on the other side

Psalms 49:4
"I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying upon the harp."

David wrote, there were times when God revealed things to him that he did not understand. Hence, the dark sayings. He went on to say when he began to make music to the Lord, in praise, the meanings of such sayings become clear. I have said in the past; Praise is the plow that breaks the hardened ground and reveals the fertile earth beneath. Praise opens us up to receive.

Tammy is still in a good deal of pain. Her appointment with the orthopaedist is on Wednesday. We have prayed and sought God for healing or relief. We do get a measure of relief from time to time, for which we are grateful. However, We are still in the dark as to why she is not healed or granted complete relief.

I know there are things we go through that make us better. I know that faith is the key. Tammy is so strong and so brave. She is holding on to the slimmest thread. I want to answer her 'whys', but I cannot.

I trust, that on the other side of this we may know the whys and wherefores. I trust that the reason for this is worth the pain. I know when she has held on, she will be stronger. My head knows all of this oh so well. My heart, on the other hand, breaks with each cry of anguish. It breaks with each tear she cries from the pain. I want to use my gift of words to tell her why, but I cannot. I want to open His Word to the place where I can tell her, but I have not been able to do so.

I do not know why. I do know, on the other side of this trial, we will continue our praise, and the plow will open our hearts to recieve, and we may know.

On the other side.

One 'huh' question

Have you ever had someone ask a question to which your only retort was 'huh'? I mean, a question that defies the cliche that there are no stupid questions. Believe me, there are some stupid questions. I heard one .. well .. I didn't actually hear the question being asked, but I was immediately aware that the question had been asked.

Let me back-track a bit. I have had a cold/flu thing going on for a few days. Did I mention I hate colds? Anyway, I haven't been eating much due to the whole 'loss of appetite' and 'not being able to taste and fully appreciate the food', thing. So, I have dropped a few pounds. My generally well fitting shorts have been hanging a bit lower lately. Today, I had to make a run outside the house, so, I just put my jeans on over my shorts and did what I had to do. When I came home and walked upstairs, inside my jeans, my shorts worked themselves down and were under my cheeks. Yes, it was a totally weird feeling. I know how my honey feels now when she tells me her pantyhose are falling down.

It is later this evening when I go out to grab some food for us (Tammy is still in pain,) so I am still in jeans and the shorts. We ate, watched a bit of TV. Later, Kyle (13) was fixing to go to bed and was about to step outside on the porch to say goodnight to his mom and sis. My pants were hanging loose, so I pulled them down a bit and yelled for him. YES, I MOONED HIM.

Chella was on the porch on the phone with her BF. She mentioned to him that I had mooned Kyle. Her next statement was, "I don't know why."

Why? Why would anyone ask the question as to why someone moons someone else? It begs the follow up that there would have to be an acceptable answer to the question. As if there is a respectable reason to moon someone. As if you were ever called into court for such an offense and was asked, "why?" and you said, "blah blah blah," and they would say, "That's a good reason. Case dismissed."

Mooning is a spur of the moment reasonless crime. I suppose there are cases of premeditated mooning. I have found in my life that most instances have been spur of the moment. Like the time I was driving 80 MPH down a two lane country road in a part of West Virginia, that lay between where I was working in Pennsylvania and where I lived in Ohio, and a friend was driving 80 MPH three inches off of my bumper, and the guy riding with me laid the passenger seat down, and mooned him. I can't tell you their names as one of them is now a high ranking union official in northern Ohio.

Why ? Why do you moon someone? Because you have a butt and they have eyes, duh !

Of course, Kyle went out on the porch and told his mom he was blind now. Her response? "Oh, Ron mooned ya?"

Strange Questions .. or .. Helping educate the next generation

Last night, we were watching some TV, when a commercial for Dairy Queen came on. it was one where the red lips (spokesman/Spokeslips ? for DQ) was talking about gravy and biscuits. Then he (assuming this because of the voice .. not a gender bias that all free roaming lips must be male,) is drenched with gravy. After licking it all off, he yells, "Is that all you got?" and is doused again. Tammy commented that it looked good. We had to be out and about today a little early. I suggested that we get biscuits and gravy for breakfast. Tammy accepted my suggestion and approved the message. (Sarcastic political humor here.)

This morning we venture out. We have the Chella with us. (I'll update that situation later.) I didn't feel in the DQ mood this morning. I had already decided on a different course. I drove away from the house in a direction opposite the DQ direction. Tammy chimed in that she didn't care one way or the other if I didn't want to go to DQ. I told her I had decided to do the Cracker Barrel instead. She was enthusiastically for that.

As we were chowing down on delicious gravy and biscuits, and sausage for Tammy and I, eggs and bacon for the Chella, Chella made a comment/question about rocking chairs. She queried as to why old folks (I didn't ask her definition of old .. after all, she is only 17 .. definitions of old are decidedly age specific,) liked to sit in rocking chairs. I was aghast. How could a bright young girl not be clued in to the wonders of the rocking chair? How could she not be aware of the magical portal that accompanies rocking chairs? How, in her nearly 18 years, had these things escaped her education?

I explained to her the mythical ways of the rocking chair. I told her how troubles vanish and cares fade in the gentle rocking of these thrones of stress-less-ness. When you sit in a rocking chair, and begin to move it back and forward, the goodness of the world is magnified and the badness in minimized. One is magically transported to a time when peace ruled the planets. Somewhere out there is a chaotic, turbulent, tumultuous, existence. however, here in the arms of the Rocker, serenity reigns.

As we finished our meal and began to leave, we passed a couple of rockers set up on either side of a barrel sporting a checkers board. I had Chella sit in the rocker. I began to rock her gently. i asked her how that felt. "Like being back in my mothers womb," she replied.

She went on outside while I paid the check. When I got outside, I found Chella, in a rocker on the outside. We have a new convert. I am just doing my part to educate the youth of today. As we left our small town and ventured into the big city, Chella laid down in the TB and slept peacefully. The serenity of the rocker still clung to her. She slept in peace ..

Why indeed !

Kyle asked, a couple days ago, what was the name for the highest number? What was it called?

Where do these kids get this stuff? I told Kyle, there is no highest number. If you were able to count to the highest number, when you got there, and boldly proclaimed that you had reached that pinnacle, someone nearby (and there is always someone like this nearby,) would say, "and one." The counting would begin anew with each new level receiving a new name, "and one."

I trust this helps in educating your youth !