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Trystiana
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Name: Vicki
Metro:
Gender: Female
Interests: Jesus; family; music; friends from boarding school (Hampden DuBose Academy); CS Lewis; Van Gogh, Gustav Klimt; Nat King Cole, Celine Dion, Janet Paschal, Big Band sound, my son's singing. PET PEEVES: blatant spelling errors. Come on, folks, use a dictionary!
Expertise: 1. being non-submissive (I need to work on that one)2. being stubborn (another one that needs my attention)3. I once received Honorable Mention for belching the diatonic musical scale
Occupation: Administrative
Industry: Other
Message: message me
Member Since:
1/14/2005
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| a surprisingly good Mother's DayI had an epiphone Sunday . . . nothing deep or earth-shattering. In fact, it's a simple truth, but living in that truth made a world of difference to me.
I wasn't looking forward to Mother's Day. I miss my own mother tremendously, and my sons aren't home. Glen's living in California, and Kyle's in Alabama undergoing pre-Iraq training. Ugh! That, in itself, is enough to throw me into a tailspin . . . if I let it.
Anyway, fast forward to Mother's Day morning. Hubby and I got up early for the hour's drive to his mother's house. We had made plans to take her to breakfast and then attend mass with her. While my hottie of a husband was driving, I leaned back in my seat, closed my eyes, and silently asked God to help me make it through the day. Then I consciously determined to smile, smile, smile. Did you know if you smile enough, the smile eventually reaches your brain? It's True!
Anyway, I concentrated on my MIL yesterday morning. Despite myself, I was laughing at the breakfast table (how can you not be happy at Cracker Barrel? haha). During the drive to the church there was more laughter. My heart was light as I entered the beautiful, newly-built Catholic church. The music was uplifting and praise worthy. Before I knew it, my hands were raised in praise to my Lord. I forgot about myself, and I had a great Mother's Day . . . because Mother's day wasn't about me, it was about the amazing woman who gave birth to the man I love. She taught him to respect others, work hard, and live honestly. He's a fine man because she raised him to be one. It's partially because of her that I'm happily married.
It was a good day, and my husband thanked me for making it such a good day for his mother. I CAN do all things through Christ!
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| the uncertainty of lifeMonday, April 13, 2009 - It was a typical day for 31-year old Aimie King. She and her 9-year old son, Brayden, were on their way to Sears for a shopping trip. As Aimie turned into the parking lot, witnesses say she grabbed her head. The next thing onlookers saw was Aimie's car plowing into the Sears building at a fairly high rate of speed. Aimie died instantly, and Brayden was sent to ICU, where he was treated for several serious, but not life-threatening, injuries.
Aimie's funeral was the following Thursday. Her 14-yr old son, Tyler, was there . . . emotionally numb over the unexpected events just a few days prior. 9-year old Brayden was still in the hospital and missed his mother's funeral.
Aimie's mother, Debra, works with me. Although not one of my staff members, she is in my department, so we see each other everyday at work. Debra and I immediately developed a bond when I began working for TVA, but as time goes on, we find more and more in common with each other. Unbeknownst to us at the time, our paths have crossed . . . and often.
Brayden is now out of the hospital, living with his father, stepmother, and two half-sisters in a small 2-bedroom house. The family is seeking to raise money so a 3rd bedroom can be added to the house for Brayden. Debra is going through all the piles and piles of paperwork necessary to gain legal custody of Tyler.
The family is absolutely heartbroken . . . Aimie was young, tall, beautiful, and had a heart as big as all outdoors. We don't always understand the ways of our Heavenly Father. Sometimes faith is walking in blind trust, knowing your humanity will never make sense of it all, but realizing in your spirit that He IS good, that He IS right, that He IS loving. Sometimes what our minds know and what our hearts feel seem worlds apart.
Debra will go to the office today.....her first return since hearing of Aimie's death while at that very office. She chose a Saturday morning because she wants to be alone as she struggles to get her life back to normal . . . although, normal now has a whole new meaning. She wants to talk, and I want to listen. She and I will go out for coffee one night this week. My flesh strives for the right words, but I have an amazing group of prayer warriors who are lifting me up to our Father. I have confidence that He who is the very epitome of wisdom and grace will grant to me that which I'll need to minister to my friend.
God never promised us a cushion-y life. It's not in the Book . . . I know, I've looked, and it's not there. But He has promised to give us grace for the moment. He has promised to never leave us or forsake us. He has promised to comfort us. The world is watching us, folks. How we react to life will impact someone for eternity.
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| It's February 15 again . . .Getting into the Valentine's spirit is always difficult for me . . . my father passed away unexpectedly on February 15 when I was a teenager. Valentine's is a stark reminder that I've not had my father for many, many years. When I allow myself to wallow in self pity, I feel the void. I feel as though something precious has been stolen from me. I feel the loss. I feel cheated.
My husband knows this, and he always makes an effort to make Valentine's Day special for me. Last evening he took me out for a leisurely romantic dinner at The Magnolia House, an historic home in our town. For 2.5 hours we talked softly, held hands, winked at each other, played footsies under the table, laughed, whispered, "I love you," to each other. For 2.5 hours my mind was diverted from the reality of February 15.
These are the times when it's really difficult to walk in faith, to wrap myself in the calm assurance that my Heavenly Father has nothing but the best plans for me, that He is all I need. The Truth is planted firmly in my brain, but my heart falters. What I know and what I believe are at times worlds apart, as separated as "...the east is from the west."
So these are the times when I give myself pep talks, when I recite Scripture over and over and over again. These are the times I go through the motions, simply because it's the right thing to do. These are the times when I go back to the books of Job, Jeremiah, Joshua, and Psalms. These are the times when the Word feeds me, sustains me, nourishes me. These are the times when the healing balm of the Holy Spirit washes over me ever so slowly, gently pushing me forward. These are the times when I discover the gentle flowers that bloom in the valley. These are the times when I tell myself that as long as I'm content to stay in that valley, I'll never get back to that mountaintop.
These are the times when Jesus wraps His arms around me, holding me as I let go and let God one more time. | | |
| How cool is this?The husband of a friend of mine has a brain tumor. Their youngest son, Mikey, wanted to use a Mardi Gras style shamrock necklace as a reminder to pray for his father. Valerie, my friend, shared this idea with several people, some online and some in real life. Well, the idea took off like gang busters, and people literally all over the country - possibly even the world - started gathering their own shamrock prayer reminders.....in various forms, not just necklaces.
I have nothing - absolutely nothing - even remotely shamrock related. Yesterday I spent a long time looking for something - anything - that would serve as my shamrock prayer reminder for Darren, Valerie's husband, but nada. It's not even Valentine's Day yet; shamrocks probably won't be out on the market for several weeks yet. I finally gave up and decided to drive home.
On the way home I stopped at a local consignment shop to see if I could find any business suits for work. I found not one, not two, but THREE suits: 2 for $15 each and 1 for $10. I was ecstatic at my find and happily went to the clerk (and that's not even my big praise . . . there's more to come). As she was totalling my order I had a very strong urge to go to the back of the store. I tried to resist the urge. Afterall, I had three suits; I surely didn't need another. But the urging persisted, so I asked the clerk to please hold off for a moment while I checked on something.
I walked to the very back of the store and there - in a dark corner - was a shamrock beanie baby.....just sitting there patiently waiting for me to take it home. I literally burst out in tears. Another clerk in the back of the store came over to me and asked if I was ok. When I told the clerk the story of Darren and Mikey's prayer reminder, she clapped her hands together in glee.
By now the clerk in the front of the store came back to see what all the commotion was, so I shared the story with her, too, and my delight in God's leading me to that little green shamrock beanie baby. She let out an excited, "Praise the Lord!"
I called Valerie today . . . I just had to share this with her. I'm sitting here still in awe at how very, very personal God is. He knew how important having my own shamrock was to me and led me to that beanie baby. And weeks before this situation with Darren came about, God placed it on someone's heart to get rid of that beanie baby. Then He placed it on the heart of the store owner to buy that beanie baby. Then He made sure no one else bought it.
Isn't that just the coolest thing ever?
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| Just week one of the new year, and I'm already behind scheduleIt was a good weekend, albeit an unproductive one. Saturday was supposed to be the day I finish boxing up all the Christmas decorations and taking them to the attic. Instead, Chris and I spent the day in Chattanooga with son #2, trying a new restaurant and spending gift cards. So - except for a handful of decorations still hanging from its branches - there's a naked Christmas tree in my living room. I promised my housekeeper last week that the house would be back to normal when she came this week . . . that gives me Tuesday and Wednesday evenings to make good on my promise.
Sunday was the beginning of 40 Days of Community at our church. Chris and I probably won't get involved with a small group, but I bought the devotional and study guide so we can still be involved on a more personal basis (hmmm, doesn't that negate the whole idea of community?).
Glen continues to love life in Los Angeles. My pride bristles at the fact that a college graduate is working at Starbuck's, but he loves it, and it gives him free time to pursue the acting. He's waited on three celebs so far, one being Forrest Whitaker, who spent about 2 hours in the store last week working on his laptop and making calls from his cell phone.
And now it's 5:15 a.m. Time to start my day . . . first by bringing my love a cup of coffee in bed. | | |
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