Category Archives: life

April 6, 2009 · 6:00 am

Let Them Eat Cake.


This blog is officially one year old.  Okay, one year and two days, but I figured you didn’t want to celebrate the BIG BLOG BASH on your very coveted Saturday.  I certainly didn’t want to give up my laundry and trip to the Red Carpet Car Wash.

So, here’s the celebration, folks.  Let’s party.

I said LET’S PARTY!!

Man, we are rock stars. 

You probably notice the little facelift I gave my dotcom.  I let my mom take a sneak peak yesterday. 

“Oh, it’s nice,” she said very convincingly. 

It seems my mom misses Anna’s cute little feet at the top of the page.  I’ve agreed to randomly change the pictures out from time to time.  FOR.MY.MOTHER.  Because, I’m a good daughter like that.  And, she’ll fly out here and keep my kids on a moment’s notice.

When I first began this blog, the thought occurred to me that I may have nothing to write about every single weekday.  Of course, you may be thinking, “Um, you don’t have anything to write about.”  Bigmama would tell you, “You better hush.” 

As a mother, you know we are never short on stories.  And, as long as Anna Takle is Anna Takle, there will always be a post that might make you chuckle – or just feel the need to pray for me J

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about my little life and journey with our big God as much as I’ve enjoyed writing about them.  Life is hard enough to not share it with friends. 

For real.

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April 2, 2009 · 6:00 am

In His Presence.

tony-wp

Meet Tony Brower.  Father of two beautiful daughters.  Skilled martial artist.  Unbelievable musician and songwriter.  Comedian.  Cowboy.  Jesus-Lover. 

No one sang “Rain of Your Presence” with more passion than Tony.  Let this song be our prayer.  Every day that we live.

Let the rain of your presence fall on me
Every day that I live with every breath I breathe
Let the rain of your presence fall on me
Everywhere that I go, Lord let your presence flow
Rain on Me
Love divine
Joy unspeakable
Overflowing in my soul
This heart of mine
Is refreshed and at rest
In Your presence, in Your presence

After a long battle with cancer, Tony stands today in our Savior’s very presence.  I know that joy unspeakable is overflowing in his soul.

You’ll be missed, Tony Brower.

Thank you for your passion and for teaching us what it means to be a fighter.

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7

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April 1, 2009 · 6:00 am

If Oprah Calls, Tell Her I’m Only Free On Fridays.


I wasn’t sure, but I thought God was trying to tell me something.  Last Saturday, I dreamed I won an Emmy for writing some fantastic television series.  Katherine Heigl was my BFF.  Oh, and I also saw John Travolta at some event, and I was like “Whatev” and all.  Then, last night I dreamed I was hanging out with Elvis Presley – the skinny, Viva Las Vegas Elvis, not the I don’t care what anyone thinks of me, because I can sing “How Great Thou Art” like it’s nobody’s business Elvis.

Since the king is no longer shakin’ it, I’m pretty sure it was the Benedryl talking and not the Almighty. 

Of course, those dreams sure are nicer than the dream that took years for me to recover from.  It’s the one where the Incredible Hulk chased me inside my dad’s church when I was a child.  It’s true.  You won’t like him when he’s angry.

I do have some real dreams.  You know, visions for my life.  The Bible says that “where there is no vision, the people perish.” (Proverbs 29:18)  Since it’s true that one in two marriages end in divorce, I better have a vision for a closer, more intimate relationship with my husband, right?  A vision for a healthier me leads to time at the gym – something I saw for the first time yesterday in a very long time.  Otherwise, without this vision, I’ll probably just succumb to daily consumptions of chips and queso. 

We don’t just accidentally end up fulfilling visions.  We do it on purpose.  One of the visions I have for my children is for them to grow up with a heart after God.  That they will be fully surrendered followers of Christ all the days of their lives.  I realize this will probably not just happen.  So, I’m cautious with what kind of music they listen to.  I disciple them in small things.  We are intentional in praying before dinner.  I do things that will hopefully, with much prayer, lead them to seek His Kingdom first.

We have to be intentional.  To fulfill our life visions, we have to get there on purpose.

Do you have a vision for your life?  What are you doing on purpose to get there?

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March 27, 2009 · 6:00 am

If You Look Up Mercy, You Might Find His Picture.

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A few quotables from my dad I try to live by:

1) Nothing good happens after at midnight.  Wherever you’re going to be, be there by then.

2) Vengeance belongs to God.  Not me.

3) His mercies are new every morning.  So should ours be for others.

4) Never let her cut grass.  Well, that’s what he told Kris when he asked for my hand in marriage. I remind Kris of this. J

5) Everything is going to be okay.

Happy Birthday, Dad.  We love you big. 

And, so do John Henry and Anna:

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March 23, 2009 · 6:00 am

And, if I see a set of scales, I’m gonna holler.


Back home.  And, what’s done is done.  The display I put on last week in the Peach State – then on a getaway to Amelia Island – is somewhat regrettable.  I don’t even want to see the numbers.  There is simply no sense in weighing myself until I fast all things edible for the next twenty-one days.  At least.  More to come on the Amelia Island getaway tomorrow. 

I’ve received numerous e-mails – okay, two – requesting a posting on Bigmama’s thoughts.  I always love coming home and visiting my almost 90 year old grandmother.  Her words of wisdom are, well, they’re enlightening.  I recorded a few of her comments the first day of my visit.  Hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

bigmamasays-wp

Upon complaining to Bigmama about the weather, she told me to “Hush.  This is God’s weather!”  So, I did.

When watching TLC’s “What Not to Wear,” Bigmama responded in defiance, “I’m gonna wear what I got!”

On the Playtex bra commercial:  “They used to not show stuff like that.”

Parenting advice from Bigmama:  “Don’t yell at your kids.  It makes ‘em mad.”

After looking at my iPhone:  “Show me how to press buttons on that thing.”

When learning how much the iPhone cost:  “That’s not so bad if it’ll do all that.”

I have to agree with Bigmama.  I can also appreciate that a woman who won’t buy canned salmon unless it’s on sale could actually justify buying an iPhone.   She is a woman who surely knows how to prioritize her life. 

 

 

 

 

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March 5, 2009 · 6:00 am

It’s my party. I’ll cry if I want to.


So, I was sitting on my sofa, laptop in lap, my large canine friend in front of me, and incredibly hot husband to the right of me. 

“I’ve got nothin’.  I mean, I have nothing to write about.  Not when I’m feeling the way I’m feeling,” I blurted out to Kris. 

Whew.

That was hard to admit.  Not running on empty in the creative writing department part.  We all know “creative writing” and dustytakledotcom are not necessarily synonymous.  It was hard to admit that I was struggling inside with some emotions that I have withheld for, oh, about a week.  Ya see, I don’t suppress anything for long.  It’s just not my nature.  But, these feelings, for personal reasons, were just hard to uncover with Kris.  And, it wasn’t his stuff.  It was mine.  All mine. 

So, I told him.  And, I cried.  I cried some more.  Then, a little more. 

Every once in a while, I have an old issue that sneaks up on me.  And, I feel those feelings again.  An issue that I nailed to the cross long ago.  It’s an issue that tries to disguise itself as performance-minded or self-sufficiency.   But, when I tear away its mask, I see it for what it really is.

Insecurity.  A need for validation. 

I knew exactly what prompted those feelings.  Being honest with my feelings wrapped in a blanket of tears was what I needed.

Ahhh.  All better now.

If you’re having your own internal struggle right now, find a safe place and open your heart to him or her.  And, if you really want to get it all out, then cry, baby, cry.

Do you ever just need a good cry?

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February 19, 2009 · 7:00 am

A reminder that He is Immanuel.


I know I write about my experiences in parenting, well, far too often.  But, it’s where I am.  And, I learn just as much from those experiences as my children learn from me.  I feel certain of this.  I also realize that I tend to write more about John Henry’s seemingly spiritual insights and Anna’s crimes of fashion and occasional use of profanity.  It’s not necessarily that one loves God more than the other.  Hmmm. Well, maybe just a little.  For now.  Or perhaps, one just responds to His love more than the other.  Look, I don’t have the answers here.  I’m just figuring this thing out as I go, or in this case, as I type. 

I write all of the above nonsense to say that my children teach something almost daily.  And, if it’s not a new life lesson, it’s a reminder of how God has called us to live our life.  Yesterday was one of those days.

Upon letting John Henry out of the car, I decided to pretend there was a bug around his feet.  You know.  To scare him.  ‘Cause I’m a good mother who gets a kick out of frightening her children.  Go ahead and send that Mother of the Year Award to Oklahoma, please. 

So, the story went….

“John Henry!  There is a bug crawling around your feet!”  I said frantically in a voice worthy of a daytime Emmy. 

He skirted a bit.  Then, I said, “I scared you, didn’t I?”

“I don’t get scared,” he said.  “God is always with me.”

I probably should’ve felt ashamed at this point.  After all, I was trying to scare my son and he was basically rebuking me with the name of Jesus.  {I blame my own father, because he tried those same antics with me.}  But, I just felt proud.  Then, I felt comforted.  Because, my six-year old reminded me that:

No matter how grim things look….

No matter how desperate we become….

No matter how lonely we feel….

No matter how anxious we are….

No matter how scared we are…

God is with us.  Always.  When we walk through the waters, He will be there.  When we walk through the flame, He will be there.  He never leaves us.  He never forsakes us.  He goes with us all the way to the end.  He goes with us to those terrifying doctor’s appointments.  He goes with us when we drop our child off at her college dorm for the first time.  He goes with when we start a new job.  He goes with us when we walk down the aisle and say I do.  In everything we do, in every place we go, He is with us.

So, wherever you are walking today, know that He is with you.  And, you have nothing to fear.

“Look! The virgin will conceive a child!  She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.'”  Matthew 1:23

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February 16, 2009 · 6:00 am

Extreme President Make-Over


I’m coming down from a sugar high from the massive amounts of Valentine treats collected by my children.  So, y’all bear with me.  I’m going to pretend the Christmas holidays are just now ending and make a resolution to eat healthier; forsaking all sugars until pounds I do part.  Selah and Amen.

It’s President’s Day.

What better way to honor our presidents than these completely respectable, life-like crafts?

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I had to take a second look at George Washington there.  It’s hard to distinguish if it’s Washington I’m seeing or my great-aunt Kate with rollers in her hair.  In any case, I cannot tell a lie.  I love those kids.  I love this country. 

Abraham Lincoln said, “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count.  It’s the life in your years.”  While you or I may never be president of the United States, we can choose to live a life that is beyond ourselves.  A life that is rich in service.  A life that is rich in love.  I would hate to know that I lived my life only concerned for my own needs and wants. 

I pray the same prayer over my children every night.  In part of that prayer, I ask God that they “may always be a blessing to people.”  Because, I know that in living a life that is life-giving, that there will be life in their years. 

 

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February 4, 2009 · 6:00 am

Word up. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)


For the word of God is living and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow:  it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 
Hebrew 4:12

The word of God is living and active –

It’s not dead.  It’s full of life.  It produces results.  God loves His word.  And, He watches over it to perform it. 

Sharper than any double-edged sword….dividing soul and spirit –

Our soul is our flesh.  The word is sharp enough to separate our soul from our spirit, so we can discern if we are functioning in our spirit being or our flesh.  And, as children of God, we are spiritual beings.  Not in a freaky kind of way but in a “we’re created in His image” kind of way.  I tend to function in both.  I’m trying to spend a little more of my time operating in the spirit….no matter what Anna is wearing J

It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart –

Only the word can judge our intentions.   Are our thoughts – our intentions – pure?  The word of God can pierce our spirits and reveal to us our true self.

How are we treating others?  What feelings are we dealing with that are not from Him?  Are we struggling with jealousy?  Are we struggling with judging others?  Are we remaining discontent?  Are we reacting to situations with a negative attitude?

Whatever our inner battle, the word of God is sharp enough to pierce it and reveal the yuck in our life.  Not so we walk away condemned.  But, so we walk away forgiven.  So, we walk away filled with His goodness.  So, we walk away feeling ALIVE. 

Reading His word and letting it saturate our hearts is not just a good thing to do.   It’s a necessary thing if we want to walk in all of the wonderful things He has for us. 

And, I don’t want to miss a thing.  (Thank you, Steven Tyler for that one.)

Set aside a little Jesus time, as I call it.  You will be filled with His life.  And, ya know what else?  You’ll enjoy life a whole lot more. 

Soooo, get yo ‘self in the word.

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January 29, 2009 · 6:00 am

My day in pictures…almost.


Well, Chuck, the day started with a beautiful white blanket on the ground and the stunning sun in the sky….something I had missed for the past few days.

I knew this day would be great.  School or no school.  We all got dressed.  I put on make-up.  Elements my face had not seen the day before.  Anna requested I “twist” her hair.  I finally figured out she meant braids.  She wanted four braids.  I talked her into two.  The true miracle of the day.

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She hates the camera. 

We ventured to the mall where I spent my usual dollar on this excuse for a carousel that my children never seem to tire of. 

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Okay, so far so good.

We ate a late lunch in the mall food court.  By late, I mean 2:00 when I realized I had not fed my children.  They didn’t seem to hold it against me.

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Again, she HATES the camera.  Hardly notices it at all.

Hotel For Dogs began at 2:30, so I knew we needed to post haste. 

So, we headed to the theater, purchased our tickets and loaded up on our treats, which you practically have to take out a small loan for. 

And, then it happened.

Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, I have no picture of this next climatic moment, so do your best to imagine the scene.

John Henry has his popcorn and Icee in his capable, growing hands.  I have my Junior Mints in my purse and Anna’s popcorn and Icee in my hands. 

“Mooommm!  I want to carry my OWN popcorn and Icee!”  Anna pleaded.  Pa-lee-ded.

“Anna, you aren’t old enough to carry your own.  You have to six years old,” I explained.

“But MOOOOMMMM!!!!”  She let out one final whimper then tugged on my arm and somehow intertwined her leg between both of mine.

KER-PLOP!

Down I went.  The least graceful face plant you’ve ever seen.  Then, Anna followed suit. 

The greatest victims were the popcorn and Icee, of course.

Brilliant. 

Let’s just skip past all of the on-lookers who felt sorry for the poor little mother managing her children on a snow day.  The kind movie food people (feel free to use that one) replaced my shattered items at no charge. 

Of course, there was no replacing my dignity. 

At least, the kids continued to enjoy their day at the movies.

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As for me, well, I had to keep my left hand wrapped tightly around my cold water bottle to lessen the pain of the carpet burn I acquired in the trauma.

After the movie, we enjoyed what was left of our white blanket.

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So did this guy.

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Later, I self-medicated with a glass of wine and read this text from my husband:

“Oh no.  You know I am falling down laughing right now.”

I had that one coming to me.  I assure you.

School is back in session today.  While there were a few rough patches in the past 72 hours, there were certainly a plethora of memories of made. 

And, those are the things that life is made of. 

“Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ‘Wow, what a ride!'”  – Unknown

 

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