bird in the tree or the brightly colored azaleas in bloom.  She looked bright and happy, well.  He too looked relaxed, savoring this beautiful Spring day.

This is obviously an incredible picture of marriage, but also I can't help but see a picture of Christ.

How when we spiritually become ill, broken, or almost lose our lives, He is with us every step of the way.  Guiding us, helping us keep a firm footing.

Psalm 119:105  Your Word is a lamp to my feet, a light on my path.

But we have to go to Him.  Are you broken?  He is there.  Ready to walk with you, through the healing.