Today, I received an email response from him from the same email address that I had sent it to,  such and such @whatever.com telling me that his address was exactly that address: such and such @ whatever.com.

Yeah for Spreadsheets

With every new spreadsheet comes an excitement, a hope, and a sense of accomplishment.

Column E is the sum of F-L plus O.  O is the sum of P thru Z and column N is the total of the cell above plus L but minus E.

It’s just so cool, with a click of a button, it adds and subtracts and comes out with the right answer in Column M.  So you always know, how much you have to spend.  And who doesn’t love that!

Recently we started reading a book that Ryan and Jodie sent, Making Room.  All about hospitality and what it mean to be hospitable, the book is quite convicting and at the same time it makes one quite defensive.

Pre-hotel hotel hospitality was filled with entertaining strangers, traveling preachers, and others getting from here to there.  Currently hospitality is entertaining friends and loved ones.  In reading the beginning, I was reminded of the basis of hospitality, Love.

In fact, as you read through Scripture, ‘love’ seems to be a common thought and the imperative.  It encompasses God’s love to us, and our response to His love not only reciprocally but outwardly.  Love is the basis of all things.

So, I started thinking of great loves, what they are and what they produce.  Yes, it’s not always who they are, sometimes it’s what they are.

Karen and I, although a remote possibility, want to start a cute little shop to feed others.  Currently we are collecting dishes, and recipes, ideas and thoughts of exactly what we want.

This is a funny enterprise to me.  Although eating is essential, and from all appearances, I don’t skip meals too often.  I don’t love eating, but more interestingly, I don’t love the actual cooking.  This is a concept that I struggled with for 27 years.  I thought of so many who loved cooking, Mom, Les, Grandma Steele, Karen, and tons of people, me, not so much.

But here’s what I did love and still love, it’s the basis for wanting to build a business framed around cooking.  I love serving.  I love helping.  It’s a lot of fun being with people who love what they are doing.

It’s a concept that though awkwardly communicated, was the truth that was most important of all the  things that I wanted you children to learn.  It’s not the process, e.g. cooking, cleaning, studying, working in general,  it’s the product that the process brings.

You enjoy the process because of what it produces.  I think that if you can ever begin to think like that, and to have an end goal, hopefully one that has eternalness at the core, then all jobs become fun.  Sometimes stressful and even cuss worthy, but in light of the goal, the work is just the way to the goal, and you might as well enjoy the way because that’s the greater part of life.

Love, maybe not what you are doing in it’s purest form, but love that what you are doing is producing an end product.

As I said, I don’t love cooking, but at camp, I loved the reason for cooking.  I loved that campers got food that sustained them for the week so that they could learn God’s Word and have a great time doing it.

I loved it because it was the way I could help in that ministry.  I loved it because it was true evidence that God showed over and over that He is so gracious to, but so much  greater than the vessel He uses.  How weird that people actually liked the food.

I loved it because of the people in the kitchen.  Beginning with Les, sometimes Mom, Grandma Steele and Iris, then on to Karen, Nancy, Lisa, Abbie, Katie, Jodie, even Dad, Andrew, Ryan Jamey and Justin at times,  along with many others.  They loved cooking (maybe they loved serving) or else they pretended well, and I loved being with them.

It’s funny to think that a big goal is to be with Karen in an establishment where the main goal is food.  But I love the idea.  I love that Karen loves to cook, her enthusiasm is contagious, and I love to cook when someone who loves to cook is nearby.  And maybe I love other stuff.  I have learned ordering, quantities, painting, and many random things that I can do in the business.

But most of all it seems that this goal will help others.  Not only with food, a given, but maybe we can employee people who otherwise wouldn’t work, maybe we can serve folks who are hungry out of the profits. (many I’m sure).  It would be fantastic to be a ministry  of hospitality.

I don’t really love cleaning.  I do love a clean looking and smelling house.  I loved that because when we cleaned, people who stayed felt welcome not like they were intruders.  They felt we were prepared for them and cared that they were comfortable.

I don’t love cleaning things out, though I know Katie does, but each thing I look at seems to have either so many possibilities of what it could be or so many memories of what it was, that it’s really hard to get rid of.  Hence we have a storage shed filled to the brim with things that we are currently doing very well without.  I do love that cleaning out brings that calmness that only less clutter can bring.

I don’t love learning new programs on the computer and putting in data.  But I do love that when I did it for Cookeville Times, it was a help to them, (in the end they were mostly helping me)  something they needed for the moment.  And now because of what I learned for them, I can use that to help others.

So in the end cooking,  cleaning out the barn, racking leaves, mulching, mowing endless circles of grass, cleaning and painting rooms, entering data, addressing envelopes, making and folding bulletins, answering the same questions, work in general,  and fixing and cleaning up countless meals was and is fun. It doesn’t really mater what you work at, the end is that entertaining strangers became a reality. I think that nice facilities, good food, service,  organization and function, are all part of the hospitality process. (I’ll have to finish the book to see if we, the author and I, concur)

These were all things that I loved and still love because they are the way to the goal.  To show love for others, not only for those we love, but for some we might not even be aware of.

…don’t be forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unaware…

The grass is still brown.

The days are still cold.

But despite it all, the air is beginning to smell like spring.

This morning, there was a plate left on one of the tables from the coffee hour.  It had a sugar cookie with a thin layer pink icing and a brownie with lots of hot pink lard icing topped with  a chocolate heart placed in the middle of the mound of icing.

Finally, my kind of heart healthy snacks.

Safe and sound we listen the the Pastor explain the Love of the Savior and how our only part in the salvation process  is that we need to acknowledge that we are  sinners and accept the gift of salvation that is so freely offered.

Safe and sound we hear the news as one person after another is found guilty of murder and mayhem all around the city, country and world.

Safe and sound we listen to the news that just a few blocks you enter into the hungriest city in the nation.

Safe and sound, with pictures of Jack and Grace in view, we hear that in the next zip code there is more infant mortality than anywhere else in the nation.

Safe and sound we watch as men and women bundled up with carts full of all their earthly possessions trudge down Poplar from midtown to downtown looking for food and a warm place to stay.

Safe and sound the winds howl, the rain pours and tornadoes touch down somewhere.

Safe and sound we make judgments on how we think others should act and what they should or shouldn’t do.

Safe and sound we make plans to do this or that, but all around us people are struggling and dying and coping with horrendous lives that we cannot imagine.

Safe and sound we aren’t subject to too much heat or too much cold. We have doctors to fix us or at least try to make us feel better.  When the tornadoes and fires came so did a host of workers. When we were without hope because of a sick child, knowledgeable people stepped in and helped them.  When we lost our home, folks gave us somewhere to live.  When we were the ones stopping the traffic, children and friends came forward to help and encourage us.  When we lost our job, a plan was put in place to replace our need for work.    Most importantly when we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

As we sit safe and sound and cared for then question arises, what can we do for those who aren’t safe and sound, those who are struggling with life itself?

Maybe the only answer is what we are all doing, be willing to be used whenever and wherever we are.  Whether it’s a kind word, prayer or something more substantial, we know, we’ve all been less than safe and sound at some point, so the best thing to do might be what someone else did for us.  And to be grateful when we are on the inside of the window.

Over the years I have had several.  As a ten year old, I wanted to be a Camp Director.  After trusting Christ as my Savior I wanted to be in the ministry and Serve the Lord as my entire job, and I thought it would be really cool is my husband was a Pastor.  I also wanted to live in an old house that was two stories.  I wanted twins, and I wanted to be within walking distance to a Dunkin’ Donuts.

Obviously,  the twins and living next to Dunkin’ Donuts are still up in the air. (only the Judgment Seat of Christ will reveal the Service desire really worked out).

With the move to Memphis, Dunkin Donuts became a real possibility, except in Midtown, there were NO Dunkin’ Donuts around, and we had to settle for living next to Home Depot, an excellent second choice.

That is, until now…On Dec. 1 a new…

Yeah

opened in Midtown, within walking distance.

I joyfully announced this to Fr. Paul the other day, and his comment was, “But you don’t drink coffee”.  It took a bit to convince him that it was possible to eat doughnuts without drinking coffee.

In the end, we all know that it wasn’t just a doughnut shop, it was the realization to a dream.  (Sometimes you have to have dreams that aren’t going to make or break the world as we know it.)

Mmmmm, that’s not good!

This picture came to mind.  After seeing it almost a year ago, it seems the picture says, We are not fainthearted, no matter what happens around us, we will continue to do what we love best.

Paul writes, …Though our outward body fails, our inward spirit is renewed each day… (a loose translation of II Corinthians 4:16).  And as the Exaltation of the Cross, a feast celebrated on Sept 14th nears, we are reminded that the Cross causes us not to be fainthearted when all else around us fails.  As Presbyterians and Baptists, we’ve never heard of this feast most likely, but the message remains the same.

Then, the logical question is, what really makes us fainthearted.  From experience, in our lives, it’s not fires that destroy your kitchen, a lack of campers, being cold or hot, too much to do, not enough money, countless trips to Vanderbilt, tornado’s, no help, or even people that speak evil of your work and leave in a huff.  We remained steadfast throughout all those episodes.  Not comparable to shipwrecks, tortures, beatings or prison, but still formidable happenings, and they all had the opportunity to evoke the response of, “We quit”.  But those things didn’t make us quit.

Although in the end, it seems that maybe it wasn’t so much quitting as being moved to something else which is better, the thing that made, at least me, become fainthearted was being passed over, not being recognized, not being rewarded and not being applauded for years of not being fainthearted.

In the end, for me, it seems that what really causes one to be fainthearted is pride.  Other hardships, from the outside, can serve to strengthen our resolves…pride is from the inside, it doesn’t come in fires or weather or even how others respond when provoked.  Pride is lurking in all of us and Proverbs says it goes before a fall.

Pride comes when we allow others to determine what our reward should be.  Pride looks at what we think we accomplished and rears its head when others around don’t agree.  Pride refuses to see the our only accomplishments are of the Lord, it expects an earthly response, and in my case, pride defined itself by seeing myself as betrayed and passed over, rather than seeing God’s hand in moving us to something else.

Pride then is allowed.  Sometimes pride keeps us from recognizing the we are forgiven.  Not only for eternity but for sins here and now, we continue to wallow in self-pity. Pride is a choice.  We can’t change the weather or accidents, illness, or the economy, and we can become fainthearted at all those things. But what really destroys or just leads us to be fainthearted,  is not from the outside in, it’s from the inside out.

From the beginning of women in the workforce as a common everyday occurrence, life has changed. 

It would be wonderful to think that working made no difference in how we keep house, fix meals, teach our children, get flowers, decorate, or manage our money, but in truth, it makes a huge impact.  In some aspects change is for the better.  Women make fantastic workers, they have insights, ideas and the ability to get something done in short order that most men will never understand or be able to re-create.

Men on the other hand were given the job of providing for the family.  Along with that job, skills were given.  Men are stronger, though women can go for that strength, truly their bodies are not made for it.  Men are driven to provide and their brains are in many ways wired to do a job and get it done.  Women, with all their emotions and other strengths were actually made for a different purpose.  I realize that sounds sexist, but in truth, I don’t care.  Is it really so bad to be taken care of and helped when things are not going well.  It may be degrading for some, but I like it.

I love my job.  I loved being at home cooking, homeschooling (a one sided love sometimes, and no love at all  at other times), gardening, cleaning, fixing, etc.  I wasn’t any less tired at home than when there was an outside job.  But here’s the difference.  At home the job was cooking, keeping house, and all that.  Now it’s different, it computer stuff, being nice, (always exhausting), and various and sundry other stuff.  At the end of the day, the job has sucked a lot of energy and time and regular “woman’s work” is not high on the priority list.  Thus at the end of the day dinner is on low priority, cleaning house is even lower, and other stuff that that used to be great fun, sounds like too much work some days.

Some weekends are “regular” weekends.   Regular is a strange word, but I think of it , as in what our parents or grandparents would have done over the weekend. Go to the Farmer’s Market, grocery store, straighten the house, do laundry, write an article for UC, catch up on a few letters, learn to take pictures or even bike ride and play golf.

This is where my job description has changed drastically.  Besides not really every having a “regular” Saturday, Camp could never have been termed regular on any day.  It wasn’t just one house to clean, it was a camp, it wasn’t just a yard to mow it was 20 acres or more, it wasn’t just flowers in your yard to water, it was a camp to water, it wasn’t just a car to maintain, it was a fleet that needed work.  So this is a lot.

Part of the job description given is Scripture is to be hospitable.  And actually that is still one of my favorite parts of the “job description”.  Having folks to visit, family or friends or as we call them framily, since most of our friends are family, is wonderful.

There is no answer as to which is better or worse, outside the home or inside the home.  Being a women Dr. is a tremendous help in this world, going to Seminary in order to serve others better is a high calling, teaching, is a wonderful and needed profession, and being efficient in a church is very helpful.  So now comes the choices.  In the quest to be a good wife and mother, what do we give up to be the best?

It is a different time.  And I think the answer to what’s my job description is simple…  Our job description is probably everything our Grandmothers did and all the things that we do now and here’s why.  Rosy the Riveter taught us all something…We have the strength and know how to do lots; add in the technology that allows us to do it with more efficiency, that equals the way.  The most important thing to remember is the hardest, (at least for me)…Placing priorities, remembering to put the things that don’t last at the top of the list, e.g. Having fellowship with the Lord, spending time together with the ones you love, making memories for children, holding them and reading to them and relaxing with them.

And then temperance, pacing yourself, because truly, it all can be done, our job description can be everything we want it to be, it just realizing that all of it doesn’t have to be done NOW.

But even though we each have a home, we all, due to much graciousness, share a home.  (You think i’m going to wax super spiritual here and say, Heaven is our Home, but no this is a earthly blog)  All of us have another home.  It’s a home where we are all gather, the majority  of us have lived there for an extended length of time, and best of all, we are all

and the door, front or back

is always

There are games to play

and lots of  family,friends and food.                      

The food and fellowship are both excellent.

Our Home away from our homes is made up of so many different aspects.  There’s the family, friends and food, but what makes this home our collateral home is that is a compilation of so many.  The back yard contains containers and flowers  from Murfreesboro, flowers from Memphis, friends and old homes.

The Daisies are from a home Grandma and Grandad Hamilton lived in, while the Tiger Lily is from Livingston and was a colorful reminder each summer that camp was about to start.  Mrs. Geiger planted these by the lake and over the last 70 years they have moved slowly down the hillside.

The hydrangea family accepted a new addition from Livingston, and the Blueberry clan didn’t mind mixing in with Livingstonites.  And thanks to Karen, it all keeps blooming and looking beautiful.

There are even some new additions.

Guests are welcomed with smiles and openness , even the non- human form.

Interestingly enough, even when we are all gone, except of course, the true home folks, we all have something that is still there.  In fact, there probably isn’t anyone in the family that doesn’t have something stored.  And many of us have lots and lots……… Thanks to Dan it’s all safe and sound.

Home is good times, times to make memories…home movies and

Tractor rides go hand in hand reminding us that even though

life has taken lots of twists and turns over the last few years.  There has remained a constant, a home to gather in and though we don’t know if our “home” will be in the same place a lot of what we think of as home will go where we go. And the nice thing is…

just as the  sun will  rise and set,

we will always be family………………………………….