Tippy Tap Blogaversary and Announcement

I have been known to reschedule my birthday for another day. On those occasions, my boys’ snarly and snipping foul moods just did not bode well for a festive, happy celebration. During my blogaversary in May my aunt and I hosted a wedding shower for my niece with homemade daisy cupcakes and dress cookies, after which she promptly went to the hospital for emergency heart surgery (both events totally unrelated). Today seemed like a good day to celebrate 2 years in the blogahood. It seems like a happy day, a blue sky day. The trees are green and my house is fairly clean – Come on in and celebrate – and let me tell you a surprise. . . 

“A stick that will not break” – words imbedded in my heart from a poem written by my 4th son for Mother’s Day, 2 years ago. That poem was my very first post on Blue Cotton Memory. Looking back, I see those words as a theme at the launch of a journey that turned into a quest: “an adventurous expedition undertaken by a knight or knights to secure or achieve something.” Except, I was not a Lord leading Knights, nor was I a knight leading a contingent of men. I was a mom shepherding a bunch of boys.

Blue Cotton Memory chronicled the challenges on the journey:

• My oldest son’s wedding (June)
• Out-of-State Move (August)
• The Death of My Father-in-Law (January)
• Teen Challenges (Spring)
• A Refreshing and A Waiting (a year)

Just writing this stress-filled list leaves me amazed that new and old friends in the blogahood come by, but it is those friendships made over the course of this journey, women who shared words that God put on their heart, words that encouraged me, nourished me, often over a cup of coffee, hundreds of miles away.

Moving somewhere new without a support system is tough. Facing life’s major challenges without that support system is daunting.

God does not want us isolated to the attacks of the enemy. He wants us to have a team holding our arms up high when we become wearied in the midst of battle, like Aaron and Hur did for Moses (Exodus 17:10-13), to guide like Jethro did to Moses (Exodus 18:13-27), to believe that we can overcome anything with God beside us, like Caleb and Joshua (Numbers 13,14), or like Elizabeth who welcomed Mary when she needed someone who understood, or Naomi who took Ruth under her wing when she had no one. Some of you have even been  a Jehoida, providing a place for me to bring my gifts to be used by God (2Chronicles 24). It takes special people to encourage others to let their lights shine as bright as possible.

I found that kind of support listed above from many women in the blogahood.  Those connections diminished my isolation, were lanterns in the dark beckoning me onward, comforted and encouraged, not only as I faced challenges but as I worked to grow in areas outside those challenges.

What, you might be thinking, did I achieve or secure on this journey? I have been thinking about that. Two years ago, God said, “Go,” and we went (to read back story, click here: Big Move of Faith). What was my Holy Grail for this journey?

My Holy Grail (H.G.) might be different than the Holy Grail of each member of my family, but mine H.G.  is that my faith, my hope, my love in my Father was “a stick that would not break.”

What was the most important lesson? When God is working in the lives of the individuals of your herd, party, crew or family, sometimes it gets tougher before it gets prettier. It is not all about you. Sometimes you just have to stand and pray while a spirit metamorphosis takes place, – except revelation or change, like a caterpillar to a butterfly, feels like standing next to, not a soft-cocoon emergence, but a volanic eruption from a rock encrusted mountain.

My blogaversary is really all about you and all you have done for me, whether you realize it or not. You have blessed me, not just by coming by, but by sharing what God has put on your heart. Thank you seems so meager but my  heart means it abundantly ginormous!

I keep talking about a journey begun. Well, the time has come to talk about a journey ended – and a journey always ends with a return home. One of my favorite stories is how Samuel always returned to Rama, his home town after every journey God sent him on. I am no Samuel, but God is sending us back home, 20 years worth of home, where 4 of my sons were born, 3 baptized, 4 dedicated, where friends are already planning our Friday Night dinner, where I can sit on the porch in the rain of my house that never sold, plant tomatoes and trim my bush that thinks it is a tree.

We just returned from taking a truckload of home, trying out for travel soccer, and eating my favorite dish from my very favorite restaurant. We close up this journey at the end of the month – and return home for a new beginning. EVERYONE is terribly excited!

I am so glad you are going with me! That our friendships will not cease – but grow on as a new journey emerges, one after another.

What’s that sound you hear? The Tippy Tap sound of Joy? That would be coming from me!