Church Dirt...

So....I walk in on Ash Wednesday and find Mike...covered in dirt...

with a cross on his forehead...

Me-"Hey Mikey- what's on your head"

Mikey: "Duh....church dirt."

Me: "What does it mean?"

Mikey: "it means God loves me." (pronounced Lovethhzz )

Mikey: "Its like Superman's S, ...but it is for Jesus." (Keep in mind each "S" is pronounced "th")

"I can flip in the chair, it doesn't come off."

"I can play rock Band super awesome...watch..."

It is at this point that I realize my Godson is crying in the other room...

Me: "what's wrong MoMo?"

MoMo:"I didn't get any church dirt....I don't have a church at my school like Mikey."

So, I do what any self respecting Godmother does in such a crisis. I stick my hand in the sink....run it through the dirt in the nearest pot plant head his way and give him the "3rd grade run down" on Ash Wednesday.

"William, God Loves you so much , that He stopped at nothing to make sure you get back to Him. The cross on your forehead, is there to remind you, that He made us out of dirt and one day we will return to Him. Bottom line is He loves you, always has and always will. Even if you don't get church dirt on your forehead."

Then, with his little hand, he puts the cross on my forehead too.

We decide it is even better than church. We both know we are all loved by Jesus...and that we are marked by him.

It is the best Ash Wednesday service I have ever been to.

Obviously at this point in our "service", it was time for some worship music, or whatever was on Rock Band...However, in my mind-I clearly heard- "Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow."

May you all know church dirt...and what it stands for.

Grace and Peace,

DCC

Ash Wednesday...

Well, here we are...the first day of Lent.

This is the day I walk through HEB and want to tell people,

"There is something on your head"....and then I remember.

Then I forget and see someone in the workout room...and say,

"There is something on your head"...and then I remember.

Then I forget and see someone in Target and say,

"There is something on your head"....and then I remember.

Then I forget and go to Paesano's ...and see someone and want to say something....

but I remember...

Ash Wednesday marks the first day, or the start of the season of Lent. Lent is the 40 days before Easter.
During Ash Wednesday services, the minister will lightly rub the sign of the cross with ashes onto the foreheads of worshipers. God, May we remember for the next 40 days....that it is from YOU we came...and it is to YOU we shall return. When we see the foreheads today...let them be a visual reminder that YOU Love us! That YOU stopped at nothing to get us back!

Grace and Peace,

DCC

Rules...

Entitlement...people that don't have to play by the rules...don't have to yield to traffic...don't return calls or emails...don't what they said they were going to do...don't return things they borrowed...people that show up late...don't bother to write thank you notes...

Is it so hard people?

I realize I am very type A...and put a lot of importance on these things...I had a calendar at 5 years old...I pay attention to dates, times...and lists

I always have...imagine I always will...it is just the way I am wired.

I also realize some people are not...but they too, are made in the image of God.

God, thank you for making us all so different...please teach me to see You in all of them. Because in Your Eyes, I too, break the rules.

Grace and Peace,

DCC

Rest...

Long day?

Can't even stay awake for the end of Cinderella?Better suit up...feeties and all.

Bedtime stories read by "Hee Hee"

lights out...

How did we get from this stage in life...to running ourselves ragged?

We used to know what to do...

Which takes us to the question, "How does a person get rest and relief?"...
"Come to me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest" (Matt.11:28).... Jesus says He is the solution for weariness of soul.

What are you waiting for?

God, Thank you for letting us curl up in You....and rest.

Grace and Peace,

DCC

Speech problems...

It was Moses’ heart, not his tongue, that made him a leader

Three times in the old Testament, we hear about Moses’ speech difficulties. He called himself “heavy of mouth and heavy of tongue,” saying, “I am not a man of words.”

Moses was endowed with all the qualities of a prophet except one: He lacked the power of eloquent speech. This was a deliberate act of Divine Providence, so that people would not say that the Israelites followed Moses because of his eloquence alone.

Rabbi Nachman teaches that, for whatever reason — physical or psychological — Moses couldn’t speak easily or fluently and God wanted it that way. God didn’t want the people to be swayed by a silver-tongued orator — the star of the debate team, a glib and charismatic TV evangelist type.
God didn’t want to entrust the divine message to someone who gave spellbinding oral reports with no sweat. God was interested in someone who needed his brother’s help, who spoke hesitantly and thoughtfully, who stumbled a bit, and sometimes got tied up in knots of self-doubt because he felt so much the weight of what he was saying.
A blemished vessel was just fine with God. An elderly shepherd with a tender, impetuous heart — a man of the desert, halting in his speech, a little awkward in his style — a person like that was no problem for God. A person like that could be a leader. Not because of his captivating rhetoric. But because he spoke the truth with all his heart.
God’s message came forth from him, shining pure and unadorned — and, in the end, the people felt its power.

-Rabbi Janet Marder

God, thank you for giving us the words...when we are not clearly not up to the task.

Grace and Peace,

DCC

Ice...Ice...Baby....

Ice....Ice....Baby.

I don't know about you guys- but this week felt really long to me.

I am so thankful to God, for creating weekends-

Enjoy it and take some time to chill.

Grace and Peace,

DCC

Isaiah 43

"When you pass through the water

I will be with you,

and the waves they will not overtake you.

Do not fear;

For I have redeemed you.

I have called you by name.

You are mine."

-Isaiah 43:2 a

"This is what the Lord says

he who made a way through the sea,

a path through the mighty waters."

-Isaiah 43:16

God, Thank You seems insufficient...because it is.

Thank you for reminding us that Your hands are on us- at all times.

No matter what our eyes may see.

Grace and Peace,

DCC

Updog...

Not much...what's up with you?

Have a great weekend everybody and remember that God cares about every single thing that is "up"with you.

Grace and Peace,

DCC

Half Full...

So, I am walking out of my workout place yesterday and pass one of the wealthiest ladies in San Antonio. She was moving quickly and wasn't intersted in talking to your's truly.

Me: Hi ______!

Her: Hrmmpphh.

Me: How are you doing today?!

Her: uhhhh...reasonable. (Lovey Howell's tone of voice)...keeps walking.

Me: Good times. Oh, I'm great thanks.

Really??

That's all you got?!! I was not surprised, as she is notoriously bent out of shape about something or other. Reasonable?

How sad.

By The Grace of God, I am a "half-full person." (I even have the t-shirt to prove it.)

Come on- how about today focusing on what you HAVE instead of what you DON'T? Isn't there SOMEBODY that is worse off than you are? How about taking that energy and using it to build someone else up?

God, thank you for your patience with us-

Grace and Peace,

DCC

Chosen...

Little League tryouts....early Saturday morning....cold....

lined up in the stands like cattle...calves actually....with their new bats from Santa...

What will the coaches think? Who will pick who?

are you good enough?

These are my Godsons when they came off the field....they were happy.

Me: Way to go Hammies! (short for Brohams- or Brohammers) You were great!

You caught well.. threw well...batted well and ran super fast.

Them: Thanks! It was fun-

Me: I am so proud of you! Are you nervous to find out what team you are picked to be on?

Them: No. Our dad's are coaching...they will pick us.

No matter what happened today...we are already Chosen. So we just had fun- Cool huh?

Me: Very.

Thank you God, for picking us no matter how many times we fail, fall short or disappoint you.

Being Chosen is a gift we do not deserve or earn...just like Your Grace.

Thank you. May we "play well" for you today and everyday.

Grace and Peace,

DCC