That Time I Got My Stitches Out

I didn't handle it well.

Bold color choice.
*SEE NOTE

I never have had stitches that needed to be removed.

They usually just painlessly dissolved on their own.

I'm not sure what constitutes using 

disolvable/removable stitches 

but PLEASE always sign me up 

for the disolvable.

The doctor told me I didn't have to make an appointment and could just pop in to have the stitches removed.

That set a "no biggie/this isn't going to hurt" 

tone for the entire visit for me.

I planned to pop in, 

take care of the stitches 

and then head to a bible study brunch.

They asked me once I went back to the examining room if I'd like to take off my pants.

I told them that I did not.

I rolled up my pant leg and sat on the exam table.

I noticed a beautiful black and white picture on the wall of a tree when an intense pain shot through my leg.

I felt a strong instinct to slap the woman in the neck.

So strong that I wondered if I did for a second.

She told me there was only one stitch left, the others had come out on their own.

Then she said a bunch of stuff about tape 

and it popping back open 

but I couldn't hear 

because I was busy deciding if I was going 

to cry 

or throw up.

But I was fairly sure I hadn't slapped her in the neck 

because she was pretty chipper.

I left and called Monte from the car.

I told him my quandary:

1. to cry

or

2. to throw up.

He said to go to the brunch and eat.

That's the go-to advice in our family:

protein.

And it worked.

The End.

*Don't Google "images of stitches being removed" unless you want to be forced back into a familiar quandary and you end up standing at the fridge eating a piece of turkey midmorning because:  protein.

Sunday School, Red Solo Cups and the Prophet/Inventor

I taught Sunday School this past week and had Ellie help me since I knew we were going to be making a messy craft/snack.

But it was more of a visual aid to the lesson.

I'll explain more in a minute.

There was a large group of kids and it was Communion Sunday.

Before we broke up by age groups, the youth pastor explained communion and what the bread and juice represented.

When the juice was being passed out, one of the little boys joked with the boy next to him that he was going to get drunk on wine.

Ok…

Then the youth pastor handed Ellie and I two large red Solo cups saying he'd run out of communion cups due to the large group.

I may or may not have said something to Ellie like it really did appear 

as if someone was going to get drunk on wine.

And it wasn't going to be the boy
with the little communion cup.

Ellie said she wanted to take a selfie because some of her friends from more conservative, formal churches thinks this is what it's like at our church anyway.

Drums, 
electric guitars 
and communion from red Solo cups.

To be clear, we drink JUICE during communion.

Juice that I am allergic to by the way.

If I'd downed that Solo cup, 

my throat would've closed as fast as those kids could veer off topic.

The craft was built around the importance of prayer in Daniel's life.

It was so important he didn't stop when he was threatened with being thrown into the lion's den.

In fact, he continued to pray INSIDE the lion's den.

Wouldn't you?

To drive home that priority of prayer,

we handed out small mason jars to each kid.

I told them the jars represented our life.

The same little boy with the wine comment said,

"Empty?"

God Bless you, teachers of America!

We then passed out a few handfuls of M&Ms to each of them saying they represented the important people in their life:

parents, grandparents, siblings, teachers, coaches.

Then we poured in each of their jars, crushed graham crackers representing the things they have to do:

school, homework, music lessons, sports, chores.

Finally, we passed out marshmallows for the kids to put in their jars.

These represented their prayers.

They could not all fit.

After brainstorming a bit about how we could make it all fit, we poured out our jars onto paper towels and started filling our jars again.

This time, we started with our prayers (marshmallows), 

then added the chores (graham cracker dust),

a few more prayers (marshmallows), 

and the important people we love (M&Ms)

and a few more prayers (marshmallows).

It all fit!

Minus a few important people that found their way into mouths 

and the chores that found its way all over the table 

and floor 

and one girl's entire shirt sleeve.

We then explained ways to pray and how it's good to pray the attributes of God.

It was FLYING all over the kindergarten-2nd graders' heads.

I tried to simplify it as best as I could.

I said that God knows everything all the time and we can thank Him for that in our prayers.

One little boy who had not spoken at all said,

with grand hand motions,

"It's like God's mouth is as big as the entire earth…"

I silently prayed that this wouldn't be another 

"drunk on wine" rabbit trail comment.

"And he's saying, for ALL to hear, 

'TRUST ME!'"

He whispered the last part.

Ellie and I were struck silent.

I may have gotten goosebumps.

This kid was a little prophet!

And none of the other kids seemed to appreciate that fact one bit.

I told the kids they could write out something they'd like prayer for on a card and trade with someone.

The prophet boy came up to me and said he couldn't read or write.

He showed me a little robot that he drew on his card, 

one eye WAY bigger than the other, 

and he asked for me to pray for him because he was an inventor 

and he needed prayer for his inventions.

An inventor AND a prophet!

I've thought of this little boy a lot this week.

I talked about him at bible study and then small group and I'm sure I'll bring him up again whenever the opportunity arises.

We make it so complicated.

We try to organize and prioritize our time, our prayers our home, our peace,

stuffing it all into our jars.

But we miss the part when God says,

"TRUST ME!"

With His mouth all wide open and big, apparently,

so all of us will listen up.

We try so hard to do life all on our own, 

not needing anybody,

that we don't ask anyone to pray for us.

Not just for our concerns and worries,

but our gifting and talents.

The dreams deep inside of us,

of robots with or without one bulbous eye.

We miss out on so much when we don't share.

I know I would've if this little boy hadn't.

It has been my privilege to pray for him this week and all the inventions that will come from him one day.

I can only imagine what God has planned for him once he learns to read and write.

The person who trusts in the LORD,

whose confidence indeed is the LORD, is blessed.

Jeremiah 17:7 CSB

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

James 5:16 NLT

Grease is the Word. So is Halloween.

This was our first Halloween without McDaniel.

We knew this was coming and started talking about it last year.

While we were home in Indiana last Easter, I ran into a dear high school friend at my parents' church.

He brought up our Halloween costumes and I shared our concerns of how to do pictures so we can use them for our Christmas card with one away at college.

He suggested taking them in the summer while McDaniel was still home.

Of course!

We always get our costumes early during sales so that wouldn't be a problem.

It was so simple yet it had never occurred to us!

So, we contacted a talented photographer, Meghan, who we know through Young Life and had her come over in August.

We borrowed our neighbor's vintage Cadillac convertible and went to the local middle school that our girls attended.

It's almost 100 years old and seriously looks Rydel Highesque from Grease.

On the way to the school, I quickly filled Meghan in on our Halloween tradition and how she was sworn to secrecy on what we were dressing up as until Halloween.

She did a great job.

With the pictures AND keeping the secret.

We live in an area where people are always out and about.

Walking, running, walking dogs, biking, etc.

For whatever reason, 

it was super quiet the day of this photo shoot.

Just one car of teenagers pulled up and got out our their car and stared at us for a moment.

One of them came over and said they were doing a scavenger hunt for their youth group and needed a picture with a hot rod. They couldn't believe we were there in the Cadillac.

We stepped away from the car and allowed them to snap a shot.

They never asked why were dressed the way we were 

or why we were taking pictures in a convertible 

by the middle school.

They got there shot and sped off.

Go Grease Lightning!

We ordered the Pink Ladies jackets online and they came with the scarves.
They rest of their outfits they pieced together from their closets and thrift stores.

Sandy and Danny…at their 30th high school reunion.

Pink Ladies

It was 96 degrees on the day of our photo shoot.

Just two months later, it was in the 40s for Halloween and we FROZE!

I bought cheap canvas shoes on Amazon and used a Sharpie to make them look like
saddle shoes. Ellie has already borrowed them. 

My skirt and sweater came from Amazon which was WAY cheaper than buying the costume.

I printed out the R and megaphone onto iron-on paper and ironed it onto the sweater.

We missed McDaniel but we felt good that we hadn't missed our tradition.

Of course the T-Rex had to make an appearance too.

I feel a new tradition coming…

My baby came by for a visit again.

I had fun chasing this super hero to the candy bowl.

I have wanted to take these pictures for a long time.

There's a Port-a-Pot in the front yard of the house under construction two doors down.

When you gotta go, you gotta go!

Hope everyone had a good Halloween!