Tag Archives: Love

September 22, 2008 · 6:00 am

What Kind?

Well, our weekend went off spectacularly.  John Henry played his first soccer game, and he thought the tumble and roll was the best part of the game.  Here he is before the uniform needed a good washing.

 

We were pretty certain this girl here was our ringer.

Not so much.

Anyhoo, the start of Takle/Landreth sports has begun.  And, we couldn’t be more excited or proud.

Anna, much like her momma, kicked it back and soaked it all in.

As I gave John Henry one of his birthday gifts, I told him it was from his Dad.

His response and, no doubt, quote of the weekend, “What kind?”

In other words, which dad?

We all laughed at our not so normal life.

People often ask us how we do what we do.  How do Kris and Bryan do dinner together, laugh together, and share the joys of one amazing boy together?  I don’t know that I ever explain it all very well.  This is what I do know:

– After Bryan and I separated (and I was pregnant with John Henry), I prayed several scriptures over Bryan’s life.  (Thank you, Bob and LaRue McDaniel, for your amazing book, “Pray the Word”.)

– I chose forgiveness. 

– I married a man who not only loves me, but loves John Henry so much that he loves Bryan, too.

– I took ownership in “my stuff.”

– I thank God every day that His mercies are new every morning.

Because, I need them.  We all need them.  And, I know that I know that I know, that I am nothing without Him. 

What kind of dad?  The kind that loves.

Aren’t you glad our heavenly Father loves us no matter what?

 

6 Comments

Filed under divorce, Love, parenting

Tagged as , , , ,

August 25, 2008 · 6:00 am

East to West.


I’m forgiven.   Every day.  Because, I do not walk a sinless life, I have to be.  And, He freely gives it to me.  Yet, many struggle still with this concept.  How can the creator of the heavens and the earth, the author and finisher of our faith forgive a little me with dirty, rotten insides?

Because, He is the creator of the heavens and the earth, the author and finisher of our faith.  And, He does whatever He pleases. 

But, perhaps, a better answer is because He loves you and me.  Since the day He created man, God has desired to walk in relationship with us all.  And, it’s His desire for that relationship – and His immense love for us – that He so sweetly forgives us all. 

He forgives all things. 

He sacrificed His very own son to wipe away our sin. 

I love ya.  And, I’d maybe die for some of you.  But, I sure as heck wouldn’t give up one of my youngins for any of you. 

But He did.  ‘Cause His love is a love that surpasses all knowledge. 

Don’t let guilt grip you.  Don’t let it hold you hostage.  Know that you are a child of God cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ.  You are forgiven.  And, oh, how you are so loved.

11 For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.  12 He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.  Psalm 103:11-12

Aren’t ya so glad?

3 Comments

Filed under God Stuff

Tagged as ,

August 18, 2008 · 6:00 am

Loving the hard to love.


I like surrounding myself with fun people.  I often avoid those who carry a lot of emotional baggage such as bitterness, addictions, or depression.  I avoid people who aren’t nice.  Let’s face it.  Life is short.  Why waste a perfectly great night out with people who don’t seem to “fit in”?  After all, those babysitters aren’t cheap.  Why invite them into my home only to watch the clock and wonder when they are going to go back to their house?  Why return their calls?  Respond to their e-mails?  They never seem to listen to my advice anyway.  They are still going to hold onto their stuff like it’s a sack full She Takes the Cake’s “Chocolate Therapy”.  And, my condolences to you poor souls who’ve never tasted that little bit of heaven.

I like fun people. 

But, Jesus said love your enemies.  Now, I don’t consider the people described above as enemies.  But, if God wants us to love our enemies, I’d bet he means them, too.

This kind of love isn’t easy, is it?  The Apostle Paul wrote, “I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding” (Philippians 1:9, NLT).  This means that as we get to know Jesus – and understand who He is more and more, that this kind of love will grow.  Not overnight.  It’s a lifelong process.

I think the first thing to remember is that we ourselves are in desperate need of a Savior.  That we, too, fall short and fall short often.  Pride sets in when we don’t realize how God loves us in spite of our failures and short-comings.  And, we all know that pride and love mix about as well as oil and water.  But, when we see that we all need His grace, then we become less judgmental.  And, loving the not so fun people becomes easier.

Who did Jesus chill out with when He walked the earth?  Well, not the self-righteous Pharisees.  Nope.  Not a one.  He kicked it back with prostitutes, stinking fishermen and even the I.R.S. of the day.  And, we are called to love just as He loved. 

It doesn’t mean it’s an easy endeavor.  But, we have the Holy Spirit within us.  And, that empowers us to love with the love that lives within us.  As a child of God, that kind of love is our inheritance.

One day, I might even share my “Chocolate Therapy” with the not so fun people. 

I’m just kidding.  I don’t even share that with my friends.

Do you struggle loving the hard to love? 

16 Comments

Filed under God Stuff, Love

Tagged as , , ,

July 31, 2008 · 7:00 am

The greatest commandment.


We’ve all heard it a thousand times.  30 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ 31 The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  No other commandment is greater than these.”  Mark 12.30-31

 What does verse 31 look like?

We usually think of our neighbors as those who live next door to us.  But, Jesus explains in the story of The Good Samaritan that our neighbor means all persons, enemies included. 

I love a Three Musketeers bar.  Does this mean I split half of it with my neighbor?

Is it extending forgiveness?  Is it the golden rule?

I’m curious.  What does loving your neighbor as yourself mean to you?

13 Comments

Filed under God Stuff

Tagged as , , ,

May 20, 2008 · 7:00 am

The Pursuit of God.


We often hear about how we need to pursue Christ.  And, we do.  But, the other day I read this scripture in the New Living Translation, and I was blown away.

Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.  Psalm 23:6

I’ve read and heard this scripture a gazillion times.  For real.  I’ve usually read other translations that read “will follow me” instead of “pursue”.  For all practical purposes, they both indicate the same thing, but the “pursue” really caught me off guard….in a good way.

How beautiful that the Creator of the Universe pursues you and I?  No where before or after this scripture does it say that it is conditional.  But, it does reveal that it is constant.  This amazes me.  Makes me wonder what would happen if I turned around and ran into Him.  I bet that upon the first breath that comes out of my mouth when I call His name, He immediately puts His nose to mine ready to listen.  I bet that if I’d sit silently and look intently back at Him, that He’d speak to me….maybe even reveal some sort of mystery. 

His pursuit is constant.  All the days of your life.  In terms of romance novels, this one beats all – except it isn’t fiction.

He is pursuing you and I right now.  I’m thinkin’ I need to slow down and spend some time with Jesus.  I’m thinkin’, maybe, I should turn around and run into His goodness and His love.  What about you?

5 Comments

Filed under God Stuff, Spiritual Journey

Tagged as , , ,

May 13, 2008 · 7:00 am

5 Minutes

Here’s one for ya.

If you had five minutes of the world’s attention, what would you say?

My mind has been all over the board on this one.  For real.  Themes like “forgiveness” and “peace” seem likely.  Or, perhaps, addressing the rising gas prices is another good one.  But, I’m drawn to this one.

I think maybe I’d share Ephesians 3:18-19 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. 

Because, the love of Christ is the greatest story ever told.

Of course, to truly understand the love of Christ, you have to know the whole story.  Perhaps, I’d hit the highlights like the fact that God knowing that we would need to be saved from our sin willingly agreed to become a man and give his life as a ransom.  Why did he do it?  Because, he loves us. 

It’s a tough question really.  What would you say?  You’ve got five minutes.

4 Comments

Filed under God Stuff, Randomness, Spiritual Journey

Tagged as ,

May 9, 2008 · 7:00 am

I am my mother’s daughter.

This is one of my favorite pictures of my mother taken over twenty years ago.  I just the love the way it captures her beautiful profile.  She has always been this beautiful.  And her beauty goes deeper than anyone I have ever known.

I really can’t imagine life without my mother.  I share Abe Lincoln’s sentiments when he said “Everything I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.”  While I am certain she made mistakes as a mother, I can honestly say, I cannot recall one.  Perhaps, that’s because she invested much more good than she withdrew bad.  I have been blessed beyond measure because of her.

My love for the written word is largely due to her exposing me to books at a very young age.  I can still remember as a little girl heading to the Flint River Library to join other children in book readings.  I can also recall the excitement I felt each week as I brought home my borrowed books.  She introduced me to books, and I was able to enter into a world where I knew anything was possible.  It was this love that ignited my love to write.

She endured through my stubborn resolve to not wear socks where the lace overlapped.  (And, as noted yesterday with my little Anna, I know exactly what she must have felt.)  When I wrote my first song about a falling star, she assured me it was top 40 material, regardless of the fact that it included a line about killing a bumble bee.  She let me write and mail a letter to Brett Butler of the Atlanta Braves and convinced me that he read it.  She loved me still after I screamed “I hate you.”  She made my sixteenth birthday truly sweet.  If she told me once, she told me a thousand times how proud she was of me when I graduated from college.  She squeezed me tight the day before I married.  She held me close the day I got divorced.  And she rubbed my head the day I gave birth to my son.  And, then, she held him, too. 

Then, one day she watched us hop aboard an airplane with the last of our belongings and venture off into new adventures.  While she hurt inside, she smiled and still said, “I am so happy for you.” 

She is a wonderful Nan.

She is my rock and my best friend. 

She is my dear mother. 

I hope one day my children love me as much as I love her.

Happy Mother’s Day.

 

8 Comments

Filed under Motherhood, parenting, Relationships

Tagged as ,

May 6, 2008 · 7:00 am

The great defender.


My children like to quote a line from the recent film “Alvin and the Chipmunks”.  It’s when Alvin chants, “Dave likes to wear dirty underwear.”

At first I scolded them for repeating such vulgarity (at least it sounds vulgar coming from a 3 year old’s mouth).  But, then I joined in.  Its repetition became somewhat contagious.  I just couldn’t help myself.

I changed it up a bit and sang, “Nan likes to wear dirty underwear.”  John Henry quickly yelled back, “No!  I love her!  Don’t sing that about Nan!”  (Nan is my mother and would also be the next American Idol if John Henry had anything to do about it…..along with the next President .  He’d also make sure she was  voted “Who’s Who Among American Nans.” 

So, I sang instead, “Ga-Ga likes to wear dirty underwear.”  John Henry replied, “That’s okay.”

At least we know where his loyalties lie…..as if we already didn’t.

2 Comments

Filed under Motherhood, parenting, Randomness

Tagged as , ,

May 2, 2008 · 7:00 am

Women who have influenced me. (5 of 5)

Vickie Brauckmann

I met Vickie February of 2003 – the same day Kris Takle came into my life.  My relationship with Vickie has been one of the most defining elements in my life as an adult, as a woman, and as a friend. 

I have been blessed with many close friends.  This verity made moving to Oklahoma bittersweet.  But, I found a friend in Vickie.  She embraced me instantly.  She has also taught me the beauty in not only being a friend, but what it means to truly care for one.  You see, when Vickie is with you, she is with you.  You know those people that you talk to who are usually thinking of the next thing they are going to say instead of listening to you?  That’s not Vickie.  She lives in the moment with her friends.  She listens to them.  She is genuinely interested in what’s going on their lives. 

Her home is her haven, and she welcomes you…..really welcomes you into it.  When she invites you into her home, she makes you feel like you’re the only person that exists – and, she takes care of you to perfection.  And, when she invites you into her life, she invites you in for good. 

She is one of the most caring women I have ever met.   She can be trusted.  She is genuine to the core.  She is blessed but unpretentious.  She makes me proud to be a woman and even prouder to be a friend.

Vickie once gave me a beautiful kitchen towel that reads “Friends are relatives you make for yourself.”  No one emanates this adage better than Vickie. 

Because she and her husband, David, loved Kris so much, they also loved me.  I cannot say enough about their friendship.  They have believed in us and loved us with a love that is extraordinary. 

I moved to Oklahoma for love and found much more in my dear friend, Vickie.

….but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.  Proverbs 18:24

2 Comments

Filed under Relationships, Spiritual Journey

Tagged as , , ,

April 30, 2008 · 7:00 am

Women who have influenced me. (3 of 5)

Linda Hardwick

For more than twenty years, I’ve been mentored by and friends with Linda.  Some may find it odd that I considered Linda my friend even as teenager, but I did.  As a matter of fact, I can remember calling her and her husband, Joe, up when I was 16 so we could “do something” together.  For real.  Besides, while they imparted Christ to me, I imparted “cool” to them – at least, I thought I did.

Linda has been whatever I’ve needed her to be.  She has been a mother, a counselor, a pastor, and a friend.  She has cared for me in her home more times than I can count.  I’m not sure what I would do without her chicken and broccoli casserole.  That alone places her on the list of my greatest influences.  And, my Christmas china collection is largely thanks her to kindness.

What is probably most admirable about Linda is that she is a seeker of truth.  But, she doesn’t seek truth for knowledge’s sake, but for the sake of living it.  She embraces tightly the scripture, “You shall know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  She will tell you that knowledge is not knowing with your mind but with your heart. 

She loves God.  She loves her family.  She loves her friends.  I’m blessed to call her one of mine.

“There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily.”  – George Washington

2 Comments

Filed under God Stuff, Relationships, Spiritual Journey

Tagged as , , ,