Happy Anniversary John and Dani!

"Ten years ago today, a stunningly beautiful young woman in a sleeveless, white, flowing gown stepped from a brick walkway up the steps to a picturesque college chapel set among gorgeous live oak trees. Waiting inside and down the aisle, a tall, dark -haired, and tanned young man with intense blue eyes waited for his bride with unparalleled anticipation.

In the vestibule, a sleepy-eyed , tuxedoed three-year old shyly took the hand of an exotic little nine-year old beauty, and with his other hand carried the white satin pillow holding the rings. Together, they walked down the aisle. She, daintily splashing flower petals and he, gazing at her with the adoration a young child only bestows on one a few years older. They performed their tasks beautifully.

Family and friends, bridesmaids, and groomsmen, witnessed the event with great joy as John and Danielle Scott Gilliam committed their lives to God and each other in marriage.

It was a yellow and red-leaved, breezy, autumn afternoon. It was ordained by the Creator of the Universe. And it was perfect."

July 21, 2009

Yesterday was my anniversary. 40 years ago, took my first steps on earth. The cool part is that it was the same day man took his first steps on the moon. Makes it easy to remember.

Today, my children and I did the mad scramble to get the house ready to be shown by a realtor. They were a big help. Had to take them for ice cream at McDonalds. It was the least I could do. Mommy's perfectionism must certainly be maddening. Considering the fact that this is our second go around at trying to sell our home, it is a been there done that for all of us....one we could honestly do without. It is what it is and it IS apparently something we gotta do.

Now, I am watching Alyssa munch on a granola bar. It is 10:40 p.m. She is sitting there, cross-legged on the couch beside me. She is wearing her lilac colored disney princess gown, (her favorite) and asking me questions. I love that girl! "Is this healthy? " she asks. I nod my approval and she, satisfied, continues crunching and asking me questions like, "Mommy when did you lose your first tooth?" We discuss normal tooth loss patterns among she and her friends.

Her Daddy walks in and compliments her artwork from Vacation Bible School. "Thank you," she says. He continues on and walks upstairs humming and singing, "Close to You," the one by Karen Carpenter.

Though it is late by the rest of the world's standards, it is not so much to us. We are winding down, it is good. Very, very good.

Leisl

New Mercies

It was a cold and gorgeous morning. The sun was brilliant and sparkling on the water as I sat by the bay with breakfast, coffee, my Bible and my camera. After some time with my Lord, I went for a walk with Him. We crossed the boardwalk, wound around on the gravel path, saw the large live oak tree where General Jackson gave some famous speech and then we walked back and picked up litter along the way.

I couldn't stop smiling. It was one of those goofy smiles you get when you are with someone you are crazy about. I talked to Him the whole time. We had a good time. I needed that walk more than I can describe.

I returned home later a better wife, a nicer Mommy.

Leisl

Random Things

I finally gave in and did the 25 Random Things about Me thing that everybody on Facebook has been doing. I think I will also post it here just for fun.

• My first word was "Kitty."
• I love cats. Surprise!
• I took my first step on earth on the same day that Man took his first step on the moon. "One small step for man....."(And baby girl.)
• My idea of a good time is a caramel macchiato, good music, and a good book.....either alone or with my Kurt, or with my Gaylefriend who lives three hours away and has to go to a different Starbucks.
• I LOVE being a southern girl, complete with sweet tea, cornbread and buttermilk.
• "I'd like to teach the world to sing...in perfect harmony!" No, really yall, it hurts all the way up my spine when somebody is singing offkey. They can't help it, but neither can I. Its good that God likes a joyful noise, maybe He will let me hear with His ears some day!
• People who take the time to care about others, (people and creatures :) ) totally ROCK! "What the world needs now, is love, sweet love."
• I believe there is a song for every occasion.
• I am the proudest Aunt that ever walked on this earth.
• I love hanging out with my kids. They are way too cool!!
• In high school, I was the Shelby County Spelling Bee winner. I lost at the state level on the word "Marmalade" which I did just spell correctly and will never misspell again.
• In college I went to London. While there, I went to Trafalgar Square to watch the ball drop on New Year's Eve. It was very exciting....but then I almost got kidnapped by an extremely creepy dude with a towel on his head. I was rescued by a GIRL who hit him until he let me go.
• My brother got chased in Atlanta by a dude with a chain saw. But that is his random thing. I just think its a neat story. If you know John, ask him about it sometime.14. I asked for a baton for Christmas this year.
• I have personally witnessed truly amazing Miracles that only a personal, infinite God could perform.
• My first paid job, other than babysitting was scooping ice cream at the Riverchase Galleria when I was 17. I quit one month later after being accused of stealing. The day after I quit, the REAL CULPRIT was discovered.....aaahhhhh....Can you say, vindication?
• My husband ate two week old baked beans the night before our wedding. Let's just say the tears streaming down his face as I walked down the aisle toward him were not just because he was overwhelmed with my beauty.
• In 1993, I had the privilege of traveling with my husband to Germany to meet his family over there. A travelling tip I have discovered is that when sitting in a small basement restaurant with people you don't know very well, who don't speak your language, and who are all smoking with no ventilation in sight, it is advisable to order two of what your Mother-in-law is drinking and enjoy the rest of your evening.
• I wish Sarah Palin was our president.
• I could have gone to college for FREE....I didn't. Hindsight is 20/20. Put those two twenties together and that is about how many years it seems to be taking to pay off my school loans.
• My twelve year old son is far more understanding and immediately forgiving of others than I am.
• I like to write poetry.
• I am sort of shy. Seriously.
• I do plan to overcome my faults, and I am so glad that "He is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us." (Ephesians 3:20)
• My husband, my father, and my brother are the 3 most awesome men I have ever known.

Just Seeking Him

It has been weeks since I posted. One would assume it has been due to the busyness of Christmas. That is part of the truth. The other part of the truth has been a heaviness of heart. Yes, I had a wonderful blessed Christmas celebration with my immediate and extended family. I had some very special time with cousins I rarely get to talk to one on one...and we had that. It was absolutely precious.

I am still hesitating....

In the life of my own little family, (and yes we belong to Him, the Christ we all celebrated), we have some pretty big issues staring us in the face. I know that right now in our country, there are many with similar issues due to the downturn of our nation's economy. Let's just say our own "economy" took a downturn almost two years ago when the company my husband worked for downsized, and as the highest paid employee, he was let go. Not fired...."let go." Whatever, the end result was the same. Since that time, his efforts at finding full time employment, which have been constant, have been to no avail. He had a temporary full time position that lasted about 3 and 1/2 months last year. He accepted the call to a church as a Bi-Vocational pastor one year ago, but without the other vocation. :) He has done whatever he could find to do, from landscaping, to cleaning businesses, to painting....odd jobs here and there. Still, for reasons that only the Lord knows. He (the Lord) has caused every single door to remain shut regarding full time employment.

Before you go deaf from the violins playing the sad music in the background, please know if you are still reading at this point that I do not write this to evoke sympathy or pity. This is just me, making a public proclomation that I know He sees our need, He is in control, and "My God shall supply all our need according to His riches in Christ Jesus."

We haven't missed a meal, and none of us are naked. We still have shelter and in the eyes of most of the world that makes us wealthy.

Quite simply, we are at a point in which some hard decisions have to be made, and we are just not sure which way to go.

If you happen to read this, and if you believe as I do that if we "Trust in the Lord with all our hearts, and lean not on our own understanding, in all our ways acknowledge Him and He will direct our paths," then just pray with me that we will keep Him our focus and trust Him and obey Him whatever He says and wherever He leads.

I am participating with DeeDee's TUESDAY'S TOGETHER (in the Word). One of the scriptures she mentioned was from the book of Isaiah, chapter 30 and verse 18:

So the LORD must wait for you to come to Him

So He can show you His love and compassion,

For the Lord is a faithful God.

Blessed are those who wait for His help.

How is that for a timely word?

Waiting for His Help,
Leisl

A Good Man

He came home. He sensed my anguish. He cleaned. May the Lord bless him a thousand times over.

After a day that was spent hopping from one task to the next, i.e. schooling kids, starting laundry, sorting stuff for a yard sale, fixing food for multiple meals - my house was just trashed and I had nothing left in me for cleaning. I was as mentally cluttered as my house was literally. He suddenly had an apparent influx of energy and just went to town on this house. I feel no shame. I feel so - much - better!!!

I love my Kurt!

A good blogger would insert a picture here. The one of him lying on the couch, his energy finally gone. A good wife would probably skip the part about the snoring. I lost my instructions about how to put a picture on here so I had to give the play by play.

Lovin'my husband,
Leisl

Thankful Nonetheless

What an odd Thanksgiving/Birthday.

Well it is 12:35 A.M. on Friday, November 28. I'm not asleep yet and can't seem to accept the fact that my Birthday is over. It was a big one. You know, one of those that ends in "0." Though I am not one of those people who refuses to tell their age, (I'll tell you if you ask me directly,) I just don't feel like splashing it out there in print. Well, it was kind of cool that it was falling on Thanksgiving. Kind of a distraction from the fact that I am getting older. As if.

Anyway, it turned out so weird because nothing at all went according to our plan. The day was just about over before I had a chance to even think much about the big "_0" part of it. See, we were supposed to leave yesterday, er, Wednesday to drive up to my parents house, a.k.a. "Papa's Farm," and be in place to go literally through the woods to my Uncle and Aunts house for the annual Thanksgiving Day tradition that is always such a good time. Instead, I finished laundry and packed while anxiously watching my sweet 7 yr. old as she progressed from "not feeling good," to hurling a trail that led from the living room, through the kitchen, all the way to where she stopped....right in front of the toilet. !

And so began the vigil, the fever...etc. My child is not the first to get a stomach virus. It was just the timing....So we let the family know what was going on and decided to give it another day and just drive up early on Thanksgiving morning. (Also, don't forget my Birthday.) Oh, and here is how my actual birthday began. At approximately 3a.m. ish---when she was calling out to me that she felt worse, the precious girl was trembling with chills. I decided it would be best for me to sleep beside her on her little twin bed. So, I put my head at her feet and my feet beside her head. (Hoping this might keep me from catching whatever she had.) Then it occurred to me that there was no toilet tissue in the upstairs bath and that if she threw up again this would be needed. (Not that it is not always needed.) Just follow me through all these endless details, there is a point. To obtain this needed toilet tissue meant I had to climb back out of her bed, go downstairs, and tiptoe across the very cold tile floor to the laundry room. Upon picking up the bag of toilet paper, I upset the broom with a metal handle. It fell forward and smacked me basically right between the eyes. ! Have you ever? I knew this did not bode well for the rest of my day. Funny how things pop into your mind but right at that moment, the moment where words I will not print and I am asking the Lord to forgive me for were proceeding from my mouth, it occurred to me that this was about the time of morning I woke my parents from a sound sleep lo those many years ago that end in a "0." Yep. My Dad has often threatened to call and wake me up on my Birthday at exactly that time as a kind of payback. I told him what happened, I think he felt sorry for me which I needed.

The rest of the day is kind of a blur. I did go back to sleep for a few hours, then began the dilemma of deciding do we stay or do we go. After a delicious Thanksgiving lunch of General Dollar Store brand chicken noodle soup, the kids and I eventually got out the door without the company of my husband who unfortunately had chills and nausea. He said he would join us tomorrow, er, today now...if he got over the virus as quickly as Alyssa did. We did finally make it to my Aunt and Uncle's house, the kids and I got to see the cousins and eat leftovers from the huge Thanksgiving Dinner. I got to blow out candles on my cake that end in "0," and .....well, just like that it was all over.

I'm glad it is not all about me. Nope.

• I got to hold the cutest little nephew you ever did see. He leaned out as soon as he laid eyes on me with pudgy little arms reaching.
• I saw the same cousin I used to carry around in my arms when she was a baby, with her brand spanking new baby and he is beautiful, just like she is.
• I saw the relief in my Daddy's face when we all finally got their safely.
• I saw the cool new bright red mustang that belongs to my second cousin who just turned 16. Precious, sweet girl.
• I saw every other aunt, uncle, and cousin, and got to talk and catch up a little.
• Played dress up with a four year old who dressed me up in some flower child/diva get up and then proceeded to parade me around the house for the "pageant" as she called it.

I could keep going for another 20 bullet points without trying very hard. The end of it all is this. Yes, I am older. It was "the big _0". Big deal. The bigger, much greated deal is that I am surrounded by blessings and wonderful, precious people in my life. And loved by a Savior who is faithful to me and never changes. I don't know what tomorrow will bring, but I do know who holds tomorrow in His hands, I know that I am His, and I am Thankful.

Praying for your Blessing,

Leisl