Sep
29
I have to laugh and I’m sure you will as well. Here’s the short article:
The Associated Press
updated 6:23 p.m. ET, Fri., Sept. 26, 2008
PORTLAND, Ore. – A patient treated for agonizing abdominal pain received this surprising news in the hospital’s paperwork: “Based on your visit today, we know you are pregnant.”
Surprising indeed for 71-year-old John Grady Pippen.
The staff at Curry General Hospital in Gold Beach gave the retired mechanic and logger the ridiculously happy news this month, along with some pain pills.
Sep
27
Sometimes I’m not as thankful as I should be for my children. I confess. God always shows me so gently that while my heart was in the right place, I should have handled such and such situation this way. Then He shows me where I went wrong. It’s not to bring about guilt because God doesn’t use that tactic. He allows me the beautiful freedom of making of making my own choices (even if they aren’t in His perfect will) and He still loves me. He waits patiently for me to make this mistake and come to Him so He can show me where I went wrong.
Sep
26
By Gwenn McKone | 3 Comments
What a day. You could stick a fork into me and tell that I am absolutely done.
I have a part-time job as a substitute educational assistant in the school district where I live. I do it because I get to choose when I work, how often, and where. That’s the up side. The down side is that I get phone calls at 6:30 a.m. most mornings asking if I want to work, and I have to be coherent. And, I work at different schools and step into so many jobs that I usually feel like I’m no help at all. But it pays.
This morning, before I dashed out the door to try to get to a school I’d never been to, I checked my e-mail. I received a reply from a query I’d sent to a Christian magazine about an article I wanted to write for them. Assuming they would think my idea was wonderful, I’d already begun writing it. Well, they thought their audience was already well-acquainted with my topic, and therefore they weren’t interested (in a very polite way, of course). Hmmm, I thought, as I bolted for my car. “Lord, I was quite sure this was the topic you suggested to me…”
As I drove, I considered what this meant…a door closing. Then…aha…perhaps you don’t want me to keep going after the same publication. I need to get published in more than one venue… But if you’re a freelance writer, you know that querying publications can take you to the end of your life. Publications, agents and editors are notorious for taking weeks and weeks to get back to you, although, thankfully, the one I heard from this morning took only about a week. “Lord, I’m not getting any younger.”
I had to stop for a drink at Starbucks…I live in Starbucks country. It’s a way of life. OK, I’ll admit it, I NEEDED it this morning…I was headed to a special ed elementary classroom…”extra hot tall soy chai two pumps cinnamon dolce no foam no water.” After I emerged, I looked at my watch, and thought I might not make it on time.
I got in the car and consulted the Google Map. You know when you look at a Google Map and KNOW that the directions are a little screwy?
-Take exit 13 toward Lakemont Blvd SE/SE Newport Way
- Sharp left at 180th Ave SE
- Continue on Lakemont Blvd SE
Say what?!! “Lord, please, don’t let me get lost this morning. I know this is asking a lot, but can I please get there on time?”
Yep, I was right. There was no sharp left at 180th Ave SE. None at all. And I was still on track. Then, I passed my very next turn. Shoot!! OK, not much time lost, just make a quick correction. I followed the directions and made it exactly on time. Then the Lord spoke to me. “See how this happened this morning? You had to make a quick turnaround, but you still made it on time. It’s the same with your ministry. You’ve been diverted, but only momentarily. Just trust me. I’ll get you there on time.”
Forty-five minutes later, I was dealing with a darling 7-year-old named Tyler who decided he didn’t want to do his “work” with his plastic letter blocks. He wanted to throw them. And scream. Just across the way a little girl named Nikki threw a tantrum. “Lord, any possibility we could speed up the process?”
After a very challenging day, I ran for the car. I had to pick my youngest up from school early so that I could drive my oldest 45 min. up to the softball training facility for a practice at 4 p.m.
We arrived only to find out that it had been changed to 6 p.m.- -I had somehow missed the e-mail. After jumping through a number of hoops to get up there at the ridiculous time of 4 p.m., I was HOT. My daughter stuck her head out of the facility to inform me that we were two hours early, and I said, “That’s it!” I jumped out of the car and stormed up to the unfortunate coach who happened to be standing there. (Remember, they have a Christian staff.) “I am really annoyed!” I announced. I went on a minor tirade about how hard it was to get up there by 4 p.m., and how Christian, who had to finish a huge project tonight, would be now be up until midnight or so finishing it. He looked at me and said, “Hey, how about if she just does a hitting lesson for an hour, then you guys can head home?”
I left my daughter there and drove away, placated, but still somewhat annoyed. Jillian and I were going to drive up to the nearby town–my favorite antiquing destination–to browse around while I calmed down. We pulled out into bumper-to-bumper traffic on the only highway that fed into the town, and spied the sign: “Accident Ahead.” Aaarrrgggghhhh!!! I made another u-turn, and headed back to the facility.
When I walked into the facility, I could tell I had been the topic of conversation. I began to feel sheepish. Jose, the head of the facility, walked up to me and said, “Hey, praise God, this will work out even better for you. Christian’s getting a semi-private hitting lesson, and you guys will get back home a lot sooner.”
He was right. The Lord had worked it out beautifully. Even with the u-turns. And He humbled me in the process. Again.
Gwenn
Sep
24
I’ve learned to cherish pink fingertips, that’s all there is to it! But, I’m sure you’re wondering what on earth I’m talking about. Let me explain …
Two weeks ago, Dana and I left for Washington, DC to be with Andrew while he had surgery. We packed up the car, got little Ethan all settled in (he’s not fond of the car seat), got our maps and backed out of the driveway.
Only 427 miles to go … we were on our way.
Sep
22
I just took Gracie outside for her afternoon walk. Oh my goodness! It’s incredibly beautiful today. The sun, though a bit hazy, is bright, the air smells of fall … drying leaves, fields ready for harvest, and the sound of geese overhead. The tips of the leaves on the trees are beginning to turn ever so slightly. The breeze seems to announce that it’s ushering in change … change we know to expect almost like clockwork, but still refreshingly new each year.
Sep
20
Jody Foster gives a stellar performance in The Brave One with her role as Erica Bain, a talk radio host in New York City. Her show is called “Street Walk” and that’s exactly what she does. She walks the streets of what she called “the safest big city in the world” with a microphone and recorder in hand. She records sounds from all over the city and then broadcasts them across the radio waves.
Sep
20
By Gwenn McKone | 5 Comments
I turned 50 this year–actually last year. I’m staring at 51 in November.
And I finally have to admit, I don’t look 29 anymore. This was definitely one of those milestones that felt more like a giant hailstone…on my head. Actually–my neck. What is this business about your neck going south when you age?
Anyway, during my 49th year, I did a lot of mental preparation. In fact, I spent my entire 49th year feeling 50, so I never got to be 49 at all. I’m serious. I’ve spent two years being 50. I am now so OK with 50, that it only just occurred to me a few weeks ago that…ackkkkk!…I’ll be 51 soon.
As I geared up for the big 5-0 during my 49th year, I told the Lord that I wanted to hit 50 like a race horse. I wanted to be in the starting gate, and when the gates opened, I wanted to bust out and start running like the wind. I told Him I wanted a new career, or ministry. One of my fears is that when my kids are grown and leave the house, I’ll be left standing here, wondering what the heck happened to my life. So, by the time they are ready to go, I want to have my new career/ministry ramped up and going strong.
I have to tell you what has happened so far this year. Several months ago, my girlfriend told me about a mini-triathlon that she was thinking about participating in. She wanted to do it as a 3-woman team, so that one person would do the biking portion, one the running portion, one the swimming portion. Although I’ve never been in a triathlon of any kind, I immediately volunteered to be the swimmer–I’ve always been half fish. So, in August, I swam a half mile in Lake Washington–further than I have ever swam in my entire life. I found out later that several brave women who were going to do the whole mini-triathlon looked at the swimming course, and burst into tears. It apparently is the least favorite part of the triathlon for a lot of people.
Then, the very next month (2 weeks ago, in fact), my husband decided to do a mini running triathlon. My 13-year-old daughter and I decided to do it with him–walking. We walked 12 miles–twice as far as I can remember ever walking in my life.
This is more significant than you think. About 4 years ago, I was diagnosed with anxiety/panic disorder. I had lost my mom and dad to death through ugly diseases, and I was falling apart. I had lost about 40 pounds in 3 months and had absolutely lost my appetite. Truly–I could not eat and managed to force about 500 calories into my body each day. I had no energy and for about 3 or 4 months, I spent most of the time in bed. I couldn’t even make it on my own power through the grocery store. I was trembling 24/7.
God reached down and pulled me out of the pit. I had been put on medication and told to stay on it for a year, but after three months, He told me unequivocally to stop taking it, have faith, and start walking across the water toward Him. I did, one shaky step at a time. For the last three years, I have been completely healed–hence the rolls of fat that have now re-established themselves on my back.
And now one more wonderful thing to praise God about. You know that career/ministry I was talking about? My heart’s desire is for the Lord to use my writing for His glory. I have a B.A. in Journalism, and I’ve been editor of two small trade mags, but I’ve never been published in the Christian genre. Until now. Discipleship Journal just accepted a feature article from me, titled, “The Tenderness of God.” You cannot know how thrilled I am.
When the editor sent me the contract paperwork, she asked for some biographical information about me. She wrote, “you are becoming a teacher to more than 100,000 readers and they want to know more than a job title about you.” I knew the magazine had a circulation of 100,000, but when I sat back and tried to visualize 100,000 people in a huge arena, I thought, wow. WOW. A teacher to all those people?
Father God, how wonderful you are. You have taken this broken child of yours, and placed her at the starting gate, and you have opened them, and now I am running like the wind.
Only You can make fifty fabulous. I can hardly wait to see what you do with 51.
Gwenn
Next Page →
I have to laugh and I’m sure you will as well. Here’s the short article:
What a day. You could stick a fork into me and tell that I am absolutely done.
