new story by me

A LESSON ABOUT BOUNDARIES...

Once upon a time there was an ant named Lou.

One day Lou walked out her front door and noticed that a large toadstool had sprouted up right next to her door. Suddenly, Lou had a great idea. She would turn that toadstool into a nice big table! Lou was an artsy ant and this would be the perfect place for her to sit and paint. So she polished it up and made it nice and clean. She, then, found several big rocks to use as seats. She even found a small acorn shell and filled it with tiny flowers to make a pleasant center-piece. The next day, she planned on spending all morning seated at her new art table with her new watercolor set.

However, Lou's fancy new table was soon noticed by everyone else.

Once the the other bugs noticed the big table, they became interested in using it for themselves.

Being a nice bug, Lou decided that it would be selfish to not offer the table to her friends and neighbors. Especially because some of the reasons they wanted it seemed much more important than Lou's little hobby. After all, her afternoon tinkering with watercolors was no match for the Ant Colony Community Beautification Banquet or the National Bug and Worm Alliance Counsel meeting. Then there was the Adult Caterpillar Literacy class, the Locust AA meetings, the Doodle Bug Club, and so forth. Suddenly hundreds of bugs were coming out of the woodwork to use Lou's table.

So Lou, just took her paints and put them away and made a place for the little old gnats who needed a place to play gin rummy.

Afterall, it would be selfish to tell them to leave...right?

Then one day on the way to BugMart, she noticed something that she never noticed before.

There were toadstools EVERYWHERE! There were big ones, little ones, wide ones-- just the right size for bug tables! There were enough toadstools for almost every bug for miles around!

So Lou, realized that she wasn't selfish to want to use her own table. The other bugs took advantage of her because she never stood up for herself. She would go home right then and take back what was hers!

So Lou marched back home. Her antennae fidgeted wildly as her thoughts raced. Once she got home, she saw that her front yard was filled with all sorts of bugs waiting to use her table. One roach barked, "Hey, the bathroom is out of toilet paper and we could use some snacks, Lou!"

Lou spoke quietly at first, "Excuse me, I would like to use my table now."

The crowd buzzed noisily ignoring her polite plea.

"Excuse me, I would like to use my table now!"

No response.

"Excuse me, I would like to use my table now! PLEASE!"

Standing on a nearby rock, Lou shouted, "HELLO, HELLO! This is my table and I want you all to go. There are lot's of other tables. You can get your own!"

They still ignored her.

Then in an eruption of pent-up frustration and anger she freaked out. Running towards the table, mid-stride she opened her mandibles and snapped the leg off of a spider had been using the table as a place to sit and drool. She then pounced like panther to the top of the table clearing the the table with one terrible swish of the bloody arachnid appendage.

Their maxilla hit the floor and they gawked at Lou standing in the middle of the table.

Seething with fury, she spat the leg out and glowered like a demonic wasp "LISTEN YOU IDIOTIC, SELF-ABSORBED, LAZY, FREELOADING JERKS! GET YOUR FILTHY THORAXES OFF MY TABLE OR I SWEAR I WILL KILL YOU ALL! (Perhaps, she was bit dramatic but it never the less, she got them to shut up!)

After a long pause, the mob let out a unanimous "Humph!". Then, they grudgingly packed up their things and left.

One fat green beetle remarked as she left, "You are selfish and your paintings look like poo!"

The spider didn't move because it was dead. Besides, bugs kill each other all the time and no one cares.

So, Lou cleaned up the mess and fixed the rocks and filled her little acorn with fresh flowers.

The sun was shining, and the air was fresh...

... it was quiet... peaceful...

...she stared at the clean white paper spread out over her wonderful table...

and for the life of her, she couldn't think of a single thing to paint...

AGHHHH!

I have this huge slab of guilt lying on my shoulders. Because I HATE to disappoint people. But I have no choice! Sometimes I wish I had never moved back here!

When I resigned from my position on the Chamber of Commerce, I left a huge event unfinished--THE COTTON PICKIN' QUILT SHOW.
The last two directors were quilters and that is how it became a chamber event. It has been handled largely by a group of quilt lovers and then it landed on my shoulders when I became director. From the beginning I tried to convince them that it should be "outsourced". With businesses closing left and right and a troubled local economy, I wanted the Chamber to do what it was designed to do---help local businesses. The quilt show is a baby asprin compaired to the heart transplant that our city needs. I just don't think it should be the Chambers job. It never should have been. It might have brought some people to town and it might have given us a little bit of pride. I am sure people have really enjoyed them. But if it is about tourism, our high school track meets bring in much more traffic.

Now that I have resigned, we have offered many people good money to see it through but not one is dumb enough to say yes. It is an enormous head-ache according to everyone who has ever done it. And you can delegate to committees all year long and that doesn't mean you can count on anything being done. The idea of being in charge of this event makes having slivers of bamboo shoved under my fingernails sound quite pleasant...

If nobody else will touch it with a twenty-foot pole, then why was I stupid enough to even think that I should handle it? The thing is, everyone is having a stroke. "What are we gonna do? Who is going to do the Quilt Show? Oh NO!!!!" But no one wants to do it... everyone is running from it like Ebola.

Hey, I have been yappin' since June that the sky is falling. And now as pieces of the atmosphere begin drifting downward, the rest of the world finally pays attention.

Sometimes people have no clue what they are asking for...

I am no longer an employee of the Chamber yet this issue is giving me a ulcer...

The last Quilt show meeting, these were actual comments that I heard in response to my statements:

Me:
"I have never even been to a quilt show..."

Lady
"Well, you should have."

Me:
"I will be 9 months pregnant during the quilt show. Last time I went into labor a month early. I don't want to be dealing with the quilt show then"

Lady:
"Sounds like poor timing."

ARGHHHHHHHHH!

I feel better.

Oh Yeah! Only 12ish weeks to go!

New favorite t-shirt quote
"BIRTH CONTROL IS FOR SISSIES"

My new son will be here soon. We are excited to meet Luke sometime around the end of March. We are calling him Luke but are unsure if his first name will be Luke or Landry. Personally I like Landry Luke Latham. If he grows up to be a rapper or a pro-wrestler he can call him self Triple "L" or "L" to the Third or whatever...

Also, here is a great album to get:

Coolest album by a mom for her kids. Think Imogene Heap plus Enya doing ethereal God-centered songs for her babies....

Blink by Plumb

Great book for fellow mommies


In short, it is about dying to self and living a life of joy in God's designed role.
Not for the weak or those looking to deny the created order of a family...

The Story of Stuff

http://www.storyofstuff.com/

follow the link above. Whether we are democrats or republicans, we can see that we need to be responsible for our environmental behaviors. And to those of us who have too much "stuff", maybe this will help us kick the consumer mentality. It's not just about being "green". It's about not laying up for ourselves treasures where moth and rust destroy--or treasures that we end up packing away in a land fill!

Part the Waters...

So, I resigned my position at the chamber for many reasons... Mostly so that I could be with my children at home. I am convinced that it is God's will that I make my home the first priority. I am one of those all or nothing people... I realize that this choice makes me the possible target of scrutiny in my home town, but I can't listen to anyone except my husband,the peace of God, and the advice of true friends who know what I am dealing with...

So, this is a great thing. I have been wanting to be a homekeeper for many years and this is my first opportunity to do so since we have been married... I mean the first time that I did not contribute financially. I have strong urges to make up for the lack of income but I know that God is telling me to trust him first.

As for my town, we have been hard hit lately. Our motel, our vet, two resturants, are closing. We have had 4 deaths in the last two weeks-one a young father. There is a sense of hopelessness and depression here and I don't think another strain of short-lived human ideas will change anything... OUR ONLY HOPE IS GOD.

Lord I repent for trying to do things my way instead of seeking you first. Lord pleas raise up an army of prayer from this small town that we might see your power!

"The Lord is my strength..."

Time? No, time.

Moving back home has been a bit of a stretch for me because of how crazy busy life is around here. You would think that being home would mean that life would be more laid back, more easy going--WRONG! There is much to do and few people to do it. It is hard to say no because everything needs help and everything needs volunteers. I am the Chamber of Commerce director and I picked the wrong job for a mom who wants more time for her husband and kids. From conferneces,to fundraisers and events, city beautification ideas and new business support--- the ideas that I have keep my head out there reaching yet my heart is back home.

Here in Munday, I think that stay-at-home moms are more rare than in the city. I feel like the idea of staying home with kids is taboo. After all, "lots of moms have jobs and raise kids," said one pastor friend. I feel like I would be violating many unspoken rules... Yet, I know and my husband is sure that with the addition of baby #2 that our destiny requires me to let go of that lie that says that I must contribute publicly and monetarily in order to be a useful person. The temptation is strong to go with the flow. I am not sure how my own family truly feels... "Nevertheless, not my will but Your will, Oh Lord!"

I just want to be sure that I hear your direction.

Munday, Munday

So, I am here in Munday and I am now the director of the Chamber of Commerce... So much for the blissful days of staying home with Ky bear. Oh, being a stay at home mom is my ultimate goal, but for a season, I can work the few hours that I am required (9 am to 1 pm) four days a week. I am at peace because two of Ky's grandmothers are taking turns with him while I am at work. This is not considered babysitting because they aren't just minding my child for a few hours and collecting a check. This is a heart investment. Where would I be without all the hours I spent with my mamaw and my Mama King? It is a win-win-win situation that we are enjoying. Until I have another baby or our plans change, I will be working for my home town, living a few blocks from my favorite people, attending the church where my husband and I met and were married, and relishing days like today when I am still in my pajamas at 1 in the afternoon...